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Sterling DePriest Sr. replied to Janet's discussion How Much Water Per Square Foot of Vegetable Garden in Water
"one gallon of water should wet approx. one cubic ft of soil"
May 10, 2011
Janet replied to Donna Bruce's discussion Phoenix Magazine January 2011 in Micro Livestock
""But then again, Joel Salatin doesn't sell his eggs to stores for 60 cents a dozen."
Yep, and unfortunately, most consumers don't look past the price and want cheap food at all costs.  Just think of the cheap slaughterhouse renderings used to make…"
Jan 16, 2011
Janet replied to Carrie's discussion What's on the ground in your chicken run????? in Micro Livestock
"I'd never go with bare dirt. It's a good way for odor and flies to become an issue. The inside of a coop needs a thick layer of "browns" put down to mix with and "process" the droppings. It should be kept fluffy by the hens' scratching.

I used to…"
Sep 10, 2010
Janet replied to Jeanette's discussion do you need to wash the baby chicks? in Micro Livestock
"Well, one-week old chicks don't have real feathers yet. It's just kind of a fuzzy down. They actually start to look ugly for a while as they start growing feathers.

No. I would never wash a chick (especially a chick), pullet or even a full-grown…"
Aug 28, 2010
Janet replied to Lynda Person's discussion Six Free Chickens, All Hens in Micro Livestock
"Just FYI, spent hens have tough meat, but the meat is good for stewing."
Aug 22, 2010
Janet replied to Lisette Volkmar's discussion Chicken nursing question in Micro Livestock
"For a protein treat I like to give cottage cheese or unsweetened yogurt.

Sorry for your loss. Three dead hens in one day indicates you may need to rethink your coop design to allow much more airflow, shade, placement away from heat-radiating walls,…"
Aug 22, 2010
Janet replied to Evelyn Navarro's discussion 5 unexplained dead chickens in one morning! in Micro Livestock
"It's our brutal heat. It's especially dangerous when the night temps just aren't low enough to give their bodies a chance to recover.

Make sure they have an open air coop and that it's not like an oven in there. If the coop is by a block wall, that…"
Jul 17, 2010
Janet replied to Juanita Atkin-Cotten's discussion Lots of eggs in Micro Livestock
"We're also getting plenty of eggs from four hens. We have two green egg layers in the mix to add to the fun. Our three replacement pullets will start laying by the time these four take a rest.

I would not want to sell at farmers markets even at the…"
Apr 11, 2010
Janet replied to Kelly Liston's discussion Jelly egg remedy? in Micro Livestock
"I've only had a couple eggs like that after my hens were presumably frightened by a very loud thunderstorm. It seems like the stress caused them to release the egg too early."
Apr 3, 2010
Janet replied to laura paldino's discussion fussy old hen in Micro Livestock
"It's good if they can see and hear each other but yet are still separated like with chicken wire. When I integrate new hens I find that it takes at least a couple months. Then I remove the separation under supervision a little each day until the new…"
Mar 3, 2010
Janet replied to Lisa Petrlak's discussion Hen Search in Micro Livestock
"Welcome! May I recommend you buy a minimum of three? Chickens are extremely social, and when one dies you'll still have two. It's easier to have an extra hen now, because socializing new hens later takes time, knowledge and patience. You'll love…"
Feb 26, 2010
Janet replied to LeAnn Holcomb's discussion Lighting for egg production in Micro Livestock
"Egg laying takes tremendous energy. Forcing them to lay all year stresses their bodies. If you let the birds have their natural resting/molting periods, they will lay for many more months overall and have less health issues. You can only get so many…"
Dec 31, 2009
Janet replied to Susan's discussion How much and how often do I feed? in Micro Livestock
"I suspect you have rodents and many dozens of wild birds feasting on a majority of your feed. I feel that 24 hour access is best if you can keep the wild animals from eating most of the feed. I have ten free-range laying hens. A 50 pound bag of feed…"
Oct 28, 2009
Rachel replied to Janet's discussion Marans and Blue Andalusian Chicks in Micro Livestock
"I have both of these birds. My blue andalusian is 3 years old and is no longer laying much at all, she is very skittish, and has a comb bigger than many roosters'. She doesn't care to eat from my hands but if I sit down and look away from her she…"
Oct 23, 2009
Janet posted a discussion in Micro Livestock
I was at the Stock Shop today buying organic lay pellets. Anyway, they have Marans and Blue Andalusian chicks. I believe they are straight run if you don't mind a possible rooster. If you're into neat looking chickens or very dark brown Marans eggs…
Oct 23, 2009
Jeff replied to Janet's discussion How Much Water Per Square Foot of Vegetable Garden in Water
"Janet, how are you distributing the water onto your garden soil? Are you using a garden hose attached to your rain barrel?

The problem with using gravity-fed systems for irrigation is that you never get the required pressure required for landscape…"
Sep 23, 2009
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