Hullo from a newbie in the UK

[CrealCritter]

Hi all,

I just joined. I have been trying (not necessarily succeeding) to grow vegetables and sustain our family of 5 as much as possible from my little garden. Any tips/links etc would be grateful. I am not an expert in much, but I am quite good at planning and preserving. I have a dehydrator and 2 big freezers. 8 raised beds provide potatoes, onions, spinach, broccoli, courgettes, carrots and more. My greenhouse if full of peppers and chillies.

I am hatching chicken eggs - so there's another little bit of help in reducing waste and getting eggs

I have never been successful in saving my own seeds, so that's where I am starting. Nice to meet you!

Becky

Welcome Becky, a good start to seed saving is to grow true heritage/open pollinated veggies. Hybrids may replicate from seed but often not. GMO steer clear they won't replicate. If they do you might grow a pig or something. <--- ever heard of cabbage patch kids?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Hi! Welcome from Texas - glad to have you here!

 

[baymule]

Welcome from another Texan, glad to have you join us!

 

[Chic Rustler]

Hi all,

I just joined. I have been trying (not necessarily succeeding) to grow vegetables and sustain our family of 5 as much as possible from my little garden. Any tips/links etc would be grateful. I am not an expert in much, but I am quite good at planning and preserving. I have a dehydrator and 2 big freezers. 8 raised beds provide potatoes, onions, spinach, broccoli, courgettes, carrots and more. My greenhouse if full of peppers and chillies.

I am hatching chicken eggs - so there's another little bit of help in reducing waste and getting eggs

I have never been successful in saving my own seeds, so that's where I am starting. Nice to meet you!

Becky

hello and welcome from Texas! lots of great advise here

 

[Insufficient]

May you have silkies that don't go broody 4 times a year. I love mine but that can be annoying.

Did you get large fowl or bantam silkies? I know the ones over there are different than the ones we have here. Ours fall in between on size.

They should be bantam size according to the breeder. The hatching eggs vary in weight though - the smallest being 28g and the largest 48g. I am still a newbie (I have read everything possible about chickens but never actually owned them) so I am not sure if egg weight actually indicates size of chicken at adult bird. I am so excited about meeting them a week today (we are on day 14/21 today) 🐣

How do you deal with broodiness with yours? I was thinking of occasionally letting them hatch a clutch, but that's not a sustainable solution long term 😅

 

[Hinotori]

May you have silkies that don't go broody 4 times a year. I love mine but that can be annoying.

Did you get large fowl or bantam silkies? I know the ones over there are different than the ones we have here. Ours fall in between on size.

 

[Hinotori]

I have 32 silkie hens. I just let them sit through it. 6 of them are broody right now.

 

[baymule]

Broody hens will raise meat for your family.