My mother was widely considered to always have the best garden for miles around, for as long as I can remember. When asked what her secret was, she would always tell people, “The secret is in the soil.” That’s all. Just, “The secret is in the soil.” Some would then ask her if she made … Continue reading My Mother’s Gardening Secret
Homestead Happenings
Busy Days! And Seed Saving
It's spring! That means outdoor activity around here has sprung into high gear. The hyacinths and tulips have finished their bloom cycles. The strawberries, peaches, apricots, plums, and nectarines are blossoming. The onions that overwintered, as well as the freshly planted ones, are coming up strong and healthy and happy. The rhubarb that the chickens … Continue reading Busy Days! And Seed Saving
Great use for stale bread!
At the present time, the two of us don't eat a lot of bread, usually less than a loaf a week, even though I generally make my own bread from wheat I grind in my kitchen shortly before making the bread. Week old homemade bread with no preservatives generally goes to the chickens, but, last … Continue reading Great use for stale bread!
Chicken Coop Learning Curve
My first experience with chicken coops was on my mother's farm many years ago when I was a teenager. Her coop was in a corner of the barn. It had 2 doors - one to the outside where the fenced in-and-over run was located and one to the inside of the barn. The inside door … Continue reading Chicken Coop Learning Curve
OF EGGS AND EGG-SPENCES
#Store-bought factory eggs.We all know them.So lovely, all uniformly gleaming white, uniform size and shape in their carton. Crack them open and you see a very pretty, sort of lemony-yellow yolk.#Locally raised, farm fresh truly free-range eggs.Talk about VARIETY! These eggs come in all kinds of colors - ranging from white to pinkish to tan … Continue reading OF EGGS AND EGG-SPENCES
Chicken Losses
In the year and a half I've been raising my chickens, I've had two loss incidents. The first one was the worst, and easily identifiable. I heard a ruckus in the chicken yard and went outside to see a neighbor's German Shepherd head into the coop with feathers flying in the air. The dog had … Continue reading Chicken Losses
You have a HORSE TROUGH in your LIVING ROOM?!?
LOL, yes, there is now a horse trough residing in our living room. Furthermore, it will probably be there for several months. It's currently providing shelter (from the cat as well as the elements) for 30 brand new Cornish Cross chicks that will be hopefully providing us with a nice supply of Cornish Game hens … Continue reading You have a HORSE TROUGH in your LIVING ROOM?!?
Homestead Happenings
This area is where I will share news and events of our ventures into homesteading. We hope to turn 10 acres of sagebrush and cactus into something a bit more verdant and productive through the use of a very limited supply of irrigation water, capturing and putting rain water & snow melt to good use … Continue reading Homestead Happenings
Update from the Chicken Coop
A week ago yesterday, March 3, I found the first lovely brown egg in the nest boxes. Celebration! Okay, so it was only one, but that was one more than I’ve gotten any day so far, and what a promise of things to come. Every day brought one or two more eggs so that by … Continue reading Update from the Chicken Coop
A New Venture
11 weeks ago, we started on a new venture… CHICKENS!!!! After studying the various breeds for many months, their needs, expected production, housing needs, and their strengths/weaknesses, then comparing that with our goals, we selected two breeds to start with. What were we looking for in our starter flock? Well, since we live in Southern … Continue reading A New Venture
