fuzzi's "Gardens and Chickens...and Goats? Oh My!" Journal and More Thread

fuzzi

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You are transforming your backyard to your very own oasis.
My little Eden, yep.
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Baymule

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An old and respected member (RIP) Wifezilla, posted duckponics, where she set up her ponds to filter through aquaponics and raised vegetables.

 

fuzzi

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An old and respected member (RIP) Wifezilla, posted duckponics, where she set up her ponds to filter through aquaponics and raised vegetables.

Thank you, I read about 8 pages.

Each of the ponds has its own "skippy" filter. Originally I used a 5 gallon bucket with scrubby pads, but last year it started crumbling. I had a spare cat litter bucket, did the same set up. The second pond has a store-bought spillway, which I filled with scrubby pads. They do a good job of filtering.

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Original skippy filter construction, 2018.

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Replacement 2024
 
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fuzzi

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Silas did something this afternoon that I hadn't seen him do before...

...he tidbitted!

When I have offered extras like bits of fruit or seeds Silas would gobble without regard for the hens. I threw a handful of wild strawberries in the run this afternoon, and noticed that when Silas found a strawberry he called the hens to come and get it!

He's almost 11 months, and growing up.
 

fuzzi

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I ordered a second elderberry, and am expecting it to be delivered this weekend, so I decided to prepare for it. I tried to dug a hole, but hit a piece of carpeting that got missed when they cleaned up the overgrown area. It required a lot of digging around, lifting up the edges, scraping off the disturbed soil, and then cutting a ton of roots that had grown through.

Once the carpeting was removed I finished digging the hole, hitting solid clay about 12" down. I added some older chicken bedding 💩, then some soil, then peat moss, and mixed it well.
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By then it was about 11am, so I made a trip to Lowe's for concrete blocks (for remaining rain barrels' setup). I also needed two chain link fence hangers for the driveway gates. It was a very frustrating experience, website wasn't working so I couldn't ask for curbside service (heavy blocks!), and no one seemed to know what they were doing. Then Baily showed up and made everything work. I gave her a fantastic review.

Since I got home I have been puttering around the yard, about 4 hours, just cleaning up the ponds area, watering gardens, adding additional landscape staples around the coop, and extra screws/washers on the back, and overall making things look less junky. I took a couple breaks, sitting in the coops and enjoying Chicken TV. 😎

The perch on the left is a little high, so I added a log underneath and a chair. They can easily access the perch with the chair.
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Silas really likes the new log.

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Esther likes the perch, but I put her there.

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Afternoon sun, some but not too much direct, which will help keep the coops cooler on hot summer days.

Morning sun:
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Mostly dejunked, mowed, but I need help moving the rocks.
 

fuzzi

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You had a good day!
Yes! And after I posted here, my DS moved my concrete blocks from the SUV to the backyard. I had him place four of the "cinder" blocks and four of 16x8x4" next to the two rainbarrels I've not yet set up. The rest of the blocks went on a pallet by the old shed, underneath an overhang.
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My leftovers:
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