Yes, there sure is chicken poop in my bed. My garden bed that is.
The collards never quite gave it up this winter. It would wilt in the snow and then pop up just as if it were Spring. The hubby cleaned out the coop and spread the straw all over the side beds so they would be ready for the spring planting. Can you believe how big this got over the past two days?
He is also tore out all the overgrown wild rose and blackberry bushes, stubborn sycamores that just won't die and various other weedy things that have crept closer and closer to the house over the last decade.
He's going to make a new coop and larger yard for them plus get ready for chicks. It will be easier for me to reach and have access to the eggs from the outside rather than having to climb in all the time. The old coop will turn into storage. I was hoping it could be a shelter for the stray cats but I didn't get my way on that one. The brush pile will stay- it houses all sorts of critters from raccoons to the little kitties.
On the other side of the house, in the big garden, the onions are coming up from last year's seed. We've got a huge compost pile over there in addition to the county's tree trimmer's pile they donated towards our efforts. We are expecting a little rain over the next few days but after that we'll have to start laying everything out, lining the walkways and stringing up new lines for climbing things.
I've got a collection of cooler weather seeds picked out for now, some from Botanical Interests and some from Victory Seed- never had a failure, even in older seeds.
We'll make some new beds behind the house for flowers and medicinal herbs that are not too invasive. We have a slope where I can start up some mint and other runaway herbs. Won't that smell nice when the cats stroll through, kicking up all those wonderful aromas!
16 comments:
LOL, I thought a chicken got into your house.
Hi Kathy,
I am excited for you. The new coop will be nicer for everyone, hens and you. I am sure the hens will be so much happier too with a bigger yard. Thanks for the 411 on Victory Seeds. I have never tried them. I like Botanical Interests seed too. I am looking forward to reading about your medicinal herbs this summer.
Ha, ha, ha! Yep, I love cuddling up with those chicks at night in my big king sized bed!!!! We did have several roosters in a huge dog cage in the basement several years ago, too many in the bunch but they didn't last long. My poor son. I don't think he ever forgave Tom.
Victory had a canned selection we purchased a couple of years ago. It comes in a paint can that you seal up tight and the seeds will last for years. It was expensive but has been worth it, except the corn. Heirloom corn just doesn't seem to be the same, tougher perhaps?
We planted tobacco, which is really a pretty plant. We figure if the world crashes whoever owns the tobacco is king, even though we don't smoke! Good for trading. A friend that worked as a biologist helped us pick out a good variety for MO. We never dried it though, just grew it as an experiment. I think it was burley and Mo twist bud.
Now we need to grow Hops.
We are also going to put our chicken poop in the garden. This will be my first year of doing it. Is there any plant that I shouldn't put it on?
I have a good friend how works for Botanical Interest, he is who I received the give away seeds from. Everything is looking good.
And I am glad as well that the chickens didn't get into your house!
I don't know, so far it's been on everything we have planted in the past. If it's too fresh it might be too hot and be careful about putting right by a patio or somewhere you sit frequently - the smell. You might make a compost pile and turn it to let it age a little.
Have a wonderful day!
Love your post. :-)
Wow, the collards really liked the chicken poop! :) All your new beds sound great and the chickens will enjoy their new coop and bigger yard!
How many chicks are you getting?
I would love to have a nesting box with the rollaway egg feature. I don't know if it is an issue in Missouri, but in the summer here in Texas, I worry about the extra heat the eggs get by getting sat on by several different hens before I gather the eggs each day.
We get pretty warm summers between 71-81 avg monthly temperature but very, very high humidity. He put a ventilation screen, transom type opening, in the door up high and a vent down low to bring the draft through, like a chimney. They lay early in the morning and then he picks them up when he lets them out- I'm dressed for work so it's his job. Ours are not broody so they don't sit on the eggs much. Then we'll check the eggs later in the day. We have lots of shade in their area right now too. The hawks like to sit in the trees and see if they can catch anyone so we've got chicken wire on top and we let leaves fall onto it so it is sort of cammo'd out. We're going to get Buff Orpingtons next. Currently we have a sterile araucana rooster and some hens, quite docile but no chicks. There is one brown leghorn and then silver wyandottes. They are all aging, still laying, but he wants some multi purpose chicks next.
Thanks!
I think they just might get to eat some of the greens too.
I don't know how many we'll get. Nothing like 20-30, more like a dozen.
You're a bit off on the average high temps here, dear. In July our average is 90 degrees with June and August right up close to that. We have many days in the mid to upper 90's with some in the 100's. Our average humidity levels during this same period are generally somewhere in the mid 80% levels during the morning, dropping back into the mid 60% area during the afternoon . So, while we aren't as hot as Texas, we're pretty darn close. It seems that even with the heat I can leave the eggs through a day and overnight without any problems, even in the hottest parts of summer. Go two days though and things can get a bit dicey.
http://www.rssweather.com/climate/Missouri/St.%20Louis/
http://ggweather.com/ccd/avgrh.htm
I guess it depends on where the temperatures are being calculated: STL city (downtown only), airport, rural (us) or area average. Sometimes temperatures at work at 10 degrees warmer than they are at our house. I was using the electric company publication for our personal energy usage which shows Jun 71, jul 78, aug 86.
Your link shows
Jun 65.9°F 85.3°F
Jul 70.6°F 89.8°F
Aug 68.6°F 87.9°F
I also see NOAA data at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=cli_archive
JUN JUL AUG AVG
78.5 85.7 81.6 81.9
There seems to be some discrepancies. All I know is that it is hot, temperature or humidity, too hot!
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