Completely Self sufficient systems

[U_Stormcrow]

I also have terrible soil. While its probably untrue that I could not support myself and my wife on its 30 acres, this is the first place I've ever lived where I could not make the dirt produce potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, citrus, basil, oregano, radish, chard, peas, or green beans. I did manage two and a half watermelon this year, and a few squash last year - from a 40' row planting.

My acres of weeds lack any bunching of crops (admittedly, that's in part deliberate) that would make effective harvesting possible, even if I were to try and live on sorghum, sorrel, and clover...

Before I knew it was found in FL, I've have called this GA Red, or a baseball diamond. The clay doesn't drain - anything with a root system drowns or rots when it rains, and we average over an 1" weekly. But if you don't break it up, the rain runs right off of it, like hardpan - and a few hours later, its that baseball diamond again.

 

[saysfaa]

Shudder.

Raised beds.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We've mainly eaten our own eggs (still working on my dad realizing my eggs are just as safe as his store ones) and have processed some males to lessen the amount of chicken we buy (We will likely always buy at least some chicken)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Chickens/compost/garden is a good start. Keep the nutrients cycling and keep them hyper-local.

That's where I'm at. Chickens make poop, poop makes compost (along with other garden waste), compost goes into garden and makes veggies, chickens get veggie leftovers and make more poop. 100% of my run litter and about 75% of my coop bedding are sourced from our yard, so free litter for me and saves on having to pay for it to be hauled away in the city compost bin.

We keep talking about getting goats to control all the bramble in the front half of the property, but haven't taken the leap yet (gotta get the old shed redone first).

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That's where I'm at. Chickens make poop, poop makes compost (along with other garden waste), compost goes into garden and makes veggies, chickens get veggie leftovers and make more poop. 100% of my run litter and about 75% of my coop bedding are sourced from our yard, so free litter for me and saves on having to pay for it to be hauled away in the city compost bin.

We keep talking about getting goats to control all the bramble in the front half of the property, but haven't taken the leap yet (gotta get the old shed redone first).

just remember goats can't eat chicken feed, very dangerous - and goat feed is both low value and high metal, when chickens eat it.

That's a struggle i'm still learning to overcome.

 

[RooStar Chicken Gang]

Some really good comments guys, ill reply on more detail when not so busy im cruising down the freeway at the moment.

Also anothwr question someone mentioned was, we have all heard how u need to feed ya chooks the bags of food af the stores you know cause its got all the good stuff for em apparantly.. bit back in the ol days there was none of that... so what did they feed the chooks just scraps? Something more? What was ol day chook food.

 

[rosemarythyme]

just remember goats can't eat chicken feed, very dangerous - and goat feed is both low value and high metal, when chickens eat it.

That's a struggle i'm still learning to overcome.

Yup, I've heard about that. Our goats would be housed completely separately (since the chicken run is enclosed due to our dogs) so at most they could look longingly at one another.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Some really good comments guys, ill reply on more detail when not so busy im cruising down the freeway at the moment.

Also anothwr question someone mentioned was, we have all heard how u need to feed ya chooks the bags of food af the stores you know cause its got all the good stuff for em apparantly.. bit back in the ol days there was none of that... so what did they feed the chooks just scraps? Something more? What was ol day chook food.

i'll link that answer in the AM, @saysfaa was kind enough to provide it, and i saved the link. we've aluded to it in this thread, if not directly.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

i'll link that answer in the AM, @saysfaa was kind enough to provide it, and i saved the link. we've aluded to it in this thread, if not directly.

@RooStar Chicken Gang here is the answer, well, a link to it anyways, and a summary of what it says. You may find both threads instructive.

 

[3KillerBs]

Shudder.

Raised beds.

The problem with raised beds in the south in general is excessive heat.

The problem with raised beds in my specific area is excessive heat plus ridiculously excessive drainage. This means watering two or even three times a day.

I'm experimenting with wicking beds but the volume available for the roots is limited so I'm having no luck with tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc.

bit back in the ol days there was none of that... so what did they feed the chooks just scraps? Something more? What was ol day chook food.

When you look back -- I forget if that link you've been given includes my link to the download for the 1921 poultry science book or not -- you need to remember that not only is a modern, backyard chicken-keeping situation NOT a diversified farm where the chickens can forage from other animals' spilled feed and the bugs in the manure but that modern chickens are NOT old-time chickens.

That book I mentioned is the latest poultry science of the day. It's aimed at making chickens a serious, profitable part of the farm by improving productivity to get 100 eggs per hen per year ...

From LEGHORNS!

The Brahma in my avatar did better than that and she's the worst layer in my flock.