Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Multi Purpose Chickens and Garden Update

We have a side yard that is in constant need of weeding so I decided to let the chickens be my weed and spider abatement workers. The girls will now spend a few hours a week over here eating the weeds and doing insect control.


I have to tell you how wonderful chickens are for insect control. I usually get a lot of spiders and webs under my patio furniture but not since we got the chickens. They pick every last one out of the patio area and I never had to clear webs from under the furniture all last summer.


Worked in the flower beds and veggie garden last weekend. The lettuce is gorgeous and coming along.


You can see some old lettuce that has bolted. I tear it out and throw it to the chickens. Some kale is coming up and you can see two celery plants. I planted them last year. Slow growers but now I just go out and cut whatever stalks I need. I started some from seed and some from planting the base of a celery bunch bought at the market. What do you have to lose. Go plant one next time you buy some celery.


My husband made me a small drip irrigation hose from an old hose we were going to throw away. This one area never gets enough water from our sprinklers in the summer so now all I have to do is turn on the hose from a spigot in the planter and let it drip a few days a week when the weather warms up. We are really trying to use what we have and not buy new if we can. We repaired some rakes with new screws and keep using our weed whacker that does not self feed. You have to flip it over and do it by hand but it saves me the money of buying a new one.


It amazes me when you observe how much folks throw away. We are a family of six people and six animals and on trash day I see my neighbors who are a family of three throw twice as much trash away as us. Where does that all come from? Maybe lots of packaging? The less you buy I guess the less you have to toss.
Sharing with:
The Country Home Maker Hop
The Mommy Club
Share Your Cup Thursday
Katherine's Corner
A Return to Loveliness
It's a Keeper Thursday
Foodie Friends
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Rurality Blog Hop

36 comments:

  1. It is appalling what others trow away. My son and his wife live in town and they always look down their alley on trash day because they sometimes find things they can use, like tables and plastic storage drawers.

    It's great that your chickens take care of your spider problem. We let ours free range during the day and I'm sure we have a lot less insects because of them.

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  2. When I see the garden, I know that spring is coming. Love your colorful chickens!

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  3. Your garden is gorgeous, it's hard for me to imagine having lettuce and celery growing this time of year! Love the way you use what you have instead of buying more. We have cut down tons on our trash (less buying = less trash) but our recycles are horrible, I get so much junk mail every day that it literally filled trash bags full every two weeks when the truck comes. Thankful it can be recycled but better if the trees were wasted on this stuff in the first place!

    Mary

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  4. Getting a good head start here!

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  5. How pretty! I could use some chickens to eat those giant grass hoppers in my backyard...I hate those!

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  6. Isn't it just awful what some people throw away? Wow, reuse, repurpose and recycle. That's our motto around here.
    Chickens are the best at weeding and bug eating, I love it ;-)

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  7. Oh I am not a gardener. We always laugh at our garbage, but a lot of it is laziness...like we should scrunch up the box before we throw it away...

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  8. What a great garden! I can't believe it's nice enough at your house for a garden like that! It shows how different SoCAL's weather is than Kentucky--haha--I have snow on the ground!!
    Your chickens are just the cutest things, and it's really nice that they will keep your side yard spider free. :)
    Blessings,
    Leslie

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  9. Your garden looks great! And yes, the chickens are great weeders and bug eaters!!!! I can't wait to get out into my garden!!!!
    XO Kris

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  10. Those girls work for their keep, don't they? I'm only buying now what I need. Because if I buy something for the house, something else must go. No more room. And I need to purge as it is.
    Brenda

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  11. The trash thing always amazes me too. We recycle everything that we possibly can. It makes all the difference in the world.

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  12. Great job putting the chickens to work! At our old house the coop was right next to the garden, so after each gardening season we'd let the chickens out to till up the soil for us and eat the weeds. At this house, they are not close to the garden so we are thinking about putting some ducks over there to do the gardening work.

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  13. I love your chickens, and they are good fertilizers, too!

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  14. I'm a new follower via GFC. I love your blog it is so much fun to read.

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  15. I keep thinking I need a couple chickens...just need to find a place to put a coop...I am also surprised about what people throw out...last week we had one bag in our black can...a few things in the recycle...some of the neighbors are over flowing...crazy...our green can is always full though! Our lettuce, spinach and kale is doing well...waiting for the radishes to pop up! Have a great day!!

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  16. Your garden looks beautiful! That lettuce is so pretty.

    Judy

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  17. The chicks will make short work of those weeds, and they will love doing it! Win, win.
    I can't wait to try growing celery by planting the base. Brilliant!

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  18. That pumpkin in your yard gets me every time, Elaine. We're expecting more snow :(. I wish I could have chickens. xo

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  19. Your garden is wonderful.. I LOVE your chickens..I cant' wait to get some more.. I miss mine..

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  20. Your girls are very handy. I'm dreaming of lettuce!!

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  21. Hi Elaine...... your chicky chooks are busy girls...love how they help in the garden...
    God Bless
    Barb

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  22. I love how you guys reuse the old hoses for an irrigation system. I have a linky called Tuesday Greens and would love to have you join us at www.craftygardenmama.com. Have a great week!

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  23. That really is a great idea using an old hose for irrigation. :D I need to do something like that for our hydrangeas because they require more water than our other shrubs.

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  24. Your chickens look fat, sassy and happy!
    Mine have started laying like crazy since it has warmed up a little.
    Have a great weekend,
    ~Dorothy

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  25. You have a wonderful garden. I know chickens are useful helpers with weed. I hope I'll be able to have some later, when some work has been done ine the garden.

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  26. I saw your strawberry pot in the background (the one next to the house) and wonder if you'd like some "hen and chicks" plants to put in there.

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  27. Good idea with the weeding! Looks like spring on Cali.... I would move there on a flash. I am so tired of these Maryland winters.
    we only have one trash pick up day and our family accumulates a lot of trash. We say it all of the time, where does it all come from! !!

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  28. Who knew that weed and pest control could be so cute! Not only good workers but entertaining as well. Americans are very wasteful. My mother raised me to be frugal whether you're watching pennies or not. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  29. I love how the girls help take care of weeds and insects! I'd say they surely earn their keep. :)

    Your garden is looking good!!

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  30. I've noticed that too. We have 6 in our family as well and the two houses near us have 1 person and the other has 2. They both have as much trash as us!

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  31. It is amazing how much trash is generated - a lot of it is packaging - love your chickens and your garden - wonderful way to recycle the bolted lettuces. Happy Chickens :) I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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  32. Wonderful post for rurality ~ love your chicks and so glad it is a 'win-win' situations ~ Lovely garden ~ It is still cold in New England ~ Springs a comin ^_^

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  33. WoW ~ what a 'win-win' situation ~ love your chicks and greens ~ still 'winter' in New England ~ love you photos ! Brightens the day ^_^

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  34. WoW ~ what a 'win-win' situation ~ love your chicks and greens ~ still 'winter' in New England ~ love you photos ! Brightens the day ^_^

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  35. You should 'rent' out your chicks to neighbors... they'd love it! Thank you for joining in 'Rurality Blog Hop #6' Hope to see you next Wednesday for #7...

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