K.I.S.S. The Homesteaders ‘Quick Bites’

3 Book Bundle:

Raised Bed Gardening;

Growing Organic Vegetables;

Raising Chickens

By

Norman J Stone

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Copyright

Book 1: Raised Bed Gardening

Book 2: Growing Organic Vegetables

Book 3: Raising Chickens

Alternative Energy Website: www.renergymax.com

Copyright

Copyright 2012, Norman J Stone

All rights reserved. Copyright protected. Duplicating, reprinting or distributing this material without the express written consent of the author is prohibited.

While reasonable attempts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained within this publication, the author does not assume any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of this information, and any damages incurred by that.

The author does not assume any responsibility or liability whatsoever, for what you choose to do with this information.

All Books In the K.I.S.S. Series:

Raised Bed Gardening

Vermin Control

Food Preservation

Raising Chickens

Growing Organic Vegetables

5 Book Bargain Bundle

Book 1: Raised Bed Gardening

Introduction

There are many people that are under the illusion that a raised bed garden, is only for those with little space to spare for a proper garden – this is in fact not true. Growing vegetables using the raised bed principle is both economic and very fruitful, and is really all about producing a larger harvest in a smaller space. What this does is free up more space for other uses, such as rearing chickens!

Even if you are fortunate enough to have many acres of land to grow your vegetables, I hope to show here that it may certainly be worth your while to consider raised bed gardening for your ‘kitchen vegetables’ and perhaps use the larger space for cash crops such as barley or corn for instance.

So what is a raised bed? In its simplest form a raised bed is an area that is raised up of the ground by placing a barrier around an area usually about 6 foot by 3 foot and filling this area with compost. The height is usually somewhere between 6 inches and 24 inches, with 18 inches probably the most popular. Height is something important to take into consideration before planning your raised bed, as I will explain further in the following passages.

Raised Bed Advantages

As I have mentioned, even if you have a large area of ground at your disposal, a raised bed has several advantages over the ‘traditional’ gardening method. I mention the word traditional as it is more what we are used to perhaps, however the idea of growing vegetables in a raised bed situation is far from new, and does in fact go far back into antiquity. Many civilisations have little choice but to grow in a raised bed, perhaps because of the poorness of the soil, or more likely because of the shortage of land available for growing on. Any mountainous region where there is human habitation will undoubtedly have a system of raised bed gardening, but it will most likely be called ‘terraced gardening’. This is where a hilly area is adapted by building terraces to create flat growing areas – this is in fact another aspect of a raised bed garden.

So just what are the advantages in this type of gardening? Well here are a few of them to consider.

         Space saving: There is no doubt that in a limited space, this method of growing vegetables can be super productive. Because of the fact that you do not have to create pathways between the vegetables, you can plant much closer together therefore allowing for a larger crop in a much smaller space. This also applies because you do not have the same trouble with weeding, and so do not have to leave space for the garden hoe to clear out the weeds. It has also been calculated that while a traditional gardening system can waste up to 70% of the available space owing to the need for access to maintain and weed the crop; a raised bed system only loses around 35% of the space because of the reasons just described. This effectiveness only multiplies if you are using a system of multiple raised beds, instead of only the one. The reason is that you are not multiplying the areas taken up by access pathways, as one path serves two raised beds – one on each side.

         Easy Maintenance: As has already been mentioned, weeding is far easier in a raised bed for a number of reasons. First of all, a raised bed is filled not with garden soil, but with a mixture of compost with plenty of organic material. If soil is added it must be no more that 20% of the total mix-in my opinion. This is important because this keeps the compost mixture loose, allowing for easy weeding and better crop growth. Secondly this mixture is not walked on at all during the normal maintenance/harvesting routines. This in turn keeps the soil soft and easy to turn over or remove the odd weed.

         More productive: A raised bed is also more productive than traditional garden methods in a number of ways. First of all you have a longer growing season, as the compost in the raised bed warms up earlier than the garden ground; allowing for earlier planting. The compost itself has been chosen for the crop you are about to grow (or should be), unlike the garden ground where a lot of the nutrients are simply lost in the wider area. Also the compost is lighter and less compact, allowing for a better root system to form and better delivery of the nutrients needed for the plants. Because the plant is not battling the weeds for nutrients and water, this also means a healthier, fuller vegetable.

         Pest Resistant: A raised bed has an immediate advantage over the traditional method especially when it comes to garden pests such as slugs or snails. Because you have a barrier built in, so to speak, it is easy to adapt this barrier to keep away the slugs without any great effort. Simply fix some copper tape around the edge of the structure (slugs will not cross copper as it reacts to their slime); and no more slug problem. When it comes to pests such as the carrot fly, again the raised element means that you are less likely to be bothered with them – especially if you have opted for the higher sided model. The carrot fly seldom flies above two feet so you can raise the sides with some plywood even, if you have a lower raised bed model planned.

         More adaptable: This system of gardening is very adaptable to changes, depending on what you are growing. With a little imagination you can easily adapt the system to build on a polytunnel or greenhouse structure, allowing for any number of more exotic plants especially if you live in cooler climates. A simple framework can also be built on to add insect mesh or bird mesh to keep your crop safe from the predations of either foe. A fine insect mesh will stop butterflies and moths from landing and laying their eggs.

         More accessible: Finally (I could go on!), a raised bed is ideal for the elderly or perhaps disabled, simply because there is not so much bending over work to be done with a raised bed. With a little forward planning the raised bed system can be set-up so that there is a wide enough space for wheelchair access between the beds, and the beds are built high enough to allow for maintaining the crops without the need to get out of the wheelchair. Because there is no turning over of the soil required and certainly no double digging involved with this system – it is ideal for someone with physically limited abilities, who still wants to share in the enjoyment of gardening.

Building A Raised Bed

Building a raised bed in its simplest form need not be difficult, and in fact is within most peoples capabilities whether or not you are good at do-it-yourself. The easiest structure for a raised bed is a simple timber frame made with 6 inch by 1 inch timbers. Start by cutting two lengths at six feet long and two at three feet long; nail at the corners to form a rectangular framework. This can be laid on the ground as per the pictures you see in this article and filled in following the instructions following.

If you are planning to do a higher bed – say 18inches, then it is simply a matter of adding stakes to the corners and the sides to support the frame-work. This can be done as a separate structure and then fitted into place, or it can be built on-site; this is perhaps the easiest way for most people.

The sides of the raised bed itself can be made from virtually anything that will hold in the compost, Corrugated iron, railway sleepers (make sure there is no creosote leaking), brickwork, concrete etc. Think of where it is going and how it will fit in with the surroundings, you do not want to have a structure that looks like a complete eyesore after all. Old or untreated Railway sleepers are a favourite as they will last for years without any more work needing done to them, and can look exceptionally good in a raised bed situation.

Choosing The Location

Choosing the correct location of the raised bed is of course essential, if you are to give your crops the best chance for ‘producing the goods’. Make sure that it gets at least 6-8 hours full sunshine, and is not under or near large overhanging trees. These will shade the bed and drop dew and insects all over the structure; this is of course common sense – but worth mentioning nevertheless.

Another thing to take into consideration is that you may not want to place your raised bed, in an area that is already very productive. For instance if you have an area that is unusable because of the soil condition, but is otherwise an excellent spot with adequate sunshine etc; then you should place your raised bed structure here and save the other plot for planting a different crop if needed.

This way you are maximizing your potential with little extra effort. Also it could be that you have a sloped area that is unsuitable for growing vegetables simply because of the slope; this is ideal for a raised bed structure as you can level the growing area by making one side of the raised bed higher than the other. A simple solution but very effective for this kind of gardening and goes back to the idea of terraced gardening mentioned at the beginning of the article. In this instance put a little extra support in the ‘downside’ to prevent it bulging owing to gravity and the weight of in infill against the sides.

Raised Bed Layout

Positioning the raised bed depends on whether or not you are planning more than one bed. A single bed is easy, just put it where you have sorted out a space, leaving enough room to get around it for maintaining your plants. With multiple beds you get the advantage of numbers, using what is known as economy of scale. In simple terms this means that you will grow more than double the veg with less than double the space, because you will not use up double the space by using two beds; this is because the maintenance space between the beds is the same as you would need anyway for just one bed. If you multiply this several times you in fact save a lot of space and grow exponentially more vegetables – enough said about that I think!

The gap between the beds should be around two feet, but obviously more if you need wheelchair access for instance. To cut down on maintenance, then the path system has to be either mulched down with a tree-bark or similar material laid over a weed suppressant fabric. This may seem like a bit of extra hassle but believe me it is worth it in the long run, and will save lots of time that is better spent picking your veg – or watching you favourite football match! Again however, if you are needing wheelchair access then be sure that you use a material suitable for wheeling the chair upon. Or compact the ground with fine gravel dust, if you want a cheaper option.

Decking between the beds is a particularly effective and good looking solution here – but it can work out rather expensive if you have a large area to cover.

Infilling The Bed

As mentioned earlier, infilling a raised bed structure is not simply a matter of filling with topsoil. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that the soil itself tends to become very compact in a raised bed, in the same way that it does in container gardening. Another is that you do not want to be picking out weeds from the soil you have just used in the bed. If you use garden soil then you are simply transplanting old problems into new situations, and are destined to repeat the old results – at best.

The infilling for a raised bed should be compost mixed with good organic material like well-rotted horse manure or something similar. Personally if I add soil at all, then I make sure that it is good quality and accounts for no more than 20% of the total mixture. This can of course be adapted according to your own wishes and with regard to any particular crop you wish to grow; for instance you may wish to have a soft loamy or sandy mixture for deep root crops like carrots or parsnips. The beauty of a raised bed is that you are not stuck with what you have in the ground, and the material is not losing its efficacy by mixing with poor quality soil.

Before filling in the structure it is advisable to lay one inch galvanized wire mesh on a bed of weed fabric on the bottom. This will totally prevent vermin such as moles, gophers, rats etc from digging up through the bed to get to your crop. If you are not bothered with these critters then you can of course miss this step out.

Cover this area with about 2-3 inches of crushed rock for drainage then simply fill in using your pre-mixed compost. Before this however you can line the inside of your timber structure with a polythene barrier. This will prevent the timber soaking in the moisture from the bed, and will help protect against rot.

Planting Out The Bed

This is fairly easy as the raised bed will grow everything that you would normally grow – so take your pick! The main advantages here have already been mentioned, and so the vegetable choice is yours. One of the more obvious things to note however is to make sure that the taller plants are placed to the rear of the bed, if you are growing a range of vegetables. This is more important perhaps than would be the case where you have a large garden area to deal with, and so the crops are set further apart.

A raised bed is a way to grow vegetables effectively in a crowded environment, and so placing according to growth high is perhaps more important.

Summary

As you may have guessed by now – I really do think that the raised bed system is one that is well worth considering, in fact it is difficult to think up any disadvantages of a raised bed. Probably the only one that carries any weight, is simply the effort and expense to set it up in the first place. I do hope however that you are able to see the advantages of such a system, and appreciate that the time and expense needed at the beginning will in fact pay dividends for years to come.

Even if you have a large steading or smallholding, a system of raised beds can still prove to be economically beneficial by increasing the amount of food you can grow and at the same time reduce the man-hours required to grow it.

I trust that you have found this introduction to raised bed gardening to be beneficial and of interest, whether you have a steading to operate or simply want to know more about raised bed gardening in general.

If you have enjoyed this article then a review on Amazon would be very much appreciated. Perhaps also you would like to check out my other publications in this K.I.S.S Quick Bites series.

Canning & Food Preservation

Vermin Control:

Book 2: Growing Organic Vegetables

Introduction

It used to be true that the whole idea of organic gardening, was firmly the lair of the ‘tree huggers’ and environmentalists. So much so in fact, that any self-respecting gardener would give the whole idea the ‘raised eyebrows’ look if the subject was mentioned in polite company!

Thankfully common sense and the credit crunch, along with other ‘austerity measures’; have caused most people to think again when it comes to growing vegetables organically. We are all much more aware for instance of the potential damage we are causing ourselves and our families, by feeding them produce filled with more chemicals than the local drug store! Bread that does not go mouldy-ever! And vegetables that have been irradiated to give them a longer shelf life; the same vegetables that have been pumped with growth enhancers and chemical fertilizers all through the growing season; are just some of the legitimate concerns that are causing sensible people to look again at organic food.

To grow your own totally organic produce, all you need is the inclination, the time and the space (which can be surprisingly small) to do it. The financial commitment also need not be more than you would otherwise spend on chemical fertilizers; indeed it should be considerably less.  So what exactly does it mean to grow your vegetables organically, and does it really make any difference to anything at all? Hopefully these next pages will go some way to introducing you to the benefits both physical and financial, of Organic gardening.

What Exactly Is Organic Gardening?

What it is not

Before answering that question, let me state what it is NOT.

         Organic gardening is not a new concept – It’s been around since the beginning of time. It only seems new to us, because for decades now we have been allowing the  scientists and chemical manufacturers to rob both our brains and our pockets, to lure us into a dependence on modern farming techniques without asking too many questions about sustainability or health costs.

         It is not something that is acceptable only to the ‘new age’ hippies or ‘tree huggers’, and it certainly has no spiritual connotations as some would have you believe.

         It is not prohibitably expensive as some manufacturers would claim; although admittedly it is more expensive to operate on a large scale than traditional farming. However what are the costs to the health system because of the wholesale use of chemicals in the food chain?

         It is not a quick fix to your immediate good health and the health of your family; however it is a step in the right direction.

Ok, this is by no means an exhaustive list, but I think it covers the main points. So now that’s out of the way let’s look at what we mean by ‘Organic gardening’.

What it is

Organic gardening should be considered as just a part of your overall lifestyle, and not just limited to growing your vegetables. This is because the idea incorporates a lifestyle of holistic or environmentally friendly living, that does you and your family the most good with a limited impact on the environment as a  whole. The use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is a ‘no go’ and instead emphasis is placed on bio-diversity and the use of natural products. Does this make it all ‘new agey?’ certainly not; however it does mean that you are more environmentally aware and as such much more in tune with what is happening around you.

As with most concepts or ideas, there are many different levels on which you may participate. For instance not all vegetarians want to become vegans, or many vegetarians will still eat fish or shellfish. It depends on your own convictions just how far down the ‘Organic’ route you want to go in your own lifestyle. As mentioned, growing your own food organically is just one step on the ladder to an overall ‘green’ lifestyle; and there can be many reasons for doing so whether financial or health related. Sometimes a mere conviction to do your bit for the planet, is all that it takes for a plunge into the world of the environmentally aware individual. Whatever the reasons behind the move to grow organic vegetables, the fact is that it is good for you, and the planet, if it is approached sensibly and with some understanding of what you aim to achieve.

As this is only an introduction to organic gardening, I will not attempt to explain in detail all the aspects of an eco-friendly lifestyle – maybe in a later book! There is of course some cross-over between the two as suggested earlier, and I hope to cover that as it comes up. At its foundation, organic growing simply means to grow vegetables (or anything else you fancy), without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides, or indeed anything else that would harm the environment. Remember the vegetarian example? A classic case here is the organic gardener that will still use chemical slug pellets to control slugs – different levels of commitment remember!

Feed The Soil

The fundamental thing that differentiates organic gardening from chemical gardening principles, is that with organic farming you are feeding the soil, which in turn will feed the plants. With chemical fertilizers you are fundamentally feeding the plants directly – bypassing the soil which suffers as a result of the chemicals. This creates a dependence on the use of these chemicals year in year out, as the soil itself is left barren and unproductive due to the lack of feeding. This is why they term organic farming as ‘sustainable’ amongst other things. When you grow vegetables organically and are applying proper methods of fertilizing, rotational growing etc; then the soil is kept healthy and able to grow great crops without the use of any chemicals – now that has to be a result!

Composting

This is something that you must think about long before you need the compost, in most cases a year at least. Your vegetable plot or raised bed (even better), needs compost that is well rotted and crumbly to the feel. If it is still smelly then it is probably not ready for the garden yet. The process of making your own compost is simple enough, as it is basically a load of organic material such as vegetable trimmings, grass cuttings, fallen leaves etc, that are dumped into a bin or wooden framework and left to decompose. That’s the simple answer; however there are certain things that you should not add to a compost heap such as..

         Inorganic material: Plastic and polythene will not break down to form compost. Obvious I know, but it had to be said!

         Pet Poop: Never add dog or cat droppings to the compost heap, as this can add several disease organisms that can turn your compost toxic.

         Fish, fats, meat, bones and dairy: These should not be added as they can just attract vermin, and cause your compost to smell badly.

         Coal ash: timber ash is fine for compost, but coal ash is not as it can add high levels of sulphur to your compost.

         Coloured paper: Coloured paper can contain heavy metals and other toxic materials. These should not be added to your compost.

         Diseased plants: Any diseased or infested plants that you have to lift up should be burned or otherwise disposed of. Do not add to the compost as they will most likely end up back in your garden to repeat the cycle all over again!

Preparing the bed

Preparation for organic farming means multiple things, depending on the nature of the plants being grown. However a uniting fact is that they have to be grown IN something; and that means the growing medium has to be prepared properly, especially if you do not intend to feed with chemical fertilizers!

Once you have a source of good quality compost at your disposal, you can prepare the ground for the plants. Crop rotation must be taken into account at this point also as this is fundamental to organic vegetable growing; but more on that later.

There are many different mixes of compost that will suit certain plants more than others, and this is great if you are specializing in a specific area like growing giant pumpkins! However for the sake of this introductory work, I will presume to say that the growing medium should be a mixture of soil, store bought compost and a goodly mixture of organic fibrous compost – either your own or sourced from elsewhere. If you have a source of well-rotted manure, then this is ideal for crops such as tomatoes, beans, peas, leeks - in fact just about anything, as rotted manure is a great source of nitrogen which every plant needs in different quantities.

The use of green manure, or manure that is not well rotted should be avoided if you are growing plants that lay on the ground like melons, cucumbers, strawberries etc as there may be a danger of contamination from the manure.

Growing your vegetables in a raised bed is ideal for organic gardening, as it is so much easier to control the immediate environment and to be sure of a good mixture for your growing medium. The soil does not get compacted in a raised bed and so enables the plants to soak up the nutrients easier with a better developed root system.

Crop rotation

This aspect of organic gardening is crucial, if you want good crops without having to worry too much about a feeding regime. In days long past crop rotation techniques were a fundamental part of any farmers life, as it was understood that to grow the same crop year in year out in the same field would result in a poor crop after just two years or so. Hence a field would be left fallow for 1 year every five or seven years, to help the ground recover. The entrance of chemical fertilizers done away with this accepted routine and the ground can be sown with the same crop for years on end – it destroys the goodness of the soil, making it sterile and unproductive without the introduction of the chemicals.

Organic gardening seeks to bring back the natural balance of things, and crop rotation is again brought into play to produce excellent quality vegetables with the minimum of fuss. It’s all about feeding the ground, so that in turn the plants can feed of the ground and feed into it. Growing peas and beans for instance (legumes) is great for other plants as they release much needed nitrogen back into the soil through their root systems. When the harvest is in then be sure to use the plants in the compost heap and to leave the roots in the ground to rot until preparing for the next crop.

Vegetables such as onions or leeks should not be grown in the same bed for more than two years in succession, if you are to get the best out of the crop. In fact by following a four year rotation plan, you can grow vegetables in such a way as to need very little in the way of liquid fertilizers; whilst at the same time enjoying the benefits of good healthy vegetables.

Organic fertilizer

Even though you have prepared your compost with all the needed organic material, there is usually still a need to feed the plants during their peak growing times, if you want to get the best crop available; this is where organic fertilizer of some sort is required. There are many kinds of organic fertilizers available to purchase from the stores, however you can also mix your own for next to zero cost. Here are a few examples.

Manure  Tea: This can be made in a large bucket or drum - over 5 gallons is best – simply fill to three-quarters with water and then add the manure from chickens, horses, sheep or even rabbits to the mix. More manure means a stronger mix. Cover with a lid then leave for about a week to mature, then add to the  base of the plants maybe once per week during peak growing times. This should not be added to plants that grow their fruit on the surface such as strawberries, cucumbers and the like. This is to avoid the risk of contamination.

Weed Tea: It is well known that you can add weeds to the compost heap to improve your composting, however these same weeds can be chopped up and added to a water mix in much the same way as the manure tea. This will result in all the nutrients that the weeds have soaked up being released into the water, making a very potent feed for your vegetables. Grass cuttings can also be added to the mix, which should be left for around 3 weeks to mature before use.

Comfrey Tea: Comfrey is well known to make a powerful liquid fertilizer as it is one of the few plants that are rich in vitamin b12, used to stimulate root growth in young plants especially. Mix and use as per the instructions for weed tea.

Seaweed tea: If you stay near the coast or indeed can travel down for a few hours, then seaweed makes a good fertilizer tea, as it is rich in the nitrogen that plants need to thrive. Wash the seaweed thoroughly to remove any salt, then chop up and mix with water as per the previous instructions for the weed tea.

Organic Pest Control

Controlling garden pests using organic methods does require a bit of ‘thinking outside the box’ and forward planning. It has as much to do with prevention or distraction, as with anything else. Again there are organic pest control sprays that you can purchase if necessary, however a good recipe for your own spray is simply to get some insecticidal soap and add about a half cup to one bucket of water. Mix thoroughly and add to your hand sprayer to apply to your plants. This is very effective against aphids, greenfly, blackfly leafhoppers and others. If you cannot get your hands on insecticidal soap, then try good old liquid washing up liquid in an emergency.

Another way of controlling pests, is to use the rotational crop growing method described in the previous chapter. This works by simply not allowing the pests and diseases that would build up in the soil, if you grow the same crops every year in the same place. By changing the growing pattern you also stop the chance of infestation from the same sources.

Deterring slugs:

Slugs can be deterred from getting near your vegetables, by the use of copper tape or even paint. They cannot cross copper as it reacts with their slime, so stopping them in their tracts. Scattering salt around your pots or raised bed can also be a great deterrent, as this acts like acid to slugs – unpleasant but effective. Do let the salt get near your plants though! Slugs can also be collected by sinking a jam-jar into the ground and half filling with beer. This is called a beer trap, and is something that has been used quite effectively for centuries. Slugs love beer and will head for the jar, drowning in the beer. Traps have to be cleaned out regularly though – which is not the most pleasant of jobs admittedly!

Carrot fly:

Carrot fly can be deterred by a mixture of companion planting and creating barriers. By planting garlic or onions around your carrots, you are effectively masking the scent of the carrot from the dreaded carrot fly, which is attracted by the smell from the foliage. Covering the carrots with a fine insect mesh or gardeners fleece can prevent them from gaining entry to the plants. Finally, as the carrot fly is known to be a low flyer then it is possible to keep it away by simply growing your carrots in a raised situation such as a raised bed. Either that or surround your carrots with a two foot high plywood fence to stop the fly.

Aphid control:

As mentioned in the earlier paragraph, aphids can be sprayed with your insecticidal mix or they can be controlled by the introduction of ladybugs if your vegetables are growing in an enclosed situation such as a greenhouse. Ladybugs love to snack on aphids and so are ideal for the purpose of organic pest control.

There is however a downside – if they eat all the aphids, then they will go hungry, and so you cannot effectively get rid of all the aphids as you would hope to do with spraying.

Companion planting with marigolds around your tomato plants for instance is known to be quite effective against green and blackfly, as they hate the strong smell of them apparently.

Cabbage looper:

Again the cabbage looper caterpillar can be treated by spraying with you insecticidal soap mixture. However it is probably easier to cover all your cabbage plants with gardeners fleece. This still lets through the water and about 85% of the suns rays, and so is very effective against any flying moths, butterflies etc.

Summary

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, Organic gardening is more than just throwing some manure on the vegetable patch! However neither should it be overly complicated, and a whole load of hassle. The basics of organic gardening is simplicity itself, and starts just with an awareness that keeping chemicals away from the food chain, and your children’s dinner plates must be a good thing. You may have chosen to ‘go organic’ for any number of reasons, be it economical, physical or environmental; but whatever the reason, the fact is that like all most things it can be employed one step at a time according to how urgent you personally feel the situation is.

There is much more of course can be said about the whole organic lifestyle, however that is not the purpose of this simple article. I trust though that you have found it informative and a good introduction to the world of organic gardening.

If you have enjoyed this book, please recommend it to a friend; or a review on Amazon would be much appreciated. Perhaps also, you would like to check out my other works in the K.I.S.S Quick Bites series mentioned at the beginning of this publication.

Book 3: Raising Chickens

Introduction

It has to be said that if you are not already keeping chickens on your steading – then you are in the minority! A small farm or steading without chickens is a bit like bread without butter or jam; it tastes fine but just lacks something to enhance the flavour. The sight of chickens roaming around the yard is so natural that it just gladdens the heart, so to speak.

Chickens have a very important role to play in the whole ‘sustainable lifestyle’ system that surrounds the steading. Not only do they produce fresh eggs and meat, but they also help recycle your kitchen waste – they will eat just about anything! They provide great manure for the garden vegetables, and they also provide a real living example for the children regarding the importance of animal welfare. They can also make great pets, and are easy to look after with minimal fuss – perhaps only 15 minutes per day to feed and water, and another 15 minutes once a week to clean out the coop.

Chickens are without doubt one of the easiest of the farm animals to keep, and one of the most productive in terms of daily produce. As such there have been innumerable long-winded books written on raising chickens that go into minute detail on the rearing of this humble bird. This publication is not one of them! Nor is it intended to be. In my opinion unless you are intending to become the world’s leading expert on chickens, knowing all the breeds and their habits; then there is no real need for ‘information overload’. In my own view, if you follow these main tips for looking after your birds, then all the rest is surplus to requirements – unless as mentioned, you desire to become an expert in the field of rearing chickens? Most of us however just want to get on with it, and get the eggs on the kitchen table with a minimal of fuss.

When it comes to buying the chickens themselves I always prefer to get point-of-lay pullets. These are birds that are about 3-4 months old and have just started or about to start laying. These tend to be a lot more expensive than getting day-old chicks certainly; but unless you have experience in raising chickens to this point from chicks, the point-of-lay pullets are a much more guaranteed and instant answer to your egg production questions.

With that in mind there-fore here are my top 5 no-nonsense tips for raising happy productive chickens.

1. Choose the proper breed

Before going out to purchase your chickens, you must consider whether you are raising them for eggs, meat or both. This is not hugely important as they will all lay eggs, and they can all be eaten! However if you want to get the best results for either egg or meat production or both, then it is better to start off with the right birds to begin with. Here is a short list of my top 3 chickens in their respective fields.

Chickens for eggs

Buff Orpington:

This is a very popular bird that produces around 250 medium brown eggs per annum. It has a good temperament and can lay most of the year round if kept out of the severe cold. Although kept mainly for the eggs, this bird weighs in at around 7 lbs and so is a good size for the table also.

White Leghorn:

This bird produces up to 300 decent sized white eggs per year, and is one that is favoured by the egg producers, mainly because they prefer white eggs.

Tends to be a bit flighty and nervous around people, and a little light in weight for the table at around 4.5 lbs.

Rhode Island Red:

This again is a very popular bird, easy to rear and very productive when it comes to egg laying, producing up to 300 large brown eggs per year. A hardy bird, it can withstand cold conditions better than most. Still a reasonable size for ‘the pot’ the hen weighs in at around 6.5 lbs.

Chickens for meat

Black Jersey Giants:

This is a huge bird that is raised predominantly for its meat – as you may well imagine! As far as egg laying is concerned it is a late developer taking a little while longer to reach maturity. The average mature weight for the hen is 8 – 10 lbs. They also come as ‘white and blue’ breeds.

White Plymouth Rock:

This is a large bird that is predominantly produced for its meat, but nevertheless can lay around 200 large brown eggs per annum. This bird is known to be very friendly with other pets and children, making it an excellent back-yard choice.

Mature hen weighs in at around 9lb, with a broad back and deep chest and are known for their tender tasty meat.

Dark Cornish Chickens:

These are favoured for their flavour and their full breasts, producing excellent meat. Only laying around 170 eggs per annum, they are preferred for their meat with a mature hen weighing in at around 8 lbs. They do tend to be nervous around people, but make excellent free range birds as they will defend themselves against some predators.

Dual Purpose Chickens

Barred Plymouth Rock:

Like the White Plymouth Rock, this can be a dual purpose bird in that it does produce a decent quantity of eggs, but at the same time is a good plump bird that is ideal for the table. This is a hardy bird that will produce eggs year round and weighs in at around 7 lbs.

New Hampshire:

This is a popular chicken for both table and eggs, producing around 4 eggs per week and weighing in at around 6.5 lbs. Known to be friendly and sociable they are an excellent choice for the backyard or chicken coop.

Delaware:

This is one of the fastest growing heritage breeds and can produce in the region of 200 brown eggs per annum. The hen reaches about 7lbs in weight, thus making it great for the table or for egg laying.

This is obviously not a complete list of the chicken breeds available; however it is enough to get started with. If these breeds are unavailable in your area then I would suggest a call to your local chicken breeders to find out what is available, and also to get their local opinion of the best breeds for your region.

2. Keep Your Chickens Active

OK, so we’re not talking about a keep fit regime here – nevertheless in order for your chickens to be productive they have to be kept active. Chickens are natural scrapers and scavengers, and love nothing better than to be scratching around for food. This makes for a happy chicken, and happy chickens are productive chickens. The simple fact is that if a chicken is not happy for whatever reason, then it will cease to be productive.

The way to keep chickens happy and active is simple – food and water and somewhere to scrape around in. This is all a chicken needs, and as a result you will have productive hens.

You may see an easy example of this in chickens that are over-wintered outside in the cold. Hens for the most part are quite tough creatures and can withstand a whole range of weather conditions, however if you keep chickens outside in the cold winter then they will just stand around unhappy on one leg – and they will not lay.

Take this same bunch of chickens and put them inside a large barn with straw on the ground; scatter some grain amongst the straw and within days your egg production will increase dramatically. Your hens are kept warm, active and happy by scraping around in the straw; and they will reward you with good egg production.

3. Proper Accommodation

In line with the previous chapter, proper accommodation in the form of a chicken coop is essential. This will give your chickens shelter from the weather, as well as protection from predators.

The coop should have sufficient roosting spars for the birds to roost off the ground. This means about 12 inches for each bird on a spar, to enable them to snuggle up for warmth but still allow enough room for ventilation. I usually make the spars from 2x2 inch timber to enable the bird to get a better grip, and if more than two spars are needed one above the other; be sure to offset them so the  lower birds do not get pooped on! The coop should be cleaned out at least once per week to be sure that no germs or disease builds up on dirty spars etc. Also keeping a clean coop will ensure that your eggs do not get contaminated with muck.

Sufficient nest boxes should be provided for the laying hens, approx one box per 3-4 hens is usually sufficient. If not enough boxes are provided you will get a situation where the hens are all fighting to get into the boxes at once – resulting in broken eggs. Another problem is that the hens outside may just lay on the floor, with the same result of broken or mucky eggs.

Make sure that there are enough vents in the coop, particularly if you shut the birds in at night. The coop should of course be watertight and able to withstand the wind without frightening the birds half to death with bumps and rattles etc. A scared bird will easily be put off laying.

Another aspect of a chicken coop is one with a mobile run attached, called a chicken tractor. These are usually quite small to allow for lifting and moving; typically housing 6 or so hens. They are very effective if you want or need to keep your hens protected from predators such as foxes or racoons for instance; and also if you just do not want them wandering all over your flower bed or digging amongst your vegetable patch!

The run is made from timber framework covered with 1” chicken wire, which is in turn attached to the coop itself. Sometimes the wire actually covers the base of the run as well to stop any predators undermining it and getting access to the chickens. I had this unfortunate experience once when I was a lad, and as you can imagine it ended in disaster.

Finally – and this should be obvious – make sure that your birds have access to adequate food and water. There are many automatic feeders on the market today that will keep the food bin supplied for many days; as there are water containers also. This means that there is no real excuse for your birds not having adequate food and water on a regular basis.

4. Inspect Regularly

Your chicken flock must be inspected regularly in order to catch any potential minor problems, before they become major ones. This is done quite simply by watching their behaviour whilst feeding or just scraping around. You will soon get to know your flock, and will become aware if their behaviour is out of the ordinary. There are some general things to look out for though that may indicate problems.

A chicken will soon show you if it is unhealthy or otherwise hindered, by its general demeanour. It may be standing lethargic on one leg, while its friends are scraping around happily. Or perhaps it is clawing itself a lot more than it should. Check the colour of the cheeks and the comb, this will often go very pale if the chicken is in distress.

If anything is suspected then pick up the chicken and inspect for any signs of scaly leg mite or body mites. Some of the more common parasites are listed as follows:

         Chicken lice: Unlike human lice, chicken lice do not feed on blood, but rather on the feathers or shed skin of the bird. This will result in a general down-trodden look for the chicken, with a corresponding drop in egg production. The parasite is easily spotted running around under the feathers, and treatment such as Permethrin, natural pyrethrum, and carbaryl dust are the usual remedies; however a vet may have to be consulted to advise the proper dosage to give.

         Chicken Mites: Unlike the chicken lice, chicken mites can only be seen under a microscope, and are therefore just that bit harder to identify perhaps. However if the above symptoms of poor egg laying, poor feather condition accompanied by excessive clawing persist, and yet there is nothing to be seen; then it is most probably chicken mites. This means that both the chickens and the nest boxes, spars etc have to be treated with a powder such as Permethrin.

         For scaly leg mite, then treating the leg with petroleum jelly will kill the mites and treat the dry skin. The jelly acts by suffocating the mites and killing them. Treating with Linseed oil or mineral oil should have the same effect of killing the mites and allowing the hen to recover without any further damage.

         Fowl Tick: Ticks are very difficult to control especially if you have not spotted the problem soon enough. The symptoms of tick infestation is a general lack of appetite, lethargy and overall weakness in the bird. The best way to find out if it is ticks that are the problem is to go out into the coop several hours after dark and inspect the chicken in the light of a strong torch. The ticks which will have been feeding during these after-dark hours, will become bloated with blood and easily identifiable in the light. If ticks prove to be the problem then the surrounding environment and not the chicken, has to be treated in order to bring the infestation under control. Visit  your local vet and get advice on appropriate treatment; alternatively many chicken keepers swear by Jeyes fluid to kill lice and ticks of all kinds. It’s certainly worth a try at least.

Sicknesses such as Avian Pox or bird flu can also cause a lot of the above symptoms amongst your chickens, and a corresponding loss of egg production. If you have inspected your sick bird and it is showing no signs of the above mite and tick infestation, then a trip to the vet is advisable to get a proper diagnosis and treatment of any disease or virus it may prove to be.

5. Protection

Chickens are very vulnerable to predators of many types, and you can be sure that we are not the only ones that like a little chicken in our diet! Depending on their stage in life, chickens (or their eggs) are open to the predations of foxes, racoons, snakes, rats, weasels, stoats, mink, etc etc. The list goes on and on. It is your duty as carer there-fore to keep them safe from these critters, if only to protect your investment and future egg production.

If you are fortunate enough not to be troubled with any of these or other chicken predators, then that is great. However for most of us, keeping chicken on a free-range basis, means that there is going to be trouble with critters of some sort or other. The chicken tractor method is very good for chicken security and generally will keep the predators away, especially if you keep the chicken wire across the bottom of the run as well.

If you are free range, then the only ideal solution is to completely enclose the area with a wire fence made with 1 inch mash and supports. This may have to be a minimum 4 foot high and topped with an electric fence to prevent foxes which can easily top a six foot fire fence in order to get to your chickens. The mesh should be sunk into the ground just like a rabbit fence for about 6 inches at least.

Vermin have to be kept under control, especially rats. These will attack your young chicks and spread disease, as well as contaminate your feedstuff.

To keep vermin-free then cleanliness is essential, meaning that your feedstuff especially must be kept in tough containers with a secure lid in place. One pair of rats can multiply to several hundred in the year if conditions are suitable – i.e. food, water and a cosy place to stay!

Summary

It was mentioned at the start that chickens will eat almost any kitchen scraps that you have available, and this is true. In fact about the only thing they won’t/can’t eat is bones! There are many chicken feed pellets on the market that should form the staple diet however, as these have all the necessary nutrients needed for a healthy chicken, especially if they are kept inside and cannot browse in order to get the needed grit etc. One thing never to feed your chickens is raw eggs; cooked is fine and they will eat them with relish. However if a chicken gets in the habit of eating raw egg then it will soon resort to breaking and eating the eggs in the nest boxes – this is a very difficult habit to stop. Sometimes the only solution is a chicken dinner – if you get my drift!

Any eggs that get broken in the chicken run or boxes should be cleaned up and removed immediately to prevent them getting a taste for the raw egg.

Another problem can arise if a chicken gets a wound that results in a spot of blood. This is where chickens can have a cannibalistic nature and will peck this wound mercilessly until the minor wound turns into a major one. Remove the injured bird immediately and only return to the flock when the wound has healed up.

These are the basic requirements to get you started on the right track to keeping chickens, and many other types of fowl for that matter. Is there more to learn? Sure there is, however this will enable you to ‘get the show on the road’, everything else can easily be picked up as you go along. The learning never ceases, but sometimes the easiest way to learn anything is to ‘just do it’. There is no substitute for real life experience.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Book 1: Raised Bed Gardening

Introduction

Raised Bed Advantages

Building A Raised Bed

Choosing The Location

Raised Bed Layout

Infilling The Bed

Planting Out The Bed

Summary

Book 2: Growing Organic Vegetables

Introduction

What Exactly Is Organic Gardening? What it is not

What it is

Feed The Soil

Composting

Preparing the bed

Crop rotation

Organic fertilizer

Organic Pest Control

Deterring slugs:

Summary

Book 3: Raising Chickens

Introduction

1. Choose the proper breed

2. Keep Your Chickens Active

3. Proper Accommodation

4. Inspect Regularly

5. Protection

Summary