A garden is only as good as the ground that it's planted in. Discussion forum for the many ways to improve the soil where we plant our gardens.
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April 26, 2017 | #16 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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Quote:
I also had guinea fowl when I was on that farm with a pretty big bird aviary. I never found one guinea egg ever. I lived on another farm where the birds weren't mine. The lady had emu and peacocks as well. I always wanted to cook a peacock. So i could be like TJ as I have read they are not a bad bird to dine on... |
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April 27, 2017 | #17 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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Quote:
Last edited by MrSalvage; April 27, 2017 at 05:51 AM. |
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April 27, 2017 | #18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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Does anyone know where I can get 1" chicken wire or 1" rat wire at? Here is my issue as all I can find is 20 gauge wire. I don't think it will last very long at all.
Any ideas beside home depot, lowes, tractor supply, southern states??? |
April 27, 2017 | #19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southeastern PA
Posts: 1,420
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Chickens are slobs and they throw food all over the floor when they eat. They dig with their beaks and throw food sideways. I have yet to find the perfect feeder. The metal one that you see has a slide to limit the amount of food that goes into the trough at one time but it is still messy.
Look on backyard chickens for other ideas or Google chicken feeders. You seem pretty handy. There is an interesting one that you can make from PVC pipe too. |
April 27, 2017 | #20 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Mechanicsville, VA zone 7a
Posts: 97
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Quote:
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"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts." C.S. Lewis |
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April 27, 2017 | #21 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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I remember last April as all rain. Then on top of that 2 more weeks of rain in May. It just never stopped here. So I didn't get everything in till the last of May. All of my plants would have drowned. This year I am running behind as well and it's not because of rain. I didn't get anything planted from seed till April one. So i have lots of 18oz solo cups floating around full of peppers, tomatoes, spices and flowers. It looks like the middle of May for me this year till it's all in.
So another late summer for me till everything is in for harvest. Then Cathy starts canning and freezing. I will still be picking toms and peppers at the end of October. Along with everything else. Thanks for the timeline this year... That really helps a lot! I searched all the stores I looked at online today personally and I just wasn't feeling the quality. However i didn't make it to home depot. Anyway I found a little feed store in a county we went thru today going to the docs. They had rolls of welded 1" x 1/2" rat wire. That were galvanized so that worked out well as its 18 gauge. Good strong stuff, I just wished they would of had 1/2" x 1/2" 16 gauge rat wire. I ordered 100 3/8" & 100 1/2" Galv HOG RINGS off eBay tonight as i could not find them in any of the stores. Then when i got home, Cathy found a bag of them rings from almost 20 years ago. When I built my first coupe. Lol it figures... It's on tomorrow tho & hopefully i will be happy with it as i go. _Bill Last edited by MrSalvage; April 27, 2017 at 11:40 PM. |
May 10, 2017 | #22 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 65
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Those are some gorgeous birds, BrownRexx. And the lot size you have is magnificent. Living in a small LA apartment for the past 30 years is really making me want some LAND! And chickens, and dogs, and a massive garden...
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May 10, 2017 | #23 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southeastern PA
Posts: 1,420
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Thanks, we have 3.5 acres. sometimes we think of downsizing but we really like having the big garden, chickens, bees, fruit trees,........
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May 11, 2017 | #24 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Ontario
Posts: 3,894
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Mr Salvage, look for Hardware Cloth. I just bought a 50' roll of 1/4" x 1/4" for my coop as I need to keep out minks and weasels! It's actually wire, not cloth..... Tractor Supply Co carries it.
Linda |
May 11, 2017 | #25 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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Quote:
I found the real deal I was looking for at an old time farm supply store. Heavy duty rat wire that will last 20 years i'm sure... So I am all set as i finished all the woodwork mostly. My chickens have been living in the coop for a few days now. I will go back and add the two outer wire cages as soon as I have some time. I will post up a picture of my crazy coop at this stage after the rain stops. It's been pretty crazy here as we had frost on the ground the other day. I am so glad I stuck to the rule of thumb around here. Never plant nothing till May 15th... |
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May 11, 2017 | #26 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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Here is a picture from a few days ago. This was my finial idea on how to build this stupid contraption. So I ran with it... lol
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May 11, 2017 | #27 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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Still need to install the cage on both ends, the nest box separator walls, roost bars, rubber roofing, awning, front door & some paint. So yea a ways to go still.
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May 11, 2017 | #28 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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It is a monitor barn for chickens.
Worth |
May 11, 2017 | #29 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Mechanicsville, VA zone 7a
Posts: 97
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Looking good Mr. S.. I think Joel Sallatin would be impressed with its mobility.
__________________
"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts." C.S. Lewis |
May 12, 2017 | #30 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: VA - Zone 7A
Posts: 344
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