Urban Homesteaders

[Diannastarr]

I live within city limits, but my city has a population of 3,700. I am one of several urban homesteaders on my block. I have a cottage garden, two veggie gardens, 18 chickens, 2 of which are broody and sitting on 24 eggs total, 3 coops, soon to be 4, 2 mastiffs and 2 cats. I also have 3 semi- dwarf apple trees, plus many shoots, a pear tree, nectarine, and a plum.

My list:
Finish building 2nd broody coop and run.
rebuild several raised beds - I have 12
plant fall seeds
move cottage garden to front yard so I have more veggie space, and the chickens don't ruin it when they sneak into the garden.
Fix garden gate and hang.
Pick and freeze veggies.
Add 2 feet of chicken wire to my chain-link fence to keep the 2 explorers in the yard.
Start espalier apple fence in front yard.
Prune fruit trees.
Try to grow grass in the bald areas in the backyard.

This is a lot of stuff for me since I have chronic back pain, but I get it done. I get a lot of free stuff from Craigslist, so I have lots of wood to work with. I want to can tomato sauce this year, and freeze broccoli if I have enough. I have tons of zucchini to freeze, and give to the food bank. I share my stuff with the neighbors too. I sell eggs to cover the cost of feed, which isn't much since they free range all day.

very kool i raised champion English mastiffs back in the 1970's in CT wonderful dogs i had i imported several from England .. Mastiffs rock..! this pic is of one of my puppies at 16 months old.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

i love this great idea ..!!!! but one thing about the duct tape chickens like to peck off tape and try to eat it, i found that out ..lol.. so try covering it up with wood chips or hay or something , or maybe wood strips that are smooth since ruff wood can cut their feet and they can end up with bumble foot, and you dont ever want chickens with bumble foot believe me.

The bedding was pushed back for the pic.

 

[Dharmachick]

@Diannastarr, you are my hero! I worked on horse farms in my 20s, I love horses! I rode hunter jumpers which is why I have back problems now. Not the riding, the falling, lol. I love getting free things and making them my own.

@NorthTexasWink, that was such good luck that you found those! Smart thinking too. Running them up the sides will help insulate too.

 

[Dharmachick]

Beautiful mastiff!

 

[Diannastarr]

@Diannastarr, you are my hero! I worked on horse farms in my 20s, I love horses! I rode hunter jumpers which is why I have back problems now. Not the riding, the falling, lol. I love getting free things and making them my own.

@NorthTexasWink, that was such good luck that you found those! Smart thinking too. Running them up the sides will help insulate too.

hi Dharmachick,...!!!! totally kool small world we live in i to did work on horse farms in my teens in ct & ny , im in south east AZ right next to NM & Mexico & live up a mile hi in the mountain near a wild tiny town , i was also involved in hunter jumping all my life but never fell off in my entire life, been riding since i was 3 , but also still have back problems Ha only from a car accident when through a car windshield HA, but hey i get around ok , a little pain is not stopping me one bit .! and thanks yeah gotta love those amazing mastiffs & always love horses..! cant ask for a better life, living with them every day in your life , now its my chickens singing the egg song and running up to greet me , chattering away when they see me, just cant help but love all my sweet happy little girls,

 

[Dharmachick]

I was in NJ with the horses! I'm in WA state now. It is a small world. I started with chickens 2 years ago when my son built me a chicken coop for his senior project. I never realized how cute and personable they were. We have a Jersey Giant (by mistake) who sticks her head through the dog door to see if anything food based is going on. Funny girl.

 

[Diannastarr]

I was in NJ with the horses! I'm in WA state now. It is a small world. I started with chickens 2 years ago when my son built me a chicken coop for his senior project. I never realized how cute and personable they were. We have a Jersey Giant (by mistake) who sticks her head through the dog door to see if anything food based is going on. Funny girl.

yes it sure is a small world , i grew up in NY and CT i had some of the best riding instructors in scarsdale ny , i was going to join up with the American Olympic teem some day since i had been riding since i was 3 , but then i was in a bad car accident at age 14 so that ended my hunter jumper show horse career , so i spend all the years after that just riding my horses into the mountains every day & learning from the Forrest & my horses..!!! but i think that was a better way for me learning about nature in the long run...!and yes you are so very right chickens are so cute and personable & adorible HA O and i have a daughter in Olimpia WA , she is a photographer, well i hope you have a great day & its GOOD TO MEET YOU take care

 

[Dharmachick]

I'm so sorry about your accident. That must have been so hard for you, but you have a wonderful positive attitude and it is wonderful to read about your resilience. I am no longer allowed to ride since 6 years ago. That came as a blow too, but again, my pets make it better.

 

[Diannastarr]

o gosh yes, i know how you feel , i spent quite a wile just walking with my horses after that accident , since riding was not the best idea at the time with neck injuries from going through the windshield, ,but in the long run it seems they helped heal me, so no matter its true our darling pets always make our life better...! and they keep me going and getting out side to take care of them...!! that's the first thing i do every day im up and out talking to and talking care of them actually that's what really helped me to keep going after the death of my husband, my chickens needed me..! and I love them...!!! and yeah im a tuff old bird my self ...HA and have always been inventing my own way through life..! so no way will i be sitting out this life time on the couch....lol.... o and its so nice to know you, we seem to be very much alike..!!!

 

[Diannastarr]

a different subject , i invented a portable green house for my giant garden i hated to loose to the winter, so i got 20 foot long re bar & my husband & i bent it around a tree until they were U shaped, then i set these loops of re bar into old metal pipes about 3 foot long we pounded into the ground but left up about 1 foot out of the ground, so the pipes held up the rebar by putting the re bar ends into the pipes making the green house frame solid & they could be removed.! when ever we wanted to take it down ,so after that i covered it with plastic sheeting & fashioned a front door with a spring slip to keep it closed & the back end was also more plastic sheeting , i cant remember the exact amount of plastic sheeting i used, but it worked fine for that purpose since i just fashioned this green house around & over my existing garden were we were renting at the time so we could remove it with out any problems & only left a few small holes in the ground , our land lord was glad about that HA, i also added Xmas tree lights inside my portable green house for warmth & i kept the sides down with logs & rocks 4x4 wood lumber , so this idea can be improved upon it gave me time tor harvest every last vegie that was coming ripe as winter arrived..! O and this very same idea im going to use to create a lot more shade for my chickens as i live in Southern AZ , i would just change the kind of tarp i will use to create a shaded area for my hens , but also leave the bottom open for much needed air flow.! and i would make it a lot wider so they had some good space in their shaded area.!! sorry for any spelling or typing errors , i never liked to join group because ,i have to explain i never really went to school...lol.. i always played hookie a lot so what i have learned so far in my life i have learned it all on my own...im a self made person , so rare these days i guess , but im just wild and free a free spirit..! HA thats why i totally enjoy hanging out with all of you totally inventive forward looking people...!! i love to DIY every thing....lol.. so hey right on lets go for it...!!!! skys the limit..!!!! right...!!!