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The calm after a storm. I know, I know. Chickens and gardening are my thing. But I need to take a break once in a while! We’ve had a series of storms blast though our little hamlet on the central coast of California. Fifty-seven homes were damaged by falling Monterey Pines. We were lucky. [...] small coop and run We do not live on a farm, nor do we want to turn over our garden to foraging chickens, so we designed a small coop with a partially covered run that nestles in a far corner of our half-acre next to “open space”. It has worked out fairly well. Had [...] Deciding which breeds of chickens you want for your backyard chicken project is a pretty important decision. There are books and magazine articles on the subject and I found the hatchery catalogues to be quite helpful (and fun to browse through) as you plan on which breeds would fit your needs. Before making a decision [...] Food, water, and a mirror. What else do chicks need? Chicks grow from tiny fluffy balls to egg-laying hens in five months. It is amazing how their little bodies turn chicken feed into feathers, muscle, and energy. It is important that they’re fed the highest quality feed to meet their needs. While we feed [...] Before we brought our six chicks home last spring, we readied a box for them. This was to be their brooder for the next few weeks. It was equipped with a feeder, waterer, and a heat lamp to keep them warm. It was set up in our living room where the chicks could be handled [...] We’re getting ready for a series of storms that are supposedly heading our way. I say supposedly because the forecaster often predicts rain, and many times, only a few drops will appear. Remember, this is California, the land of sunshine. We need rain badly but I dread storms. Our property is surrounded by old pines. [...] When chicks are newly hatched, they have some basic requirements. If chicks are not being raised by a hen, “the humans” will have to provide them with all the things a hen would give them. When we brought our “less than three-day-old chicks” home from the farm supply store, they were tiny fluff balls with [...] There has been a movement in recent years to raise a few chickens in the backyards of both city and suburban dwellers. Producing your own eggs from a few hens, neatly tucked into your garden is a trend that I don’t think will go away. Why? It is fun and hens provide you with tasty [...] We got a half inch of rain yesterday and during the night, and I’m thrilled. I hear the chuckles rising across the U.S. as some of you sit in five feet of snow, while I get giddy over a half an inch of rain. I’m sorry that you suffer. I really am. I’ve always lived [...] I planted five pounds of rye grass seeds around the apple trees just before the first rains came. Not one seedling sprouted! Mind you, we do have hundreds of birds visiting our garden each day and 15 or 20 quail who call our backyard home. But this is ridiculous! The place looks like the Sahara Desert! [...] |
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