Michigan

[chicken grandma]

That was well said Nova!

I wish you much success in your backyard farming!

 

[EeyoreD]

Eh better a smart triple asterisk than a dumb triple asterisk.

(yes, I realize this was even more triple asterisky)

 

[Totalcolour]

Back during WW2, the gov't encouraged people to have a garden to produce produce. They were encouraged to have chickens for the eggs as well as for meat. [they were also encourage to raise rabbits] People now, they'd rather do the Supermarket route. People on the whole wouldn't know how to grow a beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes... They wouldn't know how to grow fruit. want to have me raise them for them. It just creeped them out. They'd rather get it from the store. And because of THAT menality, Farmers are going to meet that demand. It is their job. And they are doing the best that they can to produce the quantity that is need to feed Americans, as well as other nations who can not produce enough food on their own soil.

So, all in all, you want better food for you bodies, grow it yourself, or buy from those who do grow/produce in a manner you approve. This is just my opinion.

The problem though, is that big Farma, is producing so much that even though there are many that go hungry in this country [as well as other industrialized nations], we are also providing so much food that as a nation, we are "obese".

When it's easy to just go to the store and buy it, and we have disposable income, we don't even stop and think. We eat well, too well most of the time..

So, if we raise our own, we are learning, and we raise quality food, and eat less of it. We pay attention to it.

I used to scoff at organic (himself still does), but now it's what I buy. I eat less, because the flavour of the food satiates the appetite better than the tasteless stuff from supermarkets. I finally bought meat yesterday (we eat our own rabbit, chicken, ducks, goats porc), an organic turkey. It was nice, but stll not the quality we could grow ourselves.

I firmlyam of the belief that one of the reasons we are a "fat" nation, is that the food is now "cardboard" and we eat and eat, trying to satisfy a hunger that our food does not come close to satisfying.

But we do still need big Farma - there are hungry peoples who can not do what so many of us are lucky enough to do. They don't have the tools, education or resources to raise their own.

I feel lucky and privileged [and I'm losing weight!]

 

[chicken grandma]

We are fortunate if we have the land to grow things and keep animals.

In Hawaii there are areas where things won't grow well because of the lack of SOIL. The ground is lava and they struggle to create topsoil.
Also, the sulfer dioxide there and volcanic ash can cause trouble with gardens.

In Los Angeles we were a mile from the ocean and it was often very wet and foggy. We struggled with mildew.
That is why I enjoy Michigan so much. Things really grow well in this state.

Hawaii was a better setting for the animals. Less disease and less predators. I find it hard to keep chickens here in Michigan. The Winter is hard on the chickens and me also.

 

[NovaAman]

I would do rabbit... but I am so allergic to their fur.... Oh, but it tastes so yuuuuuumy... Nice brace of coneys on the grill... Oh yeah. LOL

 

[SillyChicken]

COYOTE!!!

Bugger was in my front yard... 15 feet from my house and ME!! He was a HUGE one too! Wish I had my pistol handy but I was unloading food from the car....

 

[chicken grandma]

COYOTE!!!

Bugger was in my front yard... 15 feet from my house and ME!! He was a HUGE one too! Wish I had my pistol handy but I was unloading food from the car....

Put on your best Sunday clothes and then blast him like Taprock did!

 

[RaZ]

We are fortunate if we have the land to grow things and keep animals.

In Hawaii there are areas where things won't grow well because of the lack of SOIL. The ground is lava and they struggle to create topsoil.
Also, the sulfer dioxide there and volcanic ash can cause trouble with gardens.

In Los Angeles we were a mile from the ocean and it was often very wet and foggy. We struggled with mildew.
That is why I enjoy Michigan so much. Things really grow well in this state.

Hawaii was a better setting for the animals. Less disease and less predators. I find it hard to keep chickens here in Michigan. The Winter is hard on the chickens and me also.

You really don't need a lot of land to grow enough for your own use. You can grow a lot of stuff in pots, even potatoes in a garbage can. Some people call it square foot gardening. You can also compost in a 5 gallon bucket to improve your soils.
There was an article recently in the Detroit paper about people in the city turning vacant lots into gardens. Technically most of the people are doing it illegally. Same goes for keeping chickens or rabbits.

I think this year I just might plant a row or 2 of sweet corn right along the property line of the crabby neigbhor, just to challenge the "weed" ordinance.

 

[RaZ]

COYOTE!!!

Bugger was in my front yard... 15 feet from my house and ME!! He was a HUGE one too! Wish I had my pistol handy but I was unloading food from the car....

You mean you don't carry at all times???

 

[Chickmate]

i OFTEN read about breaking broodies. Probably cause I myself have asked how to do that. Now, I have the opposite question. Is there or are there ways to stimulate broodiness or is it broodiism in
chickens? I want to have one of our ladies hatch and raise a few chicks. I'll have to arrange to buy some fertile eggs. BUT do i need the broody hen FIRST ..... THIS IS NOT a restatement of the age old question ? I really want to know. Thanks, bob

Bob - Yes, you need a hen who has decided to go broody, you can't entice or stimulate "broodism" ( I love that word!!) in a hen. Once you have a broody hen then you need to gather some fertile eggs to put under her. Some breeds are known for being broody often (like Silkies) and some hardly ever or never go broody. If you want to raise chicks the natural way with a broody hen you should buy a few hens from a breed that is known for being broody. I raised chicks this winter by putting eggs under one of my Barred Rock hens who went broody. That is not a breed that is known for "broodism", but this hen wanted to sit so I let her. She turned out to be a great Mama.


Quote:

I went to Grass Roots to get stuff for my pond. Also got a dozen tadpoles.

I have some huge bull frogs, leopard frogs, green frogs, toads and about 50 bazillion tadpoles in my pond right now.

hmmmmm....trying TRYING VERY HARD to keep my hands out of that incubator.

I put them in on 3/24 in the evening....so shouldn't they have started hatching by now?!?!?! I usually have them hatching early....not late! Maybe I can't count...someone count and tell me I'm crazy and need to learn how to count lol. I'm starting to freak out my hubby with my constant staring into the bator

Yeah, tomorrow is day 21 Jen!