~KATHLEEN AND NICK
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Merry Christmas Wishes from My Family to Yours!
~Kathleen, Nick and everyone here at Henny Penny Farm wish you all love, health, happiness, and fulfillment during this Christmas Season and throughout the coming year.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
High Point Cultivator with Wooden Handles from Lehman's; review and DIY help
Earlier this year I purchased this cultivator in the hope of reducing the back strain created from all that bending and stretching that goes along with cultivating the garden. Since I am not as agile as I once was, any help is always welcomed.
(the tool bracket in the photo is a little different than mine)
Let me begin by saying the product is good quality. Strong enough to do the job and last years, yet light enough so it won't make moving it around a total body workout. The bare wooden handles are very nice. I stained mine with a stain/sealer product.
The only problem is in the assembly directions. They are skimpy and not well detailed. Putting this together was like doing a jig-saw puzzle with the photo of the finished puzzle.
I hope these photos will be helpful for anyone who decides to get one of these garden tools. This link will take you to Lehman's High Point Cultivator (I receive nothing in return for providing this).
It took a several attempts putting these parts together, and finding out they were in the wrong way.
In order to line up the holes to attach the wheel support to bracket which holds the plow, cultivator or furrow tool, the two brackets must be disconnected from the wooden handles.
This I learned the hard way after struggling for a half hour to do it with the brackets already attached to the handles.
When it was finally ready to use it worked very well indeed and did reduce my work time and physical stress level. It also stood up to the weather well since I left it near the garden fence all season through rain, wind and hot sun. It was still looking new when I put it away for the winter.
This would make a great gift for the gardener in your home, just assemble it first.
Merry Christmas
 | |
| High Point Cultivator |
Let me begin by saying the product is good quality. Strong enough to do the job and last years, yet light enough so it won't make moving it around a total body workout. The bare wooden handles are very nice. I stained mine with a stain/sealer product.
The only problem is in the assembly directions. They are skimpy and not well detailed. Putting this together was like doing a jig-saw puzzle with the photo of the finished puzzle.
I hope these photos will be helpful for anyone who decides to get one of these garden tools. This link will take you to Lehman's High Point Cultivator (I receive nothing in return for providing this).
 |
| Cultivator comes in two pieces |
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| cultivator assembled |
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| cultivator top view |
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| cultivator side view |
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| cultivator with bolt for attaching to the tool bracket |
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| Assembled cultivator, tines are curved downward |
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| Brace for handles |
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| Tool Brackets (they should be mounted so they curve downward in the same angle as the handles) |
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| Handles, tool brackets (left) brace (right) |
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| Cultivator assembled |
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| Wheel connection/axle to wheel brackets |
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| Tool brackets (left/bottom) Wheel brackets (top/right) |
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| Bolt and nut which connect wheel brackets to the tool brackets. |
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This I learned the hard way after struggling for a half hour to do it with the brackets already attached to the handles.
When it was finally ready to use it worked very well indeed and did reduce my work time and physical stress level. It also stood up to the weather well since I left it near the garden fence all season through rain, wind and hot sun. It was still looking new when I put it away for the winter.
This would make a great gift for the gardener in your home, just assemble it first.
Merry Christmas
Friday, November 6, 2015
Backyard Farm: Harvest for 2015 : 450+ pounds
Okay, I am a bit late with this post.... but better late than never.
END OF SEASON UPDATE: 135 pounds of tomatoes; 147 pounds winter squash; 120 pounds
zucchini and yellow summer squash; bushel of green beans, bushel of cucumbers, peck of bell peppers, 30 pounds cabbage, plus lots of parsley, chives, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme and dill.
24 meat chickens; 6 meat ducks; 1 turkey and several hundred eggs.
**** **** ****
The first harvest: cabbages, tomatoes and peppers.... yum!
This is the first year that I don't need to water the garden every day. In fact, due to all the rain this season, I have watered it only twice, and only for a short period.
When it comes to watering the garden look for the signs that it needs water, don't just assume that because the topsoil looks or feels dry and it hasn't rained it in days (or longer) that the plants are in thirsty.
Over-watering is just as bad for the plants as not getting adequate water.
Check the soil at root level. If it is dry, they need a drink. If it is moist, leave the hose turned off.
Another thing I have noticed with the winter squash is when those huge leaves begin to droop and resemble half closed umbrellas they need a little drink. I set the hose a few inches above ground level, set the spray to a wide, medium flow and secure it so it will spray across to all (or most) of the plants and the ground. It usually takes about 1/2-1 hour until the leaves perk up again.
Since the plants are supporting large, growing squash I do not want them to get stressed, so I water them just until they respond.
This method seems to be working well. There has been no sign of white mildew, or other damage caused by over-watering.
During the early weeks I was hoeing out weeds every morning. Not a fun job by any stretch of the imagination. Then I needed to figure out what to do with all the hay the goats weren't eating, and I didn't want it to go waste.
By using the hay from the goat pen as mulch between the plant rows, there has been a lot less weeding to do and the ground has been remaining moist and so it requires less watering.
When the gardening season is at an end the hay will be turned into the ground, along with the hay from their stall, and will compost directly in the garden over the winter months.
Since I do not use any chemicals or pesticides in my garden it is a daily chore to keep up with the
munching critters that insist on devouring everything in sight. The first of these insects appeared in my cabbage patch. Since I planted only six plants there wasn't enough to share with the bugs. That miserable little cabbage moth just wouldn't go away.
I tried a concoction of soapy water and vinegar which I sprayed on all the leaves of the cabbages. It actually worked, until it rained.
Then I read somewhere that baking soda sprinkled on the plants will keep all the pests away. That also worked well! .....until it rained. So I kept up with either sprinkling or spraying whenever the solutions got washed away and until the cabbages were large and formed well enough to let them fend for themselves.
In the end I harvested 6 cabbages with a total weight of 22.5 pounds and barely a hole in sight.By the way, I also sprayed and sprinkled the Brussel Sprouts too.
The only other insect issue has been Japanese Beetles. This annoying little bugs can eat leaves in no time. The sparrows have found a happy feeding ground in my garden. They can be seen each morning by the dozens sitting on the tomato fencing and feeding on the beetles.
Whatever beetles the birds don't get we try and collect by hand and then feed them to the chickens.
Everything else in the garden managed well on their own with no assistance from me.
The zucchini and summer squash have finally stopped producing! I stand in awe at the amount they produced this year... a whopping 108 pounds from 8 plants. At this moment there are still on vines one giant zucchini and giant yellow squash which I am letting grow as long as possible and then I will save the seeds and remove all the withered plants.
Some of this squash I shared with whomever would accept it. The remainder we ate, or dehydrated, or shredded and froze to use in zucchini bread and muffins this winter. It's amazing how much easier it is to store these veggies once they have been dehydrated. 20 pounds will shrink down to fill a quart sized canning jar.
If you haven't tried dehydrating your surplus vegetables I recommend you give it a try. It is very easy, and there isn't much work or prep time involved in comparison to canning.
Don't have a dehydrator, that's okay, use the oven set on a low 135 degrees for veggies and fruit. To prepare the zucchini and summer squash it isn't necessary to blanch them after they have been sliced to about 3/8" thickness. Last year I didn't blanch. This year I blanched for 6-7 minutes and found that they reconstitute to their original size quicker. They are ideal for slow cooker meals since the extended cooking time allows them to fully reconstitute.
The four raised beds were filled with homemade compost at the start of the season. Then weekly throughout most of the growing time the entire garden was given a heavy dosing of chicken poo tea.
When I planted the cabbages in the first raised bed I mulched them using the wood chips from the ducks pen. First I put all the wood chips and duck poo into a 30 gallon tote and filled it with water.
After a few days the chips were saturated and the poo was mostly dissolved in the water.
Next I spread a thick layer of those chips around the transplants, about 6-8 inches deep, then gave it all a good dose of the poo tea. I did the same treatment to the Brussel Sprouts and Muskmelons.
Not a weed in sight all season!
This was the first time growing these three vegetables. The Brussel Sprouts seem to be doing well, there are tons of little sprouts growing and developing. And the muskmelons have issued several of their fruit (one per plant).
The most amazing development in the garden is the winter squash patch where I planted 4 Blue Hubbard from seeds I save from last year; there are 5+ Blue Hubbards growing and are each about the size of a basketball. The Butternut squash which I have never had success with currently has about a dozen nice squash of varying weights, the largest is at least 5 pounds and still growing.
Another test is the Acorn squash. Since they are small and the plants are large it is difficult to find them and get an accurate count, but there are more than 5 at this time.
To plant these squash I dug up and loosened the soil of the entire area where the seedlings would go.
Then I added lots of wood chip compost mixed with aged chicken poo. After transplanting, all the plants got a good dose of chicken poo tea. At first I fed them weekly for two months, then every other week. Now I just make certain to water the plants when I see their leaves beginning to droop.
And by the way, no weeds here either! I mulched thickly with wood chips soaked in the chicken poo tea.
 |
| just a few of the winter squash harvested in 2015 |
zucchini and yellow summer squash; bushel of green beans, bushel of cucumbers, peck of bell peppers, 30 pounds cabbage, plus lots of parsley, chives, rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme and dill.
24 meat chickens; 6 meat ducks; 1 turkey and several hundred eggs.
**** **** ****
The first harvest: cabbages, tomatoes and peppers.... yum!
This is the first year that I don't need to water the garden every day. In fact, due to all the rain this season, I have watered it only twice, and only for a short period.
When it comes to watering the garden look for the signs that it needs water, don't just assume that because the topsoil looks or feels dry and it hasn't rained it in days (or longer) that the plants are in thirsty.
Over-watering is just as bad for the plants as not getting adequate water.
Check the soil at root level. If it is dry, they need a drink. If it is moist, leave the hose turned off.
Another thing I have noticed with the winter squash is when those huge leaves begin to droop and resemble half closed umbrellas they need a little drink. I set the hose a few inches above ground level, set the spray to a wide, medium flow and secure it so it will spray across to all (or most) of the plants and the ground. It usually takes about 1/2-1 hour until the leaves perk up again.
Since the plants are supporting large, growing squash I do not want them to get stressed, so I water them just until they respond.
This method seems to be working well. There has been no sign of white mildew, or other damage caused by over-watering.
 | ||||||||
| mulching with hay from the goat pen |
By using the hay from the goat pen as mulch between the plant rows, there has been a lot less weeding to do and the ground has been remaining moist and so it requires less watering.
When the gardening season is at an end the hay will be turned into the ground, along with the hay from their stall, and will compost directly in the garden over the winter months.
Since I do not use any chemicals or pesticides in my garden it is a daily chore to keep up with the
I tried a concoction of soapy water and vinegar which I sprayed on all the leaves of the cabbages. It actually worked, until it rained.
Then I read somewhere that baking soda sprinkled on the plants will keep all the pests away. That also worked well! .....until it rained. So I kept up with either sprinkling or spraying whenever the solutions got washed away and until the cabbages were large and formed well enough to let them fend for themselves.
In the end I harvested 6 cabbages with a total weight of 22.5 pounds and barely a hole in sight.By the way, I also sprayed and sprinkled the Brussel Sprouts too.
The only other insect issue has been Japanese Beetles. This annoying little bugs can eat leaves in no time. The sparrows have found a happy feeding ground in my garden. They can be seen each morning by the dozens sitting on the tomato fencing and feeding on the beetles.
Whatever beetles the birds don't get we try and collect by hand and then feed them to the chickens.
Everything else in the garden managed well on their own with no assistance from me.
The zucchini and summer squash have finally stopped producing! I stand in awe at the amount they produced this year... a whopping 108 pounds from 8 plants. At this moment there are still on vines one giant zucchini and giant yellow squash which I am letting grow as long as possible and then I will save the seeds and remove all the withered plants.
Some of this squash I shared with whomever would accept it. The remainder we ate, or dehydrated, or shredded and froze to use in zucchini bread and muffins this winter. It's amazing how much easier it is to store these veggies once they have been dehydrated. 20 pounds will shrink down to fill a quart sized canning jar.
If you haven't tried dehydrating your surplus vegetables I recommend you give it a try. It is very easy, and there isn't much work or prep time involved in comparison to canning.
Don't have a dehydrator, that's okay, use the oven set on a low 135 degrees for veggies and fruit. To prepare the zucchini and summer squash it isn't necessary to blanch them after they have been sliced to about 3/8" thickness. Last year I didn't blanch. This year I blanched for 6-7 minutes and found that they reconstitute to their original size quicker. They are ideal for slow cooker meals since the extended cooking time allows them to fully reconstitute.
The four raised beds were filled with homemade compost at the start of the season. Then weekly throughout most of the growing time the entire garden was given a heavy dosing of chicken poo tea.
When I planted the cabbages in the first raised bed I mulched them using the wood chips from the ducks pen. First I put all the wood chips and duck poo into a 30 gallon tote and filled it with water.
After a few days the chips were saturated and the poo was mostly dissolved in the water.
Next I spread a thick layer of those chips around the transplants, about 6-8 inches deep, then gave it all a good dose of the poo tea. I did the same treatment to the Brussel Sprouts and Muskmelons.
Not a weed in sight all season!
This was the first time growing these three vegetables. The Brussel Sprouts seem to be doing well, there are tons of little sprouts growing and developing. And the muskmelons have issued several of their fruit (one per plant).
The most amazing development in the garden is the winter squash patch where I planted 4 Blue Hubbard from seeds I save from last year; there are 5+ Blue Hubbards growing and are each about the size of a basketball. The Butternut squash which I have never had success with currently has about a dozen nice squash of varying weights, the largest is at least 5 pounds and still growing.
Another test is the Acorn squash. Since they are small and the plants are large it is difficult to find them and get an accurate count, but there are more than 5 at this time.
To plant these squash I dug up and loosened the soil of the entire area where the seedlings would go.
Then I added lots of wood chip compost mixed with aged chicken poo. After transplanting, all the plants got a good dose of chicken poo tea. At first I fed them weekly for two months, then every other week. Now I just make certain to water the plants when I see their leaves beginning to droop.
And by the way, no weeds here either! I mulched thickly with wood chips soaked in the chicken poo tea.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Backyard Farm: Raising Chickens,Turkeys or Ducks for Meat
Once you have realized how much you save by growing your own food, you may start thinking about growing more than vegetables for dinner.
Let's talk meat. We are in no way experts at raising meat birds, but it is actually pretty easy, especially if you have enough yard for foraging. This is our second year raising our own meat birds.
We started raising chickens and turkeys for meat last year and it has been great to see a freezer full of roasting chickens that taste the I remember chicken used to taste..... like chicken and at a fraction of the cost of what we find in the markets.
Meat chickens are eating and drinking machines! They spend every minute of the day eating everything in sight, and drinking lots of water. The more forage they consume the more flavorful their meat becomes. So, unless you enjoy the "taste" of store bought chicken, limit the amount of feed you provide and encourage them to find their own food.
The turkeys we raised for the holidays were amazing! Lots of tender, juicy meat without that bland taste we had gotten used to over the years. Those birds were full of wonderful turkey flavor.
This year we have added Peking Duck to the list of freezer meats. These ducks grow to as much as
13 pounds each, and we have six of them.
The first rule of raising meat birds (or any meat animal) is DO NOT get overly attached to them.
Enjoy them, treat them well, and they will have led a good, albeit short, life, and it will be better for you when it is butchering time.
(We chose one female Peking and one male Swiss to keep as pets and for eggs)
Last year Nick became emotionally attached to the turkeys, aptly named Thanksgiving and
Christmas. They had become pets and would follow him around. When the holiday season rolled around and it was time to say good-bye it was so difficult for him it took days of trying, and not doing, the "deed".
This year, he has not permitted himself that degree of attachment to our turkey. (We have only one turkey this year since it's mate died a day or two after hatching).
Find a good source for buying your stock. Meat chickens are usually Cornish or Cornish Rocks, they are basically the same bird. Day old chicks sell for around $1 each if bought at a farm. Turkeys cost a bit more, around $4 each and ducks around $4.50. Allowing the birds to forage will keep your expenses down and greatly improve their flavor. We do provide feed for our birds, but only as a supplement. In the end our final cost for per chicken has been about $3 and about $7.50 for each turkey (we had two). The chickens averaged a weight of 3-4 pounds while the turkeys dressed weights were over 25 pounds!
Housing for your meat flock is also minimal. We have a grassy area that has been fenced and we built a chicken tractor from pvc and plastic mesh. Covered half of it with heavy plastic for shelter, and used tie-wraps to keep it altogether. Since we wait until the outside night-time temperatures have warmed up, we don't need any additional heat source for the chicks.
The chickens are ready for processing at 10-12 weeks for broilers, 3-4 pounds dressed. Longer if you prefer a larger bird to roast, about 4-5 pounds dressed.
This year we let them grow larger, as long as they weren't experiencing any problems supporting their weight on the their young bones. We filled the freezer with birds of an average weight of 5+ pounds. When I ran out of freezer space I boned two of the chickens and processed the meat in the pressure canner, and only froze the wings and drumsticks. I made chicken stock using the remaining carcasses.
Butchering your fowl is not for the squeamish, which I am. Luckily my husband isn't. Admittedly it did take him a few false starts before he did the deed for the first time. But by the time he'd processed 3 chickens, he was a pro.
There are several methods used to dispatch a chicken, and plenty of How-To videos on You-Tube.
We try to be as humane as possible.
One of the most important steps is to do the deed out of the sight of the remaining animals and any neighbors. Next spend a few minutes with the victim. Nick tucks it under his arm and walks around a bit, gently petting the bird and keeping it relaxed.
Then he covers the birds eyes and quickly cuts off its head before it has a chance to realize anything is different happening. Next he promptly suspends the bird from a prepared hanging spot where he lets it bleed out.
Oh sure, some of you are no doubt thinking this is a lot of wasted time and effort, after all, it's only a chicken. You may be right. But since we raise only a few birds at a time, no more than 20, we have the time to spare for their last moments.
Can't say it was as uncomplicated however, when it came time to process the turkeys. He had become quite attached to them. They were not afraid of him, and it did take a few days of saying good-bye before he could finally complete the job.
This year he vowed not to become as emotionally attached to the meat animals.
There are many "How To" videos on You-Tube which will walk you through the step by step process of dressing your meat birds from start to finish. I strongly recommend you watch as many videos as you can find, then give the subject lots of thought before you commence.
Don't forget to consider the amount of available storage space you have. If you have a small freezer and barely space for a quart of ice cream, what are you going to do with your fresh chicken meat?
We freeze most of the birds, but I always like to have several pounds of meat stored in jars. A one pint jar holds approximately 1 pound of meat, which is perfect for using in a pot pie or pot of soup, or a pot of chicken and dumplings.
Let's talk meat. We are in no way experts at raising meat birds, but it is actually pretty easy, especially if you have enough yard for foraging. This is our second year raising our own meat birds.
Meat chickens are eating and drinking machines! They spend every minute of the day eating everything in sight, and drinking lots of water. The more forage they consume the more flavorful their meat becomes. So, unless you enjoy the "taste" of store bought chicken, limit the amount of feed you provide and encourage them to find their own food.
The turkeys we raised for the holidays were amazing! Lots of tender, juicy meat without that bland taste we had gotten used to over the years. Those birds were full of wonderful turkey flavor.
This year we have added Peking Duck to the list of freezer meats. These ducks grow to as much as 13 pounds each, and we have six of them.
The first rule of raising meat birds (or any meat animal) is DO NOT get overly attached to them.
Enjoy them, treat them well, and they will have led a good, albeit short, life, and it will be better for you when it is butchering time.
(We chose one female Peking and one male Swiss to keep as pets and for eggs)
Last year Nick became emotionally attached to the turkeys, aptly named Thanksgiving and Christmas. They had become pets and would follow him around. When the holiday season rolled around and it was time to say good-bye it was so difficult for him it took days of trying, and not doing, the "deed".
This year, he has not permitted himself that degree of attachment to our turkey. (We have only one turkey this year since it's mate died a day or two after hatching).
Find a good source for buying your stock. Meat chickens are usually Cornish or Cornish Rocks, they are basically the same bird. Day old chicks sell for around $1 each if bought at a farm. Turkeys cost a bit more, around $4 each and ducks around $4.50. Allowing the birds to forage will keep your expenses down and greatly improve their flavor. We do provide feed for our birds, but only as a supplement. In the end our final cost for per chicken has been about $3 and about $7.50 for each turkey (we had two). The chickens averaged a weight of 3-4 pounds while the turkeys dressed weights were over 25 pounds!
Housing for your meat flock is also minimal. We have a grassy area that has been fenced and we built a chicken tractor from pvc and plastic mesh. Covered half of it with heavy plastic for shelter, and used tie-wraps to keep it altogether. Since we wait until the outside night-time temperatures have warmed up, we don't need any additional heat source for the chicks.The chickens are ready for processing at 10-12 weeks for broilers, 3-4 pounds dressed. Longer if you prefer a larger bird to roast, about 4-5 pounds dressed.
This year we let them grow larger, as long as they weren't experiencing any problems supporting their weight on the their young bones. We filled the freezer with birds of an average weight of 5+ pounds. When I ran out of freezer space I boned two of the chickens and processed the meat in the pressure canner, and only froze the wings and drumsticks. I made chicken stock using the remaining carcasses.
Butchering your fowl is not for the squeamish, which I am. Luckily my husband isn't. Admittedly it did take him a few false starts before he did the deed for the first time. But by the time he'd processed 3 chickens, he was a pro.
There are several methods used to dispatch a chicken, and plenty of How-To videos on You-Tube.
We try to be as humane as possible.
One of the most important steps is to do the deed out of the sight of the remaining animals and any neighbors. Next spend a few minutes with the victim. Nick tucks it under his arm and walks around a bit, gently petting the bird and keeping it relaxed.
Then he covers the birds eyes and quickly cuts off its head before it has a chance to realize anything is different happening. Next he promptly suspends the bird from a prepared hanging spot where he lets it bleed out.
Oh sure, some of you are no doubt thinking this is a lot of wasted time and effort, after all, it's only a chicken. You may be right. But since we raise only a few birds at a time, no more than 20, we have the time to spare for their last moments.
Can't say it was as uncomplicated however, when it came time to process the turkeys. He had become quite attached to them. They were not afraid of him, and it did take a few days of saying good-bye before he could finally complete the job.
This year he vowed not to become as emotionally attached to the meat animals.
There are many "How To" videos on You-Tube which will walk you through the step by step process of dressing your meat birds from start to finish. I strongly recommend you watch as many videos as you can find, then give the subject lots of thought before you commence.
Don't forget to consider the amount of available storage space you have. If you have a small freezer and barely space for a quart of ice cream, what are you going to do with your fresh chicken meat?
We freeze most of the birds, but I always like to have several pounds of meat stored in jars. A one pint jar holds approximately 1 pound of meat, which is perfect for using in a pot pie or pot of soup, or a pot of chicken and dumplings.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Garden Update
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| The garden after less than 2 months! |
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| The garden 2 months ago. |
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| tomato rows in May |
The pepper plants may not be tall, but they are loaded with peppers!
I started harvesting zucchini and summer squash last week and so far have gotten 34.5 pounds; and there is much more that will be ready today, tomorrow, .....
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| tomato rows today |
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| tomatoes vining back and forth through fencing. |
The lettuce is long gone. The dill and Italian parsley have been doing great, the rosemary (the little plants at the left of this photo > have been transplanted to the herb bed and have tripled in size! Also the garden sage plant just above the rosemary in the photo.
The second raised bed is full of zucchini and summer squash, about a dozen plants, and they are all thriving. The second "hooped" bed holds brussel sprouts and musk melon.
Photo on left is the tomato and pepper patch.
There are four tomato rows planted along cattle panels for support. The green frame at the right front corner supports cucumbers, and those few green plants to the right of the shovel are green peppers.
Among all these are vagabond squash, pumpkin or watermelon plants which grew from the compost.
Photo to the right is the same view as above.
The 4 tomato rows, peppers, cucumbers and vagabond squash, etc.
The tomato plants are heavy with fruit and now I am just waiting on them to ripen.
The tomatoes weaving themselves in and out through the fencing.
This is the best tomato support I have ever used! The plants are well supported and it is easy to trim the plants and see the fruit.
The snap green beans are off to a slow start and I have had to restart have the seed (the wild rabbit ate half the seedlings).
I have sliced, blanched and frozen 11 pounds of zucchini and summer squash so far. Today I will prepare another 10 pounds for dehydration, shred a couple of the very big zucchini for the freezer to use later in zucchini bread and other recipes. We have also shared a few with the neighbors. It's the least I can do since everyone has been very good about our new rooster's crowing.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Backyard Farm: Photos of the "Farm"
The lower portions of the picket fencing and the goats pen are "lined" with chicken wire in order to keep chickens and wild critters out of the garden; and to keep chickens from wandering out of the goat pen.
There is a chicken wire "tunnel" which connects the chicken run with the goat pen and allows chickens to have full access to the goat pen as well as their own large run.
The run is about 25' long x 8' deep and is beneath the trees and along the fenced property line.
The property behind is an early elementary school, grades K-5. The children often bring their parents to visit the animals after school.
The teachers have also taken their young students to visit our turkeys at Thanksgiving.
Another view during the installation; the yellow chicken house has two runs and the coop is divided inside by a chicken wire wall and door.
This is to keep young birds separate from the mature hens and their pecking order.
An old frame made from piping and wire, to form a mesh, is providing support for the cucumbers.
A view from "the street" looking in to the yard along the fence-line.
The goat pen was constructed from pressure treated 4x4's and 2x6's and 50" inch x 16 foot galvanized cattle panels. The entire goat yard
measures about 30' x 20' with an ell about 8' x 12'.
We left the height of the 4x4's uncut in case we need to add additional height to the fence as the goats get bigger.
These goats are 4 months of age in this photo and are about half their adult size.
Inside the goat pen there is ample space for running and playing. A teeter-totter, cable spool and child's slide keep them busy when they aren't playing tag with the chickens.
To the far left of the photo, along the neighbors fence, is our compost area consisting of 3 large bins made from rescued decking.
At the upper left corner is the smaller of the two chicken runs. We use this run for turkeys, ducks, and meat chicks before they are big enough for the chicken tractor and the larger fenced in pen.
Lots of worms, bugs and greens available for their foraging.
The goat yard measures approximately 30' left to right and 20' front to back. There is also an additional section which adds another 8' x 12' to the back, left corner of their yard. This is also the corner where the chickens can come and go.At the front of the goat fence, about in the center, we have a hay bin made from left-over cattle panel. The panel was measured and cut in a sort of + shape, and all four sides folded upward, and joined at the corner seams with zip-ties. Longer bits of the some of the wire were folded over to form hooks for hanging onto the fencing.
There are 7 "joists" plus the two ends. Twine used for baling hay is tied to the joists about 5" apart. At the ground are 2"x2"x8" strips to which I tie the bottom end of the twice, about 5" apart. By tying the lines so the wood strips float just above the ground the lines remain taut.
I plow a trench for each row and fill it with compost, burying the wood strips with the compost. (The dark lines in the earth are these rows)
At the bottom half of each end we added 2"x3" fencing (left-over) for additional vine support, such as for vining flowers like Morning Glory.
Added bonus here, when nothing is being grown except flowers, it is a nice area for comfortable outdoor chairs; or, as we plan to try later this year, covered and wrapped with heavy plastic wrap, it can be used a a warm house to extend the growing season, or start seeds in the early spring. It has full sun, all day, all year.
To the far left is the fenced area for meat birds.
Currently we have ducks living here. Six Peking for meat, and 4 ducks of two other breeds for pets. The area is enclosed with 2'x3' fencing, 48" tall.
After the ducks have been processed, it will be time to move the meat chickens to the area; then turkeys.
Through the arbor at the rear of this area, is the front yard. Next year, we plan to add an orchard and more garden there. The orchard will have apples, peaches and pears all planted using the espalier method in order to get the most use from the limited space.
As you can see from these photos, we do not live out in the middle of nowhere. Nor do we have a very large parcel of land. What we do have is a carefully laid out site plan where we can get grow or raise most of our food. We also earn a bit of money from the sale of our eggs which helps to pay for the feed and wood chips they will need in the winter.
Our goats will be ready for breeding around Thanksgiving. I am searching for a suitable sire for their kids, which should be born in April. At that time there will be plenty of fresh goats milk for drinking, for cheeses and for soap. Much of which will be sold, including the kids.
From this garden I can, dehydrate, ferment, etc. enough food to last us until the next harvest.
There is still much to accomplish such as collecting and storing water, converting our oil heat source to a sustainable wood heat system, building a green house and a root cellar. In time we would also like to drill a well and be free of the water company.
We have looked into solar power for electricity but at this time the investment isn't doesn't make "cents" for the small amount of electric power we consume.
I hope this visual of the layout of our little homestead is helpful to you when you are planning your backyard farm. Remember, this started with only 6 bags of potting soil!
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