Here is a repost of my previous articles pertaining to ‘going green’:
Banning the Bockers
A quick start guide to chickens, culminating the knowledge of 2 years of chicken keeping.
Good Clean Fun
Information about chemicals to avoid and some to get to know.
Rainy Review of Rain Barrels
A bit of information getting one started on collecting rain water for use on the lawn or garden.
And get more for your money while you’re at it.
This week, I will focus on tasks that are mutually beneficial for both Mother Earth and the consumer (aka you). If stretching the dollar a little further peaks your interest, read on.
This week’s topics include:
Conscientious Clothes
Making your laundry process green.
Dirty Cleaners
Household chemicals to ditch and why.
Gardening
The relations you can have with Mother Earth.
Composting
Making trash into your garden’s treasure.
Cooking
How making your own food will cut the grocery bill (and additives).
Rain Barrels
The appropriate use of rain barrels.
Energize!
Collecting the Sun’s energy and using it for good.
Getting Canned
Canning your harvest for winter use.
The Bockers
Simple, quick start guide to chicken raising.
Space Invaders
How to get the most out of your spaces outside.
This post is from a draft at least 6 weeks old, but good information. Sorry it won’t help much for this year, but there is always next.
Okay, for those of you who are in the dark, let me explain. Poor Chris has heard me babble on about something with “Pete” and “dirt in a flat” and germination percentages for the past few weeks. I talked about doing an experiment, and I did it! I planted a broad variety of seeds:
Cucumbers
Chicago Pickling
Straight Eight
Melons
Cantelope
Moon & Stars
Musk
Sugar Baby
Yellow Doll
Okra
Pepper
Banana
Bell
Squash
Acorn
Sunshine
Zucchini
In the peat pellets, 50% or less germinated, then failed less than a week later. The tomatoes were the only ones to 100% stick around. In the soilless mix, 83% or more of my plants germinated and lived.
For more information about starting seeds, check out this video from Organic Gardening.
Sci-Fi movies are always better the second time for me. The first time, I’m wrapped in the special effects and cimematography. The second time, I get to appreciate the story and the actor’s depiction of the characters. There are also the subtleties.
Today, Chris and I went to see Star Trek – for me, it was the second time. I noticed several interesting things, perhaps not intentional in the writing, but our generational character attributes to much of our being.
Out with the old, and in with the new
Once on the Enterprise, the young cadets took over for the older officers one by one. Each letting their talents and knowledge manifest in front of the elders. This to me spoke clearly as I see this struggle of young professionals, who are well trained in their career, to gain respect of the elders, who possess seniority. There is typically a power struggle involved; however, in this instance, there was not – not with Uhura. Not with Chekov. Not with Scottie. Not with Kirk, except a power struggle with those of his own age group/experience level.
Intergalactic Relations
The depiction of interracial relationships is much more prevalent and accepted in this Star Trek film. First Spock’s parents, then the sexual interaction with Kirk and Uhura’s roommate, and then Spock and Uhura. The only relationships we see in this film that are not of mixed origins are Kirk’s parents and the relationship with Nero and his Romulan wife. Both of these “traditional” relationships were in the past (25 years before present time) and Spock’s parents’ relationship was the only non-traditional relationship set in the past.
On Thursday evening, in a very empty theater, I heard one woman say to her husband, “He just kissed a black girl!”, in response to Spock and Uhura kissing in the elevator. (fyi, not all people with “tinted” skin are ‘black’, as in the actress who plays Uhura is not African American) Today, in a much denser theater, I didn’t hear a whisper – mind you, I live in a former “southern state”. Caring about color should be much behind us. It is amazing that the Civil War occurred nearly 150 years ago and we, united as a nation, cannot seem to accept African Americans as part of our community.
Besides looking at the film as a social commentary, I did thoroughly enjoy the film both times and would recommend to anyone to see it a second time to appreciate the cinematography and character development.
I fail to comprehend somethings. These things make up much of the world, and am told, many are just a result of human nature. This still does not add up with me.
I don’t understand why anyone would want to cause harm to another individual, or do something against the law or morals of ‘typical’ human beings, even indirectly harming, as one could foresee the consequence (anyone else understand foresee-ability? It holds in court, and should have merit in real life).
I have a strong set of morals. Stronger and stricter than most. Many things shock me, even though I know they shouldn’t. At twenty-six, not much in this world should shock me. I should be out of my wide-eyed, bushy-tailed bubble. But I’m not. Every single time something happens against my moral code, it shocks, appauls, and deeply saddens me. Why did someone make this choice? We’re only human, but that excuse only runs so deep, especially when the result impacts someone, another being.
This post is a result of my moral code conflicting with the very recent drunk driving accident involving Angels pitcher, Nick Adenhart. It isn’t the fact that he was someone famous; it is the fact that three people died and one is seriously injured because someone decided to drink much past their capacity. It is stories like this in the news that bring to light how many innocent people die in drunk driving crashes each year. I don’t understand why someone would drink, then drive. Obviously not one to think about others.
Why drive drunk? Why steal? Why rape? Lie? Kidnap? Abuse? Drink? Get high? Neglect? Cheat? Etc. So, what is it that makes people do these things? Before my education, I knew these things were wrong. So, what makes me so different from everyone else who commits these horrid crimes? What is it that can be done?
I don’t believe so much in ‘justice’. There is no justice that can be done for taking another person’s life. And who is to say when justice has been served? Is that person reformed? Is this reason why they do these things ingrained in their moral being?
Apparently I missed Metropolitan Sewer District’s rain barrel sale! They published one article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about it. On the phone today, I asked a MSD representative if the rain barrel program would run again, and she said she isn’t sure as nothing had come down from home office yet. She said, however, if they do they will advertise it better this time around on bills and in the various newspapers.
Man! I am not even a MSD customer and I have to pay $5.32 per month for my property’s impervious land’s water runoff and I don’t even get a chance to buy a rain barrel to stop such ‘runoff’. MSD and I have argued about such ‘runoff’ before because there isn’t a rain sewer within 2 miles of my home. The representative on that day told me it also covers the streets I drive on, as those have runoff. What about apartment dwellers that use streets then?! Their arguements are weak. They just want to tax someone.
If MSD doesn’t get around to offering more rain barrels, consider making your own. You could even do something fun with your downspout if you use a rain barrel.
When I purchased my chicks in 2007, I knew next to nothing about chicken raising in real life. All of my knowledge was derived from books, MyPetChicken.com, and BackyardChickens.com. Of course, all of these are ‘pro-chicken’ resources, but they also told me about diseases, care, costs and housing requirements. I learned a lot in my first year and now I’m not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but experience and knowledge are key in making valid arguments.
Some good tips for keeping your chickens, the neighbors, and city officials, at bay:
Building Design
Design something that is multipurpose. Consider if chicken raising isn’t for you, can the building make a good shed or potting house? Build something that is asthetically pleasing. Choose paint colors that match the house, or follow the trends in English gardens recently and paint all the outbuildings one color (i.e. coop and shed match). I built my coop out of some recycled materials, but I decided to choose wisely. The exterior of the building shouldn’t be ramshackle.
Decide on a good size. How many chickens do you want to keep? What will provide them with good ventilation? As chicken droppings break down, they form ammonia. Litter that stays moist can also harbor illness (coccidia for one) and cause respiratory aggravation. Recommended space, design and other tips can be found here from Virginia Tech.
Work in easy numbers – like 8′ ceiling, or 4′ if you’re doing a small chicken hut – this way you can maximize use of purchased 2x4s and not have a lot of falloff. See here for some good designs – some are more suburban friendly than others. Le Poulet Chalet was even featured on HGTV for its design. Here is even a chicken ark plan from our beloved Marley & Me author, John Grogan.
Pen Design
Pens should be secure, durable and attractive. Chicken wire with staples to wooden beams can easily be rammed by a stray dog or other chicken chasing wild animal. I chose a 10x10x6 chainlink dog kennel kit and bought an additional 12′ panel for a little under $200 at the farm supply. My coop is 12′ long, so I put two 10′ panels on each side with a 12′ panel on the end being sure to attach the panels to the coop with bolts! I also had to use something to accommodate the slope of the land, so I chose attractive landscape blocks to level the ground for each panel to step down.
Landscaping around the pen will help cut noise and block them from neighbors’ sight, if that is an issue. It also could help cut the wind and provide shade for the chickens during the various seasons. Pampas grasses are great natural shields. They grow 8 – 10′ high, are perennial, but they must be divided annually to avoid taking over your lawn.
Many of you may choose to free range your flock, which is great, but consider several pros to having a pen:
Less flock loss
They won’t get in the street
Some birds roost in trees if let out
They don’t eat your garden, or your neighbors’
You will have less chicken ‘do’ on your yard, deck, driveway, etc.
The Bockers
Choosing the right birds is key. You want birds that are friendly, bare confinement well and aren’t flighty. I haven’t had many birds go broody (want to hatch eggs), even if they were listed to be broody. Try MyPetChicken.com’s breed selector tool. Want both standard breeds and bantams? Stick with either one or the other, I have found. The bantams get picked on by bigger birds, lay smaller eggs and are easier for hawks and other aerial predators to carry away.
Do not get guineas, peafowl or roosters for your flock. Those are all very noisy birds. Roosters don’t just crow in the morning, they crow at 2 a.m., 12 p.m., 7:14 p.m. and so forth. Chris and I have often woken up to Joe’s crowing at 3 a.m. Roosters can also be aggressive. My rooster of 2007 spurred me and cut me through my jeans. If that had been my daughter, it would have been her face. I got rid of him promptly that evening.
Against Arguments
They smell – sure, anything can though if you don’t pick up properly after it. I change the litter every few months.
They’re noisy – much less than a dog or some playing children.
They carry diseases – not many that are zootonic. And no, the avian flu isn’t in any backyard flocks I know of.
They’re undesirable – to whom? I loathe yappy dogs, but it isn’t my property nor my choice regarding the neighbor’s pooch.
Decrease property value – my nice little coop actually raised my property value. Keeping it nice is the key though.
Why is this such an issue? Is it right for someone else to tell someone what they can do with their property? If someone doesn’t like my chickens, what keeps me from saying I don’t like their shed or deck? Or their obnoxious barking dog? Their fence that needs painting? If chickens are kept clean in neat housing, they are not a problem to anyone. I cannot even hear my hens bocking (the “I laid an egg” community celebration) with my windows closed. I can barely hear them if I have my windows open and theirs closed. Besides, my neighbors love my chickens. They enjoy watching them put around the yard, and theirs too (although I discourage them from such). One neighbor even tosses out scraps for them.
Recent Articles about Chickens in St. Louis County
Chickens vs. property values (By the way, Merryl, quoted in the article, hosts wonderful cheese making classes!)
Council amends “chicken law” to smooth ruffled feathers (Previous article about Chesterfield chickens, and another)
If you have more questions, please feel free to leave comments.
Chris said I should blog more about what I’m doing, so here I am. Blogging about what I am doing.
Raking in the Green
Something that is very dear to me is gardening. It is something my mom did and I grew up enjoying. But it is not just about the hobby. I enjoy creating something meaningful for my family – something that is better than the grocery store, not just in quality, but in flavor as well.
Last summer, our garden began. We had unseasonably cold weather last spring, but I started plants indoors to circumvent late crops. I also bought some fruit trees: an apple, a peach, a nectarine, a plum and a cherry. I later bought some goji seeds. And then my mom bought some dwarf banana seeds and gave me some gooseberry bushes. And I then bought 5 grapes, 4 blueberries, 2 blackberries and some much needed fencing. My intention with all these permanent additions to the landscape is to create a useful landscape.
Now, this year, I have my plants started – and after only starting them on the 8th of March, they are nearly all sprouted and some are ready to transplant already – and my plant order placed. I started cucumbers, kale, lettuce, spinach, celery, melons (Amish muskmelon, Moon & Stars, Sugar Baby and Yellow Doll watermelons), squash (acorn, butternut, and sunshine, zucchini), ground cherry, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, peppers (bell, banana and jalepeno), and tomatoes (cherry, pear, beefsteak, roma). I still have my 6 raspberry plants, 75 strawberry plants, 2 pawpaw trees and 4 liberty apple trees on order. To some of you, I know you are thinking, “That’s all so expensive!” It’s not really. I only used 2 – 4 seeds out of most packets and the fruit plants, bushes and trees will be staples in our landscape for years to come! I can refridgerate or freeze the seeds I have to make them last a little bit longer. The final thought – it is much cheaper to produce your own organic foods than it is to purchase the foods from the market. You can’t purchase this quality this cheaply at any store. Besides, this meal does not travel 1500 miles from farm to table. This one only travels 100 feet from the furthest point.
Another thing to note above. I provided links to the seeds I bought, if they were available online. Buying heirloom varieties is one way to ensure you can get the quality and reuse seed from the fruits you grow – dry the seeds on a paper towel and you may never put a seed order in again! Go to the Seed Savers Exchange for more heirloom seeds. Also, look for plants that perform well in your area. Consider what the plant wants – soil pH, sun, soil consistency, nutrients, sensitivity to wind, frost, water requirements, etc.
Even do what I am trying this year and plant in groups. This works because your garden plants can be tiered (corn in the middle with a tomato at the base and a pepper in the front and some pansies at the bottom), pairing certain plants can ward off diseases or help with pollination, and your garden looks more interesting. Something to consider as well is cycling the plants to different locations in the garden to make sure soil nutrients are not depleted and diseases do not build up in the soil. Only plant the same type of plant in the same location every three years – no less!
The Bockers
Two years ago on Memorial Day, I bought my first chicks. Six young pullets were then housed in the brooder cage my mom, dad and I built over the weekend with recycled materials and 1/4″ hardware cloth. There they stayed until the coop deluxe was completed the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Sure, we lost a few – more like a lot. The winter of 2007 we lost eleven to various predators. We only had 3 hens left come springtime. The summer of 2008, we replenished our hens with chicks and finally started getting eggs in October.
Now we have 5 hens, including 2 Buff Orpingtons, a White Plymoth Rock, a Rhode Island Red, and 1 grouchy Wheaton Ameraucana. We also have 5 pullets just about to lay, including 2 Black Stars (Sex Links), 2 Barred Plymouth Rocks and 1 Rhode Island Red. And, with the chicks bringing up the rear, I have some Welsummers incubating in the basement that should hatch a week from tomorrow! I will only keep a few of the Welsummers though, as I do not want to have more than 15 chickens, otherwise, I will have to expand my run.
The recommended minimum square feet per bird is 2 in the coop and 8 of outdoor space. My 7’x10′ coop and 12’x20′ run, could accomodate 30 chickens, but they’re much happier with larger accomodations! I am even thinking about buying another kennel panel kit to expand the run from 240 square feet to 640 square feet. With so many predators and stray dogs around, I just cannot stomach letting my flock free range any longer.
Doggone Dogs
Speaking of strays, several friends, Chris and I are forming a rescue group. We will focus on kill shelters in St. Louis and in surrounding counties. Any donations are greatly appreciated. Our wishlist includes pet food, crates, old blankets and towels, collars, leashes and volunteers! Chris is doing the website, but it is not ready to yet be unveiled. It’s still in the Frankenstein stages, mostly because I need to add content, but, nevertheless I will post when it is ALIVE!
It is day 22 at the Koerner house for the Welsummer hatch. Only 2 chicks have popped out. One I am gradually helping throughout the night. My hatch rate is 80% with eggs from my friend Kelly (if you would like hatching eggs, let me know – I’ll send you to Kelly!). This is horrible! My hatch rate for these guys is only 18%. Fertility was only 24%, so hatch of fertile eggs was 75%. Mind you, if we’re going that route, my hatches from Kelly have been in the 90% counting out the infertile eggs.
I was so excited for these chicks, not as excited hatching barnyard mixes as one never knows what is inside, but still excited nonetheless. I bought these from a breeder and anticipated great results. This happened last time as well when I bought from a breeder. Perhaps it is just that things shouldn’t be pure. Genetic differences in the gene pool are wonderful, biologically speaking. I think from now on I will stick with the barnyard mixes from Kelly or the standard chickens from the feed store.
Wouldn’t you like to see a perfect world full of happiness, soft green grass on your feet and no worries? Unfortunately, that isn’t so for us humans, but wouldn’t you like to give that to others? Particularly man’s best friend? By participating in Bark in the Park to benefit the Dr. Doolittle Fund, you can!
Bark in the Park is an annual event held by the Humane Society of Missouri in Forest Park at Cricket Field. The donations from the event go directly to helping homeless pets get necessary vet care through the Dr. Doolittle Fund. These pets, once healthy enough, go into loving adoptive families to live a pampered life. This is only possible with the help of donors!
Bark in the Park is great! Whether you have a pooch or not, it is still fun to enjoy a benefit walk through Forest Park or puruse the country fair. This year’s event will be on May 16 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The walk is at 11 a.m. and is one mile.
I would like everyone who comes across this to walk with my Bark in the Park team. Join up with the Mommas and the Puppas! And pass along http://member.hsmo.org/goto/MommasandPuppas to your friends! If you can’t make it to the event, please donate online on our site! Our goal as a team is $2500!
