General Update-091107

Today I built the first nest box for the fryer cages. I just duplicated the other nest boxes except they are 24" wide vice 12". I had to add another hinge to the roof due to the length but other than that, the same. I still need to add the screen to the bottom of it and mount it. Which reminds me, I need to add the mounting support for both upper and lower cages.

I just bought a book on raising rabbits and chickens on less. It is called oddly enough, "Keeping Poultry And Rabbits On Scraps" by Claude Goodchild and Alan Thompson. It is interesting because it was written in 1941 and references pre and post war issues and their solutions. Mr. Goodchild writes the first half and is an expert in poultry, and the rabbits portion is written by Mr. Thompson. Its a small book, an easy read and I can recommend it.

I will may not work on the rabbitry this weekend since this Saturday is our aquaponics workday, but when I continue I will mount the support scaffolding and continue to make nest boxes.

In the garden where the cabbage, garlic and acorn squash, everything is looking fairly well. I may have planted the cabbage too early since the cabbage worms have ravaged my green cabbage. The red cabbage must be a slower grower since it still doesn't have many leaves. On the other hand it is not being attacked by any worms which I find immensely interesting!

The garlic is sprouted, and the acorn squash is taking over my garden! I thought perhaps I wouldn't get much of a yield because of the recent cold weather, and lack of pollinators, and the flower hidden by the large green leaves, but I was wrong. I have many squash all from three plants which I think have been pollinated mostly by Bumble Bees.

I am still harvesting Cayenne, Bell, and Jalapeno peppers. Somehow I must remember to try planting all these late in the Summer and comparing the yield. The tomatoe plants are doing OK, not fabulous but seem healthy. I am concerned about the same pollination issue as the squash but will be patient. All are being watered as I write by Tropical Storm Ida. She was downgraded earlier from a Category 1 hurricane.

I think some of the plants slowness is the lack of fertilizer in the raised beds where the tomatoes live. I have used my own compost, as well as some "store bought" composted manure. All this is why they look fine but the lack of synthetic fertilizers are perhaps the reason they don't "look" like a picture from "Southern Living" magazine.

All the fruit trees are still in good shape. I have a dozen or so figs on my two Fig trees. I found some indoor plant food outside, left over from one of Gail's house plant fertilizing jaunts, and scattered it around all the plants. This rain will help disperse it, or wash it away!

Tony
Cantonment, 2009

General Update-090906

I think I must be the worst blogger in all bloggerdom. I should be taking pictures as I work on the farm so that I can show before and after but I simply find myself out working and not thinking about later when I blog. Something I need to work on for sure!

Yesterday I managed to plant two types of tomatoes, two types of cabbage (green and red), 4 acorn squash plants, and some garlic. As usual I bought too much garlic. One bulb breaks down into like 15-20 cloves, each one to be planted. I bought two packs each with three bulbs, enough to give Gilmore, CA a run for their money!

I went to Lowes earlier and bought two bags of topsoil and one bag of peat/humas for each of three raised beds. Thi8s adds bulk to the beds and adds nutrition. I had previously added a little triple 13 to each bed so I think that will last for a bit.

I also worked on the chicken yard, hanging wire- which was a pain! Wearing gloves helps but wearing gloves hinders holding the poultry nails. I will need at least one more large rold of 1" chicken wire to finish, possibly two since I am also doing the roof.

As far as the roof I had originally thought to run wires on a turnbuckle the length of the yard to support the netting but I found two warped 2"x4"s and thought I would use them instead. I still need to add a 1"x2"x8' and replace a 1"x2"x4' with one that's 6' long. These are the top and second from the top rungs of the ladder/perch respectively. I'm still thinking about adding another covered perch to the far end of the chicken yard. Also, I think I will need to add a board running along the length of the yard to give a surface to nail the bottom of the wire to and also to keep animals like raccoons from pushing underneath the wire.

I thought I could make the shelter big enough that it could be a perch but also a place for the chicken waterer and feeder to hang. I will reread my chicken book but it seems to me that the feeders and waters are also located IN the house. Also, I wondering about a door to the ramp. I mean if the animal can get through the 1" fencing of the yard it can get through the one inch fencing of the house I think.

Tomorrow I will either work on the pellet trays in which case I will need to get 4- 1"x2's and 2- 2"x2"s, or I will get some more chicken wire and see if I can finish the chicken yard.

I was also thinking that I will build a stand at the far end of the rabbitry and sit the wire cage I have. This can be for my experimental bunny I feed dehydrated veggies and hay to. If I built the stand correctly I could use the underside for storage. The wire cage is a commercial cage about 3'x3'x2' and has a galvanized metal tray beneath it.

Mark Ns family has a lemon tree that has giant lemons on it, seriously the size of green softballs. Perhaps I could get some clippings and try to grow some myself. I noted that Lowes is selling blueberries and blackberries again, and their stock of fruit trees is back up. I might get a few more bushes but I think I will wait on the Spring to purchase and plant anymore trees to avoid a cold weather kill. I would like to get a couple kumquats which I will prune to around 4' and keep them bushy.

Tony
Cantonment