Clearing brush and trees for chicken/duck yard expansion

I've been hard at work clearing brush and trees so that we can extend the chickens and ducks fenced yard. This will also enable many of the fruit trees to get more sun and have less competition for resources. We have learned that the fruit trees within the current chicken/duck yard are thriving and doing so much better than before we had the birds there, it makes sense to extend their yard around more of the orchard area. Since there is poison ivy as we get closer to the woods I am doing most of this work since my husband and the kids are prone to getting a rash from poison ivy but somehow I never get a rash. I can't use a chainsaw so had to press the hubby into service for the trees that are too big for my cutters. He wore heavy clothing and gloves and worked in the area for less than 2 hours but still got a small rash.

I've been clearing in this area for a few years now. Previously the entire area I'm working on now was as heavily wooded as the woods that can be seen beyond the new cleared area. I can't wait until this project is done. I know the chickens and ducks will enjoy the new area to explore. The fruit trees will benefit from the birds fertilizing them as well as eating insects that might bother the trees. It's a good solution to several issues, wanting the birds to have more room to explore, wanting to let more light into the side yard and onto the fruit trees, as well as enabling the birds to rid us of more insects and they will keep the brush down so it doesn't grow back so intensely. Having more cleared area might help cut down on potential predators getting close to the coop too.

Of course I have kitty helpers all through this project, mostly KitKat but Rufus and Stormy join me from time to time too.