Rebecka
Lovin' The Homestead
No, seriously. 
We started talking about this back in the spring and we are finally getting around to it. When we first started talking about it, we were in the midst of tilling, planting, doing all the start up stuff for the bees and trying to figure out what we were going to do with the 125 chicks. I finally have time to sit down and do some research on this only to find.. its not brain surgery !
Here is what we have.. We have two of those big heavy black tool boxes that go in the backs of trucks. We don't have a truck that fits them. We will drill a hole in each to fit a lever tap. Elevate on PVC frames so they sit at a slight angle. Fill with peat moss, coffee grounds, veggie only kitchen scraps and add a bunch of water. Let sit overnight and check the moister. Tap off any excess and add worms We live in northern Indiana, so we are going to surround the outside of the boxes with insulation and likely a few hay bales that are in my way all the darned time, once it gets cold.
Okay, here is where it gets complicated. Care and feeding. Throw the kitchen scraps in the box, close the lid, tap off the 'worm tea' and dump it on the garlic bed on the way back to the house. Sounds tough huh?
Every 60-90 days they will double their population. When the bedding looks like something I am just dying to put on my garden... its time to change it. That will be a matter of shoveling out the worms and bedding. Filling with peat moss that has presoaked in water over night adding back a bunch of worms and making some chickens REALLY happy.
We are doing this for 4 reasons.
1: I can't free range my chickens because we live on a straight stretch of county road. Its just not safe for them. While they have an excessively huge yard and do get a fair amount of bugs. I was worried about proteins for them during the winter.
2: Perfect, beautiful , 100% organic fertilizer ( worm tea )
3: Perfect, beautiful , 100% organic garden soil.
4: I just can't stop putting more irons in the fire I am telling you, its like some sort of sick compulsion ! 
We started talking about this back in the spring and we are finally getting around to it. When we first started talking about it, we were in the midst of tilling, planting, doing all the start up stuff for the bees and trying to figure out what we were going to do with the 125 chicks. I finally have time to sit down and do some research on this only to find.. its not brain surgery !Here is what we have.. We have two of those big heavy black tool boxes that go in the backs of trucks. We don't have a truck that fits them. We will drill a hole in each to fit a lever tap. Elevate on PVC frames so they sit at a slight angle. Fill with peat moss, coffee grounds, veggie only kitchen scraps and add a bunch of water. Let sit overnight and check the moister. Tap off any excess and add worms
We live in northern Indiana, so we are going to surround the outside of the boxes with insulation and likely a few hay bales that are in my way all the darned time, once it gets cold. Okay, here is where it gets complicated. Care and feeding. Throw the kitchen scraps in the box, close the lid, tap off the 'worm tea' and dump it on the garlic bed on the way back to the house. Sounds tough huh?
Every 60-90 days they will double their population. When the bedding looks like something I am just dying to put on my garden... its time to change it. That will be a matter of shoveling out the worms and bedding. Filling with peat moss that has presoaked in water over night adding back a bunch of worms and making some chickens REALLY happy.
We are doing this for 4 reasons.
1: I can't free range my chickens because we live on a straight stretch of county road. Its just not safe for them. While they have an excessively huge yard and do get a fair amount of bugs. I was worried about proteins for them during the winter.
2: Perfect, beautiful , 100% organic fertilizer ( worm tea )
3: Perfect, beautiful , 100% organic garden soil.
4: I just can't stop putting more irons in the fire
I am telling you, its like some sort of sick compulsion ! 
