Sheesh, Nev, Mother Earth News is $23 here!
And no, I haven't seen that other one you mentioned, not even when I was living in Victoria. The only half-decent NZ magazines are Organic NZ, and Growing Today. The first is often more political than practical, the latter is a glossy.
On another tangent, we did briefly live in the Goldfields area of Victoria, too, and were able to call in on the Earth Building Association, I think at Dunnolly. Fascinating stuff, a whole room full of books on all types of earth building... sigh.. heaven!
existing without income
Bloody hell! $23 and you still buy it? That's committment! 
First I've heard of the earth building association, but then, with the exception of Melbourne itself, I don't get down to Vic much! Thanks for the mention, Magpie and I will keep an eye out if I am down that way.
Nev
First I've heard of the earth building association, but then, with the exception of Melbourne itself, I don't get down to Vic much! Thanks for the mention, Magpie and I will keep an eye out if I am down that way.
Nev
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- Tom Good
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Thanks guys for the website directions. I've put Earth Garden and Grass Roots in Favorites. And I will type in your suggestions Wombat and see what sites come up.
I only like the early Mother issues too. I love reading all the old hillbilly homesteaders stories of how they survived. I think that's why I like the Foxfire books so much.
After reading Kurt Saxons the Fantastic Fly I am going to breed maggots to feed to my chickens..free food..by allowing them to go to the pupae stage I will then freeze them (pupae peanuts!) to feed to the chickens in the winter to supplement their protein. If it works I will get John to build me a fly house so that I can breed them all year.
It's all these weird and wacky ideas that I am dying to try out.
Jill..
A very weird and wacky Pom 
I only like the early Mother issues too. I love reading all the old hillbilly homesteaders stories of how they survived. I think that's why I like the Foxfire books so much.
After reading Kurt Saxons the Fantastic Fly I am going to breed maggots to feed to my chickens..free food..by allowing them to go to the pupae stage I will then freeze them (pupae peanuts!) to feed to the chickens in the winter to supplement their protein. If it works I will get John to build me a fly house so that I can breed them all year.
It's all these weird and wacky ideas that I am dying to try out.
Jill..
A very weird and wacky Pom Whoa!
That is the first time that I have heard about the fly thing! I will have to enquire deeper. I can't wait for my wifes reaction when I tell her about the Maggots!
I've got most of the Foxfire books too...good stuff!
Nev
That is the first time that I have heard about the fly thing! I will have to enquire deeper. I can't wait for my wifes reaction when I tell her about the Maggots!
I've got most of the Foxfire books too...good stuff!
Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
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- Tom Good
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The idea is we have a short piece of tube with a piece of mesh on the bottom and a removable piece on the top. Put some offal in the tube and put the top on to stop rodents stealing it. Offal goes a bit whiffy, attracts flies. Flies lay eggs, maggots hatch out, drop to the ground or into a bowl. Chickens eat maggots... loads of free protein for lovely eggs. Pure logic to me, especially for chickens that have restricted foraging. Much better for them than all that dry feed.
We were going to have a row of tubes together but had visions of lazy chickens laid on their backs, legs up in the air, beaks open waiting for a maggot to drop in. So we are going to have them spaced around the chicken run.
Once the crops are established in the bottom plot they will have a wider range, so won't need the maggots. At which point I will let the maggots run on into pupae stage and freeze them in ice cream container. The pupae peanut bit is in question because we've now got these solar panels so running a freezer through the winter is not an option. If the fly/maggot thing works that's when I will get John to build me a fly house. One of these low voltage heat mats should be warm enough to keep the breeding system going.
If I keep the fly house in the coop any escapees will soon get nobbled by the chickens.
As yucky as this may sound the absolute bonus is that HOPEFULLY it should keep the flies away from the house, on the grounds that flies will make a bee line for the smelliest thing. The fact that we will probably have all the flies from the village is a bonus. The Muscovy's will pick 'em off as they are coming into land...I just hope enough get through to do the business.
Jill.. Now all together 
We were going to have a row of tubes together but had visions of lazy chickens laid on their backs, legs up in the air, beaks open waiting for a maggot to drop in. So we are going to have them spaced around the chicken run.
Once the crops are established in the bottom plot they will have a wider range, so won't need the maggots. At which point I will let the maggots run on into pupae stage and freeze them in ice cream container. The pupae peanut bit is in question because we've now got these solar panels so running a freezer through the winter is not an option. If the fly/maggot thing works that's when I will get John to build me a fly house. One of these low voltage heat mats should be warm enough to keep the breeding system going.
If I keep the fly house in the coop any escapees will soon get nobbled by the chickens.
As yucky as this may sound the absolute bonus is that HOPEFULLY it should keep the flies away from the house, on the grounds that flies will make a bee line for the smelliest thing. The fact that we will probably have all the flies from the village is a bonus. The Muscovy's will pick 'em off as they are coming into land...I just hope enough get through to do the business.
Jill..
Now all together -
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I must hasten to add I would NEVER use manure to grow the eggs on, even though the flies would love it.
Nev. If you type in The Fantastic Fly by Kurt Saxon the site comes up.
The bit about the tubes in the chicken run is my idea. So has not, as far as I'm aware been tested by anyone else. It was a follow on idea from a website called Journey to Forever. In the Poultry for small farms section there's an article called High-protein poultry feed from thin air.
Other sections on the Journey to Forever site are good too.
Jill..
Nev. If you type in The Fantastic Fly by Kurt Saxon the site comes up.
The bit about the tubes in the chicken run is my idea. So has not, as far as I'm aware been tested by anyone else. It was a follow on idea from a website called Journey to Forever. In the Poultry for small farms section there's an article called High-protein poultry feed from thin air.
Other sections on the Journey to Forever site are good too.
Jill..
Thanks Jill,
I know the "jouney to forever" site so I will have a look.
I just about fell off my chair laughing when I got to the bit about the lazy chooks on their backs eating the maggots! hilarious!
When the weather warms up I will give it a go .
Nev
I know the "jouney to forever" site so I will have a look.
I just about fell off my chair laughing when I got to the bit about the lazy chooks on their backs eating the maggots! hilarious!
When the weather warms up I will give it a go
.Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
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Ah, no Nev, I don't but those Mother mags, only the old seventies ones, when I can find them. 
And I have heard of Foxfire, but not seen any of them, will have to keep my eyes peeled.
I read somewhere about the fly feeders, a simple way of doing it, but not anywhere near your house! Stretch a piece of netting across the pen, and throw your old bits of meat into it, the maggots will just drop through the netting, into the chook run.
And I have heard of Foxfire, but not seen any of them, will have to keep my eyes peeled.I read somewhere about the fly feeders, a simple way of doing it, but not anywhere near your house! Stretch a piece of netting across the pen, and throw your old bits of meat into it, the maggots will just drop through the netting, into the chook run.
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- Tom Good
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Magpie,
I got my Foxfire books from Amazon USA. Book was as cheap as chips and as it was part of a bigger purchase postage was free.
Although I agree with the total ease of throwing the meat on top of the chook house I would be worried about vermin having access to it. In the tubes with the fine mesh I felt it would be kept reasonably sterile.
On the Journey to Forever site they talk about collecting kitchen slops--cooking water, juices from leftover meat and fish dishes, some milk: anything that will go putrid if left for a while. When it stinks really badly, gather some compost materials, 4-5 cubic feet, spread it out in the sun and sprinkle with the putrid liquid. Not too wet. Leave it until you know loads of flies have laid their eggs. Scoop it all up and put it in a double garbage bag (one inside the other) put the bag in a suitable sized cardboard box and close bag tightly. It will soon stop smelling Check it everyday.
After a week or so, you'll open it to find the surface flat and writhing. Don't leave them to turn into flies.
Option 1..sift the maggots out
Option 2..let the birds do the sifting. On bare ground the chooks will get them all.
If my tube method doesn't work I will try the above method. And having just read the J to F article again I think I will cover the scraps of meat in the tube with some grass cuttings or something and occasionally water it to keep it moist.
But as you say whatever I do it's got do be away from and down wind from the house...and my neighbors!
Luckily our downwind neighbours are a fair way away, but it's also a rural agricultural area (another reason for choosing our place) so there's lots of whiffy smells at different times.
I wasn't joking when I said about the Muscovies catching all the flies. The J to F said that a Canadian study showed that Muscovy ducks killed 30 times more houseflies than commercial traps, baits or fly paper. They slaughtered some ducks, opened their crops and each one was filled with hundreds of flies. In folk lore they say, there is no such thing as a surfeit of slugs, merely a dearth of ducks.
Having kept Muscovy's and tasted the meat..not at all greasy..I'm looking forward to keeping them again.
Jill..
I got my Foxfire books from Amazon USA. Book was as cheap as chips and as it was part of a bigger purchase postage was free.
Although I agree with the total ease of throwing the meat on top of the chook house I would be worried about vermin having access to it. In the tubes with the fine mesh I felt it would be kept reasonably sterile.
On the Journey to Forever site they talk about collecting kitchen slops--cooking water, juices from leftover meat and fish dishes, some milk: anything that will go putrid if left for a while. When it stinks really badly, gather some compost materials, 4-5 cubic feet, spread it out in the sun and sprinkle with the putrid liquid. Not too wet. Leave it until you know loads of flies have laid their eggs. Scoop it all up and put it in a double garbage bag (one inside the other) put the bag in a suitable sized cardboard box and close bag tightly. It will soon stop smelling Check it everyday.
After a week or so, you'll open it to find the surface flat and writhing. Don't leave them to turn into flies.
Option 1..sift the maggots out
Option 2..let the birds do the sifting. On bare ground the chooks will get them all.
If my tube method doesn't work I will try the above method. And having just read the J to F article again I think I will cover the scraps of meat in the tube with some grass cuttings or something and occasionally water it to keep it moist.
But as you say whatever I do it's got do be away from and down wind from the house...and my neighbors!
Luckily our downwind neighbours are a fair way away, but it's also a rural agricultural area (another reason for choosing our place) so there's lots of whiffy smells at different times.
I wasn't joking when I said about the Muscovies catching all the flies. The J to F said that a Canadian study showed that Muscovy ducks killed 30 times more houseflies than commercial traps, baits or fly paper. They slaughtered some ducks, opened their crops and each one was filled with hundreds of flies. In folk lore they say, there is no such thing as a surfeit of slugs, merely a dearth of ducks.
Having kept Muscovy's and tasted the meat..not at all greasy..I'm looking forward to keeping them again.
Jill..
Maggots!................ya gotta love 'em!
Nev
Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
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- Tom Good
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