Coop Project: Maken the Plunge & Getting Chickens

[TerryH]

I have used these traps on our property many times. They work great. Unfortunately I mostly trap the neighborhood cats. lol... Also an interesting issue to deal with when it's a skunk.

 

[Mysterious]

How do you get cheap railroad ties????

 

[Rock Home Isle]

How do you get cheap railroad ties????

Generally, if you want railroad ties...landscaping companies will carry various types of timber products. I googled "Railroad Ties" and my home state of Colorado and had thousands of hits.

The railroad ties that I have around my home came from a corral that we tore apart and salvaged all sorts of timber for use in landscaping. At the time, my father-in-law had purchased a new farm and wanted me to tear out the corrals. We saved a lot of timber from that project, and I'm still using it around the house.

 

[Mysterious]

Thanks.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I really enjoy gardening. It's a real feeling of personal fulfillment being able to grow fresh produce and provide for your family...even with my small patch of ground.

One of the amazing benefits of keeping a small backyard flock of chickens is the all the continual work that they do around the yard for me.

I used to spend money each year to power rake my yard. I don't have a thatch problem anymore, the girls have taken care of that for me. I used to put out birdseed in the areas that needed the thatch thinned out. All that work is now accomplished by the girls each winter as they forage.

I used to winterise my yard each fall, put down a light fertilizer in the spring and another dose mid summer. I don't have those expenses anymore, and I don't have to take the time out of my day to do it...my chickens drop fertilizer year round in the yard. I don't even have weeds in the yard. Whenever I start a new group of pullets I show them the heavenly joys of eating bindweed...it's harder to do that anymore, because I no longer have bindweed, or dandelions, or even thistle.

I found a small clump of Bindweed growing under the trampoline. It took them maybe 2-3 minutes to strip it of its leaves. I won't pull it, I'll just leave it to grow back. The girls will continue to remove leaves, and eventually the weed dies. All I do is teach the girls what the weeds are and how nice they taste. They take it from there....

But the garden is my pride and joy each summer. I've always put my lawn clippings in the garden, between the rows. It keeps the weeds down and makes walking in the garden after watering a lot easier and not as messy. And every fall I mow up my leaves from the trees and in the garden they go as well. The girls act like I've created a play ground for them as they scratch and play in the leaf litter, slowly working it all into the ground.

Last year I sold my rototiler...no real need for it. My little flock of girls works the garden soil everyday beginning in the fall, through winter and into early spring, until I plant. Today my garden is more productive than it's ever been. The soil is deep and rich and loamy...loaded with organic goodness.

At the end of May we planted the garden, this year. I just love my garden, everything grows and it produces the best tasting vegetables.

We've had a few isolated instances of chicken invasion....well it's always the same chicken. She has figured out how to climb a fence. Craziest thing I ever saw, she just grabs the fence with her feet, flaps her wings and walks right up the side of the fence, then plops over the other side and into the garden.

Easy to tell when the chicken's in the garden, our dog Missy comes and get us. She's a real tattle tail.

So here we are late June.

With our occasional chicken invasion, we've lost one watermelon plant, a half row of beets and a few giant garlics....but everything else is doing great.

When I mow the yard, the grass gets piled between the garden rows to keep the weeds down. This also helps to hold moisture in the ground, and provides food to the worms that are very abundant.

I've never posted updates on my garden before...only really ever talked about it.

 

[aart]

That walking/flying/climbing thing I'd read about.....and finally saw it once with an 8wo chick..... crazy, right!?
Maybe a few strings along the top will deter her?
..or another short section of fence angled out and loosely attached to top of existing fence?

 

[lcertuche]

My chickens do this all the time. Several of them do it. First it was one but now a whole group. I think when the one did it the rest just watched and began.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

That walking/flying/climbing thing I'd read about.....and finally saw it once with an 8wo chick..... crazy, right!?
Maybe a few strings along the top will deter her?
..or another short section of fence angled out and loosely attached to top of existing fence?

aart...I have to say it was hilarious...I had never seen it before and totally did not expect it from a full grown bird. Last time she got into the garden was 2 weeks ago...so,I've not taken any actions to deter it yet.

For the first week or so, the whole flock, even the pullets, would line up along the fence and stare into the garden. One of the birds even ran up to me and grabbed my pants leg in her beak...I can only surmise that she was trying to tell me that the gate to the garden was closed.

Silly birds.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

My chickens do this all the time. Several of them do it. First it was one but now a whole group. I think when the one did it the rest just watched and began.

It's great having these little workers.

When that first one finds a bug or a nice juicy worm and takes off running...the whole flock is hooked on the garden.

 

[Mysterious]

I really enjoy gardening. It's a real feeling of personal fulfillment being able to grow fresh produce and provide for your family...even with my small patch of ground.

One of the amazing benefits of keeping a small backyard flock of chickens is the all the continual work that they do around the yard for me.

I used to spend money each year to power rake my yard. I don't have a thatch problem anymore, the girls have taken care of that for me. I used to put out birdseed in the areas that needed the thatch thinned out. All that work is now accomplished by the girls each winter as they forage.

I used to winterise my yard each fall, put down a light fertilizer in the spring and another dose mid summer. I don't have those expenses anymore, and I don't have to take the time out of my day to do it...my chickens drop fertilizer year round in the yard. I don't even have weeds in the yard. Whenever I start a new group of pullets I show them the heavenly joys of eating bindweed...it's harder to do that anymore, because I no longer have bindweed, or dandelions, or even thistle.

But the garden is my pride and joy each summer. I've always put my lawn clippings in the garden, between the rows. It keeps the weeds down and makes walking in the garden after watering a lot easier and not as messy. And every fall I mow up my leaves from the trees and in the garden they go as well. The girls act like I've created a play ground for them as they scratch and play in the leaf litter, slowly working it all into the ground.

Last year I sold my rototiler...no real need for it. My little flock of girls works the garden soil everyday beginning in the fall, through winter and into early spring, until I plant. Today my garden is more productive than it's ever been. The soil is deep and rich and loamy...loaded with organic goodness.



At the end of May we planted the garden, this year. I just love my garden, everything grows and it produces the best tasting vegetables.

We've had a few isolated instances of chicken invasion....well it's always the same chicken. She has figured out how to climb a fence. Craziest thing I ever saw, she just grabs the fence with her feet, flaps her wings and walks right up the side of the fence, then plops over the other side and into the garden.

Easy to tell when the chicken's in the garden, our dog Missy comes and get us. She's a real tattle tail.

So here we are late June.



With our occasional chicken invasion, we've lost one watermelon plant, a half row of beets and a few giant garlics....but everything else is doing great.

When I mow the yard, the grass gets piled between the garden rows to keep the weeds down. This also helps to hold moisture in the ground, and provides food to the worms that are very abundant.

I've never posted updates on my garden before...only really ever talked about it.

WOW! Do you mind if copy your idea?