Happy to have found this site. Hello everyone.

[Hinotori]

It's always annoyed me that even though silkies were one of the first recognized breeds they aren't heritage because they can't free range. Polish are though and they have the same vision issue that prevents free ranging. But then people have a hard time getting over the color of the meat to eat them. They don't produce as many eggs, even though they do give about 5 a week when laying even at several years old. They breed like rabbits because they are always broody. Yeah, don't get silkies as a homestead breed unless you like a challenge.

The medium sized breeds also do better escaping predators as many of them can actually fly a bit. Non-hatchery birds all together have heftier bodies and more meat on them. I'd get cochins if I didn't like my blue eggs so much.

 

[Plantnerd]

What kind of chickens are you thinking of getting?

I love heritage breeds. I highly recommend Dominiques. Dominiques are an old American breed. I think the first true American breed.

If you don't have your heart set on an American breed. I was quite enamored by the personality and history of the Nankin. They are an incredibly old breed, and supposedly the males tend to do better together than most breeds.

I never tried Nankins, from what I read they wouldn't have done well in the cold up here.

They are originally from England. And I know England gets cold, but Nankins are so small that they would stay in the warm barn, or even in the house.

Anyway... as to gardens... do you focus on food only? Or also medicinal plants, or just flowers?

Do you have a greenhouse

The breeds I’m most interested in raising are Jersey Giants, Naked Necks, White Rocks, and Black Australorps. I want large birds for meat but I would like to be able to sell eggs to defer costs. This is why I’m interested in the larger DP breeds. With plants, my main focus is edibles but I grow a lot of different things. I’ve planted some really interesting ornamentals this year to hide the neighbors scrap pile. Osmanthus purpurea and San Jose, Callistemon Woodlander’s Hardy, Eleagnus Olive Martini, and Vitex angus-castus to name a few. I’ve also been planting food for the chickens. Dutch White Clover, Alfalfa, and Chickory. This fall I’ll also be planting a pollinator garden. No real need for a greenhouse. I just grow things indoors in the winter.

 

[Plantnerd]

Welcome! Nice to meet you @Plantnerd.

Thank you for the welcome. Love the avatar pic.

 

[heirloomgal]

Welcome! How lovely you are turning your home back into a farm. I'm a plant nerd too, totally. I collect heirloom and OP seeds. But I'm quite jelly of everyone's chickens here!

 

[Alaskan]

The breeds I’m most interested in raising are Jersey Giants, Naked Necks, White Rocks, and Black Australorps. I want large birds for meat but I would like to be able to sell eggs to defer costs. This is why I’m interested in the larger DP breeds. With plants, my main focus is edibles but I grow a lot of different things. I’ve planted some really interesting ornamentals this year to hide the neighbors scrap pile. Osmanthus purpurea and San Jose, Callistemon Woodlander’s Hardy, Eleagnus Olive Martini, and Vitex angus-castus to name a few. I’ve also been planting food for the chickens. Dutch White Clover, Alfalfa, and Chickory. This fall I’ll also be planting a pollinator garden. No real need for a greenhouse. I just grow things indoors in the winter.

I haven't ever tried any of those chicken breeds,but I know people tend to really like the Australorps.

Great plant selection!

Up here in the frozen north I like to focus on plants that we can eat, or that are good with pollinators. So I grow a bunch of chives, then geraniums, yarrow, columbine, forget-me-nots, ajuga (sp?), and something else that escapes me at the moment.

For annuals i always like to grow nasturtium and calendula, since both are edible.

 

[Alaskan]

Oh, and I meant to ask, how many outbuildings did you get?

 

[Plantnerd]

Welcome! How lovely you are turning your home back into a farm. I'm a plant nerd too, totally. I collect heirloom and OP seeds. But I'm quite jelly of everyone's chickens.

Thank you. What do you have in your seed library?

 

[Plantnerd]

Oh, and I meant to ask, how many outbuildings did you get?

We don’t have any outbuildings. I’m in the process of building a 16X20 Wood’s style coop. When we bought the property we only had the house and detached garage. The house is a Cape Cod style built in 1939. The only addition was an 8X20 mud room. Other than that the house is all original. Our neighbor grew up in this house. Her father built it himself, so we know the whole history of it which is pretty fantastic. She always tells us stories about it.

 

[Plantnerd]

I

Oh, and I meant to ask, how many outbuildings did you get?

I love Nasturtium. I grow some every year. That’s one of the plants I grow inside in the winter. It’s super easy. If you use energy saving bulbs in the house you can grow just about anything. No need for fancy grow lights. I winter over a fig tree under 4 watt LED bulbs. It even produces fruit with those lights and I end up getting two harvests a year off of it.

 

[JanetMarie]

Thank you for the welcome. Love the avatar pic.

Thank you. It's my Angel Face rose.