Trying Out Grow Bags For The First Time

June 24, 2018 by Cathi Leave a Comment

Now is the time of year in Texas that we plant tomatoes that will produce for us through the fall. Here in Texas in the hottest part of the summer it is too hot for tomatoes to produce fruit. We plant Spring tomatoes around Easter time. (Or, if you’re like me..you plant them as soon as you think all frost is past…and you replant about three times because you are continually wrong.). The plants are usually looking pretty bedraggled by July but sometimes you keep getting a few tomatoes. It’s usually a good idea to pull them out and put something else in there. Hard to do though.

Anyway, back to Fall tomatoes. Planting seedlings now will allow the plants to get big enough to produce fruit when the weather around here starts getting a little cooler.

The problem is that all of my beds are full. My spring tomatoes are still producing so I don’t want to pull them yet. It’s been a constant issue throughout my gardening life. I always want / need more space to grow ALL OF THE THINGS.

My friend Laurel suggested that I try those felt grow bags. So, of course I got right on Amazon.com and ordered some. Here are the ones I ordered:Now is the time of year in Texas that we plant tomatoes that will produce for us through the fall. Here in Texas in the hottest part of the summer it is too hot for tomatoes to produce fruit. We plant Spring tomatoes around Easter time. (Or, if you’re like me..you plant them as soon as you think all frost is past…and you replant about three times because you are continually wrong.). The plants are usually looking pretty bedraggled by July but sometimes you keep getting a few tomatoes. It’s usually a good idea to pull them out and put something else in there. Hard to do though.

Anyway, back to Fall tomatoes. Planting seedlings now will allow the plants to get big enough to produce fruit when the weather around here starts getting a little cooler.

My friend Laurel suggested that I try those felt grow bags. So, of course I got right on Amazon.com and ordered some. Here are the ones I ordered: WINNER OUTFITTERS 6-Pack 10 Gallon Grow Bags/Aeration Fabric Pots With Handles

I went and bought soil and tomato plants yesterday and got them planted. Here’s how that went:

If you have big bags of soil to lift, it helps to have a strong son to do it for you.

Soil and Grow Bag — I found that a 1.5L bag of soil perfectly fit this 10 gallon grow bag.

Planting Tomatoes — Then I planted one tomato in each grow bag.

Watering tomato plants — Then I watered each plant in well.

Now there is a tomato in a grow bag at the end of each of my beds. Stay tuned and I’ll let you know how they do.

My Review of the Omlet Eglu Cube

June 22, 2018 by Cathi Leave a Comment

The Girls in The Pasture — My Fully Assembled and Occupied Omlet Eglu Cube

After dreaming of having chickens for close to 10 years, moving to a city that freely allows them, then battling with an HOA that doesn’t, I finally gained the use of a pasture near my house zoned agricultural and outside of any HOA. It was CHICKEN TIME.

Through the years I’ve looked and looked at different beautiful coops. I’d seen Omlet at Mother Earth News Fair a couple of times and had looked at the coops in person. So, when it came to decision time, I ordered my Omlet Eglu Cube since it was their largest capacity coop. (Speaking of which, I’d love to hear from others as to how many average sized chickens they house in this unit. I currently have four and would really like another couple of chickens, but I just don’t know if that would be too crowded.)

I counted down the days until the sea of boxes arrived on my front porch. I previewed the helpful video outlining how to assemble the coop. I could barely wait for Saturday to arrive so I could get it put together and go pick up my girls. Since the pasture where I have the chickens is not at my house, we loaded the boxes into my suv and my husband helped me unload them into a shady spot there. I unpacked all of the boxes and reviewed the directions. It does take a few hours to put together, but it wasn’t rocket science. There are times you’ll want to have a second person there. I was blessed to have my Bonus Mom and Brother there with me for most of it.

One mistake I made was that I completely assembled the coop section before even starting the run. So, that means that I had to take the coop apart in order to attach the coop to the run. In fact, there are a couple of the connections that never got made because I didn’t want to take the coop THAT FAR apart and the coop seems fine without those connections.

Ready to start assembling Omlet Eglu Cube — Ready to get started! (See my bees over there on the right?)

I’m not the best at putting things together, but I get through it okay. There are some things that I did imperfectly, but the coop seems solid and operates well. I remain amazed that the girls knew on the very first night that when it got dark that they were supposed to go up that ladder and go into the coop. It was like magic. They also only have laid eggs in the nest box. How do they know that that is how that works?

The Omlet Eglu Cube is easy to clean. The plastic isn’t porous, so it comes clean. I did take a brush like you would use for pots and pans up to the pasture because the water pressure I get there isn’t very high so that helps get all of the poop off more easily.

What else?

I have moved the coop by myself, but it is easier with help. I have the two meter run.

I’m thinking I may buy the Omlet Chicken Fencing to allow extra area for them to forage. They would be able to run into the run if any overhead preditors threatened. I think I would feel better about adding more chickens if they had a bigger run during the day.

All in all I’m very pleased. I think the coop will stand up well over time. The girls like it. They are well protected.

So there you go. Order an Omlet Eglu Cube. Gather the eggs. End of story.

By the finished coop. Boy were we hot and sweaty.

My Bonus Mom and Bro helped me assemble my Omlet Eglu Cube

Using Herbs for Backyard Chickens

June 19, 2018 by Cathi Leave a Comment

As an urban gardener, I grow quite a few herbs in my garden. One of the challenges is finding enough ways to use them. They’re so easy to grow that there is usually an abundant supply. For the past couple of years I have had what I refer to as “The Oregano Plant That Ate Texas” in one of my beds. It hasn’t died over the winter and it has just grown and grown and grown. I have harvested, dried and packaged SO. MUCH. OREGANO. I have given it as gifts to whoever would take some.

I also grow herbs that I don’t use on a routine basis like sage, parsley, marjoram and others. They’re great plants. They’re hearty, they’re beautiful, and when they flower the bees LOVE them.

So, imagine my delight when I remembered that herbs can be a part of keeping my little flock healthy as well! I don’t know what made me think of it, but I Googled it while out at the pasture last night.

So this morning before I went to let the girls out I went out to the garden and chopped off some treats for them.

Herbs for chicken health — Just a quick treat from the garden for the girls

When I got to the coop, I threw them in and expected the girls to go bonkers. They did not as you can see here:

Using herbs with backyard chickens. — “What did she throw in our coop now?”

Then I noticed that the information I had read said to chop up the herbs so that they could be more easily eaten. So, I did.

Chopped herbs in the chicken run. — “Get outta my way! TREATS!!”

THEN they went bonkers and started fighting each other for the herbs.

So, I think herbs are going to play a big role in my chicken keeping. I found this article about using herbs with urban chickens very helpful. I’ve compiled the information in a different format here by use rather than by herb.

I hope it is helpful to you.

Herbs For Use With Backyard Chickens

Feed: (Just chop up fresh herbs and give them to the girls either mixed in with their feed, or just put it on the ground and let them peck at it.)

Bee Balm: Antiseptic, antibacterial, respiratory health, antidiarrheal, digestive tract health
Cilantro: General health, bones
Comfrey: Digestion, anti-inflammatory, bone and artery growth, b12, high in protein
Dandelion: Antioxidants, calcium, orange yolk
Garlic: Immunity, wormer, laying stimulant, anti-fungal, circulatory system
Marjoram – Laying Stimulant, high in protein
Oregano: Antiparasitic, antifungal, antibiotic.
Basil: Antibacterial, mucous membrane health, insecticide, orange egg yolks, high protein
Parsley: Laying stimulant, blood vessel development, circulation, feather growth, high protein
Feed: Antioxidant, antiparasitic, general health, insecticide, calming
Spearmint: Antiseptic, insecticide, stimulates nerves, brain and blood functions, eases fatigue
Tarragon: General health, antioxidant
Thyme: Antibiotic, respiratory health, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiparasitic, insect repellent.

Water: (Make a tea, or in the case of garlic crush and add it to the water. Be sure to change out the water after a day or so to keep it fresh.)

Basil: Antibacterial, mucous membrane health, insecticide, orange egg yolks, high protein
Garlic: Immunity, wormer, laying stimulant, anti-fungal, circulatory system
Dandelion: Antioxidants, calcium, orange yolk
Oregano: Antiparasitic, antifungal, antibiotic.
Parsley: Laying stimulant, blood vessel development, circulation, feather growth, high protein

Nesting Boxes: (Put fresh or dried herbs along with the bedding in the nesting boxes.)
Lemongrass: Insecticide
Marjoram – Laying Stimulant, high in protein
Mint: Rodent and insect repellant, disease prevention, parasite control, feather growth.
Parsley: Laying stimulant, blood vessel development, circulation, feather growth, high protein

Dust Bath: (Dry these herbs and add them into the dust bath.)
Fennel: disease prevention, parasite control, high protein
Ginger: Disease prevention, parasite control, stress reducer, appetite stimulant, antioxident.
Lavender: Stress reliever, blood circulation, highly aromatic insecticide

Coop Floor: (Add dried or fresh to the coop floor with the bedding.)
Lavender: Stress reliever, blood circulation, highly aromatic insecticide
Mint: Rodent and insect repellant, disease prevention, parasite control, feather growth.
Oregano: Antiparasitic, antifungal, antibiotic.

Run: (Grow these plants right outside the run.)
Dill: Disease prevention, parasite control, respiratory health, high protein, insecticides.
Lemongrass: Insecticide
Mint: Rodent and insect repellant, disease prevention, parasite control, feather growth.
Rosemary: Pain relief, respiratory health, insecticide, calming
Basil: Antibacterial, mucous membrane health, insecticide, orange egg yolks, high protein

Have you used herbs with your chickens? I’d love to hear about it and get your tips.

You Don’t Have To Trick Something Into Doing What God Designed It To Do

June 18, 2018 by Cathi Leave a Comment

I am really enjoying sitting in the pasture and watching the chickens. It’s amazing just how relaxing it is. I bought a $17 plastic adirondack chair that I have sitting by the coop just so when I go I can easily sit for a moment. It’s a nice quiet break.

I was thinking while I was sitting there the other day about how great it was that I was already collecting eggs fairly regularly despite my lack of knowledge or experience with chickens. As I watched them scratching around being chickens it occurred to me that chickens do what chickens do. They scratch, they eat (constantly) and they lay eggs. They do what God created them to do. All you have to do is keep their area clean, feed them well, and get out of the way.

I think lots of things are that way. Take a zucchini seed for instance. If you put this small oblong object in the ground and keep it moist for a few days, a big plant emerges from the ground and you’re drowning in zucchini. Same thing with bees. If you just stand aside, they make honey. (Now, it may take a bit of skill to get them to do it in such a way that you can harvest it.)

People are like that too. People do what God designed them to do if you just get out of their way. Sure, give them the conditions they need to thrive. Keep their soil moist. Feed them well. Then just get out of the way.

On the other side of the coin, it’s very hard to make someone be what they aren’t. Like trying to grow tomatoes Alaska. We lived in Alaska for 10 years while I was growing up. For years my Dad tried to grow tomatoes. It just doesn’t get hot enough for tomatoes in Anchorage. Cabbage, on the other hand, thrives there. You can’t make something consistently perform in a manner inconsistent with how they are put together. Tomatoes need some heat. No matter how fertile you make the soil, it won’t make up for the cool temperatures.

People are made how they’re made. So are plants, and so are animals.

Do you agree? What conditions do you need to thrive? Do you remember a time you tried to force something or someone to perform in conditions they weren’t made for? How’d that go?

See you in the comments.

I HAVE CHICKENS!

June 10, 2018 by Cathi 2 Comments

So.

I HAVE CHICKENS!

I think it’s been ten years that I’ve wanted to have chickens of my own. I’ve read books, taken classes, read city ordinances, moved, challenged a homeowners association and lost and FINALLY I have four of the most beautiful chickens in the world.

To recap: After accepting that being allowed to have chickens inside of the HOA in which we live was never ever going to happen, I found someone with acreage nearby and simply asked them if I could put bees and chickens on her land and she agreed.

I decided to go with the Omlet Eglu Cube for my coop. Last weekend I got it put together with the help of my Bonus Mom and Bonus Brother. It sat empty all week while I waited for Saturday so I could drive to the farm store and buy four seven month old chickens. The gentleman I spoke to on the phone said that they had just started laying, so that is perfect.

I didn’t have to mess with brooding chicks or feeding them or taking care of them for seven months. The mature chickens are more expensive but that’s fine with me. I think it’s worth it.

Yesterday I got the hens to the coop, filled up the water and the feeder then I worked the beehive. I had also packed a bottle of wine and a chair. I texted my good friend to grab a chair and glass on her own and join me. We sat out in the pasture watching the chickens and drinking wine for five hours.

Earlier in the day I had tried to introduce the chickens to the coop so that they would know where to go when it got to be dusk. They weren’t having any of it. I started Googling to see if this was a common issue. Lots of people seemed to say that the chickens needed to be trained to go into the coop. I thought we would wait until the sun went down when the chickens were settling in to wherever they were going to settle in, then I would pick them up and put them in the coop. So, we waited.

As it started getting dusky, we started noticing one of the hens starting to look up to the coop. Then she went over to the ladder and stepped halfway up, then jumped down. A minute later she went up the ladder again, this time further. Finally on the third try she went all the way up and entered the coop. We were ecstatic! In another minute or so, another hen did the same thing. Then the third, then the fourth. We couldn’t believe it! They had done exactly what they were supposed to do!

So, We closed the door to the coop, we closed the door to the nest box, and we went home.

Now it is the afternoon of the next day. I let them out this morning. I opened the nesting box door. I came back a few hours later and still no eggs. I will go back again tonight to see if there are any. I’m sure moving (as well as any other stress) might put them off laying for a couple of days.

Anyway, now I’m knee deep in chickens and I love it.