tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post2813146151527956323..comments2023-11-07T06:51:41.301-06:00Comments on The Beginning Farmer: TBF 006 :: 10 Books for the Beginning Farmer, Farm Updates, and a Hard Lesson LearnedEthan Bookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333115493519268802noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-5603413265422278532013-06-14T13:17:32.991-05:002013-06-14T13:17:32.991-05:00Catching up on your podcasts but I'm very glad...Catching up on your podcasts but I'm very glad for the book suggestions. <br /><br />Still an armchair farmer but I love the Gene Logsden books so I'm looking forward to the others on the list.<br /><br />Thanks for putting the time in. It doesn't just disappear into the ether. I'm sure there are plenty of other people like me who can't get out onto the land but love living vicariously through you.<br /><br />MariaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00001257380032181478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-54762986859656413222013-04-17T14:39:14.450-05:002013-04-17T14:39:14.450-05:00I'm not exactly sure if it is what you are thi...I'm not exactly sure if it is what you are thinking of building for your chickens, but there is a video of a large organic chicken farmer from Canada that shows the moveable pens they use at:<br /><br />http://www.kevinkossowan.com/from-local-farms-sunworks-farm/<br /><br />The open fenced part is shown in the beginning of the video, and the "enclosed" back part is shown at the very end of the video. <br /><br />If you read the comments, he says that they are about 15x48 pens that look like they are built out about 1" square tubing with a sheet metal roof. And, they move them with a tractor about 24' each day.<br /><br />To my eye, they look pretty simple and sturdy, the wind probably wouldn't blow them over, you could build a scaled-down version (10x20?), and you could easily park them for the winter. Or, you could leave a door open and run some electro-net around them if you wanted to let your chickens roam over a larger area.<br /><br />I've never figured out how much it would actually cost to build a moveable pen like that, and I don't see myself raising chickens anytime soon, but IF I was going to raise chickens on a pasture I've always thought that might be the way I'd do it. <br /><br />Talking about hay or winter feed for the cattle and stuff that doesn't always work the same for everybody, I've become a big fan of sorghum-sudangrass. <br /><br />I planted some into wheat stubble last summer and despite the record setting drought, I was able to grow just enough hay so that I didn't have to sell any cows last fall. I've been thinking that it might make sense to plant some about mid-summer, let it winter-kill in the fall, and then strip-graze it over the winter (that way I wouldn't have to bale it, I'd leave more fertility in the field, etc.). I've grazed grain sorghum stubble sorta like that before, and I usually get a volunteer stand of ryegrass in the spring which would be a plus in the spring.<br /><br />Something similar might or might not work for you.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-86474171853219909882013-04-17T13:25:24.932-05:002013-04-17T13:25:24.932-05:00what a good site, glad I found it. what a good site, glad I found it. bioscenehttp://www.bioscenecleanup.comnoreply@blogger.com