Homesteaders

[rancher hicks]

Drainage is poor in my backyard too, gets soggy & muddy for the chickens. hubby is building a larger coop on a better drained side of the yard. I'll use your idea n get some straw/hay to spread on the new run once it's done (hopefully its completed soon)
I have a few raised garden beds, the veggies do better on the raised beds than the other parts that's just ground.

Do you have any fruit trees?

I too use












raised beds due to the "hard fill" and drainage. A raised bed need not be super high and there are lots of things you can use.

ONE reason I mention this is the recent news stories concerning recycled tires on sports fields and concern about cancer. Personally I would NOT use tires for food plants, only ornamentals. I do have lots of tires dumped on the property too.

I do have one fruit tree and the fruit bushes but they're in another part of the yard. My rhubarb however is in raised beds as it did not do so good where I originally had it. Under the drip line of the my chickens run. I have two varieties and one doesn't seem to do as good as the other. Google "raised garden beds" for lots of ideas of what can be used.

I have an apple tree but so far no apples. I will most likely plant another. Though I have friends who have trees and give me apples, so it's not a high priority.

As for the chicken run I just keep dumping more stuff in as it gets wet and in the summer when it's dry I can harvest the compost. I may "turn" it a few times too. I've read that a certain amount of moisture is needed for compost to "cook".

 

[KlopKlop]

my garden drains well but the weeds were a total jungle this year, outcompeting many of the veggies. It was my first year with the garden there so i am hoping my weed removal attempts this fall and summer have helped. will do better at mulching and stuff next year too. i have been piling on grass clippings all summer to try and keep the weeds down and then double as organic matter to plow under this fall.

if next year is a struggle again we may go to raised beds and haul in soil. the native stuff is just real poor right now and thistle ridden. i am working on that though

 

[rancher hicks]

my garden drains well but the weeds were a total jungle this year, outcompeting many of the veggies. It was my first year with the garden there so i am hoping my weed removal attempts this fall and summer have helped. will do better at mulching and stuff next year too. i have been piling on grass clippings all summer to try and keep the weeds down and then double as organic matter to plow under this fall.

if next year is a struggle again we may go to raised beds and haul in soil. the native stuff is just real poor right now and thistle ridden. i am working on that though

You might consider saving newspapers and cardboard to use for mulch and weed block. I good heavy layer of newspaper helps. It can hold off weeds til your plants get a good start.

I used that black fabric over my beds last fall but it broke down and was a mess.

If you do not use raised beds you can lay wide boards between the beds to walk on.

You can plant right through the cardboard.

You can use any boards to walk on similar to this The boards redistribute your weight so the soil doesnt' become compacted. Long straight rows could be done.

 

[Loc20chick]

@rancher hicks I love your raised beds, mine don't look as great, I bought them from home depot, Next spring I'll build some since I have lots of deck wood given by a neighbor. Your collard greens look so good too, mine this year were eaten by some worms, will be building a bed for them and chard in a different area too. I have saved lots of card boards and used chicken feed bags that I'll use to keep the weeds down. I could have started this fall but will be getting a little one in a few weeks I'm tired all the time.

Thanks for sharing your ideas, i'll try planting through the cardboard too to give the veggies a head start.

 

[rancher hicks]

@rancher hicks I love your raised beds, mine don't look as great, I bought them from home depot, Next spring I'll build some since I have lots of deck wood given by a neighbor. Your collard greens look so good too, mine this year were eaten by some worms, will be building a bed for them and chard in a different area too. I have saved lots of card boards and used chicken feed bags that I'll use to keep the weeds down. I could have started this fall but will be getting a little one in a few weeks I'm tired all the time.

Thanks for sharing your ideas, i'll try planting through the cardboard too to give the veggies a head start.

You don't want to see those raised beds right now. They're all being replaced. I do have some "compost" boards I bought and they should last longer. Not everything turns out well so don't dispair some years are better than others.

I don't recommend using feed bags because they get broken down by the sun. I fear the chickens will eat them and get sick. I used tarps one year and they're just a mess right now. I've been cutting and pulling them up.

If you check with the grocery stores or even HD they might let you have some cardboard. Too, if you can get pallets you can take those apart and use the boards from those between beds.

 

[Loc20chick]

Pallets I can get easily there's a store that puts them out for the taking every now and then.

My runs right now are soggy with some parts flooded from this storm rains, hope everyone is staying safe.

 

[rancher hicks]

Pallets I can get easily there's a store that puts them out for the taking every now and then.

My runs right now are soggy with some parts flooded from this storm rains, hope everyone is staying safe.

Don't despair, just keep dumping coop cleanings in the low spots. I've runs that are covered, because we get lots of snow. Hoop runs are easy to build. Even as an extension with an open end they can offer some shelter.

Still there are times it's like this. They just won't keep their galoshes on.

 

[jerrey]

Don't despair, just keep dumping coop cleanings in the low spots. I've runs that are covered, because we get lots of snow. Hoop runs are easy to build. Even as an extension with an open end they can offer some shelter.

Still there are times it's like this. They just won't keep their galoshes on.

I look at your hen and the roo how do you keep the hen looking so good with a roo my roo is hard on my hens I have 25 hens

 

[jerrey]

I look at your hen and the roo how do you keep the hen looking so good with a roo my roo is hard on my hens I have 25 hens

and how cold is it there

 

[rancher hicks]

I look at your hen and the roo how do you keep the hen looking so good with a roo my roo is hard on my hens I have 25 hens

It depends of the roo I suppose. I have his son with some girls and some of them have some skin showing. I can't say how the fertility is though. I'm getting ready to set eggs. As many as I can.

and how cold is it there

This pic was from a couple of years ago in the spring I think. These are my four original hens. They all seemed fine with the cold. Laid very well through the winter.

It's cold now and out of six hens I get 3 - 4 eggs a day.