Cultivate Simple 66: Here Chook, Chook, Chook
This week on the podcast we talk about chickens, how to care for them and why you should have them.
I’ve had lots of requests to talk about keeping a small flock of chickens. Before we moved to Maine I’d been longing to have a flock of my own chickens. I love having animals around, and chickens seemed like a valuable addition to our life. Not only do you get eggs, but you also get manure, insect control and scratching.
I think everyone should have chickens or rabbits, they are a great way to increase your food independence and produce some of your own protein as well as valuable fertilizer for your garden. Whenever you can close the loop you’re better off and you’ll have great, healthy food for your table.
Considerations:
How much time to they take? Chickens really don’t take that much time each day, especially if you’re feeding chicken feed. I mix and ferment my own chicken feed and it takes me about 10 min per day preparing their feed and gathering eggs. Since I practice the deep litter method I only clean the coop once or twice a year, usually in spring and sometimes in the fall if I need fertilizer.
How much do they cost? That depends entirely on what kind of chickens you get and what you decide to feed them. Mine are very inexpensive to keep around because I buy grain from local farms and mix my own feed. Even if you’re buying organic feed you will still come out ahead if you’re buying organic, free range eggs. Keep in mind that you’re also getting fertilizer and insect control from your chickens.
What are their requirements? Chickens really need very little. A place out of the elements, with shade from the sun, protection from the wind and rain. They will also need protected from predation.
Most important thing is protection from predators. These depend on where you live. This also depends on your flock, how you want to manage them. Do you want to risk losses for free ranging?
Where do I start? Look for a spot in your yard where they can reside. Somewhere convenient to your house is best since you’ll be heading out every day. Decide if you want them to free range around your yard or be contained to a specific area. They will scratch in your flowerbeds and eat your plant, especially your garden plants.
Do they smell? No – a properly managed chicken yard doesn’t smell – I recommend the deep litter method. So far there have been no smells in my chicken coop. Just keep adding litter. The same thing can be done in their run.
What kind of coop do I need? It depends on how many chickens you’re going to have and how much time they will spend in their coop. Also consider the size of the run if you have it. Consider building the coop above with a run area below. This will keep it dry and give them an area to get out of the rain/weather. Chickens don’t care what their coop looks like, they’re happy as long as it’s dry and draft free. Biggest consideration is ventilation to keep the humidity down. I have a board on Pinterest full of coop ideas and other chicken information.
What breed of chicken do I get? Find a local breeder or find someone who has barnyard mix – the “mutt” of the chicken world. If you live in the South you want a heat tolerant breed and if you live in the North a cold tolerant breed is best. This is why it’s a good idea to get them from a local breeder/farmer. You know their chickens will do well in your area. Don’t trust chickens from Craigslist, most of the time they’re not the greatest and can be diseased. You want chickens from a reputable place.
What about diseases? A well managed flock won’t really have issues with diseases. The deep litter method also helps with this. As with anything, making sure you’re feeding them well so they’re healthy is your best way of controlling diseases.
What else should I consider? How you will manage your flock. Willl you make them your pets or are you going to take a hands off approach. Consider that you will have to deal with death and possible have to put down a chicken in case of injury or illness.
What do I feed them? you can go with chicken feed, but you’re probably better off mixing your own feed.
If you’re on the fence, do it. I really don’t think you’ll regret it, you’re more likely going to wish you had done it sooner.
Think about maybe sharing a flock with a friend or neighbor, split costs and work. Then you have someone to watch them while you’re gone. Though many people are more than happy to check in on your chickens in exchange for free eggs.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:43:51 — 72.0MB)
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Building Our Communities Through Food
We can feed our hunger for connection by eating seasonally and also by buying directly from small farmers at the farmer’s market. Forming relationships with the people who grow our food, and taking up opportunities to visit their farms, is a healing practice. It is important for the farmers as well. The majority of small farmers are not in it for the money – farming is no longer lucrative. They do it because they have a love of independence, because they love working with the land, and often because they believe in building a food system that is based on relationship. They get immense satisfaction when their customers take an interest in their farming practices and in how and why they grow their produce.
Jessica Prentice – Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection
As I was at the farmers market on Friday morning I was thinking about why buying local is so important to me. It’s about a lot of different things, including health, but most importantly, it’s about directly supporting small farmers and producers in my community.
The truth is that many things I buy at the market could be grown in my garden, now that I have more than enough space, but I want to invest in the local food web not just for myself, but for others who can’t grow their own. I want to get to know the person nurturing the chickens that produce the meat I purchase for our cats and dogs. I want to chat with the lady who makes the cheese. It’s very important to me to encourage those that have taken on the burden of growing good healthy food for those in their community even before they had customers to purchase them.
Personally, I believe we’re heading down a dangerous path with our food in this country. Far too many people are expecting the government to draft legislation for the changes they want to see happen with the food system. What it really takes to spur change is for people to put their money where their convictions. We’ve chosen to invest in our community and it’s good to know that there are others out there like us. I know that should anything ever happen the folks at the local farm will continue providing milk for those of us who purchase from them. We won’t have to worry about not having cash to pay for it. They in turn know that if they ever need our help, we’re willing to step up as well. This is what community is all about and I’m certainly happy that we embarked on this road a few years ago, it certainly has been rewarding!
Are there any changes you’ve made in your life over the past couple years that you’re starting to see the rewards from?
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So Long College Dorm Room
The room upstairs that we’re in the process of redoing was equipped with plastic mini blinds. Exactly like the ones that were in every single dorm room window at the college that Mr Chiots and I both attended. Needless to say, they didn’t stick around when we redid the room. They were replaces with nice wooden blinds from IKEA. These are great blinds, they look fantastic and are very inexpensive. They’re not the ones I would pick if I was buying them for life, but they’ll do for now. Eventually we’re going to redo the house and all the windows will be removed and replaced with larger windows.
They’re also nice because you can adjust the length so they look like custom blinds (which I hadn’t done in the photo below). These ended up being the perfect size for our windows. We originally purchased a set of these for our upstairs bedroom build when we lived in Ohio, we liked them so much I decided they would work perfectly here. Now I just have to replace 6 more in various rooms!
Of course I much prefer a more sheer floor length curtain instead of blinds, but the windows can use the extra insulation that these provide. Eventually I’ll make curtains for this room as well, but probably not until I find just the right fabric. These are also nice because they darken the room considerably when closed, no doubt guests will appreciate that when they’re visiting.
What kind of window coverings do you like best?
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Friday Favorite: Tiny Notebooks
I always have a tiny notebook and a pen in my purse. Mostly, I use it to jot down notes, lists of things I need and other important information.
In this little notebook I also keep pertinent information that I might need while out and about. This particular notebook is filled it information on local farms and sources for local food.
I’m not particular to brand of notebook, I’ve had a wide variety. This past time I needed new ones I got Field Notes“>Field Notes brand and I really love them. They’re the perfect size and not too thick. I’m also a HUGE fan of quadrille paper so that makes me really love these!
Are you in the habit of carrying a notebook with you all the time?
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Necessity is the Mother of Invention
I’ve been working on hand quilting a quilt that I made a few months ago. The original plan was to quilt it on my machine, but it’s not the best machine and I didn’t like the way the first row came out. Since I wanted this quilt to be a little more relaxed in feel, I thought hand quilting was the way to go.
The only problem was that I didn’t have a thimble. After finished a quarter of the quilt, my finger was very sore. Then I remember an old leather riding glove that Mr Chiots had picked up in a parking lot once. It was stashed in my sewing scrap box. Off to Google I went and found this pattern to make your own leather thimble.
After a few minutes of work my thimble was ready. I didn’t have to run to the store or spend any money and since I made it myself it fit perfectly.
After using it for only a few stitches I knew it was perfect, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever made. You can bet that I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for soft leather gloves to make thimbles for my sewing box.
I love it when I can avoid purchasing something by making it myself. It’s even better if I can use found object for my supplies. Whenever I can make do with something I feel like I’ve won the lottery!
Have you made something for yourself recently to avoid purchasing it?
