From sheep to chickens, everyone has a role to play.
Through the winter months, the Tinja Sheep Flock work their magic in amongst the vines – helping to keep cover crops low, keep pests at bay, and return vital nutrients to the soil. Opportunistic eaters in every sense, we must keep a close eye on the flock as we near bud burst, to ensure they don’t snack on any of the new growth on the vines that signals the commencement of the vintage.
So this is where the chickens will hopefully shine!
Chickens are scavengers, keeping their heads low, focussed on the abundant insect-life and greenery within reach. They are fantastic pest controllers, as well as being beneficial for soil health due to their constant scratching (and droppings, which are a very nitrogen rich). Their instinctive scavenging will hopefully work to keep our cover crops under control, while keeping difficult to manage and reach weeds at bay as the sheep are not on patrol. Our vineyard and farm team are hoping to utilise their unique, innate skillset to fill the seasonal gap left by the sheep’s absence.
As well as being much less invasive than machinery in the vineyard, chickens also position themselves to be nimble and low-compacting; allowing them to reach weeds such as Farmers Friend and Fat Hen (no pun intended) that grow close to the trunk of the vine. They are then able to do this without heavily impacting the soil like traditional farm machinery would; a big benefit for us in our non-tilling approach.
Enter the Chicken Tractor.
A combination of skill and fate, you can now spot our Chicken Tractor – affectionately named Foghorn Leghorn (of-course) – beginning its trial in the orchard below the Cellar Door. Maintenance all-rounder, Maurie, has skilfully and dare we say, artistically, transformed David’s old horse float from the farm archives into a palatial chicken hotel on wheels – allowing our team to move the chickens around, while providing a secure and protected roosting place.
The team will now monitor the chickens performance and health as we seek to introduce them into the vineyard in the years to come. Due to the hot summer conditions that our region experiences, we will closely monitor the brood to ensure they obtain ample shade, are comfortable out in the elements away from their regular accommodation, and are safe from predators in their new mobile digs. The aim is to then have the chicken make their maiden vineyard appearance in the Spring of 2025.
So if you see a giant chicken at Tinja…
So next time you are at the Cellar Door and see a crimson crest amongst the leafy trees and vines, you know its actually part of a trial to help improve the health and vitality of the farm and vineyard. This will be the third manure type introduced to the vineyard now (cow manure in the biodynamic preps, and sheep in the winter vineyard management); a significant step forward in further increasing the biodiversity in the soil here at Tinja.
