Homesteaders

[rusticpumpkins]

Does anyone else let their flock till up for them? I put my birds in a small run and set them out in the morning for several days. By the end of it, the patch is clear of weeds and perfectly tilled. Sometimes I add in compost with the birds and they'll even spread it out evenly! Chickens are great lil workers!

 

[rancher hicks]

Does anyone else let their flock till up for them? I put my birds in a small run and set them out in the morning for several days. By the end of it, the patch is clear of weeds and perfectly tilled. Sometimes I add in compost with the birds and they'll even spread it out evenly! Chickens are great lil workers!

I don't because I do raised beds, but I have read articles on using chickens to mix things up. Mine do get in my compost pile though.

 

[abigalerose]

Does anyone else let their flock till up for them? I put my birds in a small run and set them out in the morning for several days. By the end of it, the patch is clear of weeds and perfectly tilled. Sometimes I add in compost with the birds and they'll even spread it out evenly! Chickens are great lil workers!

Well that's genius. Definitely doing this

 

[lcertuche]

I used to have a garden attached to my chicken coup for a winter run. They would eat the bugs, till, fertilize and in the summer I turned them out to free-range and I would plant my garden. I mulched it heavily with leaves and old hay. The chickens would peck out all the weed seeds and small seedling as they grew and in the summer I had the best garden around. When everyone else's garden died out from drought I would supply them with fresh veggies. My chickens (game chickens) laid eggs all winter and hatched chicks all summer. I plan on using chicken tractors in my latest garden.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

My flock gets free run of my garden from the time I pick my last vegetable until I plant the first one of the new season. I throw all composting material in and let nature work it's magic.

 

[rusticpumpkins]

I used to have a garden attached to my chicken coup for a winter run. They would eat the bugs, till, fertilize and in the summer I turned them out to free-range and I would plant my garden. I mulched it heavily with leaves and old hay. The chickens would peck out all the weed seeds and small seedling as they grew and in the summer I had the best garden around. When everyone else's garden died out from drought I would supply them with fresh veggies. My chickens (game chickens) laid eggs all winter and hatched chicks all summer. I plan on using  chicken tractors in my latest garden.

That sounds so wonderful!

 

[rusticpumpkins]

My flock gets free run of my garden from the time I pick my last vegetable until I plant the first one of the new season. I throw all composting material in and let nature work it's magic.

I'm a big fan of letting nature work for you in the garden! I let the chickens demolish the garden too.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have seen pictures of coops with attached runs on two or three sides. Each side is given to the chicken at intervals while the unused side is planted and/or let to grow out. Once the used side is cleared the birds are closed off and allowed to use the grown out portion.

As I'm downsizing my plan is to just close off one run while letting it grow out or planting chicken friendly veggies. I don't have any summer pics of these runs. The coop is divided right now with Dels and assorteds on one side and hens and chicks on the other.

 

[rusticpumpkins]

I have seen pictures of coops with attached runs on two or three sides. Each side is given to the chicken at intervals while the unused side is planted and/or let to grow out. Once the used side is cleared the birds are closed off and allowed to use the grown out portion. As I'm downsizing my plan is to just close off one run while letting it grow out or planting chicken friendly veggies. I don't have any summer pics of these runs. The coop is divided right now with Dels and assorteds on one side and hens and chicks on the other.

Thats a genius way of doing it!

 

[duluthralphie]

I harvested my first "pear" crop. I let them go too long. They were almost ripe a week ago so I thought they needed a week. I should have given them 3 days. My entire crop was about a dozen pears. They are Ure pears taste great but oh so small. However, I am happy I never thought I would have pears in this area!