The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Lacy Blues]

Is the comfrey perenial?

Yes it is.

 

[LindaB220]

I'm thinking of putting some tall grasses at the front of my property, between the road and the driveway, to soften the visual entry to the yard a bit. They would grow tall through the summer, could be left for the winter or cut down, and when the snow plow knocks them down, it won't be an issue. Also have 13 Bocking #4 Comfrey plants which will be planted here and there. They'll be multi purpose: fodder for the chickens, compost, and, depending on how well they grow, may actually be a bit of a low hedge at road edge. Plan to plant some where ever I put fruit trees.

I love comfrey and I lost it all when I had to move it to another place, from the neighbors garden. Now I have to order more. Expensive.

 

[armorfirelady]

AFL - maybe I'll have some hatching eggs next spring! You seem to have a good number of broodies

That would be cool except I am a little over my legal limit. But my new neighbor wants to get hens so maybe I can give them some of my older girls

As for broodies......2 days in the broody crate & Sophie was good as new. Curious to see when I get home if shes back in the nesting box. I left the crate in the coop. Maybe that will be enough to deter anyone else who gets any ideas

 

[lazy gardener]

I love comfrey and I lost it all when I had to move it to another place, from the neighbors garden. Now I have to order more. Expensive.

I'd love to recommend Coe's Comfrey. I got 10 crown pieces, and 3 root cuttings were added free. ($22.00 + shipping) The crown cuttings put out leaves within 4 days, and the root cuttings were 10 - 30 days. Bocking #4 is the variety recommended for fodder (22-33% protein) . It is sterile, therefore won't re-seed and become a weed nightmare. But, it's recommended that you put it where you want it to stay. It has a root system that goes 10' deep! It is recommended as fodder, as a green manure b/c it mines the minerals deep from the ground and concentrates them in the leaves where they are beneficial for live stock, or you can put it directly into the garden. Contains as much nitrogen as chicken manure, and 2 - 3 x as much potash as barnyard manure.

 

[LindaB220]

I'd love to recommend Coe's Comfrey. I got 10 crown pieces, and 3 root cuttings were added free. ($22.00 + shipping) The crown cuttings put out leaves within 4 days, and the root cuttings were 10 - 30 days. Bocking #4 is the variety recommended for fodder (22-33% protein) . It is sterile, therefore won't re-seed and become a weed nightmare. But, it's recommended that you put it where you want it to stay. It has a root system that goes 10' deep! It is recommended as fodder, as a green manure b/c it mines the minerals deep from the ground and concentrates them in the leaves where they are beneficial for live stock, or you can put it directly into the garden. Contains as much nitrogen as chicken manure, and 2 - 3 x as much potash as barnyard manure.

Love Coe's. I bought 10 one yr old pieces and got 7 root cuttings + shipping and it was $46. I'm still kicking myself for not taking better care of them. They need to be planted in a container or above ground garden because of my clay soil just didn't allow them to drain correctly. I'll buy more and do it right this time. Another dynamite plant is mulberries. I have a big mulberry tree right over the coop and I was thrilled to find it. Then I found out that the berries are half the size of tiny green peas. So use leaves only and find another mulberry bush to plant with "real berries".

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm working with a partial new slate. After clearing a lot of land a month or so ago, I've more than doubled my useable space. it still needs a lot of work. The area behind the house did not have any loam brought in, so it's heavy clay with lots of rocks: fist sized to 2' x 2' x 1'. I'm slowly clearing the rocks away, making a stone wall at the S front of the property (road), and using them to define the borders of a yet to be completed hugelkulture terrace at the NW tree line. Fruit trees will be planted between the stone wall and HK mound... an area about 50-75'W x 200'L, with the new coop in the middle of this area. I was able to salvage one little Ash sapling which is about 20' from the SE corner of the coop. I may put an other one the same distance from the SW corner. I think that would balance it nicely, as well as providing shade for the coop... in a few years. Debating if I should put anything on the north side, or just leave it open for easy truck access to the HK mounds. Unfortunately, the area around the new coop is bare ground, rough, clay/rock. Thinking about mulching it with whatever I can get my hands on this fall/winter, then, plant one side at a time in the spring. With winter fast approaching, and lots of bare ground still needing to be leveled and de-rocked before planting grass seed, unfinished coop, and a wood pile still to be split and put in... there's only so much energy to go around.

The girls unearthed a few nice big potatoes that we missed the first time around, so we'll be having corn chowder for supper tonight.

 

[Lacy Blues]

It has finally cooled down enough here to start working outside. The roof on my barn needs replacing and my son and I have started deconstructing what is there so we can put up a new one.

I will take pictures to show before, during and after. Hope that is ok for this thread?

 

[Leahs Mom]

It has finally cooled down enough here to start working outside. The roof on my barn needs replacing and my son and I have started deconstructing what is there so we can put up a new one.

I will take pictures to show before, during and after. Hope that is ok for this thread?

Yes!!!!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@lazy gardener

Would love to see some photos as you work on things!

 

[Lacy Blues]

Wow! You are on the ball... ok, I'm convinced! I'll share. Thanks.