New hatchery in Hawaii helping to spread the word.

[Hezekiah]

Aloha everyone, Hale Malu Farm pronounced "holly" is a small hatchery on the island of maui, started over a year ago, I found it interesting that one of the most Beautiful and fertile places in the word "Hawaii" being also the most isolated, is also the most dependent,...with all this fertile land surrounding us and nothing growing but sugar can really makes me think about just how un-prepared we are here, if anything happens lets say a tsunami for example or i'll even say Revolution, our food supply here would run out in just a couple of weeks and then all hell would will break loose, I Can't believe this is a mono-croped state, who's really in charge here, anyhow with the cost of living these days you would think more people are trying every thing they can to save a buck or two, Bottom line is we need more diversity in farming here on these islands!!! We hope to do our part as a small local hatchery to
provide quality poultry to the not only Maui but the surrounding islands as well, so please help spead the word, were here and were working with other hatcheries to provide us with a sustainable brood stock so that we can offer a diverse poultry selection, We would like to thank everyone for there support this last year and look forward to answering questions that anyone may have and looking forward to reading suggestion any of you may have......thanks again!

 

[Hezekiah]

"Chickens not only make great pets, they also contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle. In this day of $3.00 a gallon gas and an economy predicated on low fossil fuel prices, there's a trend starting to take root. Call it green living. Call it self sustainability. Call it tree-hugging. Whatever you call it, more and more people want to be more connected to nature, where things come from and how things are made. We are passengers of this planet and as of right now, we don't have another good alternative home, so we all need to start taking better care of it."In addition, I don't like being at the mercy of some large corporation that's decided what's best for their rich shareholders and not the customers that keep them in business. My heating oil company "rewards" me for buying hundreds of gallons of oil before the winter season even starts so that I can be "protected" from price fluctuations (Katrina etc.) Why should something so essential - heating our homes - be so susceptible to variables out of our control? Keeping backyard chickens take us one step closer to living sustainably. I'll describe the micro-ecosystem that our 9 back yard chickens supply to help us live more "green".First things first: sustainable living with chickens centers on composting. Composting is a great way to decrease kitchen garbage and simultaneously create a rich, all-natural organic fertilizer. Chicken droppings along with the wood chips or pine shavings are a good base for a new compost pile or a nice addition to one you've already started. The poo contains high quantities of nitrogen, and to balance that out you'll need to add more "brown" (wood chips or pine shavings from your coop are perfect) and "green" (grass clippings, extras from the garden, etc.) in order for your compost pile to really start cooking. Your compost pile will need to be out in the rain or to have water added, plus you'll want to mix or layer it to get the final missing ingredient - oxygen.

The "black gold" that results from composting can be added in the spring to your garden. It fertilizes your soil and helps prevent erosion. Anyone who has worked with compost in their gardens can attest to how much larger, more robust and more flavorful the resulting food is. The black gold can also be sprinkled on your yard so you can avoid using harsh chemical fertilizers which in most cases comes from petroleum products and can lead to algae blooms. (Just remember, though, that you should not eat foods fertilized with "fresh" chicken poo. If it's not composted first some of the bacteria from the poo can transfer to the food you eat and make you sick.)"-MPC