You have finally understood how an organic garden could save you money on groceries. The timing is perfect, and it is time for you to begin. These tips will help you start an organic garden.
One way to help your organic garden thrive is to leave an undeveloped area that is conducive to the wildlife around your area. You will find that many of the supporting cast of insects and birds that aid in plant production and pollination will be present on your land and actually help your developed gardens to produce better.
Include your children in your efforts to organic gardening. Growing a garden is a great way to teach your children about nature while allowing you to have time to bond with them.
If you are planning to grow plants within the house, the temperature should be maintained between 65 and 75 degrees within the daylight hours. Young plants need a temperature within that specific range to grow. If there are times during the year when you would prefer not to have the temperature that high, another solution you can utilize is to purchase heat lamps for your organic plants.
Ward off certain diseases that plague plants with the use of aspirin. Dissolve aspirin (1.5 pills per 2 gallons of water) in a bucket and administer to your plants. Spray the plants with the aspirin solution to help your plants fight disease. Try to apply the mixture to the plants at least once in each three week period.
If you choose to use organic methods to care for your houseplants, you should bear in mind that certain plants require more sunlight than others. If your dwelling does not enjoy a great deal of natural sunlight, it makes sense to grow only those varieties meant to thrive in such environments. If your plants still need more light, there are always artificial light sources that you can use.
If you have plants inside, make sure the thermostat stays between 65 and 75 degrees. This is the optimum temperature to ensure strong growth. If you wish to keep your house cooler than that, you may want to use a heat lamp just for the plants.
You’ll save time and energy if you keep tools nearby while working in your garden. You should use a large pail and wear sturdy pants that have several pockets. Keep gloves, small pruning shears, a trowel and any other tools handy in order to increase the quickness of the work that goes into your garden.
Have all of your tools available to you as you garden to increase efficiency. Large pockets or a sturdy bucket can be used to store tools. You should always have your gloves, pruning shears and a trowel close to you.
Coffee grounds are good for your soil. Coffee grounds add many nitrogenous nutrients to the soil that will benefit your plants. Generally, nitrogen is the limiting nutrient with any plant and having a good nitrogen source either by coffee grounds, compost, or even diluted urea, will make your plants bloom faster and grow taller.
After your seeds sprout, the containers do not need to stay as warm as they once did. Your seedlings should be moved away from any heat source. You must also take away plastic films from your containers in order to keep the warmth and humidity out. Watch your seeds closely to know how to go about this.
Procrastination leads to problems in a variety of areas, including organic gardening. Even doing just a few small things each day can keep chores from piling up and eventually becoming unmanageable. This will save you a lot of time in the long run. Try pulling a few weeds from the garden while your dogs are out doing their business.
Laundry Basket
When it’s harvest time, you should utilize a basket that you put laundry in to carry your veggies. A benefit of using something like a laundry basket is that it can strain for you, as well as hold a large amount of produce. Rinse off your produce while it’s in the laundry basket, and any excess water will be strained out through the basket’s holes.
Use an old laundry basket to bring your fresh produce in from the garden. A benefit of using something like a laundry basket is that it can strain for you, as well as hold a large amount of produce. You can clean and rinse the harvest when it is the laundry basket and the water will go out of the holes.
Creating a trap with beer can help reduce the number of slugs in your garden. Start by burying a wide-mouth jar in the soil, ensuring that the rim of the jar is just at the soil’s surface. Pour beer into the jar until it’s almost full. Leave an inch of space between the beer and the jar top. The beer helps attract slugs and they end up trapped.
A useful technique for organic gardening, is to gently disturb your seedlings by using your fingers or a piece of cardboard one or two times daily. This may sound strange, but research has proven that doing this will help your plants grow bigger than if they were not petted at all.
A raised bed can be built with untreated wood, brick or stone. Be sure that any wood you use isn’t chemically treated, and will be able to resist rot naturally. The best varieties include cedar, locust and cypress wood. Don’t use treated wood in a garden for vegetables because the chemicals contained in them can leak into the ground. If you have to use treated wood, you should line it with a bit of plastic to create a barrier.
Use a beer trap to capture slugs and stop them from eating your plants. Bury a single glass jar with the open mouth level with your soil in the garden. Fill the jar with beer about an inch lower than the top. Beer attracts slugs and then they’ll get stuck in the jar.
If you sell your crops and label them organic, you should get an organic garden certified seal. This can increase your sales and also prove to your customers that they are getting the best produce out there.
Mulch your garden to keep the soil nourished. Mulch can help protect your soil. On hot, dry days, mulch keeps the dirt underneath cool and moist. This protects and nourishes plant roots. Since it decreases the rate at which moisture evaporates, the soil also stays more moist. It can also help alleviate any weed issues.
When you start planting your organic tomatoes, stagger your planting time by planting two groups of plants, three weeks apart. The reason for this is because it helps to prevent the entire harvest from producing all at once. While ruin in one harvest can be an issue, having multiple harvests to look forward to can alleviate some of the issue.
Organic Garden
You need to mulch your flowerbed and garden using at least 3 inches worth of organic material. Doing this will nourish the soil in your garden and improve its ability to retain moisture. It will also prevent weeds from growing, which will make your garden look neater and more attractive.
Hopefully these tips have helped to prepare you for having an organic garden. With the knowledge you have, you should be ready for anything! The advice you have received should get you well on your way to growing a lovely and productive organic garden.
Find out as much as possible about your different options if you need to use a product on your plants. Instead of fertilizers with caustic ingredients and potentially harmful chemicals, opt for all-natural or organically grown products. If you haven’t already tried it, consider making your own compost. Benefits of using organic methods, as opposed to inorganic methods include, less use of toxic chemical buildups in drinking water and in the soil as well.
Tags: laundry basket, organic gardening
Regular tending is a necessity for any garden. It is particularly important for the organic garden. With knowledge, your gardening skill will improve dramatically. A good understanding of organic gardening is needed to grow healthy plants. The tips in this article should start you on the road to doing just that with a successful organic garden.
Your children can help you with your garden. The benefits for your children will be a closer bond with nature and an understanding of where food comes from.
Young children will love it if you plant strawberries that bear continually, and organic gardens are the perfect place to do it. Kids are quite eager to pick fruit from a garden, and will help with the planting if they get a nice snack out of it at the end.
If you want to get children in on the fun, plant a few strawberries, everbearing if possible. Small kids enjoy picking fruit themselves out of a garden. Because of this, they’ll be more likely to provide you with some assistance in your garden if they feel like they’re receiving something out of this.
It’s simple to lay a new perennial bed. You just need to use your garden spade for slicing underneath the turf, then flip it, and finally spread about three or four inch deep piles of wood chips. After a few weeks, you may then utilize the area to plant your flowers.
Use about two to three inches of organic material as mulch in all of your flower beds. This fights weeds, retains moisture, and gives your garden valuable nutrients. It will also increase the visual appeal of the flower beds.
Have your gardening tools near you to minimize the time spent searching for them. You can do this by using a bucket, or you can wear rugged pants or a gardening apron that has several pockets. Keep gloves, small pruning shears, a trowel and any other tools handy in order to increase the quickness of the work that goes into your garden.
Learn to work efficiently. It’s frustrating to search for a tool for a half hour. In addition to keeping your gardening tools in one location, you should also clean your tools after each use. One way to keep your tools handy is to use a belt especially designed to hold them. An alternative is to wear a garment with multiple pockets that are big enough to hold your more commonly used tools.
Do you prefer to eliminate weeds without the use of harmful chemicals? Use a lot of layers of newspaper in order to achieve weed control. Weeds can only grow in sunlight. When you cover weeds with newspaper layers, they suffocate due to lack of light. Newsprint also breaks down well, incorporating itself into the compost. Add a layer of mulch on top to make it look more attractive!
Do not overlook the benefits of pine mulch for your garden. Some garden plants have a high acidity, and prefer acidic soil. If you have acid loving plants, use pine needles as a mulch. Go ahead and cover the beds you have with needles a couple of inches and while they decompose, they actually disperse some acid into the soil.
Use alcohol to help control the slugs in your garden by fashioning a beer trap. Place a jar into the soil so that the top of it’s mouth rests parallel with the soil. Fill it with beer to about one inch below the top of the jar. The slugs will be attracted to the beer and will end up being trapped within the confines of the jar.
When it’s harvest time, you should utilize a basket that you put laundry in to carry your veggies. The laundry basket will function as a makeshift strainer for the fruits and vegetables. When you put your produce in a basket, you can then rinse it off and let it strain any excess water through the laundry basket holes.
Get your organic garden certified so you can credibly claim that your crops are organic. This can increase your sales and also prove to your customers that they are getting the best produce out there.
Be sure your new compost pile contains roughly the same proportion of dried and green plants. Green plant material consists of spent flowers, veggie and fruit waste, leaves, weeds, and grass clippings. Your dried material can be things such as sawdust, paper shreds, wood shavings, straw and cardboard. Never put meat in your compost or even the waste from your family pets. These can harbor diseases that won’t be killed by the composting process.
Though organic farming can present challenges that traditional farming with the use of chemicals does not, harvesting the crops is reward itself for the hard work. Chemicals are extremely efficient, but the organic method is the best way to get healthy produce.
Try using a beer trap to naturally eradicate slugs from your organic garden. Take a glass jar and bury it in your garden so that the top of it is level with the soil. Pour beer into the jar until it is an inch from the top. Beer attracts slugs and then they’ll get stuck in the jar.
Over-watering can essentially drown the roots of plants, making them unable to grow well. Check the weather for the next couple of days to see if you actually need to water your plants. You may want to skip the watering during a day that will receive significant rainfall.
Try to use untreated wood, brick or stone and make a raised bed. If you choose to use wood, make sure it is naturally rot resistant and untreated. Cypress, locust and cedar are all great examples of what woods to use when building a raised bed. Take care to avoid wood that has been chemically treated when your garden will hold vegetables, since unknown substances in the wood can make their way into your future food. You may have previously used treated lumber; if so, you should use a plastic liner to cover it.
You can find a lot of information on how to keep any unwanted pests away by researching local botanical insecticides. Sometimes natural insecticides are more efficient than the synthetic pesticides you can buy. Natural insecticide are more environmentally friendly, in part, because they decay quickly and become harmless.
Be aware of seasons and climates when you are watering, and change accordingly. The amount of water needed will change based on time of the day, the content of your municipal water and what your soil make-up is. As an example, do not water your plant’s leaves if you live in a humid climate since this will most likely result in leaf fungus. Instead, water the root system well.
It is easy to set up a perennial garden by following these simple instructions. Use a spade to cut beneath the turf, and cover the entire area with wood chips after flipping it over. After letting the garden sit for several weeks, you will be able to plant your perennials.
Organic foods are beneficial because they have not been contaminated by pesticides. While this is good for your family’s health, you will want to be sure to check even more for bugs and other pests.
You should add mulch to your garden and flowerbed using at least three inches of organic material. Mulch adds nutrients to your soil, prohibits water evaporation, inhibits weeds and creates a finished look to your flower or gardening beds.
Gardening is by far one of the most beloved hobbies among men and women from all over the world, but organic gardening takes it a step further by using earth-friendly methods. Organic gardening techniques allow you to be involved in the entire planting and growing process, while using only the safest and most sustainable resources.
Using a soaker hose to water an organic garden is the very best choice. The water oozes out of the hoses, and it goes directly to the roots of the plants without watering everything around them, including the leaves. Soaker hoses don’t use as much water as sprinklers, and make it easy to water plants.
Have you ever given any thought to using organic gardening methods to grow garlic? The best time to plant garlic is either early spring or in the fall. Plant garlic in moist soil with good drainage. The cloves should be planted four inches apart from one another and about one to two inches deep, with their ends pointed up. Cut the green garlic shoots and use them as a substitute for chives or scallions. Each bulb can be harvested when the top has begun to brown. You should dry them outside in a sunny spot for a couple of days to harden the skin. Store them somewhere cool, in tied bunches or loose.
If you have been thinking about getting into gardening, you should first learn how to lay the foundation. To start this, slice underneath your turf with a spade. Flip the turf upside down, then cover the area with wood chips. Once a few weeks have passed, you can create cut-ins for the plants.
For the best results when mulching, you should aim to create a bed of mulch two to three inches thick. Mulch adds nutrients to your soil, prohibits water evaporation, inhibits weeds and creates a finished look to your flower or gardening beds.
If you’re preparing to add a new shrub or tree to your organic garden, it’s best that the hole you plant them in looks a bit off-balance. If you create holes that have “glazed” sides created by shovels, it’s possible that one of those holes will restrict any root from getting into the soil nearby.
Buy a soaker hose if you plan to plant an organic garden. This type of hose allows the gardener to get a small, but steady amount of water near the roots without getting the leaves wet constantly. A soaker-hose does a better job and is easier than using a sprinkler or watering can.
It’s obvious that organic gardening can help you produce fresh fruits and vegetables in your very own garden. If you are willing to put in the effort, you will enjoy a wonderful harvest from your own garden.
This will make organic gardening easier. One of the best techniques is to plant native flowers, grasses and bushes to your landscape. By choosing plants that coexist easily with your soil types, climate and neighboring plants, you will reduce the need for additional fertilizers and natural pesticides. Native plants will thrive if you encourage growth with organically made compost.
Tags: organic gardening, wood chips
Many people are interested in organic gardening but are unsure how to get started. It can seem like a daunting task to learn all that it takes to have a successful garden the natural way. You can prevent that from holding you back, and find renewed passion for your gardening activities, by reading the easy tricks and simple tips in the article below.
You can help to prevent your plants from developing diseases with aspirin water. One and one half aspirin crushed and added to a two gallon container of water will be a great help for your plants. You simply have to spray the solution on your plants to assist them in warding off diseases. Spraying should be one time every three weeks.
One way to create a great organic garden is to allow for a portion of your yard to be undeveloped for wildlife. One side effect of this is that where animals thrive, so do birds and insects that help nurture and pollinate plants, which will increase the quality of your garden.
Keep the temperature in your home between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, if you are keeping or growing any kind of plant in your house. Indoor plants grow best at these warm temperatures. If you think it would not be comfortable to keep your residence that warm in the winter, consider purchasing a heat lamp to use on the plants.
Keep your garden tools close at hand to make the most of your gardening time. Large pockets or a sturdy bucket can be used to store tools. Have gloves, shears, a trowel and anything else you need handy for quick use.
When a seed actually sprouts, it doesn’t need to be in as warm an environment. Move your plants away from the heat as they grow. Take off any plastic that is on the containers to keep away from warmth and moisture. Watch your seeds carefully to know when you can take these steps.
Pine makes a much better mulch than you might think. There are some plants that thrive in acidic soil. If you have acid loving plants, use pine needles as a mulch. Cover the surface of the ground with a two-inch layer of the pine needles; as the needles break down, they will release acid into the soil and nourish your plants.
Add used coffee grounds to your garden soil. Plants can use the nitrogenous nutrients found in coffee grounds. Generally, nitrogen is the limiting nutrient with any plant and having a good nitrogen source either by coffee grounds, compost, or even diluted urea, will make your plants bloom faster and grow taller.
If slugs are an issue in your garden, a beer trap can make them go away. Dig a hole the size of a glass jar, and bury the jar with the top at ground level. Fill the jar with beer to an inch below the jar’s top. The slugs will be attracted to the beer and will end up being trapped within the confines of the jar.
Water based on the current climate and the season. The amount of water you will need will vary according to your climate and even such factors as the part of day and soil type. If the climate is hot, but humid you’ll have to avoid watering the leaves, for example. Rather, make sure the root system is watered.
Using organic produce from organic gardens which are free of pesticides is a great benefit. This provides benefits for your family, but you ought to double check for pests.
Gardening, especially organic gardening, helps you feel more “at one” with the earth. You will learn how to care for you plants from planting the seeds to harvesting your delicious vegetables.
Every year, rotate your organic garden. Keeping plants that belong to the same family in the same place can eventually spark fungus growth and disease. The fungus and bacteria will stay in the ground a whole year and attack your plants when the time is right. So, you want to make sure you mix it up and keep your garden on the move so that you avoid a problem like this.
Once you understand the advice contained in this article, you will no longer feel so hesitant to try organic gardening. You will enjoy wholesome fruits and vegetables fresh from your chemical-free garden.
Water – chicks drink a lot of water. Make sure there is always clean, fresh water available to them at all times. Watch your chicks when you first get them to make sure they are drinking. Some people dip the tips of their beaks into the water to let them know it is there. But they must be careful to not dip their nostrils in it as this can lead to respiratory illness and even death.
Mix 1 tablespoon of molasses in a gallon of luke warm water and use that jug to fill your chicks water container for the first three days. It helps them recover from the stress incurred in transport. Never give them ice cold water, always make it luke warm and it’s not wise to place the water bowl or food bowl directly under the warming light. Off to the side of the warming light but not entirely out of the light is the optimal placement.
Water containers that work the best are usually the ones you hang (like this). They are inexpensive, lightweight, stay cleaner and usually have a reservoir. However, any shallow container will suffice. Most people use something like this: Little Giant 1-Gallon Plastic Poultry Fount Complete Waterer with 750 Red Base
Chicks can and do drown in small amounts of water. Most people who use shallow dishes also put rocks in them to prevent this from happening. Clay saucers that you use to put under a flower pot works good. It’s not something that can tip over especially, with some rocks in it.
Chickens poop everywhere including right into their water; clean the waterer at least once a day. Cleaning after these little ones is important to keeping them healthy.
Coccidiosis is a disease that kills young chicks. It is a microscopic, spore-forming, single-celled obligate parasite. Coccidian parasites infect the intestinal tracts of animals. Chicks pass it in their droppings, and good hygiene can help prevent an outbreak of it. Normally, most birds pass small numbers of oocysts in their droppings without apparent ill effects. Coccidiosis becomes important as a disease when animals live, or are reared, under conditions that permit the build-up of infective oocysts in the environment.
If you see blood in the chickens droppings, there’s a good chance they have it. Starting chicks on medicated feed as soon as you get them helps to prevent it. If you are against the use of medicated feed putting vinegar in the drinking water from the start- 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a quart of water-can usually do the trick.
Just know that chickens are susceptible to at least 11 species of coccidia. Some strains are more lethal than others, and some only affect one breed of chicken and not another. Keep your chicks food and water free from any droppings. Remove any wet spots and replace with dry litter. If coccidiosis is suspected contact your veterinarian immediately. And wash your hands!!!
Hand washing should be a normal part of any routine after dealing with your chickens. Don’t be alarmed here, the most common coccidia found in pets do not have any affect on humans.
Remember that good hygiene and proper disposal of animal feces are important in minimizing risk of transmission of parasites to humans, or to other animals.
FOOD 
Chick starter feed called “crumbles” can be purchased at your local feed store or online. Pellets are too large for baby chicks. It is specially formulated for their complete dietary needs; it comes both medicated or not medicated. The choice is yours. Gravel or grit is not necessary as this baby formula is very easily digested by the chicks. The first few weeks keep them solely on this.
Most people end up giving them small treats of bugs or greens by week two. It’s fun to feed them these treats and as long as you don’t over do it. They need the complete nutrition more than anything else. Greens tend to give them runny poops.
When droppings are loose, a condition may develop called “pasting up”, where their poopies can stick to the vent area and harden on it, which can prevent the chick from eliminating. Check your baby chicks for pasting everyday – if you see this, clean off the vent area immediately, by either using mineral oil on a soft cloth or warm water and gently cleanse it off.
When treats are introduced, the chicks will need some grit. Grit helps them to grind their food for digestion. Play sand is good, it’s small, clean and should be sprinkled on their food like salt or given in a small amount on a flat paper plate. The soil in my yard is mostly sand. I use that instead of play sand, but microwave it for a minute, first. This sterilizes it. After it cools I let them play in it. Stay away from Parakeet or bird grit from a pet shop. This has added calcium in it, which is a no-no at this age. Extra calcium is given when they are older and start producing eggs. It can cause bone deformities when they are babies.
The first day you get them put some feed on a flat paper plate or piece of cardboard. Place the chick on top of the feed. Chicks will naturally peck at their feet and scratch for food. After this initial introduction to their food you can put it in a feeder. This can be as simple as another clay saucer to a store bought one that minimizes wasted food. Again, cleanliness is important; the chicks will poop right in their own food, so you must clean and refill it often.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, never let your chickens food get wet!! Ergot fungus grows rapidly on feed. If you let that go over-night your chicks will basically drop dead. If this should happen, clean and disinfect, immediately. I like to store my food in containers like these, but you can use something you have handy in the kitchen to keep your food sealed and dry.
Love
It’s impossible not to fall in love with your adorable baby chicks! Loving your chickens mean you’ll take good care of them. Basic knowledge of them is essential for good care at this stage of their new life. When you start putting them outside they have to be protected from predators. That also includes the family dog or cat. If they have bonded to you, they will follow you around. Chickens become very fond of their owners too, and know that you care for them. They will return your love a hundred fold and entertain you with their funny, amazing antics.
Tags: feeding baby chickens, feeding chickens, raising baby chicks
Warmth - the first week make sure it’s 90-100 degrees, with 95 degrees being optimal, then you can reduce it by 5 degrees each week thereafter, while the chicks are feathering out (5-8 weeks old). Once you get to 70 degrees F, they should be fine on their own.
A thermometer in your bathtub-brooder is always a good idea. Everyone has one or two of these around. If you don’t have one immediately available, you can tell if the temperature is right by how the chicks are behaving. If they are panting or huddling in areas farthest from the light, they are too hot. If they huddle together in a ball under the light, they are too cold. The sounds of there noisy complaints will be deafening. You can adjust the distance of the light (or change the wattage of the bulb) until you have it just right. Click here to get an inexpensive Thermometer Humidity Gauge Combo Pak on Amazon
My 2 warming lights are hung on a separate tension- rod which I took from my other bathroom temporarily. (We have a separate shower stall for washing.) I bought a ceramic light socket with the heat resistant wires already attached. Make sure the socket is rated for the wattage of the heat lamp you will be using. And always, always be careful of using anything electrical in the bathroom or near water. Common sense safety. If there’s a way of shutting on and off your water valves for the bathtub, by all means shut them off. Some warming light options include: Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder for Chicks or Ducklings, Zoo Med Deluxe Porcelain Clamp Lamp with 10-Inch Dome, Black
I hang a 150Watt, infra-red heat bulb (this one) starting at about 18 inches above the top of the chickens back. Moving it 2 inches a week usually works for me. But you should adjust it to the right height using a thermometer. I like to measure the temperature directly under the light and the farthest corner from the light which should be cooler by ten or so degrees. If the chickens spread out evenly around the heat circle then you now its ideally right.
The Black bulb is used because these little peeps need to rest at night and bright lights continually, can make them go stir crazy. Feather picking will be the end result of that.
Most people buy warming lights from the pet store that come with a safety cover on the bottom of the light fixture. This is to prevent your babies from getting burned if the fixture should fall or they fly high enough to reach it. I personally think it’s a good idea to have this feature.
Warming lights are costly. But if you ask around you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to find someone who will give you one they no longer use. My girlfriend’s son had lizards, at one time, and my cousin had snakes. My neighbor even had one for a tortoise his son had several years ago.
I have two lights, just in case one goes out my spare can be turned on, immediately. Baby chicks can’t regulate their body temperature yet and can chill easily and die. That is why you can’t buy just one chick. They always sell several together so they can snuggle close and keep each other warm for the trip home.
A common 100 Watt bulb won’t keep them warm enough so don’t waste your time. If it’s the only thing you have at the moment by all means use it and get a heat bulb immediately.
Remember, they need ventilation without drafts. The common household bathtub provides just that! It’s always optimal to prepare for your chicks arrivel by making sure the area where they are going is already warm.
Continue to Part 3: How to Feed Baby Chickens
Tags: baby chicks temperature, chickens, raising chickens, warm
For the urban chicken farmer, the issue to clean or not to clean their chicken eggs is confusing. With some basic information this issue can be resolved.
An egg is laid with a natural coating on it called “bloom”. This keeps the egg fresh by sealing them and keeping the bacteria out. (It’s a natural defense for the baby chick if it was forming inside.) Eggshells are porous.
Due to this “bloom” fresh eggs can stay fresh longer without refrigeration. Ever see a basket of eggs sit on Grandma’s counter? Her whites would beat up nice and fluffy due to her eggs being room temperature.
If you wash this bloom off then the protection is gone. Grandma would collect the eggs once or twice daily. She knew when her chickens would lay them and she kept her egg collection to their schedule. The sooner the egg is collected after laying, the cleaner the egg. Some people use sand paper on the dirty eggs to lightly clean any hardened on dirt or nasty stuff. I have bought eggs from a farmer with feathers still on it.
Gently wipe your eggs with a paper towel (not a towel as you’ll spread bacteria from one to the other). Use a new paper towel with each egg. Put them in a container and refrigerate. They should keep for a month. I don’t suggest leaving them out at all.
When you want to use the eggs, is when you should was them. Gently rinse the egg under luke-warm water. Cold water actually shrinks the egg contents and causes a vacuum, which pulls the bacteria on the outside of the egg in. That’s how detergents or anything else you use to clean them, get’s into the egg itself. Even just plain water will permeate the shell. Don’t let them sit in a bowl filled with water. Never wet your egg unless it’s right before use. And DON’T use bleach. This has been linked to stomach ulcers.
If you want to check the freshness of the egg before cooking, a quick dunk in luke-warm water is okay. If it floats it should be thrown out. As an egg ages, gas is released in the decaying process. This is why a rotten egg floats. Only fresh ones will sink.
All eggs, cleaned or unclean should be stored in only clean cartons. Previously used cartons can contain bacteria that might pass through the eggshell. Store bought eggs have to be cleaned (with a corn-based detergent) by law before they are brought to market. They are also coated with a corn-based oil. They must always be refrigerated and won’t last long.
Always wash your hands after handling eggs, clean or unclean. Make sure your prep area and any utensils used are cleaned thoroughly too.
Mother Earth News has a great article on various techniques of storing eggs with the results over a year, Eggs-joy!
Tags: chicken, chicken eggs, clean chicken eggs, eggs
Olie – flock-a-molie!! What is happening around here? Us city people are going to the birds…… that’s right-Chickens, and it’s all the urban rage!
This starter guide is the most complete information you can find for free on the web ( you don’t have to buy someones book!)
Cities across America that once banned any fowl are now changing their ordinances to allow for chickens.(Check your local laws). People are raising them on rooftops, behind garages, along side buildings and fenced-in backyards. Hundreds of city folk now use their spare bathroom as inexpensive brooders for their baby peeps! Bathtubs everywhere are teeming with soft-fluffy chicks.
Along side our home-grown vegetable gardens, our Bathtub Chickens seem to satisfy something basic inside of us. We feel more connected to nature and the food we eat. We raise chickens that we know are hormone-free/antibiotic-free. The eggs not only taste better but they give us a certain sense of pride as well. It feels wonderful to feed our families with delicious and healthy food – the fruits of our labor. The best part of it all– it’s so easy !!! And here we’ll help you to keep it simple. Raising your Bathtub Chickens can be a fun and rewarding experience.
Getting started: (Couldn’t resist those adorable fuzzy chicks at your local feed store? You and me both! ) 
Here’s important information you need to know on the basics-
- housing
- warmth
- food and water
- love
(I keep my chickies indoors until they have feathers, about 5-8 weeks.)
Keep it simple and inexpensive.
Housing-I use my spare bathroom’s Bathtub as a make-shift brooder! (Like most urbanites, you probably don’t have more than six to ten chicks to raise). Bathrooms are usually warmer than any of your other rooms, they have a window for natural light and a door to keep FeeFee and Fido out. Plus, they come with a handy- dandy sink for frequent hand-washing! Bathtub’s are roomy with rounded corners, easy to clean, and because of the high sides tend to lessen drafts on your little chick-a-dees.
Once your babies take up residence in your bathroom- barnyard, that latrine will be the preferred throne for everyone in your household. Who could read a magazine when there are such adorable entertainers vying for your attention? The chicky-children will have to be checked up on frequently anyway, so remind all to close the toilet lid and bathroom door when they are done!
After the tub is clean it should be disinfected. Bleach has caustic strong fumes, I prefer to use my bathroom Lysol cleaner. (If your chicks have coccidiosis and happen to die the next batch of chicks can get it from the germs left behind, so disinfect- who knows what germs are lurking!)
Usually, I have a mountain of old magazines lying around in a pile. They make a perfect litter for the tub. Once the disinfectant has dried, spread newspaper down first (extra over the drain) and cover it with clean shredded paper from your office! Top this with paper towels for the first 3 days. Baby chicks peck at everything. If they ingest something they shouldn’t ingest they could die. After only a few days they will be able to discern what is feed and what is not. Some people prefer using an old sheet for the first few days. I don’t. I like to be able to clean the top layer of paper towels as needed. My chicks have eaten shredded paper a few times without any adverse affects but why chance it. Newspaper alone is too slippery. Chicks legs can splay out and cripple them if they become spraddled. Here’s a link that will show you what it is and how to treat it. http://www.poultryhelp.com/spraddle.html
Some people don’t believe there is a cure for this but I have seen different. ~When there’s great love all things are possible!
Clean their environment out every couple of days, and never allow it to remain damp – cleanliness is VERY important for the health of your baby chicks. They are prone to a number of diseases, most of which can be avoided by maintaining a clean, calm and dry environment. I like the shredded paper for the fact that I can spot clean poopies here and there as needed by just pinching a bit of it out. Make sure you put down a good layer of shreds to accomplish this. Fast, easy, cheap and healthy clean!
Be sure to keep a calm, slow motion when cleaning your babies as chickens are easily frightened. Stress can weaken their immune system and they can get sick easier. Chicks can and have died of a heart attack from fright. Your babies will huddle together in a corner if they get frightened. Sometimes this behavior can be detrimental to one or two chicks when they get caught in a corner and smothered. The rounded corners of a bathtub prevent chicks from causing this huddling death.
Between 3 weeks and 1 month of age, add a roost – which is simply a stick from outside or piece of wood dowelling about 4″ off the bottom. The chicks will feel safer on it and even perch all night there. Put a clean stick from outside(I like to microwave everything for a minute)in the bathtub out of direct light. You don’t want this spot to be too hot.
By this time also you’re chicken-children will be rambunctiously flapping their wings and practicing short and clumsy take-offs. If you have sliding doors on your bathtub, they will come in handy. I have a cloth curtain I use and it works just fine to contain them. Screen windows work also.
As the chicks feathers grow in, the process produces a fine dust that seems to coat everything. The only way to deal with this is to clean, clean, clean. with only a few chickens it’s not that bad, but the more chickens the more dust! Unfortunately, some people have allergies to this bird dander.
Continue to Part 2: Raising Baby Chickens Temperature
Tags: chickens, city, raising chickens, urban