November 2015 Harvest

I just uploaded 3 videos to YouTube so you could see an update on the greenhouse, garden and chickens.  Here they are!

July Update!

Here is an update on our garden! We planted a much smaller one this year.  I took some photos and a couple of videos.  You can see my rain barrel chicken waterer and also my new Silver Duckwing bantam chickens!

 Green Beans

 Zucchini

Roma, Cherry and Brandywine tomatoes!

 Wildflowers.  Black Eyed Susans.

 Blueberry bush! I tasted a couple of berries, they're almost ripe!

 Pinwheel the rooster!  :)

 Baby Silver Duckwing Bantam chickens!

I am not sure if this is a butterfly or a moth but I thought it was really pretty.

Below is a video of my Rain Barrel Chicken Waterer!

Silver Duckwing Bantam Chickens!

Uses for Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar

I recently got some free samples from Bragg.  They also sent a packet of info on all of their products and books.  It was very interesting.

Since 1912 Paul C Bragg's company has been bringing the best in Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).  There are countless uses for this vinegar.  You must use Bragg's because it is RAW, unprocessed and contains "The Mother" (living bacteria and nutrients) in it.  Other vinegars are mediocre.  Here are just SOME of it's uses for the human body.

1.  Helps relieve asthmatics

2.  Helps to lower blood glucose levels

3.  Helps to relieve gout

4.  Good for weight loss (curbs appetite)  and breaking down body fat

5.  Helps relieve nausea, heartburn and chronic acid reflux

6. Prevents flu and stomach illnesses 

7. Helps break down kidney stones

The list goes on and on.  Visit the Bragg website for all of the information you need on it!  There is even a pet section which lists uses for ACV and your dog!

But there's one thing I use this for that isn't listed on the Bragg site.  I use this for the chickens!

Bragg's ACV can be used to clean the coop and can be added directly to their water for many health benefits.  Health benefits include increasing egg production, improve the digestive health of the chickens, and kills bacteria that cause respiratory infections in your flock.  To use ACV in this manner simply add 4 teaspoons of ACV per gallon of water.  IMPORTANT- DO NOT USE APPLE CIDER VINEGAR IN GALVANIZED METAL WATERERS.  This will poison your flock and the ACV will eat holes in the waterer.  USE IT WITH PLASTIC WATERERS ONLY.  

Other uses for ACV are to disinfect your chicken coop, eliminates mold, mildew and odors from your coop.  It can be used to clean feeders and waterers also.  One thing about chicken waterers is that they become very dirty and slimy VERY quickly.  I had read somewhere that using ACV in the plastic waterer would prevent the waterer from getting slimy at all.....I didn't believe this at all.  I was wrong!  It works so well, that everyday since using it, I have purchased Bragg's ACV to use in the waterer daily!  I couldn't be happier with it!  I'm desperately trying to find a way that makes this stuff drinkable for me....so far I haven't been able to choke it down...but I'm going to keep trying!   Go out and buy some Bragg's!  In fact Bragg has many other products, all of which I like.  They have liquid aminos, seasonings, drinks, dressings, olive oil, and a variety of health related books.  Thanks for reading!  I'm going outside in a bit to look for more signs of spring!  I may post photos today!

Signs of Spring and Chickens!

Good afternoon everyone!  It's around 40 degrees and sunny here in Central Ohio today!  I decided to take a walk around outside and look for signs of spring.  There are lots of springtime birds out there, picking out houses and some flower bulbs are beginning to peek out of the ground.  I mainly wanted to check to see if there was any lettuce, asparagus or strawberries coming up yet.  None yet!  But I'll bet in the next 2-3 weeks I will see lettuce sprouts and by then it'll be time to plant peas.  I'm looking forward to it!

After my little walk, I decided to pick more of the collard greens and kale plants for the chickens. They've got no grass left in their outside area.  I will be moving their pen when it gets warmer so they have a fresh patch of grass, but until then I will be giving them daily greens for treats.  I had planned to take some video of them today but didn't realize until I got outside that my battery was dead!  I took some photos instead.  Here they are!  Enjoy!  You'll notice the same beige chicken following me around!

 Treats!

 Curious as to what I am doing.

 Everyone loves collard greens and kale!

 I am being followed by this one.

These 2 have quite the personalities.  They will follow you around everywhere.  The red chicken has a folded over comb for some reason.  She's the only one like that.

First Egg!

Today is an exciting day!  When I went outside early this morning to let the chickens outside I was raking around the bedding on the inside of the coop and found the first egg! I have an idea which one laid the first egg but I don't know for sure.  Of course it wasn't in the nest boxes....I found it on the floor!  It had a few scratches (but not any cracks in the shell, just scratches from the sticks on the floor)  on it and is small like the first eggs are, but was completely clean!  I took some pictures!

This picture is the first egg next to a store bought white egg.  Just for size comparison....the first few eggs that chickens lay are small...but they'll get bigger after a few small ones I think.

Hooray!!  I was planning on writing a blog today about something else, I guess I'll save that one for another time!   Thanks for reading and check back soon!

Chickens See Snow

I just thought I'd show you what was happening this morning.....there are a few flurries this morning here in central Ohio and the chickens have never seen snow before.  I took a short video!  Check it out!

I just ordered a solar panel kit from Harbor Freight and at some point will write about that....but it might not be until spring.  Thanks for reading and watching!

Garden, Chicken House and Harbor Freight Greenhouse Tour!

After many failed attempts to upload this video I finally got it!  Check it out!

Hope you enjoy it!  I will try to do more videos like this!

Garden, Greenhouse, Chicken Update and Farm Recycling!

This post is going to have lots of updates, photos and info!  There are also going to be recycling ideas throughout this blog!

Greenhouse Update:  Today I dug up Boston and Simpson Lettuce starts that came up in the garden on their own.  I transplanted them into an old piece of eaves spout!  I also plan to dig up a few of the large kale plants and transplant them into pots in the greenhouse.  I want to see how long I can grow things into the winter.  Although this year will be mostly an experiment. Here are a couple of photos.

Some other items I've recycled for the greenhouse is a metal shelving unit, refrigerator drawer, and BBQ lid. Here they are!

You can also tell by the photo below that I save all of the packages you get when you buy flowers or vegetable plants!  Otherwise you have to buy these things....and you can get a few uses out of them!

Garden Update:  The gardens have all been covered in manure.  We are going to till up a spot for me to plant peas in early spring.  The only things I've got left at this point are some collard greens and a ton of kale!

Chicken House Update:  In the chicken house my dad and I made nest boxes for them out of buckets.  We extended their roosts which were made out of an old ladder we split up, and I took down the orange fencing on the outside of their run and put poultry wire up instead.  I became concerned that this winter snow build up could cause the fencing to collapse. I also put a ton of dried pine needles down inside their house....it smells nice and they dig around in it.  When springtime arrives I can shovel all of the leaves, wood chips, and pine needles out and it will be put on the garden.  My own homemade compost!

Nest boxes (recycled buckets)!  They should be laying eggs in a few weeks!

You can see the pine needles...and chickens wondering what I'm doing.

Expanded roosts. 

Outside run.

Another photo of the roosts.

A closer look at the poultry wire I added.