Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[B&B Happy goats]

I have used them for several things but never told Teresa until recently since she believed she didn't like them. She had a favorite butter sauce from O'Charley's where she was a shift manager but she says she likes this one better.

My DH hates the thought of them, sure will surprise him after he eats it on his salmon !
He thought he hated spinach, broccoli, sushi and salmon...hahhh, loves them now...it's all about how you prepare it.
I am always in awe when looking at your grill skills

 

[Mike CHS]

The garden this year is the best we have ever had and we are using less area. The spring planted tomatoes are about done but the tomatoes I planted not long ago are doing well. The okra that I planted mid June is about 4' tall and I was starting to think I had used too much manure in that bed but it started putting on pods a couple days ago.

 

[Pastor Dave]

The garden I had tilled up the other day is roughly a 40'x25' area and could get expanded some. I plan to set out some asparagus starts in a row this year, and have a place to dump and spread manure. I decided I didn't want just a manure pile to deal with. Next year I plan on sweetcorn, tomatoes, green beans, green onions, and spinach. We have a raised bed closer to the house for some strawberries.

 

[farmerjan]

Since your manure is all rabbit manure, right?, then just start putting it where you are planning the rows for next year. It won't burn existing plants either. And I never have a manure pile from the chickens. It goes on the rows in between the plants, on the paperbag/cardboard that's laid down for walking and covered with more old hay for mulch. Loses the "heat/burning" while it eventually becomes dirt as the worms manage to come up through the rotting paper and take the "fertilizer" down into the soil. I use it on the areas that the cukes are going to spread to, or the watermelons/cantaloupes and then just cover it with some old hay/straw mulch. Leaves work good if you have a little old hay to spread overtop to keep the wind from picking them up. Tried a "compost pile" and it is too much work for a garden. Just find spots to put the manure, kitchen waste, etc and bury in the existing garden. Then in the fall, the whole garden can be a compost spot.

Chickens can make short work of all household waste except I do not do meat scraps for them. Use a deep litter in the coop through the winter and it will all get mixed in and then you have instant "walkway" on top of any discarded paper/cardboard and it won't burn the young plants. cover with enough hay to keep it from caking on your shoes after a rain and you can work in the garden anytime without getting all muddy like from "walkways that are constantly tilled to keep down weeds.

 

[Bruce]

My chickens get meat scraps and will pick bones clean. They love it. I figure bugs are meat so why would beef, etc be different?

 

[Mike CHS]

I don't do compost piles either and put all of the sheep manure put directly on the garden beds. All of my planting is fairly close spacing and none of my beds allow for rows (except for the okra but it's not a raised bed either). When I let them use the big stalls at the shop, I clean up every day and often wind up with two 20 gallon trash cans full each time.

 

[farmerjan]

Chickens are cannabalistic. Yes, they will eat meat. Have found over the years that they tend to get more cannabalistic when purposely feeding meat or scraps. One of the reasons so many that fight chickens feed canned dog food and such. Besides, the meat scraps etc are better fed to the barn cats and such. The chickens are eating a live form of protein, when they catch bugs etc. It is a different form of "meat" and protein, than that from a mammal. There is also some disease transmission situations, and I just don't feel that feeding meat scraps to chickens, or to hogs, is a wise route to go. Since you don't eat meat as a rule, I guess for you it is not a concern. But really, feeding meat" by products" is not allowed either just as is the rules of not allowing anything over 27 months, in cattle, to have the backbone allowed into meat products. I don't want to go buying organic chicken and finding out they are feeding meat scraps off the table to them.

 

[AmberLops]

Beautiful garden!

 

[Mike CHS]

Getting ready to head out and do some spraying but I wanted to throw in a silly picture. I was cooking some eggs and decided to make them into a happy face with some ham, cheese and tomatoes.

 

[AmberLops]

Yum!! Looks delicious