NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

If you don't use raised beds you might consider some just for garlic. You can amend the soil to the kind you want.

Sorry to quote myself, but. I just watched a CBS report on food prices going up. Consider how much garlic you use each year. 10 - 15 lbs maybe? Now do the math. Garlic is easy to grow and easy to store. If you only grew garlic, how much would you shave off your grocery bill? I just checked Wegmans. $3.99 a lb. We use a lot of garlic in this house. So that's $40 - 60 a year. That's a lot of chicken feed. Plus garlic is low or no maintenance. Plant it and forget it til harvest time.

Correct me if I'm wrong but a 4' X 4' bed with garlic planted 5" apart is 92. bulbs. If the average bulb weighs between 1 - 2 ounces that's 5 - 10 lbs just in that one bed. Approx.

92 @ 1 ounce ea. / 16 ounces + 5.75 lbs. X $3.99 = $22.94. That's at the bottom end of course. You may do better, but even if you do the lowest size your still saving for little effort.

 

[rancher hicks]

My mom's husband sent me this on FB thought that it was cute!

Maybe if I fill my yard with the plastic kind it mighty protect my chickens from Hawk attacks? I have two in the back yard and two new ones still in the box in the garage. The chickens don't seem to mind.

 

[rancher hicks]

Love having power outages in middle of night. For awhile we had alittle power enough to barely light up a few bulbs. I think somone had a back up gen running. Now we have nothing i hope these chicks keep warm. I had two bulbs going since wasnt full strenght and it was only 77ish in there and now the bator is off also.

If you have hot water, fill just jugs with how water and place them in the brooder if you can. That should keep them warm enough until the electricity comes back on.

 

[rancher hicks]

Morning

Has Broken

Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken - Live 1973 - YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TWd3skb-Rw

 

[armorfirelady]

 
If you don't use raised beds you might consider some just for garlic.  You can amend the soil to the kind you want. 

Sorry to quote myself, but.  I just watched a CBS report on food prices going up.  Consider how much garlic you use each year.   10 - 15 lbs maybe?  Now do the math.   Garlic is easy to grow and easy to store.  If you only grew garlic, how much would you shave off your grocery bill?   I just checked Wegmans.  $3.99 a lb.   We use a lot of garlic in this house.   So that's $40 - 60 a year.  That's a lot of chicken feed.  Plus garlic is low or no maintenance. Plant it and forget it til harvest time.    

Correct me if I'm wrong but a 4' X 4' bed  with garlic planted 5" apart is 92.  bulbs.  If the average bulb weighs between 1 - 2 ounces that's 5 - 10 lbs just in that one bed.  Approx.    

92 @ 1 ounce ea.  / 16 ounces + 5.75 lbs.   X  $3.99 =  $22.94.   That's at the bottom end of course.  You may do better, but even if you do the lowest size your still saving for little effort.  

Last year I planted garlic and got nothing. I am confused as to when to plant it. I got some more and planted it last fall in my flower beds which are years in the making hoping the soil would be better for garlic. I put markers with them so I don't pull them as weeds.

Do you recommend a certain kind? And when is it best to plant? I use some for cooking but the majority I give to the hens to boost their immune systems

 

[JerseyHen]

Who said they were a chiropractor ? I was looking for that quote ...couldnt find it ..Can anyone help ?
Thanks ,

I am. Feel free to pm me with any questions! I like to help out when i can.

 

[why do birds]

Lynzi thanks for the info! Sounds like it's a good coop option! TY for the tips on putting it together too.

Rancher, Cat Stevens, good song! Love the math on the garlic. BTW, future MIL pays over $9.00 per lb. for garlic at the garlic festivals. She said she spent $84.00 at one festival.

We have to grow some for her, that's $$$$ for garlic. But if you could taste the food she makes, oh yum! She's an amazing cook.

Jlaw, that was smart to use candles like that! Hope all is well with your chicks!

 

[marquisella]

Quote: Last year I planted garlic and got nothing. I am confused as to when to plant it. I got some more and planted it last fall in my flower beds which are years in the making hoping the soil would be better for garlic. I put markers with them so I don't pull them as weeds.

Do you recommend a certain kind? And when is it best to plant? I use some for cooking but the majority I give to the hens to boost their immune systems
Plant garlic in fall around October 15th or so. Then you can harvest them in early-mid summer, when the leaves start to turn brown. We planted our first last year and they were wonderful. Planted twice as much last fall in raised beds again. You do have to weed though in the spring.

I love my raised beds, can sit on a stool or I like my little pull cart made for that purpose with a seat. No more back breakinng weeding. I like to put newspapers in between my other plants to keep the weeds down. My beds are made from pure horse manure that has been composted for a couple of years. I plant right in it. It eventually turns to soil, although even 2 year old still has weed seeds in it.

probably cause its just piled up in one big pile & we don't move it around.

 

[why do birds]

Wanted to see if this will come up. Just a test. Hope it works. If it does it's how my plants feel about me. I totally wreck them.

 

[Cass]

Last year I planted garlic and got nothing. I am confused as to when to plant it. I got some more and planted it last fall in my flower beds which are years in the making hoping the soil would be better for garlic. I put markers with them so I don't pull them as weeds.

Do you recommend a certain kind? And when is it best to plant? I use some for cooking but the majority I give to the hens to boost their immune systems

Plant in October, harvest in July. Likes ph neutral soil. And good irrigation; meaning water it well once or twice a week during the growing season. When you pull it in July, you can then plant short season lettuce or replant those cole crop (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) that you started from seed in early summer and now need more room. (Yes, I always do that. I put out started plants for my main crop of broccoli, etc . BUT I also start a small row of each from seed in the garden to transplant when something is done for the season. I was still picking cabbage in early december for the chickens last year from the transplants)