Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[wyoDreamer]

Starting to think gardening here. I have a co-worker that wants to get chickens this spring - but he wants to buy ready to lay hens and not waste time raising out chicks. I told him that laying hens were expensive - his jaw dropped when I said about $25 each, but it might be higher since so many are wanting buy layers right now. Anyone know what the going rate is for a laying hen?

I want to build a couple of raised beds this summer. A friend has a block retaining wall along his driveway that he wants gone. I want to buy some of those block, friend would give them to me free, just for taking them away. DH is saying no - I am saying too bad, you don't have a vote on this one. After 6 years, I am over-ruling him. There are some very nice looking raised beds online that are made of block. So, if friend doesn't sell them out from under me, I will be busy gathering block this spring.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Anyone have any experience with "Honeyberries". I got a flier in the mail from Gurney's touting the greatness of Honeyberries. But not alot of information about the plant - size, growth rate, yield, etc.
I plan to do a online search, but actual Wisconsinite experience would be appreciated.

 

[jvls1942]

Over a foot of snow on the ground.
the weather is getting ready for maple syrup
season. I haven't seen any taps yet.
My inbox was locked up for a few days.
last night my DD worked on it and she found
a way around it. I still don't have any emails
to read.. Maybe nobody is writing ?
The freezing rain broke off a pine tree about
half way up. It also bent a big branch to the
ground. after the ice melted the branch went
back up. good, I thought I was going to
have to cut it off. It was resting on the
driveway to where I park the tractor.

 

[jvls1942]

Anyone have any experience with "Honeyberries". I got a flier in the mail from Gurney's touting the greatness of Honeyberries. But not alot of information about the plant - size, growth rate, yield, etc.
I plan to do a online search, but actual Wisconsinite experience would be appreciated.

I don't know what a honey berry is.
Laying hens are high priced,,,if you can even find them.
and then you have to watch out, lots of people will sell
their over the hill hens as layers..
I have seen some hens advertised a while ago for $35.oo.
If you get them from Sunnyside, they won't arrive until September.
at least that was my experience a few years ago..
there was a place selling laying hens for $5.oo.
but those were practically worn out hens from an
egg farm..
Free blocks are always a good deal.
After you get them stacked together, there is
a product that you can mix up and thin coat them .
I think it is called Block Bond.. I actually built a foundation
for a house with it. No mortoring needed.

 

[R2elk]

Honeyberries

I try to avoid buying from Gurney's since Direct Gardening bought them.

I do highly recommend Burnt Ridge Nursery .

"A small shade tolerant shrub, native to Siberia and Japan. The honeyberry bush produces an elongated blueberry-like fruit a month or more before the earliest blueberries. Honeyberry fruits are sweet enough to enjoy fresh, with tiny edible seeds, and can be used in cooking as with blueberries. Honeyberries are produced in easy to harvest clusters. Some varieties, such as Blue Bird and Blue Belle are from the far North and can bloom too early in milder winter areas or regions subject to warm spells in the spring. Blue Sea, Blue Pagoda are later blooming varieties that are more likely to be flowering when pollinating insects are active and are equally winter hardy to Blue Sky and Blue Bird. Plant two different varieties for fruit production. Hardy to -40° F when fully dormant."

Raintree Nursery is another source I have had good luck with.

 

[R2elk]

Stark Bros.

Has good information on growing Honeyberries. They are also a reliable source.

 

[bruceha2000]

I have a co-worker that wants to get chickens this spring - but he wants to buy ready to lay hens and not waste time raising out chicks. I told him that laying hens were expensive - his jaw dropped when I said about $25 each, but it might be higher since so many are wanting buy layers right now. Anyone know what the going rate is for a laying hen?

I think $25 would be minimum, and then there is the shipping. How about you order some now and raise them to about 2 months then sell them to your friend for $10. Of course it might have to be more than that if it is a small quantity of chicks. The shipping can get up there. I think $35 when I last ordered 6 chicks 2 years ago. Works out to almost $6/bird for shipping then the ~$3.50 for each bird. You might want to charge him $15-$20 each. They won't lay for another 3-4 months but he'll have the fun of watching them grow without the hassle of day olds.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@bruceha2000 Great ideas, but he seems to be an immediate results kind of guy. He has fish tanks and breeds fish but said absolutely not to raising chicks, lol.

I have 14 hens right now. I have 2 that are being picked on very badly, so I told him I would sell him those 2 once he has his coop built. He will get a deal, but not giving them to him for free.

 

[cavemanrich]

I have 2 that are being picked on very badly, so I told him I would sell him those 2 once he has his coop built. He will get a deal, but not giving them to him for free.

I read on different posts here on BYC that asking price for adult hens was around $50+ each
If your friend wants instant results,,, must not be very familiar with chickens and what it takes to raise, and keep/take care of them. Probably wants them because eggs are higher price these days. So is everything else. Welcome to the real world.
I just read on the other gardening thread, a member calculated the cost of a dozen eggs. I recall it was $8 ,,,, and she was selling them at $4.. Some peeps still complained.

 

[jvls1942]

If you build a coop, it takes years to make up the
savings of having your own chickens.
feeding chickens is not cheap. and then you have the
down time when they are not laying..
and chickens choose the most inoppertune time to
die. you could lose half your flock before you figure
out what is causing it.