Thinking about a garden.. Free-Range chicken garden!

My girls are pretty hard on anything green, and now my backyard looks like the moon.  We had to fence off the bamboo plants, and they have eaten everything else.. So I have to start over! I am hoping to get this book for Valentines Day: Free-Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard: By Jessi Bloom, Photographs by Kate Baldwin  

[caption id="attachment_649" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="This is the cutest book ever!!"][/caption]

Here are some "chicken proof plants" from inside the book!

Rose of Sharon * Most shrubs and bushes * Blackcurrants * Rosemary * Lavender * Hardy Geraniums * Hardy Fuschias * Foxgloves * Primroses * Pelargoniums * Oriental Grasses * Clematis * Roses * Honeysuckle * Perennial Sweetpeas * Wormwood * Petunias *Andromeda (Pieris species) *Azalea * Barberry * California lilac * Cotton lavender * Euonymus  *Evergreen ferns (Polystichum species) *Fatsia * Forsythia (Forsythia × intermedia) * Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) Will see about that * Hebes * Lilac (Syringa species) * Mahonia (Mahonia species) * Mexican orange (Choisya ternata) * Osmanthus (Osmanthus species) * Pittosporum * Salal (Gaultheria shallon) * Spiraea * Spurge (Euphorbia species) * Viburnum * Weigela *Bee balm, bergamot (Monardaspecies) * Black-eyed Susan (Rudbekiaspecies) * Bluebeard (Caryopteris species) * Calla lily (Zantedeschia species) * Cape fuchsia (Phygelius capensis) * Catmint, catnip (Nepeta species) * Colum bine (Aquilegia species) * Coneflower * Crocosmia * Daylily (Hemerocallis species) * Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) & Grape hyacinth (Muscari species) * Hardy fuchsias (Fuchsia species) * Hardy geranium (Geranium species) * Iris (Iris species) * Japanese anemone (Anemone japonica) * Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) * Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) * Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus species) * Mission bells (Fritillaria species) * Peony (Paeonia species) * Peppermint (Mentha ×piperita) * Russian sage (Perovskia species) * Sedum (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’) * Shasta daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum) * * Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Keep Chickens out of anything you plan on eating.  You could get really sick from the droppings.  Here are some chicken resistant herbs/veggies:

Garlic * Onions * Leeks * Potatoes *Squashes * Legumes, Chives * basil * mint oregano * thyme * Tarragon * Sage * Rhubarb (slightly toxic) * Parsley * Cougettes * Climbing beans once established * Current Bushes (without fruit) * Asparagus (once in leaf) * Spearmint (Mentha spicata)

Ground covers:

Bishop’s hat * Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) * Christmas rose (Helleborus species)* Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster species) * Deadnettle (Lamium species) * Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) * Geum (Geum species) * Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis) 8 Juniper (Juniperus species) *Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) * Leadwort (Plumbago auriculata) * Lilyturf (Liriope species) * Marjoram (Origanum majorana) * Oregano (Origanum vulgare) * Phlox (Phlox species) * Sedge (Carex species) * Sedum (Sedum species) * St Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum) * Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Click here to buy this book for me...I mean you.

12 Must Haves for a coop

1. Provides space for all the hens (depends on the breed)
2. Has ventilation
3. No drafts
4. Maintains a comfortable temperature
5. Protection from the elements
6. Keeps out rodents, wild birds and predators.
7. Has plenty of light during the day (not directly across from the nest box)
8. Plenty of roosting space. (depends on the size of hens you have)
9. clean nest boxes with lots of fluffy nesting material.
10. Super cleaning feed and water stations
11. Easy for you to clean (figure this into your coop design)
12. Has good drainage in the run (use mulch with no dye like Cypress Mulch)

When it comes to chicken keeping, cleanliness is the most important thing you can do for your flock and family.  A soiled coop is the fastest way to harm your chickens, alienate your neighbors and give the rest of us a bad name.  NO messy coops people!

Hooray! The holidays are over

I am not going to lie.  The past holiday season was brutal.  But, I am feeling better now!  So onward with the news of the Chickens!First of all we are rapidly approaching spring (here in Texas) and if you want to get chicks soon, you’re going to HAVE to start construction on a chicken coop! 

Depending on what you want to build you better get to planning…or calling me so I can plan for you.  

Here is what you should be thinking about…

• Figure out what type of chickens you want and how many.

• Design/Build them a coop for them. Different chickens require different roost, run, and nest box space. (This is serious because an overcrowded coop will lead to cannibalism)

• Get the chicks (Chick Days will be here soon at Tractor supply)

• Wait until the chick’s feather out and purchase 8 week old that are out from under a heat source. (tractor supply will not have them, but I know where to get them)

Hurry up!! Or you're going to miss out on all the chicken fun!

chickpostcrd1

Consulting services up!

Service	Details	Rates per hour
Assessment Consultation "I am interested, but don't know where to start?"	About 2 hours at your residence Assessment of space and coop plans Information on care and keeping of chickens Answers to questions at time of consultation or with an e-mail follow-up One phone consultation after initial visit	$40
Chicken Procurement “where do we get chicks?  What is a Pullet?”	I will help you acquire your first chicks, pullets, or hens. Assessment of which flock is best for you and your family? Have children, needed docile chicken? *NOTE: Please do not mail order chicks, it is very stressful for the birds.  They are often abandoned in post offices without food and water.  Shipments can also get lost in the mail.	$40
Coop and Run Consultation“Pre-fab coop? Custom coop?  That is a great question!  Do you want it to blend in, or be a focal point?”	A visit to your residence to choose best location and housing type Advice and/or assistance with building your dream coop. Information on feeders, waters, feed, and general information on chicken accessories Information on coop security Seasonal Coop I.E. Heating and Cooling Chicken Budgeting One free 15-minute phone consultation after initial visit	$40
Design and Build“Are you a mid-century modern coop or a Victorian?”	Custom designed coop and run Have your own plans and need a builder?  We are happy to procure materials, and build to specs We place special emphasis on form and function; our chicken houses are cheerful, light and airy, with excellent ventilation and windows for natural lighting.	Varies to size and scale of project

From under the lamp to in the coop	A visit to your residence to help your pullets transition to their new coop (about 1 hour) Information on feeding, watering, egg laying general care, and common illnesses Answers to questions at time of consultation or via e-mail follow-up One free follow up phone call	$40
Follow up anytime “Can you come out and look at this?”	A visit to your residence to make sure that your hens are healthy Information on feeding, watering, egg laying general care, and common illnesses Answers to questions at time of consultation or via e-mail follow-up One free follow up phone call	$40
911 Phone Call	Troubleshooting advice over the phone for a sick bird Phone call fee can be applied to Emergency House Call fee if I come out within 24 hours	$20 (payable by PayPal or check prior to phone call)
Chicken Sitting	Daily visits to water and feed Bedding changes Egg collection Special instructions welcome	Varies on location
911 House Call	A visit to your residence to assess a sick bird Research to determine possible causes of sickness Care to address problem, if possible, OR suggestions for care (may include referral for veterinary medicine) Suggestions for follow-up care and care for other members of flock	$75
Add-On Service “I want chickens, but I don’t have time to go out and get everything for them!	Coop maintenance Procurement of supplies needed for your chickens Instillation of seasonal need like lights and heaters	$35 per hour, billable in ½- hour increments