Maine

[dowgirl71]

I was pointed in the direction of the "what breed/gender is this?" forum, and they have been great so far. There are a lot of people that peruse that forum, might be good to get some advice/opinions.

Today, the Buff who I thought might have possibly been the one "crowing" laid her first egg. Thank-you, "Jumpy!!" (My 9 yr old son named her) I was REALLY hoping the crowing wasn't coming from either of my Buffs-so glad! So, now I'm sure it's the RIR.

 

[Jazor]

A very simple winter cold frame can be made with bales of hay or straw to do the sides. Lay a couple of 2 x 4's across the top, then put your plastic or storm window panels over that. What ever you cover the top with, it has to be rugged enough that the snow and ice won't sag it down! I don't know how I ever lived without cattle panels. I've found that a length of cattle panel provides wonderful support, you can roll the plastic back and reach through the panel to do your harvesting. It's awkward to get in to, as you have to lay across the bales to get into it, but it works real well. Then when the weather gets cold enough that you don't expect that you'll be accessing it until it warms up a bit, you can lightly mulch the bed with some straw. I don't want to put my straw too thick: want to still see a bit of soil peeking through. Even if you don't plant stuff until now, it'll get some growth on now, then when the weather starts warming up again in Feb, it'll begin growing again. You'll be eating salads in March. I think I'm going to move my hoop green house over to the hoop coop, cover it with some chicken wire and poly for the girls to have a winter sun room, and do a hay bale tunnel for my winter greens.

LG,

This sounds like something I'd consider doing--if I understood it a bit better. We moved in too late this summer to get our garden's up, but do you suppose you could post some pictures and maybe a brief "idiot's guide" for this? I know it's not chicken related--but we're all going to survive this winter in Maine together! Let's make the best of it!

 

[lazy gardener]

LG,

This sounds like something I'd consider doing--if I understood it a bit better. We moved in too late this summer to get our garden's up, but do you suppose you could post some pictures and maybe a brief "idiot's guide" for this? I know it's not chicken related--but we're all going to survive this winter in Maine together! Let's make the best of it!

I don't have any pictures. You're talking to a techno-idiot here! Perhaps I'll get around to it one day. But, here goes, in book format! And of course it's chicken related. We like veggies... especially salads in November and March. Chickens like veggies. We have chickens, therefore, it's chicken related!

Do you have a spot of ground that could easily have the vegetation removed from it, and that gets good sun, has good drainage and fairly good soil? This late in the season, I'd recommend clearing that ground and getting it tilled to about 6" by what ever means you have at hand ASAP. If you can't get to it right away, start your seeds in pots, and get some plastic over your area to hold the heat and warm the soil. If you had more time, You could use chicken power. An alternative would be to do a "lasagna garden" and surround that with hay bales. (You could build the lasagna pile to within 6" of the top of the bales, and it would settle as it cooks down, I'm not sure how well this would work with a winter cold frame, but worth the experiment. I'm a fan of the lasagna concept, both in the garden, and on the plate. You can google the topic if you're not familiar with it.) Basically, you prepare your soil, and if you're thinking ahead, you plan out your dimensions to be compatible with the size of the bales of hay/straw that you're using. You could even plant the area then place your bales. You use your bales to make a rectangular box around your area. If the bales are tied with bio-degradable twine, be sure to orient them so the twine doesn't touch the ground. If it's plastic or wire, it doesn't matter. 8 - 10 bales makes a nice manageable size ( 3 - 4 for each side, and 1 for each end) Then after it's planted, fertilized and watered, you cover it with construction poly. I like to have the poly drape down over the bales on the long sides, and cover the top of the short sides. That keeps them from getting water logged. If you wanted to get fancy, you could make a wood top to fit your dimensions.... Now that's an idea that I hadn't considered! As if I have time to take on an other project! As mentioned before, you want some type of support under the poly so it doesn't sag under the snow and ice load. I use a piece of cattle panel supported by 2 x 4 or rebar for that. Then I weigh down the edges with bricks or what ever is handy. If you have some rebar or 1/4" fence posts or any thing similar laying around, put that down on the edges, then place the bricks. That helps to keep the wind from catching it and working it loose. If the wind is rugged, you can always peg it down! It's not rocket science... what ever works. You'll have to initially watch the weather and vent or uncover if it's warm, otherwise the stuff will cook in there.

I'm making my hay frame on the north side of the garden to help make a micro-climate on the south side of it that will heat up extra early in the spring. That's an other topic that you might want to research while the winter wind is whistling around your house: how to adapt your garden environment to enhance the micro-climate to increase your growing season. Check out a book called "the 4 season garden."

Here are some absolutely indispensable (for me) garden aids: Construction poly. I buy a 4 mil. 12' x 100' roll. It's handy stuff to have around. You can use it to cover areas of the garden in the spring to get a jump start, you can make little poly tunnels, cover a hoop coop or green house, solarize your soil. Old A-frame style - kids swing set: Makes a fantastic trellis for pole beans. the little hooks at the top support the twine, which is then tied to wires going across the bottom of the legs. It could also be covered with poly to make a red neck cold frame, or with chicken wire to make a red neck chicken tractor. Rebar- cut into minimum 5' lengths. (It's expensive now, but if you have any, hang onto it. It'll last FOREVER.) Great for any where you need a post or support. can be bent into hoops for a portable tunnel. Cattle panels. come in a 16' length. They make fantastic trellises, or you can stake 2 parallel to each other and grow your tomatoes in a row between them. Or, you can build a hoop coop or a mini green house with them. Cattle panels are difficult to transport, but they can be hauled in a standard pick-up truck by bending them so they stand up (think inverted U) and tying them off with ratchet straps.) Jute or sisal twine. Bio-degradable so it can go right into the compost at garden clean up.

 

[lazy gardener]

LG,

This sounds like something I'd consider doing--if I understood it a bit better. We moved in too late this summer to get our garden's up, but do you suppose you could post some pictures and maybe a brief "idiot's guide" for this? I know it's not chicken related--but we're all going to survive this winter in Maine together! Let's make the best of it!

I don't have any pictures. You're talking to a techno-idiot here! Perhaps I'll get around to it one day. But, here goes, in book format! And of course it's chicken related. We like veggies... especially salads in November and March. Chickens like veggies. We have chickens, therefore, it's chicken related!

Do you have a spot of ground that could easily have the vegetation removed from it, and that gets good sun, has good drainage and fairly good soil? This late in the season, I'd recommend clearing that ground and getting it tilled to about 6" by what ever means you have at hand ASAP. If you can't get to it right away, start your seeds in pots, and get some plastic over your area to hold the heat and warm the soil. If you had more time, You could use chicken power. An alternative would be to do a "lasagna garden" and surround that with hay bales. (You could build the lasagna pile to within 6" of the top of the bales, and it would settle as it cooks down, I'm not sure how well this would work with a winter cold frame, but worth the experiment. I'm a fan of the lasagna concept, both in the garden, and on the plate. You can google the topic if you're not familiar with it.) Basically, you prepare your soil, and if you're thinking ahead, you plan out your dimensions to be compatible with the size of the bales of hay/straw that you're using. You could even plant the area then place your bales. You use your bales to make a rectangular box around your area. If the bales are tied with bio-degradable twine, be sure to orient them so the twine doesn't touch the ground. If it's plastic or wire, it doesn't matter. 8 - 10 bales makes a nice manageable size ( 3 - 4 for each side, and 1 for each end) Then after it's planted, fertilized and watered, you cover it with construction poly. I like to have the poly drape down over the bales on the long sides, and cover the top of the short sides. That keeps them from getting water logged. If you wanted to get fancy, you could make a wood top to fit your dimensions.... Now that's an idea that I hadn't considered! As if I have time to take on an other project! As mentioned before, you want some type of support under the poly so it doesn't sag under the snow and ice load. I use a piece of cattle panel supported by 2 x 4 or rebar for that. Then I weigh down the edges with bricks or what ever is handy. If you have some rebar or 1/4" fence posts or any thing similar laying around, put that down on the edges, then place the bricks. That helps to keep the wind from catching it and working it loose. If the wind is rugged, you can always peg it down! It's not rocket science... what ever works. You'll have to initially watch the weather and vent or uncover if it's warm, otherwise the stuff will cook in there.

I'm making my hay frame on the north side of the garden to help make a micro-climate on the south side of it that will heat up extra early in the spring. That's an other topic that you might want to research while the winter wind is whistling around your house: how to adapt your garden environment to enhance the micro-climate to increase your growing season. Check out a book called "the 4 season garden."

Here are some absolutely indispensable (for me) garden aids: Construction poly. I buy a 4 mil. 12' x 100' roll. It's handy stuff to have around. You can use it to cover areas of the garden in the spring to get a jump start, you can make little poly tunnels, cover a hoop coop or green house, solarize your soil. Old A-frame style - kids swing set: Makes a fantastic trellis for pole beans. the little hooks at the top support the twine, which is then tied to wires going across the bottom of the legs. It could also be covered with poly to make a red neck cold frame, or with chicken wire to make a red neck chicken tractor. Rebar- cut into minimum 5' lengths. (It's expensive now, but if you have any, hang onto it. It'll last FOREVER.) Great for any where you need a post or support. can be bent into hoops for a portable tunnel. Cattle panels. come in a 16' length. They make fantastic trellises, or you can stake 2 parallel to each other and grow your tomatoes in a row between them. Or, you can build a hoop coop or a mini green house with them. Cattle panels are difficult to transport, but they can be hauled in a standard pick-up truck by bending them so they stand up (think inverted U) and tying them off with ratchet straps.) Jute or sisal twine. Bio-degradable so it can go right into the compost at garden clean up.

 

[Jazor]

LG,

Thanks for the informative post/s! Not only one, but TWO replies. Great work

But seriously, thanks, this will be put to use most likely. With so many projects going on, I can only hope to make this a priority--but I may become wrapped up in re-purposing some of the barn for goats and also ducks. We'll see!

Thanks again

 

[MEMama3]

I no longer care for the fryeburg fair :-( 51 weeks a year I live on a quiet rural street in the village. During fair week it's like the Indy 500 as impatient drivers speed through trying to bypass the long lines of traffic. I went out for coffee with a friend this morning. I came back first to see my rehabbed squirrel squished on the road. It was heartbreaking, but it is a constant risk to wild animals. Then I noticed yellow legs in the road on the other side of my driveway. It was my favorite bird (my black maran who laid her first egg yesterday). I'm not sure how she got out, but she was hit with such speed that you could barely tell it was a chicken. I am both sad and angry.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[lazy gardener]

I no longer care for the fryeburg fair :-( 51 weeks a year I live on a quiet rural street in the village. During fair week it's like the Indy 500 as impatient drivers speed through trying to bypass the long lines of traffic. I went out for coffee with a friend this morning. I came back first to see my rehabbed squirrel squished on the road. It was heartbreaking, but it is a constant risk to wild animals. Then I noticed yellow legs in the road on the other side of my driveway. It was my favorite bird (my black maran who laid her first egg yesterday). I'm not sure how she got out, but she was hit with such speed that you could barely tell it was a chicken. I am both sad and angry.

Thanks for letting me vent.

I am so very sorry for your loss.

 

[Widget]

I no longer care for the fryeburg fair :-( 51 weeks a year I live on a quiet rural street in the village. During fair week it's like the Indy 500 as impatient drivers speed through trying to bypass the long lines of traffic. I went out for coffee with a friend this morning. I came back first to see my rehabbed squirrel squished on the road. It was heartbreaking, but it is a constant risk to wild animals. Then I noticed yellow legs in the road on the other side of my driveway. It was my favorite bird (my black maran who laid her first egg yesterday). I'm not sure how she got out, but she was hit with such speed that you could barely tell it was a chicken. I am both sad and angry.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[anyasmifya]

Widget~ Ha, ha. I hate monkeys too!

MeMama#~ Sorry to read about your losses. Stupid people!

Am I being ridiculous for building another coop for just one bird? I am trying to construct a smaller coop for my favorite bird, BigBird. She is the anti-social (to other chickens, not me) black crested polish. She freaks out with the other birds and today I caught an SLW hen chasing her around. So, I decided to try and construct her own home and run! My construction/carpentry skills are really lacking, so tomorrow morning I am going to get my husband to try and help me. Luckily, I have plenty of extra fencing and scrap wood. I'm using an old door as the top of her coop (BigBird's House).

Oh, when people write DH does that mean dear husband?????

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: I believe so. Now, don't sell yourself short re: building skills. We all have to learn some how, some where. It's amazing what can be accomplished with a few power tools. Is there any way you can build a coop within the big coop with a separate run, so she can be with the rest of the flock, but not WITH them??? Of course, this is the beginning sign of a treacherous and very slippery slope that you are starting. First, the coop for one misfit bird... then you'll need to get a few more birds to fill up the space, perhaps a couple of polish to keep Big Bird company, perhaps do some renovation, with a few more birds... and once you're familiar and comfortable with those power tools, an other little building project will be so very easy... before you know it, you'll be writhing in the throes of uncontrolled chicken math.