General Discussions - 2012 - Chapter 38

LOL, Lost Frog, you said everything to Jxgma that I was going to. Very curious about your chicken coops you two.

Yes we built it ourselves! No chickens yet.. hopefully next week.. Almost done! Need door knob, handles on drawer, separators for laying boxes and screen in window vent and chicken ladder! Got to finish fence between garden and coop.. I was told chickens will scratch up my hay bales and try to lay in them..can't have that!!! The chicken droppings will be used in the garden also.. :-)

That looks nice enough for me to live in . Congrads .

How many hens do you think you can have in there? Don't they figure so many per square feet or is it so many sq ft per chix? There is a formula I have seen. Also, once your garden is up, do you have a garden in regular ground? That the chix scratching in it helps keep the bugs down and the plants somewhat fertilized.

I used to watch a fellow's garden and he would let his chix out during the day and they were constantly in his garden scratching, eating bugs etc. It looked great. He had a beautiful garden every year so something was right.

I have never heard of them nesting in the bales. Don't know why they wouldn't tho? LOL At least the eggs would be very visible and easy to gather.

My chickens go into my hay storage area and will lay eggs on the bales so I have a nightly routine of checking all the nest boxes then the bales. Silly chickens think I put that stuff in there just for them. Can't trust them in the garden, they would destroy it. I had some volunteer tomatoes come up in the chicken yard and I had to fence it to keep the chickens out, they have eaten all the leaves of what they can reach already but I have about 32 of the little demons so nothing stands a chance. I will say that they make it easier to trim the fence line. They take care of keeping the grass clipped as far as they can get their heads out, so less trimming for me and provide plenty of compost. Win-win.
Here are all my coops. I have a little chicken city going on, but they keep me entertained. Unfortunately, I can't let them free range anymore. Last year, I had a bunch of stray dogs attack them, by the time I ran out there, I had bodies scattered all over the yard. Two were still alive and recovered completely but they have to stay inside their fence now which isn't too bad, they have a half acre area.
JaxGma, Do you know what kind of chicken you are planning on getting? Love your craftsmanship on the coop by the way! Too cute.

Your coops are so neat. I can see the chicken city. LOL Wow, 32 of them. That's a lot. Are they all hens? What do you do with all of the eggs? How many do you get a day? Bet it takes a lot of feed. Hope they pay for themselves. :0)

Well 9 of them are babies that hatched this fall so they are not laying yet. Lets see, I have 6 roos and the rest are girls. Right now, with all this heat, I get around 7 eggs a day. Many of my girls are 7-8 yrs old so they don't lay anymore, but that's ok. They deserve a retirement. I guess I go through about a 50 pound bag of feed every 2 weeks. More during the winter, less in the summer when there are more bugs and outside stuff to eat. I sell some eggs to coworkers but it doesn't cover the cost of the feed. It's more a hobby than anything. Here are some of my kids, I only have the bantam sizes. The first one is a frizzle polish, still a baby. The second has some cochins and a silkie. The third has some silkies, cochins, faverolle, seabright and mixed babies. Last is a cochin.


This message was edited Jun 27, 2012 11:16 AM

They are so cool. Very nice. And love the different ones. When my daughter was young she and I had chickens, geese, ducks, rabbits, dogs, cats, even a horse. But, since I can't take care of them any more and she lives in Seattle, I only have a dog and 2 cats. But, I do miss the rest of them. If I could take care of them in the winter I would at least have a couple of rabbits for the manure for my garden. That is the best.

But we have so much snow in the winter it would be impossible for me to take care of them then so guess that is out. I sure enjoy seeing the chickens. etc. Thanks for sharing.

JaxGma and Lost Frog- your coops are AWESOME! I would love to have some chickens myself. Maybe someday when I grow up and own a home....

If anyone here is good at building coops at a low price, I suggest you sell them to the urbanites who are into this kind of stuff. They have soft hands and no idea how to build this stuff, and they will pay a premium for an already-built chicken coop.

JaxGma- what kind of bales did you use?

That is true. They are going thru their city or townships to allow them and my gosh, they have them right in the cities. It is amazing when the people with acreage are limited to two or three 4 legged animals. LOL

I used straw bales..hay was too expensive and I wanted 30... The ones my tomatoes are in were from Pa.from what the lady said at Southern States. I had to go to Oxford to get them (40 min away) and I think they were much older. They were darker and more compact. I didn't want to drive all the way back to get more and I needed 15 more so went to local store and got them for squash etc. They were newer, pretty, bigger, lighter and not as compact. Well.. I really like the older ones much better. They hold water better & had tons of mushrooms. We have had almost no rain here in weeks and I've only needed to water with the soaker hoses maybe once or twice a week. We've had many storms but they all either go around us or are all wind... This is a pic of finished coop. I wish I could let the chickens run in the garden but I've heard they will destroy the plants scratching them and will lay in the bales.... There is a drawer under the roosts so I can pull it out to clean and a window on one side and a flip down vent above the drawer. I raise Afghan Hounds and have to fence up everything to keep them out.

BTW.. Everything did real good in all the bales except the green beans.. don't know what I did wrong and they are growing more now but I doubt I get much out of them. The squash, Zucchini , peppers and tomatoes are awesome and all plants are full. What can I plant in the bales after the tomatoes and squash are done? Ideas?

LostFrog I LOVE your chickens and your Chick City!! Now I want another one! Love the log cabin! lol

This message was edited Jul 4, 2012 5:42 PM

LostFrog: I know I want a couple silkies, probably a couple Rhode Isl Reds and about 4 more but have not made up my mind yet on what kind. I figure 8-10 will be enough. Question.. after everything has been picked from the SBG , can I just let the chickens in it and let them eat whatever is left? I figure they could help fertilize the bales as well. :-)

Jaxgma, did you design your own chicken coop? Years ago I sent for a real well designed instructions to build one, and now I can't find it. Sounds a lot like the way you described yours. The handiest thing about it was the way it had a roost etc for the chix to poop and an easy cleanout for it.

I have never seen any designs like it since.

We looked at several coops then made it to what we wanted.. The drawer is for easy cleaning.. it's right under the roosts and all I have to do is open the drawer to clean!

Just had to jump in and and share a little. I decided to raise some chickens this year. Ordered the chicks, then started building a chicken tractor. Now I'm glad I done most of the work while there was snow on the ground, as I don't think I would get very far along in this heat. But this is still a work in progress. I didn't do very well on designing the wheels on the heavy end. but it is a change I'm making after the fact. I have a doz. Barred Rocks, now 5 months old, in a 12' X 16' tractor I only have the one roost in the open area but see I need one in the hutch across from the nest boxes. as some are using the nest boxes for their roost. that makes for more cleaning. They are now starting to lay, I was getting 1 every other day sometimes 1 a day then yesterday I got 3, Wow, then today yea I got 5, they are still small but 5 eggs will work for 4, when making scrambled eggs, for us.
Have more pictures but that is the only one I could find right now. They didn't come up in this search. I'll have to look a little harder later.

So Russ, do you move this around? It's a tractor right? then you must move it around your yard, or garden. I see the ladder to the nest boxes. I want to see more pictures. I want to see a picture of MY chicken.

LOL, You folks are going to have to pardon us, but Russ got these chickens and knowing I wanted chickens, he said I could claim one of his. But he never told me which one and if she was laying, or???? Or was she going to end up as a guest at Sunday dinner.

How do you get the eggs Russ? You are just going to have to show us more pictures.

Hey Everybody,

Just a quick note to give you a new tip I got from a friend. I thought it was so neat, I hope you try it and let me know what you think of it. I will try it when we get some corn next time.

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBF6bv4Oe4

:0) Let me know. It looks neat anyway.

Hi, everyone!

I'm new at this forum, but have been following Kent's Straw Bale Gardening for some time. This is my first year trying straw bale gardening, at an altitude of over 7,600 feet and the hottest sun you ever could imagine (at least for the plants). It's cool in the shade during the day, but if you stand in the sun, whoa! I grew all but my Anaheim chiles from heirloom seed (I lost count at 1000 plants. Some are still in the temporary hothouse (made with cattle panel, hay, and a cheap clear plastic tarp.) Since the sun is so intense here the first plants I put out without much hardening off, and they got a 'sunburn', turning the leaves white and they're still stunted but hanging in there. I planted some more tomatoes by the little stunted one and more squash by the little ones, and like to think the bigger plants will give them some mentors. j/k :) For the first time in my life, I started corn indoors and transplanted them into the bale. I also made a strawberry tower out of bales and they're surviving and putting on new leaves, beside the bales, in the bed, are growing brocolli and flowers. On the top bale are squash plants. I'm testing to see if these will do well in shade. Normally, I wouldn't try them there, but the sun is ruthless at this altitude. I will be starting a bigger greenhouse made of cattle panel soon and look forward to extending the growing season. Anyway, I've talked your legs off, so I'll just share some pictures. Thanks for listening. Blessings, DJ

JaxGma, by all means let the chickens in there when your garden is done. They will go to town on everything and love you for it.

Solace, How is your corn doing? I've never heard of anyone transplanting corn before and was curious of your results.

This message was edited Jul 11, 2012 11:32 AM

This message was edited Jul 11, 2012 11:33 AM

Jnette, How funny! That same video was passed around my work a week ago so I tried it and it works really well. Mine didn't come out completely clean, had 2 or 3 silks still on it, but it beats having to pick all of them off of there. My family was happy with the results!

Solace, I'll bet you have even a shorter season than we do??? Bet that is why Solace is transplanting corn Lost Frog. Hope your garden does well, it sure looks good.

LOL, you are the first one I have heard from that has tried it. The shame is that you do lose some corn on the stem end, however, if any of it is going to be tough, that is where it will be. Thanks for responding.

Thanks, LostFrog & Jnette. The season is extremely short, here. The picture of the corn on the bale is from last week. I water it every day and it's hanging in there. The straw bales I use come from Coors Barley fields, and they bale it in a different direction than most so I have to have the bales thin side up. This corn you see is Reid's Yellow Dent, which I will grow more after this test - probably in the greenhouse, and I also planted some heirloom 'Smoke Signals' popcorn (like 'Indian Corn' - beautiful) and it's still in the starter tray awaiting transplant. It's a darker green. I may need to fertilize the bale corn. I want to try the ancient three sisters method of growing corn/beans/squash and use lithic mulch as well. with the 'Three Sisters' method, the corn is 6" tall and then beans are planted near them to use the corn as a trellis. Squash is planted to cover the ground and prevent overheated soil and evaporation. The Lithic Mulching is just placing stones around the soil to prevent evaporation and to stabilize the temperature at night (it's in the 40s and low 50s here at night) The Native Americans used these methods with great success, on a much larger scale than I have. I've gardened since I was a kid, but I'm doing some testing of other methods, now, since the weather is so crazy. Thank you for your encouragement and sharing your tips with the rest of us. And YES, you CAN transplant corn! Yay! :) The pic is kinda blurry, but here's the Smoke Signals in the starter tray in the temporary hothouse.

My Dear departed MIL sprouted her corn between wet folds of feed sacks , then planted it .

So see, it can be done. When is your first frost date Solace?

Average first frost: September 11-20
Average last frost: June 1-10
http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-colorado-usda-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php?ZS=81144

Digger, that's a great idea, sprouting the corn in wet feed sacks. I sprouted some in cheesecloth and it grew, surprisingly.
Thank you for that suggestion. Pots are in short supply sometimes, so alternatives are good.
I'm so sorry you lost your dear one. How long ago did it happen?

It has been several years . She was a second mother to me and I had her 'till she reached 98 years on this earth . She had a bright mind and great sense of humor until her last day .

Sally, you were lucky. A lot of people don't have one good mother, and you had 2!! How nice. And she lived such a long life and the best part is that she was so well when she passed away. There are so many sad lives in this world, it is nice to hear of an uplifting one.

Solace, it is too bad that shipping is so expensive. I suppose that is why pots are in such short supply for you.

What do you do up there when you aren't growing things? Do you live close to other people, how far from shopping etc. Are you close to Denver? Or?? Sorry to be nosy. Just curious as to how other people live. :0)

Oh gosh, about me, well, I retired early thanks to VP Gore's instructions from then President Bill Clinton, to reduce the federal workforce. So, they offered early outs to mid management. Actually to everyone, but were trying to get rid of the highest paid ones. Not highest, but ones they could afford to let go. Hire younger with less time in, right? lol.

Plus, physically I could have maybe gotten a disability, but didn't want to take the time and effort for the few bucks difference, so the offer came at a good time for me.

After 2 years retired in Seattle, actually lived there over 30 years, I realized I could not afford to live there on my income. Also, my mom was quite elderly and I really needed to be closer to her. So, I and my housemate picked up and moved to NE Washington, about a hundred miles north of Spokane, where my mom lived, which is in Eastern Washington.

2 years after we moved here, my mom passed away. Well, my only child, daughter, is still in the Seattle area with her family, my only grandchild, a boy 23 years old. Boy didn't sound right but I first put a question mark after it and that looked even more confusing. I do a lot of gardening, cooking, canning, reading, chatting on here, fishing in season. And of course, going to all of the fun fairs etc. in the summer.

I would love to move back to Seattle, but as I said, the cost of living is outrageous on retirement income. So, that is where I have come from after spending over 20 years with the U.S. Customs Service.

I'm glad you were able to spend the last years with your mom. I like to fish, too, and used to go out on the Rio Grande to fish, but haven't fished in years. How did you get into gardening? Or have you been doing it since you were a kid, too?

Yep, you've got it. My mom was an avid gardener. So, all of us girls ended up the same. 5 girls.

Sally, Digger, goes to Texas in the winter to fish in the Gulf of Mexico. Don't you Sally? She takes a tomato plant or 2 with her. LOL, yeah, she really does.

We fish mainly in local lakes and a few rivers.

Gosh, I just turned on the local news and he is talking about thunder storms again tonight. I have been in a lot of those, but last night was the worst I think I have ever been in. Just terrible. It started at about 11 o'clock and kept it up for hours. Right over our house. I don't remember ever hearing lightening crack so close. I do hope it isn't that bad tonight.

ttyl, later, good night.

Jnette , every year I say I'm not carrying a bunch with me . NOT ! This year I'm taking a huge elephant ear that will have to be cut back to the bulb only . . A pot of black E E's , a few tomato suckers , rooted . Another few small pots of annuals . I gotta stop this madness .
We have an older , customized , high top van that we drive to Tex .and there is the whole back end to put plants in , along with the large animal cage that carries the cat . We took the full size bed out first thing . We also pull a 6x12' cargo trailer full of tools , clothes , a broken 5' freezer loaded with frozen food to transfer into our freezer out there . All the boxed food from the cabinets so the weevils won't get in them and don't have to buy everything out there .The cabinets are already stocked out there with canned stuff .The broken freezer keeps the already frozen food froze hard and so much better than ice chests .
It's a lot of work to get everything separated and packed , loaded .I have to take my favorite knife with me , a chef's knife .Lord , if I ever left it , I would be lost .And I forgot cleaning out the fridge . Whew, you make me tired just thinking about the twice annual transfer there and again , back . I'm going to sit back in my recliner and take a nap ! hugs

You're both making me tired. :) I need more coffee, now. I have a greenhouse to build today. Will send pics, if it doesn't collapse onto me. j/k

Please send pictures so Sally can look at them while she is in her recliner and then she will sleep well. Thinking SHE did all the work. :0)

If you knew my D H , you would know I did most all the work . The only time he works outside is when I'm there . He is NOT a self starter .
I want to see the greenhouse but will have to sit in here , my recliner is in the den .
I did sleep well , then went to Tractor Supply and bought D H a grill with a smoker box . On sale for 69.00 , way less than two thirds of reg price

I would, but the train of plans I had today got side-railed. U bolts apparently don't grow on trees (or in my garage), and the local hardware store is only open three hours on sun day in this sleepy little berg. This means 'up at the crack of dawn' tomorrow. Winchester is learning to crow, so I'm sure I'll be up anyway, with the chickens a few yards from my bedroom window. I need to go out and run a plumb line of sorts and get it leveled, yet, anyway. Maybe Sally could just take a well-deserved nap with no guilt, while I try to figure out the best no-chemical way to get rid of some doggone spider mites or something eating my plants. Could be the little black ants, too.

My kind of cat and thanks for the no guilt nap .

That cat looks like we all do now and then. Very cool picture.