How to become self-sufficient (kinda) with chickens.

[Ladyhawke1]

Quote:
Don't say government, say Right Wing Crazies.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
Don't say government, say Right Wing Crazies.

Actually, it is the "right wing crazies" who are trying to KILL the bill.

meri

 

[OrpingtonManor]

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A thermometer for my basement is a great idea. I've wondered about the temp down there. It's going to be the ambient temp of the earth 6 feet down, whatever that is. It's rare to have a basement in CA, so I feel lucky. I want to use it to its full potential. Right now I just use it for storage and laundry, but it could be housing veggies, wine, and who knows what else. (I did brood the chicks there until the coop was ready last year. It was nice to keep the dust out of the house.)

I would like to grow something for the chickens before the winter. Granted, our growing season is year round. I was planning to build cold frames to put in front of the chicken pen, since it's the sunniest spot in the yard. Does anyone have any thoughts about a cool season crop that might be a good choice?

 

[Beekissed]

Winter wheat is always green all winter and its great to till back into your garden for green manure.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Quote:
A thermometer for my basement is a great idea. I've wondered about the temp down there. It's going to be the ambient temp of the earth 6 feet down, whatever that is. It's rare to have a basement in CA, so I feel lucky. I want to use it to its full potential. Right now I just use it for storage and laundry, but it could be housing veggies, wine, and who knows what else. (I did brood the chicks there until the coop was ready last year. It was nice to keep the dust out of the house.)

I would like to grow something for the chickens before the winter. Granted, our growing season is year round. I was planning to build cold frames to put in front of the chicken pen, since it's the sunniest spot in the yard. Does anyone have any thoughts about a cool season crop that might be a good choice?

Hmmm... not having read the book on cellaring, I am wondering how much Humidity plays a role in storage longevity.

Is cool and dry better than cool and damp?

meri

 

[Beekissed]

For some veggies, cool and damp are better. For some, cool and dry. Most cellars have areas that are a little more damp than dry and folks try to pay attention and place their veggies and fruits appropriately. I like a dryer cellar but you have to have some humidity going on.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Mojo Chick'n :

Quote:
A thermometer for my basement is a great idea. I've wondered about the temp down there. It's going to be the ambient temp of the earth 6 feet down, whatever that is. It's rare to have a basement in CA, so I feel lucky. I want to use it to its full potential. Right now I just use it for storage and laundry, but it could be housing veggies, wine, and who knows what else. (I did brood the chicks there until the coop was ready last year. It was nice to keep the dust out of the house.)

I would like to grow something for the chickens before the winter. Granted, our growing season is year round. I was planning to build cold frames to put in front of the chicken pen, since it's the sunniest spot in the yard. Does anyone have any thoughts about a cool season crop that might be a good choice?

Hmmm... not having read the book on cellaring, I am wondering how much Humidity plays a role in storage longevity.

Is cool and dry better than cool and damp?

meri​

that's a great question. my winter humidity is much higher than my summer one. it's a desert here right now. However, I never have damp dirt under my house, so I don't think it changes much down there. I guess I need a thermometer/hygrometer combo.

Winter wheat...hmmm. Do they just eat the grain, or the whole plant? I'm thinking it might be too tall for a cold frame, but might be good in some sorry corner. I don't have a tiller, but I guess I could rent one. I need a bigger property, but don't see that happening soon.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

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Our cellar, when I was a kid, was very damp (and creepy). My Gran's cellar, however, was mostly dry (had a slight damp smell, but no condensation on the walls or anything) and it was built special for her to store her canned goods and veggies and fruits. I remember when I was about 7 years old my dad and uncle building the cellar for her (she had a double wide put on top of it, when the farm got to be too much for her and she moved to smaller place down the road.)

Dad and Uncle even built the shelves in when they poured the concrete walls and such, so the shelving units would never fall over.

She had a couple of big wooden pallet sized bins that she stored potatoes and carrots in, one for cabbages, too. And apples, she always had a big bin of apples. She made her own cider and vinegar, too. I used to love hanging out at Gran's in the fall

Of course, the morel mushrooms that we hunted every spring got dried and hung in the rafters of the garage in mesh bags to keep them drier....mmmmmmmmmmmm

meri

 

[Beekissed]

Winter wheat is more than a grass than a wheat type plant and it only grows a certain height in the cool climates. We used to plant it for game plots and it only got about 4 in. tall. They eat the blades of the grass. I'm sure, if it were not eaten off it might eventually form seed heads but I've never seen it happen in the winter in my neck of the woods.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

I wonder if I could get away with growing winter wheat as a lawn in the front. I have no grass to speak of. Once it grew, I could mow it as usual with the lawn mower, and just dump the catcher in the chicken pen. It's a thought. I'm liking it.