Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

Hello from Willis!
Glad to see there are fellow Michiganders with Chickens. I'm new to the whole thing, and I'm going to need advice and support!
Nanette

Welcome Nanette,
You are not that far from me. I usually venture down to Grass Roots a few times a month.

 

[gladahmae]

I'm sure you will get a few different answers. Personally, I would have no problem using the coop sweepings in the vegetable garden. The plants won't be producing fruit for several weeks/months so the nutrients will be absorbed over time. If the coop material is coarse, you can use it to make paths between the rows. Or use it as mulch.

Personally, I will compost the coop sweepings for a few months. If you saw the photos of what I tilled, that was the coop clean out from winter with chicken poo added daily. It is now rich, dark humus that I'll plant over the next couple of days.

I was just concerned about possible pathogens from the poop and the veggies. 75% of the shavings have been in there since October, and the other 25% since early March. I have them piled up so when I get my flower bed weeded and newspapered I can mulch it with the shavings, but that probably isn't going to happen until next week. I would have no problem covering the garden with the shavings in the fall and letting them breakdown all winter and then tilling them in in the spring.

 

[Nigellas]

I was just concerned about possible pathogens from the poop and the veggies. 75% of the shavings have been in there since October, and the other 25% since early March. I have them piled up so when I get my flower bed weeded and newspapered I can mulch it with the shavings, but that probably isn't going to happen until next week. I would have no problem covering the garden with the shavings in the fall and letting them breakdown all winter and then tilling them in in the spring.

I use them in my walkways in the garden

 

[Stacykins]

Farmerboy, I love the pictures of the little goats! They look so healthy and adorable! The mother looks great, too! I bet she is producing a lot of milk, from the looks of that udder!

Some pics.

What is this? Just a patch of grass, it seems.


Or is it?


No idea what laid these, but I quickly took the picture and left them be!



Less than a month until kids are due from my Angora goat!


And my little Nigerian Dwarf doeling from another kidding is maturing nicely. Her registered name will be Keweenaw Copper Lady (plus my herdname, of course).

 

[BackyardFarmMom]

Oh my gosh!!!! I am so jealous of your angora!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I was just concerned about possible pathogens from the poop and the veggies.  75% of the shavings have been in there since October, and the other 25% since early March.  I have them piled up so when I get my flower bed weeded and newspapered I can mulch it with the shavings, but that probably isn't going to happen until next week.  I would have no problem covering the garden with the shavings in the fall and letting them breakdown all winter and then tilling them in in the spring.

I think it's ok as long as you don't have manure splashing up onto, say, tomatoes or lettuce that you're going to eat right away. Everybody?

 

[Farmerboy16]

Stacykins- Your goats really look great too! Liked the Angora!

 

[Farmerboy16]

A friend forward a link to me, and I thought that I would share it here. http://news.newsmax.com/?K6C6aWSjrL...hop.clickbank.net/?pid=155&tid=news4foods0523

 

[Elyssia001]

Gratz n your fund raising Raz! Are you going to appeal the ruling? I signed up for the MSFC.

I planted early this year with spring crops. Everything but the cauliflower did well. We had those really hot days a few weeks ago, and they just gave up on me, even with shade and water. All my stuff came from seeds except the bigger pepper plants. I ordered my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds.








These pictures are from two weeks ago. I'll take more this week if people are interested.

 

[uchytil]

cute kids Farmer! My little buck Cas, has 10% Lamancha in him. I hear they're very sweet goats.

DH and I have finally agreed on a small pole shed shelter for our goats. We've enlarged it from 8x8 in the drawing to 8x12 (12x16 total). we wanted to set it up so the goats could be fed and watered from the outside and shelter for us as well... mostly to make it easier for anyone to help us feed them if we went on vacation or something. We'll build a second one next year for the other pasture.

That's seems pretty cool. Your fence must be fairly short? How large a pasture do you run them in? Presently mine live in a 100 foot by 100 foot fenced area with a 6' fence (4' horse and two board over that). They can climb out but since I added a new doe and wether they stay put. I have one field that's about 100 yards by 150 yards I'd like to set them in during the day. Not sure how I'll do that at present since it's not fenced, or wired. My toggies are pretty darn sweet.