I'm computer stupid, as far as downloading things and all, but I'm all over it. I am pasturing my chickens in the north side of my yard (garden area with bees) now. When I think they have cleaned enough for me, they will join the goat in the south side......as the goat is only interested in weeds, poison ivy, bushes, blackberry vines and totally ignore the grass.
I will plant the spring garden and keep them all out of it, although I have to say that the pine needles under the roost is needing to be replaced with clean needles, that I plan on using in my raised beds....as a mulch.....but not right away, because the nitrogen in the poop will kill anything, so the bed needs to be set up before the planting.
I am in the very deep south, so it takes a severe winter for us to totally lose all of our green and depending on how mild of a winter we have I may allow a 3rd pasture area for my chickens to have to tide them over until I can start over in the garden area again. But if we have a hard freeze, I may just need to provide all the feed from grains.
I like using chickens for organic gardening reasons, as well as egg and meat production.
To me, chickens are a very good investment for a small homestead. The eggs are usually the first consideration with meat as a valueable by-product. Even the scrawny breeds can make a meal.....and you wouldn't be very profitable to keep your unwanted roosters.
Then there is the free de-weeding they do for you. Just give them a few weeks and they can totally wipe out every blade of grass in a fenced in area and what they don't eat, they might scratch up and unearth. Even if they don't much care for a certain plant, they would probably love the seeds it produced, thus stopping it right in its tracts. And then if they didn't scratch it up or eat it, their poop will burn it up with nitrogen....which will be wonderful for the garden later on, but in its fresh state....thats another matter.
All of a sudden you might hear them all squacking about something that seems important to them and they all come running........they have found a bunch of bugs. Now those bugs will become eggs instead of munching out on your cucumbers. Depending on the season, that might be a long way off, but the sooner you start, the better.
You are checking out your coop and looking for eggs and you detect a strong odor. You look in the roost and find the pine needles are totally covered with droppings. Its time to bring them to the garden, to use as a mulch or to the compost pile for later use and to replace it with fresh needles. Now we are really talking......just wait until you see your garden yields now!!!
Now the growing season is over and you have had a fairly good year and your garden has seen better days and even has a few weeds, although you didn't think it would. Also the summer heat is horrible and you can hardly see yourself going out there to clean it up. Just turn the chickens loose in the garden and lets clean it up like that. While we are at it, we can decide what kind of grass or even grain to plant where we just took them out of...therefore, saving money on feed as well, both now and in a few months.
If we just look at one reason for having chickens, it may not be financially worth the effort or investment we put into them, but when we consider it from looking at the big picture, it seems an obvious winner.
How can you go wrong with an animal that is too small to over power you, costs under $3.00 to buy day old, provides your family with eggs and meat, eats all your table scraps, makes your lawnmower unnecessary, eats bugs and grass, fertilizes your garden and provides you with entertainment and relaxation?
I will plant the spring garden and keep them all out of it, although I have to say that the pine needles under the roost is needing to be replaced with clean needles, that I plan on using in my raised beds....as a mulch.....but not right away, because the nitrogen in the poop will kill anything, so the bed needs to be set up before the planting.
I am in the very deep south, so it takes a severe winter for us to totally lose all of our green and depending on how mild of a winter we have I may allow a 3rd pasture area for my chickens to have to tide them over until I can start over in the garden area again. But if we have a hard freeze, I may just need to provide all the feed from grains.
I like using chickens for organic gardening reasons, as well as egg and meat production.
To me, chickens are a very good investment for a small homestead. The eggs are usually the first consideration with meat as a valueable by-product. Even the scrawny breeds can make a meal.....and you wouldn't be very profitable to keep your unwanted roosters.
Then there is the free de-weeding they do for you. Just give them a few weeks and they can totally wipe out every blade of grass in a fenced in area and what they don't eat, they might scratch up and unearth. Even if they don't much care for a certain plant, they would probably love the seeds it produced, thus stopping it right in its tracts. And then if they didn't scratch it up or eat it, their poop will burn it up with nitrogen....which will be wonderful for the garden later on, but in its fresh state....thats another matter.
All of a sudden you might hear them all squacking about something that seems important to them and they all come running........they have found a bunch of bugs. Now those bugs will become eggs instead of munching out on your cucumbers. Depending on the season, that might be a long way off, but the sooner you start, the better.
You are checking out your coop and looking for eggs and you detect a strong odor. You look in the roost and find the pine needles are totally covered with droppings. Its time to bring them to the garden, to use as a mulch or to the compost pile for later use and to replace it with fresh needles. Now we are really talking......just wait until you see your garden yields now!!!
Now the growing season is over and you have had a fairly good year and your garden has seen better days and even has a few weeds, although you didn't think it would. Also the summer heat is horrible and you can hardly see yourself going out there to clean it up. Just turn the chickens loose in the garden and lets clean it up like that. While we are at it, we can decide what kind of grass or even grain to plant where we just took them out of...therefore, saving money on feed as well, both now and in a few months.
If we just look at one reason for having chickens, it may not be financially worth the effort or investment we put into them, but when we consider it from looking at the big picture, it seems an obvious winner.
How can you go wrong with an animal that is too small to over power you, costs under $3.00 to buy day old, provides your family with eggs and meat, eats all your table scraps, makes your lawnmower unnecessary, eats bugs and grass, fertilizes your garden and provides you with entertainment and relaxation?
