This post goes along with yesterday's Homestead/Prepper Wishlist. I find that if I set goals I tend to get more things done and it feels great!
My one year goals for the homestead:
~chickens(Thelma & Louise) yes I've already named them 🙂 I'm undecided on which breed to get. I'm researching them at this time and watching a lot of you tube videos on them.
New Hampshire Red
Buff Orpington
~chicken coop
This one is from Rural King. I love it because Hawks can't get my chickens, it's cute, and my mother n law works there so I get a discount 👍🏻
~more fruit trees
I have on my property 2 dwarf apple trees, 2 pomegranates, 2 figs, 2 elderberry, 1 grapefruit, 1 lemon, 1 orange, 1 lime, 1 cherry, and 1 tango. I want to increase these numbers to 4 trees each. If I can't buy my fruit trees local I purchase them from
~garden building/she shack
I need a place to store all my garden gear and cool stuff!
~fence in back yard
Gotta keep my Charlie and the chickens safe from coyotes and other Appalachian Mountain predators. I realize Charlie is a one of a kind teacup werewolf but even he comes across some crazy creatures!
Any chicken recommendations please leave a comment below. I appreciate any advice y'all have to offer 🤗
Thanks for reading! BE SMART BE PREPARED BE READY!
All photos (except Charlie) are from Pinterest
Rhode Island Reds and leghorns were mainly what we had growing up. Both good producers. As for predators I don't really know how to keep them safe 100% other than keeping them fully enclosed. Even that is not full proof.
The more breeds I researched, the more breeds I wanted to try, its a losing battle. I had leghorns 25 years ago, thats it. Their feed to egg ratio is hard to beat. Icelandics have me interested, known for great foraging abilities. I also wouldn't mind trying to create some Olive Eggers with Marans and Araucanas or the like. Buckeyes are similar to RI Reds, but they were bred in the Ohio climate. Its a losing battle for me. Good luck :)
Thank you! It is hard to choose. I'm with you on that!
You really can't go wrong with Buff Orpingtons. They lay brown eggs, and once mature, they will set fertilized eggs to hatching.
They don't lay the most eggs, but they're good all purpose chicken. They also make a good meat chicken, should you decide to go that way.
I had a lot of Rhode Island Reds back in my poultry days, they're good egg layers, but I never had one that would hatch eggs. Also, if you have a bunch of them and one gets injured, the rest of them will peck the injured one to death. I had that happen several times.
I also raised a fair amount of Barred Rocks. They're a fairly good egg layer and a good meat chicken.
Thank you so much for your time and advice I really appreciate it 🤗
Buff Orpingtons are a good bird. One small tip is do not buy a lot of birds to start off with. Get to know them and see how it works be for jumping in head over feet. My wife and I lost are last 2 birds to some coyotes. They birds where out free ranging and a pack come in my yard in full day light to get them. That is just part of how things so. We will get some more soon as I am over this Crohn's flare.
If you need more help just ask. Thanks and God Bless.
O yes! My husband said that I can only have 2 chickens. So I'm starting off small. He doesn't want a yard full of animals. Right now I just want layers so 2 is enough for me learn from. Hope you feel better soon. When I was younger the docs thought I had Crohns but it turned out to be Lupus. It's not fun!
Time to go eat some KFC.
I have only had New Hampshire Reds and Buff Orpingtons and both were great chickens. Unfortunately they have all been "taken" by predators, due to our location and free ranging but the Buff had time to sit on some fertilized eggs. She was a good mother. Regrettably I tried to clean up her nest when she was out of it one day and she never went back to it.
Make sure your chicken coop is safe from predators!
Thank you for your comment I appreciate you taking the time. I will definitely make it predator proof. I don't want anything getting them. I will be devastated!
I had no idea you could grow citrus in the Appalachian mountains! What's ur growing zone there?
Regarding chickens they are so easy. Don't overthink them too much. Mine love just about all of my kitchen scraps. I put my compost bin in their run for them to go through. They love it.
I'm in zone 7. I actually grow them indoors during the winter and put them outside the end of May when it starts getting hot. I have them containers. But this fall I'm getting a greenhouse that way they can all stay out there year round. I'm running out of window and wall space in my house. I also have olive trees and several tropical floral trees in containers 🙂 This fall I'll be getting a dwarf banana tree to add to my collection. When people come to my house they are always surprised when they see my fruit trees on the porch and especially when they find out they are Citrus trees. Thanks for the chicken advice 🤗