Hello from west Texas

[HornyToadAcres]

Making the rounds - just joined BYH and trying to get back into BYC.

We are going deeper into raising/growing our own food
as well as sharing/selling the extra.

We have had chickens. I just added meat rabbits.
And planted bamboo.

Gardening in a challenge in the high desert of west Texas.
Everything gets micro irrigated!

~Karen

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Welcome. You are not the only texan here.

 

[farmerjan]

Vermont state bird is the mosquito..... really, I thought that VT had a lock on the mosquito as the state bird.... They do grow them big up north....!!!!! HA HA.
Hated the black flies.... don't have them here in Va....Had the deer flies in CT.... they were wicked. Have some here but not real bad. Horn flies and stable flies here for 6-8 months.... drive the animals nuts.
Had some pretty good soil in CT... lots of fieldstone for stone walls and such, but not bad in between for growing garden.
Have alot of rock/ledge here in western Va between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mts.... soil can be thin but will grow pretty good gardens. Lots of animal manures/poultry litter here... some clay in some parts of the state.... used to make alot of bricks here in Va....
We have 4 pretty nice seasons here in the western part. Winter is shorter than some areas, but we have had 2 snows that last 2 weeks.... 4-6 inches each time; spring seems to be short going right into summer lately.... summers here on this side of the Blue Ridge 10+ degrees lower than the eastern part and not near as humid. Fall is pretty...
Like the overall weather/temps....

 

[farmerjan]

I'm also pretty much a"newbie" here on SS, but been on BYH for awhile. Went on BYC a few times, but after having purebred show chickens for 50 years, and raising free range layers and lots of ccx broilers a year, decided that it was too much more for smaller pet type flocks..... mine have to pay their way at the least.... make some money or contribute to the freezer big time at best.... and since we farm "full-time" as well as both my DS and I work full-time jobs....(although mine is slowly fading away as more dairies sell out or owners retire from milking); decided I liked the more practical group on BYH . It's a pretty great group on there. I like SS because I have gotten some insight into others doing more things to be independently self sufficient. I like hearing about the different areas of the country too.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Here: minges (aka no-see-um's), mosquitoes, black flies, deer flies, horse flies, moose flies, stable flies, and of course ticks. Lyme disease is a huge threat, and can be lethal, or result in life long debility. No chiggers. It is fun to hear what other's have in their areas!

 

[Hinotori]

My large fowl chickens lay, but there are some that are pets. The old hens are smart and have passed on their knowledge. The head hen was 9.5 when she died in her sleep last fall. She'd begun sharing her duties the year before with her protégé who followed her as a minion since she was a teenager. There was no strife between them and the head hen never allowed excessive bullying. Made for a calm flock when new members were introduced.

The silkie genes crossed with ameraucana and easter egger have made for smaller broodier birds, but they have become fantastic foragers and are good layers.

The half silkie rooster escaped the stew pot last year because he's the most paranoid bugger I've met. He takes his guard duty seriously and will actually stand off from where the hens are hiding and watch the hawks. He does not even hint at threatening people, but the cat has gotten a face full of claws. Stupid cat thinks it's funny to ambush the hens to see them freak out.

 

[HornyToadAcres]

Welcome. You are not the only texan here.

HAHAHA I hope not! I have never been to Maine. I did live in Wisconsin for a few years though and oddly enough, did some of my best gardening there even though the growing season is short.

 

[Marie2020]

Hello from UK

Good to meet you here

 

[wyoDreamer]

Yes, Wisconsin is a great area for growing gardens and livestock.

Welcome to Sufficient Self

 

[baymule]

Glad you made it over here! Lots of good information on living the good life here!