calling any one from missouri

[peanut67]

I am going to be hatching some eggs . Going to put them in the bator in a couple weeks
. I have around 30 eggs saved so far but we might be to far a part. I live out side of Warsaw if interested let me know Peanut

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Eggs should be under 10 days old for best results when incubating.

 

[ContessaKris]

Just nosying in in your convo. Lol We learned by accident that kale was winter hearty and perennial to an extent. A few years ago we were lazy and did not pull the garden in the fall but just left it to winter over. Kale was still growing into February even thru the snow, although slower growth. On a warmer day in February I cut it down in anticipation of digging up the beds in spring to replant. By April it was all grown again and flourishing even with snow. It grew that way for 3 years until we pulled it this year. It was still growing but getting spindly. And that was all without the hoop house. Was telling hubby I want to hoop a couple of the raised beds this fall for lettuce, spinach and the kale. What else is a good fall/winter grower? Was thinking of wintering over garlic and onions too which could be harvested in spring I think...

 
I am a bit jealous I have always wanted to learn how to grow that way but for some reason all my plants look edible and not flowery and pretty.

I'm not sure why but never thought to grow kale all winter along with my lettuce, cauliflower, brussel spouts, cabbage, and broccoli. I didn't even
think about it! Have you ever roughly chopped kale and added it to a soup? Oh man it's good! Instead of cabbage leaves wrap some meat mix
in a kale leaf to pop in the oven for dinner you won't regret it  yummy. Hubby and I love the kale chips and we add kale to large leaves of lettuce
for our bread since I have gluten issues and we just don't care for bread anymore.
I did tell hubby I would have to put a cover crop down in half the raised bed area for the chickens and guineas (won't have guineas till next month).
Kale would actually be an excellent choice, I'd like to be able to pull a couple handfuls of grown food for them during the winter.

I'm in Northern MO zone 5 and I have to say I love my hoop houses I use in the winter. I kept winter crops for three years but this past year I didn't. Let me tell you the down sides were noticeably dramatic! About mid February hubby mentioned the vegetables were lacking and I wasn't cooking like in years past. That's when I told him those hoops with plastic actually worked all winter growing that lovely food! The only reason I didn't plant this past year was because we were working on the new house and I hoped we would have moved during the winter but to many problems. Don't think you can't grow in the winter in zone 5 because you can. If you plant a winter crop where it does most of its growing by late November your outside greenhouse/hoop house is just like a refrigerator with food that does not go bad. We do not heat the hoops at all it costs nothing to run, the sun is the only warmth and light we use. Just remember you can't grow peppers and tomatoes it has to be cold crops. Off to buy lots of kale seeds~~

have a great day!

There are some ornamental peppers with gorgeous purple variegated leaves and bright flowers and even brighter fruit, flowering kale (very edible) of all colours, and we can't forget okra with it's lovely hibiscus-type blooms in various shades of whites, pinks and yellows that just keep blooming the more you pick them. And that's just for starters. Then there are countless medicinal/culinary herbs such as borage, chives, bee balms, hyssops, echinaceas...things that are not only beautiful, but beneficial to us and in many cases, poultry as well.   

I'm with you on the veg leaf wraps! I didn't think I'd ever survive a day without bread, much less make it a lifestyle, but it's been ages since I had a typical sandwich and I don't miss it in the least (and I feel worlds better). Although the kids still like their grilled cheese, so I get organic gluten-free bread for them.  I'm in Zone 5 as well, yet the entire surrounding area is in Zone 6.  I love my hoop houses and grow all sorts of cool weather plants all year round. I love being able to go out in the middle of winter and pick tender spinach for a salad, or fresh Brussels sprouts for dinner (for those who hate Brussels sprouts, try home grown...it may just change your mind!).  And come summer I just open them up and let the chickens go in and stir things up - they love it!  Although eventually I want a traditional greenhouse heated via the outdoor wood furnace/boiler. But I'm thinking the greenhouse might even be able to pull double duty for those winter hatches....  

 

[potagergirl]

I plan on over wintering kale, didn't know I could leave the same plant in for 2-3 years that's awesome!

This year hubby put up a quick greenhouse since I planted before the last cold/rainy spell and it works great.

Next year there is a plan for a large greenhouse that will operate year round. For heat he is going to build a
rocket stove. If you haven't heard of it look it up on youtube they are efficient, cheap, and easy to run. I'm also
looking at double layer plastic where you have a blower that keeps air between the layers. I've only seen one
video on youtube about it and I think they were in Minnesota or somewhere that gets several feet of snow in
a days time throughout winter.
When this greenhouse gets built I am planning on an area for chickens I'm thinking kind of like a sprout bead with
chicken wire over it so the sprouts are nipped at as they grow. My hope is with enough seed thrown in daily they
will have fresh grown greens all year. I won't be able to have a space large enough for all the chickens but a few
at a time I can change out every few days I think will make them happy.

I always wondered what they used borage for but have never thought to look it up. I didn't know about okra because
my family doesn't like it so I don't plant it. I will now though just to add flowers to my gardens =)

Do you slice zucchini in long thin strips for lasagna noodles? It's my husbands favorite he would rather have it this
way then with flour noodles.

 

[yopollo]

Just nosying in in your convo. Lol We learned by accident that kale was winter hearty and perennial to an extent. A few years ago we were lazy and did not pull the garden in the fall but just left it to winter over. Kale was still growing into February even thru the snow, although slower growth. On a warmer day in February I cut it down in anticipation of digging up the beds in spring to replant. By April it was all grown again and flourishing even with snow. It grew that way for 3 years until we pulled it this year. It was still growing but getting spindly. And that was all without the hoop house. Was telling hubby I want to hoop a couple of the raised beds this fall for lettuce, spinach and the kale. What else is a good fall/winter grower? Was thinking of wintering over garlic and onions too which could be harvested in spring I think...

That is awesome! Like potagergirl said I wouldn't have thought about it lasting that long! I think I may do this and it is good to know it doesn't absolutely need a hoop house. I think you are right about the onions and garlic. if i am not mistaken carrots are good to over winter as well as, turnips or beets. I would like to try overwintering swiss chard. I hear the cold changes the flavor of plants and makes it more sweet.

I plan on over wintering kale, didn't know I could leave the same plant in for 2-3 years that's awesome!

This year hubby put up a quick greenhouse since I planted before the last cold/rainy spell and it works great.

Next year there is a plan for a large greenhouse that will operate year round. For heat he is going to build a
rocket stove. If you haven't heard of it look it up on youtube they are efficient, cheap, and easy to run. I'm also
looking at double layer plastic where you have a blower that keeps air between the layers. I've only seen one
video on youtube about it and I think they were in Minnesota or somewhere that gets several feet of snow in
a days time throughout winter.
When this greenhouse gets built I am planning on an area for chickens I'm thinking kind of like a sprout bead with
chicken wire over it so the sprouts are nipped at as they grow. My hope is with enough seed thrown in daily they
will have fresh grown greens all year. I won't be able to have a space large enough for all the chickens but a few
at a time I can change out every few days I think will make them happy.

I always wondered what they used borage for but have never thought to look it up. I didn't know about okra because
my family doesn't like it so I don't plant it. I will now though just to add flowers to my gardens =)

Do you slice zucchini in long thin strips for lasagna noodles? It's my husbands favorite he would rather have it this
way then with flour noodles.

Zucchini as noodles sounds awesome! Does your husband like eggplant? That my be fun to try. I love Zucchini in my casseroles! I haven't heard of a rocket stove but it sounds interesting. What a great idea for overwintering for the chickens! Now I have lots of ideas turning, which usually means my poor husband is going to lovingly roll his eyes and help! LOL. I wonder would it be okay do you think to turn a hoop house into a part of the chickens run for winter here in MO or would it keep it too humid? Thus the idea of making it a "winter" run. I would love to do an individual hoop house for the girls but bc of our HOA the girls can't run free unless I am hovering over them Never mind we have a fence. LOL. Like Duck Dynasty's Jase said I pay money so they can tell me what I can and cannot do???!!!

 

[potagergirl]

That is awesome! Like potagergirl said I wouldn't have thought about it lasting that long! I think I may do this and it is good to know it doesn't absolutely need a hoop house. I think you are right about the onions and garlic. if i am not mistaken carrots are good to over winter as well as, turnips or beets. I would like to try overwintering swiss chard. I hear the cold changes the flavor of plants and makes it more sweet.
Zucchini as noodles sounds awesome! Does your husband like eggplant? That my be fun to try. I love Zucchini in my casseroles! I haven't heard of a rocket stove but it sounds interesting. What a great idea for overwintering for the chickens! Now I have lots of ideas turning, which usually means my poor husband is going to lovingly roll his eyes and help! LOL. I wonder would it be okay do you think to turn a hoop house into a part of the chickens run for winter here in MO or would it keep it too humid? Thus the idea of making it a "winter" run. I would love to do an individual hoop house for the girls but bc of our HOA the girls can't run free unless I am hovering over them Never mind we have a fence. LOL. Like Duck Dynasty's Jase said I pay money so they can tell me what I can and cannot do???!!!

Hmm, okay sitting here thinking about the hoop house in Mo for the chickens. I think it needs to be clarified if you are planning on heating it?
You see a cold hoop house goes all winter without heat which is what I have done for several years. Cold crops do not need the heat your
summer plants need thus they do not have the humidity level as a heated hoop house would have. A cold hoop house has a daytime temp of about 55 degrees or so.
Now having said that;

There is some humidity you would have to measure the amount of humidity it has to see if it would be to much for chickens.
If you are running a cold hoop house all you would have to do is provide a small vent. With mine I have two holes in the top of my plastic for this purpose as I do not like my cold
crops getting to warm should the occasional 80 degree winter day pop up (we are in Mo it happens).
On the other side, if you have a heated hoop house with a rocket stove or wood stove you would need a fan to move air and a small window/vent to provide circulation so the humidity
does not become to much for the chickens.

The second is what my plan is when we build the large greenhouse to have the rocket stove along with vents and fans. In the winter my goal is to keep the temperature at 65 degrees as
a minimum because I have citrus fruit trees along with a banana and avocado tree I would like to be able to place in the greenhouse. The area I plan to have for chickens will be a day time
run area not something for them to live in because I would be afraid of the humidity if I were doing that.

Remember this is my first year for chickens I have a lot to learn so even though I believe my thoughts to be correct they are just in theory.

Hubby and I both love eggplant. I have a dehydrator and I like to put the eggplant rounds in it with a little Italian seasoning sprinkled on top.
When they are done we use them in place of hamburger buns. It's one more thing hubby loves about me not being able to eat wheat/gluten.
I've used eggplant in place of zucchini in the winter for the lasagna. It's much cheaper when you have to buy it from a store. We both like it
but man we love the zucchini noodles!

 

[carolsmith7878]

The Jacob's Cave Animal Swap is coming up this next weekend. It's a lot of fun, and you can find just about any animal you were looking for (chickens, goats, rabbits, dogs...)

http://www.jacobscave.com/jacobscaveanimalswap.htm

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

The Jacob's Cave Animal Swap is coming up this next weekend. It's a lot of fun, and you can find just about any animal you were looking for (chickens, goats, rabbits, dogs...)

...they even had camel calves one year - talk about noisy little beggers....they cried ALL NIGHT LONG. But we still had a lot of fun.
We use to go every year, but it's been a while. And unfortunately there's just too much going here on to go this year.
But I hope the weather is nice and that you all have fun.

 

[carolsmith7878]

Thanks! I enjoy walking around looking at all the animals.

 

[nicole63021]

Okay....I have 2 broodies that seem committed. This is a new thing for me as my ladies are only about 10-11 months old. I am wondering if any one any where near west St. Louis county has hatching eggs for sale. Will likely be hatching these for someone I know who lost the last of their chickens a couple of years ago, and wants them again. Will see if there is a special interest for this person and if they are ready when they get back from a family visit to MS. I am hoping someone nearby has some eggs, at this point I think mixed breed are okay as well (he has said he just wanted them for eggs and antics). Please let me know. I may set extras for sale as well. We'd love more, but our city has banned them now and our current flock is grandfathered....we will be moving within 5 years...lol.