Did you grow something new in your garden last year?

[Ted Summey]

We of course don't get as cold as you Northerner TBNers but I don't heat my coop either. There's another site that is all about backyard chickens. Over there they have extensive threads about the advantages and disadvantages of heated coops. Several regulars over there live in very cold climates (Minnesota, Alaska and Wisconsin) and don't heat their coops.

There are two or three problems that have to be solved with heated coops - moisture build up, ventilation and power failures. The first two are related. Too much moisture and chickens get sick and can get frostbite. Chickens that get used to the heat can suffer when the power goes out and it is cold.

You want ventilation without a draft and your chickens can stay warm in a well insulated coop that is sized right for your number of chickens. I have six hens in a 4x8 coop. They generate lots of heat on their own and an insulated coop will retain that heat. We have consistently gotten 6 eggs daily all winter with a few of the coldest days (5 or 6) only 4 or 5 eggs.

[cmhyland]

We of course don't get as cold as you Northerner TBNers but I don't heat my coop either. There's another site that is all about backyard chickens. Over there they have extensive threads about the advantages and disadvantages of heated coops. Several regulars over there live in very cold climates (Minnesota, Alaska and Wisconsin) and don't heat their coops.

There are two or three problems that have to be solved with heated coops - moisture build up, ventilation and power failures. The first two are related. Too much moisture and chickens get sick and can get frostbite. Chickens that get used to the heat can suffer when the power goes out and it is cold.

You want ventilation without a draft and your chickens can stay warm in a well insulated coop that is sized right for your number of chickens. I have six hens in a 4x8 coop. They generate lots of heat on their own and an insulated coop will retain that heat. We have consistently gotten 6 eggs daily all winter with a few of the coldest days (5 or 6) only 4 or 5 eggs.

The egg production is a matter of light stumulating the pituitary gland through the eye so the heat doesn't effect production much.
THe big issue is keeping water liquid. In our coop where we had 2 dozen hens most winters. We had windows that would open high up so we could crack them open on the better days. The key as I see it is clean and deep bedding. You need ventalation to keep the amonia down. As for bedding when we and the girls preferred was heavy sawdust from a sawmill... It's clean, and is low on dust. Our coop was 10X12 we heated with one infrared heatlamp, and we had 1 incandessant lamp for light on a timer for 16 hours a day. The timer came on at 5am, went off at 8am, came back on at 4pm and went off at about 9pm. We averaged about 18 eggs a day all winter.

Regards,
Chris
Chris

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

This was the first year we raised a big garden, 60' X 240', with the goal of selling produce off the farm. We had a drought which lasted about 6 weeks and some deer problems. The drought knocked the blooms off the green beans and then the deer got in them but once the rain started back they came out. Planted Roma(a flat bean) Derby, Tenderette, Tendergreen, Topcrop, and White Half Runner. I liked Derby and Topcrop the best and White Halfrunner the least. We froze what we didn't sell. Wash, snap the ends, put in a ziplock bag and freeze. We raised arugala, swiss chard, and khorabi, it grew beatifully but didn't sell at all, finally tilled it under. Bloomsdale spinach sold well and grew well, but germination was poor. Head lettuce turned out poor but leaf lettuce, Romaine, Buttercrunch, and Simpson did very well. Purple Globe turnips did well, be sure to thin or they won't get big, hot weather will make then "pithy" in the center. Planted 50lbs of Kennebac potatoes and they did very well. I plant them in a ridge for drainage and warmth. Be sure you have something to combat Colorado Potatoe Beetles, Sevin Dust doesn't work, I used Warrior. I planted California Wonder Bell Peppers, did well, sold well. The pepper change colors as they mature, green, to yellow, to red. Watch for blossom end rot. We used some of the blemished peppers in salsa and also wife made stuffed peppers and then froze them. More later but let me leave with this. I'll start planting cold crops, taters, onions, cabbage, etc as soon as the ground is dry in March. Our frost free day is Derby Day, we can expect a light frost Oct 1 and a killing frost/freeze Oct 15. My soil type is a well drained Baxter clay, ph is 6.6- 6.8, we use a lot of manure. Normal rainfall is near 50 inches annually. More later, I need to feed the cows and go to church.

[Singalo]

Thanks for all the Chicken Feed Back. Tee Hee.

I will be posting lots of pictures of these projects as they come along. The wife loves her chickens. But I have seen her parents chickens lose combs and toes. I just can't have that. Ill buy socks and tookes for them if I have to.

[forgeblast]

Here is a list of seeds we will be using this year. I bought them from baker creek I am putting our start dates (when I start them inside or directly plant in the garden) Our frost free day is april 20th but my garden is on a bit of low ground so I dont always trust that date.

Feb 15th
Leek—Giant Musselburgh
Onion—Bianca Di Maggio
Onion—Yellow of Parma
Celery—Celeriac Giant Prague
Cauliflower—Purple of Sicily
Cauliflower—Green Macerata
Cabbage—Nero Di Toscana
Cabbage—Tete Noire

and we planted two pots of Keep ‘Em Coming lettuce mix for the small pots we have in the window.
March 1st we start
Brussels Sprouts--Catskill
March 8th
Lettuce Mix--Red wing
Lettuce--Corn Salad or Mache
March 29(I try a lot to see which ones work best for our zone/climate)
Tomato--A grappoli d'Iverno (small grape)
Tomato--Sub Artic Plenty
Tomato--Solar Flair (red striped)
Tomato--Woodle Orange
Tomato--Black Verissage (purple tomato)
Tomato--Purple Russian
Tomato--Gypsy(deep purple/maroon)
Pepper--Sweet pepper Italian Relleno
April 5
Cucumber--Early Russian (this one works great for us)
Cucumber--Straight Eight
April 20th
Watermelon-- Blacktail Mountain
Melon--Riddle
Watermelon--Moon & Stars
Melon--American Honey Rock
Decorative gourd mix
May 3
Pumpkins--Early Sweet Sugar Pie
Pumpkin--Jack Be Little (perfect for giving out at our daughters birthday party)
Squash-- Tennessee Sweet Potato
Squash--Boston Marrow
Squash--PA Dutch Crookneck
Squash--Zucchini Black Beauty (works great for us)
_______________This starts our seed we plant directly into the garden. There is some overlapp with dates and once the seedlings from
above are large enough and harden off we plant them into the garden.
March 15
Garden Pea--Tall Telephone
Pea--Alaska
Garden Pea-Wando
(we plant lots of peas, my daughter eats everyone, most ofen in her pj's for breakfast she loves them!)
Fava Bean--Broad Windsor
March 22
Rutabaga--American Purple Top
Quinoa--Cherry Vanilla
Pak Choy--Extra Dwarf
April 5th
Kohlrabi--Early Purple Vienna
Carrot--Tonda Di Parigi
Carrot--Cosmic Purple
April 20th
Beet--Crapaudine
Beet--Mangel Yellow Cylindrical
Swiss Chard--Rainbow
May 3rd
(We will plant in the 3 sisters style)
Corn--Country Gentleman
Corn--Broom Corn (always wanted to make a broom)
May 3rd
Bean--Golden Sunshine
Bean--Chinese red Noodle
Bean--Scarlet Runner
Bean--Royalty Purple Pod
Bean--Sunset
Bean-- Missouri Wonder
Lima Bean--Hendersons Bush
Gourd--Birdhouse


Anyone have any tips for carrots? I have a problem growing them (they dont grow for me!)

[DFB]

I've had very good experiences with Spinosad for CPB control. It works exceptionally well on the Colorado potato beetle and most other soft body insects like caterpillers and armyworms. It's organic and more easily aquired than federally restricted-use pesticides like Warrior which uses are governed by a pesticide applicator license. Trade name Entrust is OMRI approved for commercial use or Bulls Eye for a consumer garden product.

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

One thing I'd like to try this year is peanuts. I'm pretty far north, but most reading I've done says they take 120 days, which I can do. Virginia or spanish? Will they cross pollinate with other vegatables? Yeah I can look it all up, but I'm old fashioned, I'd like to talk to someone who has raised them. I hope to plant Mortgage Lifter, Goliath, Ponderosa, and Golden Jubilee tomatoes. I'll use 60" concrete wire for cages and I hope Epsom Salt will help with blossom end rot.

[KTurner]

I've had very good experiences with Spinosad for CPB control.

Last year was the first time we used Surround WP (kaolin clay), which went on our squash and potatoes. We did not have an infestation of colorado potato beetle or squash bugs as we've had in previous years. The surround was the only thing we did differently. It's not poison. It's just a fine clay that confuses the bugs into not recognizing the plant. I saw something about it also being used to reduce direct sun on fruit to keep them from getting sunburned. Smallest they make is a 25 lb bag. Use it 1/4 to 1/2 lb per gallon of water and spray on the leaves. This 25 lb bag is going to last me a long time.

Keith

[DFB]

Kaolin clay works good on fruit trees too

[2LaneCruzer]

One thing I'd like to try this year is peanuts. I'm pretty far north, but most reading I've done says they take 120 days, which I can do. Virginia or spanish? Will they cross pollinate with other vegatables? Yeah I can look it all up, but I'm old fashioned, I'd like to talk to someone who has raised them. I hope to plant Mortgage Lifter, Goliath, Ponderosa, and Golden Jubilee tomatoes. I'll use 60" concrete wire for cages and I hope Epsom Salt will help with blossom end rot.

I would highly recommend a variety of tomato called "Super Fantastic". They are fairly disease resistant and I have had years when they were the only variety that produced a tomato of any kind (except for cherry tomatoes, and they will almost always produce). I like to mix a cup of blood meal and a cup of bone meal in the soil beneath each plant I set out. I use garden lime to avoid blossom end rot and keep the nematodes under control. Careful, though, not too much.