Just curious who else is living super frugal

[Beekissed]

Sounds like you could really use the Back to Eden garden method for your soil and a composting deep litter system for your coop. Both would benefit your soil and your chickens in a long lasting way and reduce your total labor to get food and for chicken chores. All those things you are putting on your compost pile could go directly into the coop to be turned into compost much more quickly and the BTE system would change your soil to the point you wouldn't need to till ever again.

http://www.backtoedenfilm.com/

And here's someone from your state doing the BTE and he also has chickens but has not progressed to doing DL for his chickens just yet:

 

[Sherol]

The leaves go into the chicken run first to be scratched through, walked on and broken down before they go in compost pile. Read somewhere the coffee grounds not good for chickens so they go in compost directly. My coop is not very large so it is easier for me to use PDZ and clean once a week then try a deep litter in there. I have figured it takes one bag of PDZ as a top off every three months.. so $40 a year and I am good with that. It is often very breezy here so the shredded paper is best directly in the pile as well.

I am now looking into that Back to Eden style of gardening.. thanks Beekissed. Learned a while back tiling can bring up weed seeds and also affects the soil health. The Biochar is interesting.. now looking to see if I can create that myself. I am growing some winter wheat and rye in 55 gallon drums I have cut in half lengthwise I will grow strawberries, potatoes and peanuts in next year to knock down and turn into soil to improve it. Was sent a DVD when I ordered my comfrey about an organic gardener using shredded alfalfa in the soil and as mulch to improve the soil. Not sure if I could use pelleted alfalfa or need the baled stuff. Then would have to figure out how to shred it into smaller pieces. Think the chickens benefit with a little alfalfa in their life so still thinking about best way to go on this idea.

 

[Starry]

I am trying to sell all my stuff on EBAY as I just moved into a much smaller place. The only problem with that is they charge huge fees and there is a ton of competition and the stuff I am selling right now is new sthings and can barely get what they cost, I will start on other things soon. It is very time consuming.

 

[Starry]

Has anyone ever tried Pickled eggs. Do they taste good. How do you eat them... and are they hard to pickle... Thinking about making a few for Christmas gifts.

They make an awesome easter dish if you pickle them with beets. --

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
LOVE them. I have only had them at a potluck. The beet juice goes into the white gradually so depending on when you serve them up... they could be two toned. The ones I had were pickled in beet juice till they almost reached the yolk then they were turned into deviled eggs.... This gal was from india so she used some curry in them.... OH MY GAWD good...




deb

 

[lindalouly]

LOVE them. I have only had them at a potluck. The beet juice goes into the white gradually so depending on when you serve them up... they could be two toned. The ones I had were pickled in beet juice till they almost reached the yolk then they were turned into deviled eggs.... This gal was from india so she used some curry in them.... OH MY GAWD good... deb

That sounds good!!!! Ok, I'm convinced I'm doing that!!!!

 

[Arielle]

I usually have a lg jar if marinating eggs. A small qt size mason jar didnt cut it. They r delish!!!! I use Braggs as the vingar for greater health benefits too.

Many recipes to try. Some herbs make the whites look muddy. Perhaps that is why beet juice is used-- to make them appealing again.

 

[Arielle]

On another note. Butchered 19 muscovy ducks. Breast r in the freezer and im canning the rest. Bones n all. Figure its good for growing pups.

 

[lazy gardener]

Here's the ? of the day: Any readers making their own dog food? I'm curious if it might be more beneficial for me to make my own. I'm thinking that, at least in garden season, home made dog food would be more nutritious, better appreciated by my new pooch, perhaps more economical, and healthier for her.

 

[donrae]

Honey has a friend who makes her own food and her dogs have thrived. She's had Belgian Malinois as ADA dogs and those guys seem to have a very high metabolism! I'm not sure what all she uses for food, I can ask and get back to you.

I'd love to move to doing a raw diet for my dogs, but Honey's not really for it. I suppose once we move I could try to transition. I think his concern was going to be asked to butcher all the time, but since I'm doing okay with chickens I don't see why I couldn't do rabbits or whatever else I decided to use.

I'm curious about the comment about garden season, though. do you anticipate feeding your dog a lot of veggies? Isn't that counter-intuitive for a carnivore?