by Jeanne
If you’re thinking about building a vegetable garden this year, raised beds are one of the best ways I know of to start a vegetable garden. Instead of renting a rototiller or hand-digging the soil, adding amendments and turning it all under to create a good garden bed, you start with the best soil mixture…
I’ve put together this henbit plant profile to spotlight a lovely plant – which many gardeners consider a weed. Weed or flower? To me, it’s a matter of perspective. Every spring, at least one of my raised beds is covered in a thick mat of henbit. Henbit is both lovely and practical despite being labeled…
I wrote this Ultime Guide to Growing Beets to share my techniques for growing tasty, organic beets. Beets are a powerhouse of nutrition. Both the beetroot and the leaves and stems are edible. You can also can beets and beet greens to store them for year-round use. Here, I share with you a full guide…
Even though it’s cold and snowy out, winter homesteading projects beckon. As I write this, snow is falling in sheets outside my office windows, covering the orchard trees with a blanket of white. Last week, an ice storm knocked power out for 36 hours – and knocked pines down every which way. We had poles…
Jeanne ~ We had chickens on Long Island, of all places. Our friends got bunnies for Easter, my parents got us chickens. We would collect our own breakfast egg in the morning.
Some thoughts about the chicken house (a coop). Make sure that there is a roof on the pen. It’s very easy for noctural animals (‘coons and foxes) to climb up the sides and ‘drop in’ the pen. Make sure that the pen is big enough for both of you to stand up in. Also, bury the bottom of the pen several inches. You may want to bend the fence, L shaped and bury the horizontal part of the L outside of the pen. This will make it more difficult for animals to tunnel under to get to the chickens. Make sure that the door leading into the pen has 2 separate ‘locking’ mechanisms. Coons are smart, they can open locks, but if 2 need to be engaged, more difficult. For the actual house, a small door for the chickens, and a larger entrance so you can get the eggs out.
Also, placement of the pen is key. Chicken poo is really stinky, but makes great fertilizer.
Good Luck with the chickens, can’t wait to read about them.