This will be our 4th time at doing a vegie garden. We have got our fruits in and they are doing really well. The chickens are in and awaiting an expansion. We currently have 1 of each: Granny smith (will be keeping it pruned low as I am height challenged), dwarf pink lady, mandarin, lemon, nectarine. 3 boysenberry canes that are due for a prune. 1 raspberry cane that has suckered so much that I have lost count. And 4 rhubarb plants. We are extending the chicken run so that they have two areas so that we can rotate them and let the old area regenerate. So I am looking into building a Coop to look like a quaker barn. (may be a bit ambitious, but I have to try it). So in total they will probably have about 180 sq meters to scratch around in. The vegies make me sigh. Our first time around our crops were really good and then the next round not so good. I did rotate the crops but i forgot to replenish the soil..der...lol So the third crop we did everything we were suppose to do and then we got like 2 months of rain and nothing was happy after that. ( live in toowoomba) So that kind of explains why we flooded. If all we lost due to all that rain was our vegies we are really very lucky. When I say we I mean myself soon to be 37, my fiance 35, 18 year old daughter, 16, 27 month and 14 month old sons. 4 australorps. Any thoughts on Isa browns as I was told they lay all year round even when it gets cold. (looking into getting 3/4 when we extend the run). Glad to finally have joined a forum that is so helpful and looking after our fragile planet.
I have one Isa Brown in my flock of 7. She reminds me of Paris Hilton - all looks and no smarts! She stopped laying for about 3 months last year (her first year of life) during the cooler months. Welcome to the Board!