BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Social › Random Ramblings › Alaska Chicken Lover's Soup for the Cold!!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Alaska Chicken Lover's Soup for the Cold!! - Page 446

post #4451 of 4558
4/15/11 at 2:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BirdBrain 

I'm SO glad you got the bator stuff figured out.  How many RIR eggs you got in there? 

I don't think anyone is intentionally ignoring you.  Conversation on this thread seems to be a bit disjointed in the last months.  I for one have been SSSSOOOO busy with working my head off at my folks ranch for 3 weeks and then trying to get back in the groove at home. Getting the kids back into their lessons and dealing with a myriad of other pressing minutia has kept me busy full time.  We have been home almost 2 weeks and I am just now feeling like I might be able to catch my breath.  DH is going to have gallbladder surgery in a couple of weeks.  sad  Not thrilled about that.

DD's duck has been laying a clutch.  She has 12 eggs under her.  I think 2 were contributed by our blue duck who is a sporatic layer.  Charlie's foot looks the same and she gets around fine.  Wiggle and Cocoa have been saying harsh things to each other with Wiggle ending up having to sneak around to spend any "meaningful" time with the girls.  I think Wiggle and Cocoa are each other's exercise program. They spend half their day walking around and posturing at each other. It gets kinda funny.

Our inside chicken was out on the deck today.  She heard the other chickens below calling.  She told them she was not coming back as she had become "domesticated".  lol Brat!

The kids and I put up PVC hoops over the raised beds.  We had to dig out the snow from around the beds to be able to attach the brackets.  Tomorrow we will strech the plastic over them to help things warm up quicker.  I know I will be planting potatoes, but I don't know if I want to take up valuable raised bed space for them.  Was thinking about straw or hay in round wire cages.  You ever do that? Any tips?  I have also been throwing around some ideas for making some garden beds out of plastic barrels cut lengthwise.  What do you think?   What would you do if you had a bunch of barrels?


Hey frow
I just put a large amount of black plastic over part of my garden area too big_smile
Snow has dropped 2-3 inches since yesterday as a result!

Barrels? I think you could certainly make beds that way. If I had several laying around, I would be starting a humanure set up wink

I plant all out taters in hay, straw and leaf mulch. with a bit of manure and dirt mixed in.
Works very well. Just make long rows, or, do wire baskets if that works better for your yard.
Seed taters just came in at Budget Feed, so we need to get over there and buy up what we need.

I guess this thread has sort of died. Everyone did move over to facebook, but I gave that up when I started getting weird pms from someone I did not know roll

Reply
Reply

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

Why Join BackYard Chickens?
Join Our 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long
The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
post #4452 of 4558
4/15/11 at 2:26pm

I guess you are right. I don't do Facebook so I am out of the loop.

Do you just plant directly on the ground and cover with layers of straw and manure added on top?

There are always two sides to a story and the truth runs somewhere down the middle.
Nobody loses anything by being polite but there are a lot of people who are afraid to take the risk.
In God's economy, the budget always balances.
Reply
There are always two sides to a story and the truth runs somewhere down the middle.
Nobody loses anything by being polite but there are a lot of people who are afraid to take the risk.
In God's economy, the budget always balances.
Reply
post #4453 of 4558
4/15/11 at 3:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BirdBrain 

I guess you are right. I don't do Facebook so I am out of the loop.

Do you just plant directly on the ground and cover with layers of straw and manure added on top?


A layer of hot manure, then a good layer of mulch, then taters, then mulch. Keep adding your hay, leaves or straw as they grow.

Reply
Reply
post #4454 of 4558
4/15/11 at 8:50pm

Thanks! That will save valuable garden space.

I might be able to get some more plastic barrels.  Are you interested in any?

There are always two sides to a story and the truth runs somewhere down the middle.
Nobody loses anything by being polite but there are a lot of people who are afraid to take the risk.
In God's economy, the budget always balances.
Reply
There are always two sides to a story and the truth runs somewhere down the middle.
Nobody loses anything by being polite but there are a lot of people who are afraid to take the risk.
In God's economy, the budget always balances.
Reply
post #4455 of 4558
4/16/11 at 9:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BirdBrain 

Thanks! That will save valuable garden space.

I might be able to get some more plastic barrels.  Are you interested in any?


Yes!
They have lids, right?

Reply
Reply
post #4456 of 4558
4/16/11 at 11:50am

That is exactly one of the things I was thinking of for the barrels! The yard at our new place is swampy and terrible, and, since it's a rental, I don't want to put a lot of money into building raised beds and building soil (though most would be rabbit manure) so after I get my water barrel rigged up for watering all the plants (No outside spigot here! Have to run a hose through the house to the kitchen sink, and I definitely dont want to do that every day!) if I could get more barrels I was going to cut 'em down for garden containers.

Do you think lengthwise would be better than just cutting them in half? I go back and forth, guess it depends on what I'd be growing in them.

Since my yard is so small, I'm also going to try growing potatoes in a tower using this method: http://www.irisheyesgardenseeds.com/growers1.php

But, if I have blue barrels all over my yard, I might build a grow bag out if a tarp to stick with the blue theme and go with that. smile

I've got three little chicks downstairs in the brooder, and 42 eggs in the incubator. My turner gave out on me and I've been hand turning, but I found someone that is willing to lend me a turner so maybe I'll be ok after all!

Cheers, Rachel
Haiku Heritage Farm
Still in the frozen white north. As far as I can tell, "Winter is coming" is old news.

Reply

Cheers, Rachel
Haiku Heritage Farm
Still in the frozen white north. As far as I can tell, "Winter is coming" is old news.

Reply
post #4457 of 4558
4/16/11 at 12:40pm

Paula,
They have solid ends with two holes in the top end. They are not like the metal barrels with rims and solid lid.  These barrels come from a car wash and contained car washing soap and possibly wax.  If you go on SS and find the thread about a cheap bee hive idea, that is what the barrels look like. Still interested?

Rachel,
I think they would work great for gardens.  That is what I am thinking.  I plan to cut them sideways and fill with compost for planting vegetables.

There are always two sides to a story and the truth runs somewhere down the middle.
Nobody loses anything by being polite but there are a lot of people who are afraid to take the risk.
In God's economy, the budget always balances.
Reply
There are always two sides to a story and the truth runs somewhere down the middle.
Nobody loses anything by being polite but there are a lot of people who are afraid to take the risk.
In God's economy, the budget always balances.
Reply
post #4458 of 4558
4/18/11 at 9:39pm

Hi everyone! It's nice to see some new members on here, and the familiar ones too. smile I have been spending most of my computer time on the Facebook page, but I miss catching up here too.

Paula I am so happy for you, I saw you have a new addition, and I don't mean the ducks! wink

I have 50 meat birds coming in June, turkeys coming up on the chicken train tomorrow, and some eggs in the bator due to hatch next Tuesday. I LOVE this time of year!

"You can't make footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt, and who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?"  Bob Moawad
Reply
"You can't make footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt, and who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?"  Bob Moawad
Reply
post #4459 of 4558
4/18/11 at 9:42pm

Nice to meet you. big_smile
I have chicks coming up on the chicken train too, I can't wait! wee
I wish I could meet everyone but I have to work so Tori is catching me on the way back by Anchorage.

Amy in Alaska
Reply
Amy in Alaska
Reply
post #4460 of 4558
4/18/11 at 9:47pm

Nice to meet you too! I'm Aimee as well. smile

"You can't make footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt, and who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?"  Bob Moawad
Reply
"You can't make footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt, and who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?"  Bob Moawad
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Random Ramblings

Featured Stories on BackYard Chickens

Why Join BackYard Chickens?
Join Our 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long
The Basics Of Raising Chickens - Raising Chickens 101
BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Social › Random Ramblings › Alaska Chicken Lover's Soup for the Cold!!