Thursday, February 16, 2012

Free-Range Chicken Gardens

Sure, they lay eggs but do you know how beneficial they are to a garden?
I'm giving away a copy of this fabulous book. Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.
My neighbor owns a half dozen chickens and every one of them is named Dixie. (The Dixie Chicks, get it? I thought that was so clever.)

She also owns a turkey ~ a turkey with no name ~ and I was quite worried about his future.
She spends half her day hanging out in the coop.
When No Name Turkey waddled out of his coop, the week after Thanksgiving, I breathed a mighty sigh of relief. So, he was not intended to be dinner, after all. It sure is cute seeing him waddle about their gardens...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday's Freebie is showing up a day early this week so you can get in on the tail end of a pretty cool contest.

ENTER TO WIN A CHICKEN GARDEN KIT!
Cluck Click HERE and enter to win a complete chicken garden start up kit! 

Seriously? You're still reading? 
'Cause this contest ends 2/17/12
Which is... tomorrow.


Being the flower crazy chick that I am, I've been toying with the idea of raising chickens ~ though that has little to do with the delicious eggs they bring to the party.

They're all named Dixie.
It would be grand to have a free-roaming flock of colorful chickens doing battle with the bugs that plague my garden. They tend to ignore flowering plants, so I've a feeling we'd get along pretty well.

Then there's the fertilizer factor...

And, of course, the egg thing. Plenty of reasons for you to enter that contest. Or, this one. I'm giving away a copy of this book.

FREE-RANGE
Chicken Gardens
~ by Jessi Bloom

Even if you don't want to raise chickens, 
you'll probably love this book.

I loved everything about it! The colorful design. (Definitely coffee table material.) The fact that I learned something new on every page. Author, Jessi Bloom's, delightful writing style. Plus, the bigger picture of what she's trying to promote: Beautiful, chicken friendly, organic gardens and the bonus of farm fresh eggs! Just by inviting a couple of cluckers into your life.

* Timberland Press gave me this book to read and review and now I'm giving it to you. Just leave me a comment if you'd like to be included in the random drawing for this book.



17 comments:

Liz said...

I would love this book...I need a yard first, but chickens might get in it before a lot of plants.

KC said...

This reminds me of when we went on a Chicken Coop tour in Salt Lake City. I had no idea that you could raise chickens in the city. What a fun way to find out.

Carly said...

Oh how perfect! I think I have to go buy a copy for a friend. He has chickens but they've been pecking at each other and the one getting pecked at can't exactly run away in the coop. He's planning on making them free range but isn't quite sure how to go about it. Just what he needs! (and I want once I have a house)

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I have always wanted chickens. I read about them. I have bought magazines about them. I have drawn them. I just can't have them. Boooo.

Gail said...

Hi Kate. I know, I know it has been a long time since I have checked in. I saw your post on chickens (I was adding a post to my blog, I know that has been a long time coming, too). This looks like a great book. We have 25 chickens now, getting about a dozen eggs a day (plan on selling them), they are such fun and will be a big help (I hope) in the garden this year. Hope all is well with you, I need to get caught up again.
Gail - Wy.

Unknown said...

The landlord was not certain about the whole chicken idea but then the neighbors chimed in and said they wanted them. When the neighbors asked if the landlord would buy them, I said "I don't think so!" But then he said, "How much would it cost?" Then I asked, "Who is taking care of them?" Crickets.

I do want chickens, but they are on the project list for 2013. (I'm keeping the eggs!)

Sarah said...

Would love the book - I have six beautiful, ambitious, semi-free-range chickens, and last year they decimated my garden. Not much they love more than new lettuce sets.

Melospiza said...

It's been my dream for a few years now to have chickens, although I'm reluctant to take that last step--partly because the kids are already pretty hard on the yard & garden, and partly--well, coyotes. Our neighbors have chickens and they've lost the entire batch three times in three years.

Unknown said...

We added six chickens to our backyard last spring, and they are so much fun. BUT--I definitely need to read this book, because our girls are destructive! They free-range in a large fenced area behind our pool (we have dogs--need to keep the girls safe!), but we let them into the gardens when we are out with them. They love it--but my plants aren't quite so happy. Ah well, it's still worth it! Look forward to meeting you in Asheville--my first "fling"!

Marguerite said...

I've often wondered about having chickens in the garden. insect eaters and free manure sounds pretty good to me. Funny thing though, I'm not a real fan of eggs. A neighbour mentioned you can get meat chickens instead though? I'm not even sure what that means. No eggs at all or just fewer? Obviously I've got a lot to learn about chickens!

Liza said...

Chickens are adorable! I love that your friend named hers the same name. We had 10 chickens on the farm where I grew up, and Mom named them all Richard. Cracked me up.

I entered the contest on Timber Press's site a few weeks ago.

The Hag said...

At Hermity Farmer-Women we have over 30 chickens. They free range in the commons between our houses and they are hilarious. I could spend all day every day watching chickens. Of course the children love them and the chickens love the children. You really need some chickens, Kate. They make you smile AND give you food in the bargain!

loverstreet said...

i think i missed the deadline. bummer! if not, i would love to be entered in the drawing. we are scheming about getting chickens and wondering how to incorporate them into our backyard and our dog's routine.

Nanette M said...

I would love this book. I am getting chickens again next week after a 25 yr absence of them in my yard. Very excited for them to come in this week at my local TSC!!!!

Nanette M said...

I would love this book!! We are getting chickens again next week after a 25 yr absence in our yard. Very excited for their arrival at our local TSC!!!!

jamie-almosta said...

I have the chickens and have started the yard, would love to learn how to combine them!

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