A Day on our Homestead (Part 4) Collecting Eggs

[jan585]

if you leave one egg in each spot where the chickens lay their eggs, you kind of "stimulated" them laying their eggs in that spot (rather then on the ground or somewhere else).

Just a tip, but that's what we do with ours

[pocketsofthefuture]

@jan585 We do that sometimes too. Sometimes we have also used plastic Easter eggs. Thank you for your comment. Leslie

[Illchangeitlater]

I'd be carefull with bamboo if I were you! If you're not strict with it, it will invade and TAKE OVER YOUR LOT! And bamboo depletes the ground of all its nutrients because they are heavy feeders.

[rislam10]

I just love your videos. This is my only gateway for experiencing a real farm life. Where is this place? Very nice and peaceful. love love love the country life.

[pocketsofthefuture]

@rislam10 We are in the mountains of southwest Virginia.

[dave1212ish]

love your chicken videos

[huntermanbloodrops67]

HEY I LOVE UR VIDEOS HEY CAN U HELP ME MAKE A DECISON WHICH CHICKENS ARE BETTER LEGHORNS OR RHODE ISLAND REDS



[pocketsofthefuture]

@huntermanbloodrops67 We have limited experience of both of these breeds but I think the Reds are better. I have heard that white birds attract aerial predators.

[huntermanbloodrops67]

HEY I LOVE UR VIDEOS HEY CAN U HELP ME MAKE A DECISON WHICH CHICKENS ARE BETTER LEGHORNS OR RHODE ISLAND REDS

[dave1212ish]

@huntermanbloodrops67 i know I'm not him but i think they're both great hens but i prefure the Rhode Island Reds for they're egg laying ability is great

[bdd549]

why did you buy bamboo?

[pocketsofthefuture]

@bdd549 One clump of bamboo we bought. Another we harvested from a place down the road. We have bamboo because we just love it. It is beautiful, edible and an evergreen. Thank you for your question. Leslie

[Brie217]

I love these videos!

[pocketsofthefuture]

@Brie217 Thank you for your kind comments. We live in Floyd va and have 4 acres. It is a good area and we have heard that in a February motherearth news it is voted as 1 of the 10 best towns.

[tootpoops]

We have chickens and some nesting boxes kinda like that, but we've tryed sawdust and hay, and the chickens pulled it out and ate some of it.... did ya'll have any trouble with that??

[iwantosavemoney]

this is great im going over seas with the army in the near future and plan on buying land when i get back and doing somthing like what you are doing nice set up i love all the animals and it seems like nothing goes to wast feed the chicken and cats and dogs with milk from the cows after you have made butter out of it that is just so cool.

running a water all you animals bowls and then hook a hose to it and fill them all the same time that might help a little on the chore side of things

[sauceykat]

Thanks for these videos, I find them very fascinating. I'm very envious, your farm and family seem so cool. What a life! :)

[picatsoforfma]

Great idea to keep feed in those coolers. I have a few ones that I don't use anymore.

[rvoenterprise]

you have  really cool farm

[ivankinsman]

Looks like you have a nice lifestyle and I have enjoyed your video series. Very lucky having those chesnut trees - wish we had some! We have some big wild hazel which I have cut back to hopefully will get some nuts at some point. Also, really liked your videos on the straw barn - v. interesting design!

[pocketsofthefuture]

Thank you for your kind comment.

[Tikmondo]

you two come across a great parents-- patient and encouraging. your kids are very fortunate to be growing in such a family and environment.

[pocketsofthefuture]

Thank you for your kind comment.

[masonmeep]

where can you buy that bamboo??

[pocketsofthefuture]

Thank you for all your kind and supportive comments. Just 5 years ago we lived in a 2 bedroom cockroach infested apartment and I worked in a treatment center with adolescent sex offenders. We just had to get our of that lifestyle so we moved to the country. My wife and grew and lived in suburban and urban setting most of our lives so we did not know much about homesteading but it came together for us pretty quickly. There are tough aspects to homesteading but we would not go back.

[pocketsofthefuture]

To buy bamboo you can google bamboo nursery and try to find a local supplier as shipping it is expensive. We found a nursery close to us mid Atlantic bamboo and we bought the stone bamboo from them. You might be able to find someone on freecycle that is looking to have someone dig theirs up because it is taking over their yard. We have of 30 shoots this year and I am putting in metal barriers to keep it from running all over the yard. I will post some video of this soon.

[pocketsofthefuture]

If you google bamboo nursery there are many that mail the rhizome. You can also post on freecycle or craigslist and find people who would be more then happy for you to come dig up their runaway bamboo.

[gokory]

never knew you had chickens

[godsend420]

sand castle scoop for feed ?

[UsernameofBoang]

Do you have roosters or do you feed you hens laying feed?

[petcareneeds]

I love your chickens and goats!

[pocketsofthefuture]

The goats are Nigerian Dwarf Goats and are diary goats. They are a good start as they are easy to manage and harmless. They are easy to milk if you have small hands and kids can milk them. We are mostly vegetarian but eat eggs and chicken mostly for medicinal purposes. We will probably be eating some chicken soon.The cows to us are special.

[dionysusstar]

Very cute. What kind of goats do you have? You could give milk to pigs if you had them too right? Are ya'll vegetarian? I never thought about how much benefit to a farm a milk cow could bring until watching your videos.