NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

I have decided to do the "lasagna garden" layers of straw, manure, and soil. That way we don't have to dig, disturbing the micro-flora of the soil. Besides, we live in the Mohawk valley and courtesy of the last ice age and ice burgs the soil here is full of rocks... everything from pebbles right up to boulders can be found just under the surface. I thought about raised beds and yes we will have some however, not until I know how much water we will have on hand and how quickly we can manage a rain catchment system. I am also able to do plumbing work so I will be able to install a diversion system under the sink and shower for gray water usage, that way the septic will be used pretty much solely for the toilet and less water waste. I already use "green" products either stuff I make myself, buy from local crafters or order on line from crafters.
I say we but not really... my husband loves me but this is my deal and he doesn't quite understand my need to go back to basics but he's not sick either. He should be but he's not. his diet was horrific prior to meeting me and he has lost over 100lbs and kept it off, since meeting me (in 10yrs ago). I should be healthy ... i always ate "healthy" but I ate mostly fruits and veggies... probably loaded with all the chemicals. meanwhile he was eating am/pm pizza and breakfast sandwiches. lol
So anyway I will be a very busy girl while ate home.
1/2 hoop Coop will probably be my first... and 7 chickens sound okay... when I get there f.i.n.a.l.l.y I'll know what I have to work with.
I am pretty good at container gardening as my house is within the city limits and I was getting proficient at container and vertical gardening. I have some bushes there against the neighbors garage. I am hoping that with whatever land we will obtain there will be some freebie wild berries there.
Thank you again.

Is great too. I had to go with raised beds. Under those beds in the pictures is hard fill with rocks and pieces of tavia I couldn't dig out.

 

[rancher hicks]

I would start with 6 ...8 we had too many eggs with just that amount .
You can always add more later ..when you get used to them
But Make your coop bigger than you need ...you will always want more ..
it is best to get a few new chickens each year ..then you will always have eggs

I have a dirt floor ...I gather free bedding ....dried grass , dry leaves ..havent ever used pine needles before , havent need to .

Don't you just love FREE? It's my favorite word. Well not something for free but you can get a lot of good free stuff.

 

[PhoredaBurds]

Im finding the hazards of chicken math increase exponentially when an incubator or broody are involved. & then time evaporates while watching the little fluffy butts.

 

[Beer can]

Maybe it isn't the incubator or failing at hatching I'm scared of, maybe it's the 'chicken math' Lol!

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
Yes I love free ...Do you want the chicken book or not ?

 

[rancher hicks]

Yes I love free ...Do you want the chicken book or not ?

I didn't think you were serious but no. Thanks anyways. My grandkids have lots of books.

You might consider donating it to the public library though. I've done that with a few books. I've had to pack up some books for storage since my GD is going to be having this office for her room and the bookshelves will have to be moved.

I collect books.

My saying is "I like to keep my friends like my books. Where I can always find them but seldom use them".

On my bucket list is to read my entire collection of Hardy boys. I got three for my 13th birthday and I've a ways to go.

 

[Pyxis]

Time to find the pool brooder under all the snow, lol, because I've got olive eggers, marans, and icelandics in the incubator, along with three Sebastopol eggs that may or may not be fertile - no development yet but my fingers are crossed. After this though I'm probably done incubating for the year with the exception of more sebbie eggs if these don't hatch and cemanis when they start laying. But until then, I need the pool brooder because I need the space!

 

[Beer can]

On my bucket list is to read my entire collection of Hardy boys. I got three for my 13th birthday and I've a ways to go.

I was probably that old also when our Aunt gave me and my sister the complete set of the Hardy boys and her Nancy Drew, she worked at a publishing place that printed them in the mid 80s.
One of my girls a few years ago asked what a "chum" was, she had a Hardy boys book, said there was a couple in the school library. I read them three times over, there was over 50 of them. I asked my mother if she still had my set, no, donated them the the public library

. Stopped there, they threw them out, out of date

 

[PhoredaBurds]

Maybe it isn't the incubator or failing at hatching I'm scared of, maybe it's the 'chicken math' Lol!

Chicken math can be a force to be reckoned with

 

[PhoredaBurds]

Time to find the pool brooder under all the snow, lol, because I've got olive eggers, marans, and icelandics in the incubator, along with three Sebastopol eggs that may or may not be fertile - no development yet but my fingers are crossed. After this though I'm probably done incubating for the year with the exception of more sebbie eggs if these don't hatch and cemanis when they start laying. But until then, I need the pool brooder because I need the space!

I did the pool brooder thing last year & it worked great. Although their shavings went everywhere, the round brooder really gave them lots of room to run. Good luck w ur hatch. Sebbies are beautiful. Fingers crossed they hatch! Goslings r amazing.