Growing Our Own Part 3

On our Growing Our Own Goals this year, thing seem to be progressing at a steady pace and I am quite pleased with how it is coming along. We were able to get the outside pen attachment for the chicken hutch so the chickens can enjoy some outside yard time of foraging and scratching the way chickens are meant to be.

One nice thing about this set up is it is easily portable so the chickens while being contained (safety from predators, wandering on to neighbors propertys AND keeping them out of the garden) they can also be free ranged by simply moving the pen around the yard.

It is still a little crowded for what we have but then again we were suppose to only have hens and out of the 9, at least 3 of them are roosters. Sexing chicks is only about 70% accurate so with quite a bit of room for mistakes.........this was bound to happen. One is already crowing! So need to figure out if I will sell off the roos or butcher them......decison is out at the moment while I make up my mind.

We do have future plans of setting up one more moveable chicken pen.

Our garden is doing pretty good considering the sandy soil ( will take time with composting and chicken manure to improve) and serious lack of rain keeping everything bone dry. I water often but the sand just drys out so so so so fast!

We have been eating greens for weeks now, I have been basing my recipes for meals off the garden with the garden being the main focal point, the star attraction for meal planning. I have put 3 meals worth up in the freezer for winter eating and will be putting several more up this weekend. I have also given our elderly neighbor 4 meals worth so far.

The zucchini are starting to come in along with the tomatos, spaghetti squash, peas and banana peppers so we are getting excited with the anticipation of adding them to our menu!

The Kohlabri is starting to form it's globes and the green onions are coming along nicely too and it won't be long before the cukes start producing!

It really is amazing how even a small garden can cut down so much on food costs!

Happy Self-Reliance!