Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[farmerjan]

Nice to have choices with some explanations. I would go with the Erosion mix... 1st listed. First off rye grass is more a cooler weather crop but it comes up fast. It will be good to graze early. Grows fast and has alot of "water" in it. Here in Va we have a little trouble getting it dry for hay. Most dairy farmers will chop it for a "haylage". It is a great crop for getting the ground covered and growing. It is often grown here as a winter cover crop, Anything that gets too tall/old for optimal grazing will be good to add organic matter back into the soil. There are some farmers here that grow it, and then kill it off and no-till plant corn into it and it acts as a great "mulch" as the plants get established. It does not regrow from a root system, but any that goes to seed will grow from the seed. So it needs to be replanted. But as a nurse crop, it will be the basis for other types of grasses and clovers to get started and then it will die off if not grazed.

I do not like fescue. It is a great crop to extend the growing season, it is used to grow and "stockpile" for fall and winter grazing. There is an endophyte that causes toxicity in the plants. Common fescue is all endophyte infected. There is a brand that is not endophyte infected and it costs more and is not as hardy. It can cause animals to have some problems, the main thing is if forced to eat it during the summer when it is most prevalent, it can cause animals to have overheating, rough hair coats, sometimes digestive issues...sometimes attributed to causing abortions, but founder is one of the well known side effects. Cattle will stand in ponds to try to "cool off". If there is other forage, the animals will not eat it in the summer. After a fall frost, the starches turn to sugars, the toxicity is "nullified" and it is very good protein and makes a good late season forage/grazing crop. It makes a lot of forage and can be grown for hay and is very prolific.
Once you get fescue in the field/area, it is very hard to get rid of. Fast growth will overshadow other grasses.
It was used for stabilizing roadsides and stream banks here in the east and has literally taken over fields. But it does cover good and keeps on growing....

I would not use anything that requires irrigation. Yes I know you want to water your grasses/pastures to keep them growing, but you will be setting yourself up for heartache if something happens and you cannot irrigate/water on a schedule. Most any plant that is for irrigated fields is for growing as a hay producing crop.
A plant that is somewhat drought tolerant will grow better in most any situation that has sufficient water/rain; unless it is subjected to severe excessive rain/water/flooding. Yet will survive with drought and then come back when a little moisture falls. Drought tolerant means exactly that... it will tolerate and come back.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Nice to have choices with some explanations. I would go with the Erosion mix... 1st listed. First off rye grass is more a cooler weather crop but it comes up fast. It will be good to graze early. Grows fast and has alot of "water" in it. Here in Va we have a little trouble getting it dry for hay. Most dairy farmers will chop it for a "haylage". It is a great crop for getting the ground covered and growing. It is often grown here as a winter cover crop, Anything that gets too tall/old for optimal grazing will be good to add organic matter back into the soil. There are some farmers here that grow it, and then kill it off and no-till plant corn into it and it acts as a great "mulch" as the plants get established. It does not regrow from a root system, but any that goes to seed will grow from the seed. So it needs to be replanted. But as a nurse crop, it will be the basis for other types of grasses and clovers to get started and then it will die off if not grazed.

I do not like fescue. It is a great crop to extend the growing season, it is used to grow and "stockpile" for fall and winter grazing. There is an endophyte that causes toxicity in the plants. Common fescue is all endophyte infected. There is a brand that is not endophyte infected and it costs more and is not as hardy. It can cause animals to have some problems, the main thing is if forced to eat it during the summer when it is most prevalent, it can cause animals to have overheating, rough hair coats, sometimes digestive issues...sometimes attributed to causing abortions, but founder is one of the well known side effects. Cattle will stand in ponds to try to "cool off". If there is other forage, the animals will not eat it in the summer. After a fall frost, the starches turn to sugars, the toxicity is "nullified" and it is very good protein and makes a good late season forage/grazing crop. It makes a lot of forage and can be grown for hay and is very prolific.
Once you get fescue in the field/area, it is very hard to get rid of. Fast growth will overshadow other grasses.
It was used for stabilizing roadsides and stream banks here in the east and has literally taken over fields. But it does cover good and keeps on growing....

I would not use anything that requires irrigation. Yes I know you want to water your grasses/pastures to keep them growing, but you will be setting yourself up for heartache if something happens and you cannot irrigate/water on a schedule. Most any plant that is for irrigated fields is for growing as a hay producing crop.
A plant that is somewhat drought tolerant will grow better in most any situation that has sufficient water/rain; unless it is subjected to severe excessive rain/water/flooding. Yet will survive with drought and then come back when a little moisture falls. Drought tolerant means exactly that... it will tolerate and come back.

That's why I was thinking the drought tolerant mix, so we can irrigate if we have the water, but likely only once a week or so.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Chickens are supposed to be moved this weekend, just need to finish the pen skirt, add a cover, and set up food/water. Mom has started saving eggs for me to incubate as incentive to move the chickens. Once they are moved over I can start the incubator.

I will probably do two incubators with two hatch dates; my parents flock eggs first and the Easter egger and leghorn project eggs second. Plus somehow add in quail eggs too. I might have a potential repeat customer who wants quail for snake food.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

My parents flock has added a random rooster. Mom thought it could have been one of the youngsters that I missed, but the age is wrong and I specifically took all the roosters except my Easter egger and the original flock leader who has since died.

Second theory is it is a neighbor rooster who decided to relocate himself as the neighbors just let their birds wander. Not sure if we should try to confirm ownership and return him, or just roll with it. We might have to walk down and ask.

I was planning on changing up their flock this year as part of my Easter egger project, and get them younger hens who don't freeload as much. Less free loaders or low producers means we can have fewer birds there overall.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Caught the chickens without incident tonight and put them in the pen. Still need to get them a proper roost, cover part of the pen, and give them nest boxes. 1 rooster, 4 white leghorns, and 1 blue something. I think wyandotte? I don't remember what she is.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Chickens gor a nest box and a temporary roost, will need to upgrade to a better permanent one. Three eggs were laid but only two gathered, we have one or more egg eaters.

I'm glad I put these in the aviary, not a regular pen. The rooster tried several times to fly out.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Aviary progress pictures. Digging out for the skirt.

Skirt buried and rocks added.

Chickens added.

Eggs!

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I discovered poison oak growing when I grabbed rocks from the rock pile.

 

[Bruce]

I hope you were wearing gloves! Even if you aren't sensitive to it some of the sap could get from your hands to the baby.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I was wearing gloves but I saw it before I touched it thankfully. We just have to figure out how to get rid of it without touching it. Can't burn it, not sure if it can be composted without contaminating the compost. Might dig it up, douse with vinegar to dry it out and kill it, leave for a few weeks and then bury it? Could feed it to a goat instead but the goats can still transmit the oil if they rub against it.