Colorado

[coloradochick]

Rock that's a very cool pic

 

[wsmith]

Rock, you have more green grass in that photo than I have on 7 acres!

I spent about 1 1/2 hours yesterday evening sitting with my youngest daugher watching the chickens. It was a great was to spend the evening. Wife wasn't feeling well, the other 3 older kids were being buttheads, so we just went outside and chilled. We laughed as we observed their behavior, talked about whick of the "unruley" cockerels would go to the freezer first, which pullets were the least intelligent, etc. Watched the jenny chase flies.....

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Its great to spend time with family. And poultry is so much fun to watch. Our modern poultry industry has really given the keeping of chickens a bad rap....I hear it a lot from my neighbors.

My wife commented that our lawn looks greener than it has in years....I'm thinking its all that chicken gold that gets dropped on it each day.

I'm worried about the winter though when the lawn goes dormant while the chickens are continuely scratching & digging. But I have a plan.

 

[wsmith]

You're probably correct about the "gold" The last week I noticed that the original batch of poop and shavings from the brooder only a month ago had nearly completely broken down. I mixed it with dirt, watered it down and let it cook some more. A few days later it was an awesome mix. I am experimenting with growing potatoes in barrels. You plant the potatoes in about 10 inches of soil in the bottom of each barrel, As the green parts grow taller, you fill in the barrel with soil until finally you reach to top of the barrel. Supposedly when it is harvest time, you dump out the barrel and have a barrel full of potatoes! The greens were nearly 10 inches tall, so I filled in around them with the new mix. Two days later they have grown another 2 inches!

 

[Rock Home Isle]

That is awesome....I was going to do that this summer, but things have gotten away from me. NO Garden this year, just a playground for the poultry.


Keep us posted on the barrel full of Potatos; that is a cool project.

 

[kmatt87]

You're probably correct about the "gold" The last week I noticed that the original batch of poop and shavings from the brooder only a month ago had nearly completely broken down. I mixed it with dirt, watered it down and let it cook some more. A few days later it was an awesome mix. I am experimenting with growing potatoes in barrels. You plant the potatoes in about 10 inches of soil in the bottom of each barrel, As the green parts grow taller, you fill in the barrel with soil until finally you reach to top of the barrel. Supposedly when it is harvest time, you dump out the barrel and have a barrel full of potatoes! The greens were nearly 10 inches tall, so I filled in around them with the new mix. Two days later they have grown another 2 inches!

how big is the barrel you're using?
Is it wood like those whiskey barrel planters or plastic?

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I have seen it done in the old wooden Whiskey Barrels.

And as such, I have 2 empty ones sitting in my garage....wsmith, keep us posted and include pictures. That is a cool project.

 

[wsmith]

I'm using 55 gallon plastic chem barrels from work. I cut the tops out, leaving the rim for strength, wash and scrubbed them (They held glycol and soap). I used two blue ones and one white one. The plants in the white one have more even growth and are about 20% taller than the blue barrel ones. Planted Yukon gold potatoes. My onions in the garden are pathetic.
I'll see about getting some photos this afternoon.

 

[wattsjadajoe]

Rock, you have more green grass in that photo than I have on 7 acres!

Make that 36 acres!!!!!

Nice pic!!!!

 

[wsmith]

Joe, did you get any rain on Saturday?