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

[hikerchick]

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I love that book! That was why I became a vegetarian.

YOu wanted your chickens to learn responsibility?

Ooops, no my children altough some of my chickens should learn responsibilty. I have one who keeps laying in the run and NOT the nest boxes! LOL

My chickens are very irresponsible. They toss their food all over the place, walk in it, even poop in it if they can. They don't seem to have a care about where their food comes from; other than the fact that they know it comes from me.

 

[mylilchix]

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My first paranoid thought is that they are all genetically modified organisms from Monsanto or someplace like that; you plant them and they wipe out all of your heirlooms.

Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't really out to get you.

That's the same thing I was wondering. It dosesn't say anything about where the seeds come from.

I did just have a thought. If I wanted to plant a chicken friendly garden what should I plant? I'm thinking of either one to put in the run or one to grow foods for the chickens.

 

[undermywings]

My chickens are very irresponsible. They toss their food all over the place, walk in it, even poop in it if they can. They don't seem to have a care about where their food comes from; other than the fact that they know it comes from me. hikerchick

 

[The Zoo]

What a circle life is

My great grandparents grew up on farms in Iowa and Missouri (where they worked the fields and put things up in the summer and lived in town to go to school in the winter). When they graduated college they moved to Omaha and started buying food from the grocery store (processed and packaged and tinned) because 'how marvelous and convienent to not have to do it yourself'.
My great aunt lived in a tiny town in Missouri (population 150) and grew or traded for all her food (because there weren't any close grocery stores). When she grew so old she couldn't do that any more and had to rent her land to the family next door, her well meaning children filled her cupboards with betty crocker this and processed that and things that only needed to be microwaved to be eaten. Luckily the Mennonite family next door brought her over food they made. She lived to be over 100 and was hale and hearty all of those days. Of course when my mom told her I wanted chickens she thought that was crazy - why have your own chickens when you can go to the store and get the eggs?

Just funny how the things they didn't enjoy doing are the things I love doing now.

 

[Pupsnpullets]

Quote:
My first paranoid thought is that they are all genetically modified organisms from Monsanto or someplace like that; you plant them and they wipe out all of your heirlooms.

Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't really out to get you.

Call me cynical if you like, however, the govt giving away free seeds with no strings attached ...mmmmm? Well, I think I'm with Hikerchick on this one.


edited for spelling

 

[Ladyhawke1]

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God I love the Internet.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=...&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I've always loved the idea of a root cellar, but I've never heard of one in the desert. Does anyone have any take on root cellars in a horrible place that gets to 130? Do people find snakes in the root cellars?
We visited my great-grandparents farmstead in Kansas. The barn was as big as my house and still had farm tools in it. The house was a tiny two-story, wood plank siding, but the stairs did not look safe enough to climb. The house was probably 10 feet by 20 feet, so even being two stories tall, it was small. I couldn't imagine being in that house during a Kansas winter, much less a tornado. About 30 feet beyond the house was the itty-bittiest root cellar. Being young and dumb at the time, I didn't know what it was, but after being told, did not have enough interest to go look at it. Sure wish I had tried to at least open the little door.

 

[CheerfulHeart2]

I was also wondering about root cellars for the desert...and add to that , that I live on an lot that gets flood irrigation. i was looking at the image results LadyHawke1 posted and noticed one that was walled with old tires. How interesting!

 

[Eggs4Sale]

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We flood irrigate our pasture, but I don't think I'd put the root cellar there. You'd probably have to build up some dirt around the cellar to prevent the water from going to the cellar walls. I'd want at least a 5 foot wide sand berm around my cellar if it was going to be near irrigation. I wish someone had experience with this in our type of weird situation!

 

[Eggs4Sale]

Come to think of it, I remember hearing about an underground house in the desert slightly visible along Interstate 8 between Yuma and Gila Bend. If people can go out and do that, root cellars must be a cinch!