DharmaGirl
MyPTSD Pro
I do the same, at least the grass the chickens don't eat. I got a big chip drop at my last house, wonderful stuff! My front gardens really took off. Where I live now is very, very dry and WINDY!! The chips would just dry up and blow away. My stepfather, who had lots of weird ideas, told me trees don't grow here. Don't tell all the trees I planted last year and are thriving. Don't tell any of the trees the neighbors planted. This area was once alfalfa fields, so all the trees were cut down. People around here actually have the audacity to wonder why it's so windy! Anyway, he also told me blueberries won't grow, so I grow them in pots for now but I planted a lot of pine trees so I'll eventually have pine needles.We use grass clippings from mowing the lawn as mulch, along with some wood chips here and there, and pine needles for the blueberry bushes that like acidic soil. One of the tree trimming companies dropped off several loads of wood chips for free, so we have a LOT.
I've been using soapy water, but I don't have many insects due to the chickens. I'll have to try neem oil if the chickens start slacking.A neem oil mixture is what we use to spray on a few things to try to help deter the insect critters
Amen! Love my seeds! I started 9 types of tomatoes this year, including some Brad's Atomic Grapes that I saved the seeds from last year. I just got more seeds in the mail yesterday. I'm trying to find interesting perennials for the front gardens. I planted some sedum last year and it made it through the winter. Very pretty.To me, having a good seed collection is better than gold
I used to do that for my chickens, but they turned up their beaks at fresh sprouts! I couldn't believe it! I had been starting a flat a day for a week and they wouldn't touch them. I would love to grow watermelon for the chickens, but I don't think I have enough time here. They love the seeds. Trying to find watermelon with seeds out here in the wild west is kind of difficult. I have to drive 40 minutes to get to a real grocery store and then the selection is not the best.I'm also constantly sprouting seeds/beans of some sort indoors.
I just got a great book on foraging! If I ever leave the homestead, it will be fun to identify things to eat.That's why I love also being able to add the freebies of nature
Today, my son and I are going to put up netting over the onions and garlic past the fence, and I'm going to plant some bush beans, radishes, beets and carrots out there too. I also need to plant the squash and pumpkins. I'm planting another garden out there for the chickens with kale, broccoli, cabbage, and grass, among other things. It's fenced, and I'll let them in a group at a time for an hour or so. That way the garden will last maybe 4 days, lol.
My dog loves to chase the chickens. She is learning not to, but she would rather not learn. She would just rather chase chickens and pull out their tail feathers.my dog said no to my owning chickens.
I can't imagine! The noise would make me crazy! I'm surprised that people don't grab them and eat them. When I would advertise free roosters, they would be gone in a day. People would assure me they wouldn't eat them but I didn't really believe them. As long as they have a good life I'm ok with others doing that. I just can't. I was supposed to process a rooster with my neighbor, but I got myself all upset. The neighbor wants to have a co op and sell eggs to restaurants. I would be happy to, or sell eggs and produce at the farmers market. I'll have to look into what kind of certification I'll need.We have about 200 that run amok and chorus the morning sun.
Ugh, it's 4am and the roosters just woke up. I'm moving one of them further out with his hens so that should help with the noise. My window is next to the chicken yard so he would jump on a coop and crow in the window if he wanted a snack. Yep, they are spoiled.