Hi Veronika, I'm talking with my husband about the turkey. One thing that he's concerned with is her volume. Does she vocalize often? (The loud stuff, not the quiet purring noise they make) Do you have her in a pen now or is she just wandering around your yard?
Rilie and I have the privilege of living at my in-laws' house in Mesa (they live and work at a Christian camp near San Diego). As a result, I have a big backyard that is sitting dormant! I went to the composting class today and got some valuable info.
newspaper, brown paper, almost any kind of paper except those glossy things that are printed with vivid colors, that stuff contains cadmium which is not a good thing. Cardboard is safe for sure (the brown stuff not the glossy stuff), but you can't use huge quantities of cardboard and it needs to be chopped small because cardboard has a LOT of carbon in it. The Carbon to Nitrogen ratio in cardboard is something like 300 to 1 (versus dry leaves which I believe are something around 60 to 1. The ink that printers use these days is mostly soy based. A properly balanced hot compost pile is a powerful thing. I subscribe to the mentality that everything in moderation is a good thing. Sure, some things ought to be avoided, but even some of the things labeled "poisonous", in minute amounts they're almost all good. Ok, maybe I'm a heretic by the standards of some "nature purists", but I've been composting for quite a while and I can tell you that the main thing is balancing the C/N ratio and getting it to somewhere around 30 or 40 to 1.
If your pile is too soggy and it stinks because it contains too much nitrogen rich stuff then add some dry leaves, paper or cardboard and make sure it is fluffed up so it gets some air. if it's not rotting because it is too high in carbon then add more greens and wet things and fresh manure. That's all there is to it.
I made a tumbling composter from a 55 gallon plastic barrel and it works great.
Hi Veronica - I also have sponsored children for years as my daughter was growing up - the idea was passed down from my father and up to my daughter, who is now a teacher working with underprivileged children through Headstart. it has been very rewarding and we always enjoy the pictures and letter we receive. It helps when there is so much to do in the world to feel as if we can make a little difference in our corner of it.
My thumb isn't all that green but I keep trying because I think plants are amazing and the cycle of composting is beautiful. I expecially like cacti and roses.
"My neighbors say Ms Turkey is much quieter than their chickens. She hasn't had any outbursts approaching the chicken's noises.
They also say she laid an egg this morning and someone ate it thinking it was just one of the bigger chicken's eggs. (it…"
"Hi Jake, sounds like you are the Jake I know from RMCC - you play guitar, my daughter Kristen took photos with Kelly at your wedding (she said it was one of the nicest weddings she's seen), right? I just joined this group earlier this week. Let that…"
"do you mean newspaper and brown paper bags or any type of dull paper such as printer paper? With all the processing that paper goes through, I have wondered what other non-food chemicals am I adding to my compost."
"I can't take credit for growing the peppers, just admiring thier beauty and immortalizing them with my camera. I've tried veggie gardening but was outnumbered and outsmarted by the cunning determination of the desert wildlife. I have a hard time…"
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Rilie and I have the privilege of living at my in-laws' house in Mesa (they live and work at a Christian camp near San Diego). As a result, I have a big backyard that is sitting dormant! I went to the composting class today and got some valuable info.
Are those pictures at your house?
If your pile is too soggy and it stinks because it contains too much nitrogen rich stuff then add some dry leaves, paper or cardboard and make sure it is fluffed up so it gets some air. if it's not rotting because it is too high in carbon then add more greens and wet things and fresh manure. That's all there is to it.
I made a tumbling composter from a 55 gallon plastic barrel and it works great.
http://www.composting101.com/c-n-ratio.html