Sustainability Experiment

[HeartlanderMom]

Hi all, brand new to BYC. Also brand new to the world of owning some chooks... just moved to central OH. So here's my debut:

I live in a nice development with rather nice sized large houses. My husband and I do well in the financial industry, but I for one am starting to have some serious moral objections to eating a meal that has traveled on the average of 1500 miles from growing place to my plate. So this year, early spring, I launched my own backyard sustainability experiment. I purchased 11 chicks (6 known pullets: , 2 each of RIR, SLW,Red SexLink + 5 straight run Ameraucanas) I was fully expecting to lose a few and have a few roos in there, but planning on having 6-7 hens for laying thru the winter.

I have a 20x30 garden that I've planted with a ton of different veggies and my goal is to be the main source of produce for my family of 4 going forward. I'm also aiming to have the girls providing 3-4 doz eggs/week for our consumption and bribes for our HOA board members. Yup. Not allowed chickens in our development. Luckly, I have owners on both sides that are tickled with the girls, they moved from KY this year.

My sustainability experiment' in recycling absolutely everything I possibly can with my kitchen trimmings and garden stuffs, feeding the chooks on as little as possible, while, while keeping things looking 'socially acceptable' out back and something that NO ONE in their right mind could object to. My garden is landscaped all around. My coop is a revamped kids' playhouse (beautiful) and the chooks have their wings clipped and are contained in a fenced area.

All my kitchen waste goes to the compost heap. The Girls get most of our food wast (what they can have) and I use NO pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers other than what I can generate (compost) or purchase from local farmers.

No one in my family 'gets it', and when I tell them I have chickens they look at me like I"m cracked. How do I explain this to them in a more 'mainstream' fashion without appearing as the family grit? (WHICH I AM NOT!)

I just love my chooks!

 

[justusnak]

Hi, and welcome to BYC. I think your idea sounds PERFECT! More and more these days, people are getting back to growing/raiseing thier own. I think it is alot safer. We dont own a large piece of land...5 acres...but we have pigs, chickens, turkeys, a garden....apples, ( soon plums) cherries,persimmons,grapes,elderberries, blackberries and mulberry trees. Hopeing to get the pond redug...so we can raise our own fish as well. I sure hope nothing comes between you and your great idea. Congrats!!

 

[McGoo]

And your story is my story too!!!! Green is becoming more mainstream due to the gas prices, but honestly people think I'm a bit 'off' when they hear about my chooks. I love them...and they are so much fun!

thanks for sharing your story. You've come to the right place!!!!!

 

[ChickenToes]

I'm doing something similar this summer as well. I haven't bought chicken from a store in quite a while because now I see the difference between how backyard chickens are raised humanely and how gigantic corporations raise their birds.

Don't worry, you're not crazy! My mother in particular thought I was nuts when I got my chicks, until I showed her pictures of how cute they are.

 

[BettyR]

We are little by little trying to get to a place were most of the food we eat will come from what we have raised ourselves so no I don’t think you are crazy at all.

We also don't have very much land only 7 acres and most of it is woods so it's taking some work on our part to get to a point where we can use what we have.

If someone asks you why you are doing that just tell them that you are tired of wondering if the vegetables, eggs and meat that you are serving your family is going to make them sick or not.

 

[Balding Eagle]

Love this thread. So nice to know we're not alone, trying to live closer to the earth. It's great to hear of other people with small holdings (we have 7 acres) with mixed livestock etc. It's really so much fun, inspite of the work. Nothing seems to beat that feeling when you're eating a meal from your own garden, wearing clothes you made yourself...

 

[Beekissed]

I would just look very surprised and say, "OH! You mean you don't raise your own chickens?? I thought EVERYONE was doing this now! Well, at least everyone in the know...." then look very smug and change the subject.

 

[amyquilt]

Oh I feel for you with the family issues.

When we took our children out of public school to begin homeschooling this past fall...OMG I could hear the phone lines buzzing across the country with all my siblings "discussing" it back and forth.

Now, once we have our flock of chickens...OMG that will be a riot!! They just may blow up the phone lines and cell towers!

I'm the youngest of 8 children, and of course they all think nothing dh and I decide is "right". I'm 42, married, kids and they still think I cannot make "right" decisions.

Poopoo on them!

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
I love it!!!

 

[Guitartists]