Since you’re reading this newsletter you’re obviously interested in raising chickens…
As you probably already know, there are tons of advantages to raising your own chickens…
They are a super-easy animal to maintain and 5-10 laying hens can provide eggs for the entire family.
They can be raised on a budget by building your own coop and developing strategies to minimize feed costs.
Not only that, they will help fertilize your garden and can be raised in a fairly limited amount of space.
But what if you would like to take another step towards self-sufficiency and produce your own vegetables and even farm your own fish…?
Enter Aquaponics…
Aquaponics is the method of growing crops and fish together in a re-circulating system.
An aquaponics installation requires no soil, scant water (2 to 10 percent of what is used in the average vegetable garden), very little space, a modest financial investment and minimal maintenance…
Also, there’s no dealing with pesticides, the system is sustainable and easy to set up and it can produce a huge amount of vegetables and fish in a small amount of space.
Yes, it can almost seem to good to be true but the advantages are indeed real…I highly suggest you take some time to learn more about it.
Here’s a great Aquaponics guide to check out.
Chickens + an Aquaponics system certainly is a great combo if you’re interested in producing healthy, organic food using minimum amount of space.
Eggs, vegetables and fish…there’s not that much else you’ll really need for food, right?See where we’re going here? Self-sufficiency really isn’t as unachievable as it may seem – IF you’re using the right food production methods…
If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends and family!
John
Photo by: waleedalzuhair
I’m going to get my chickens set up first. This does look interesting.
Denny
Going to do chickens too, but I’m so excitied about aquaponics I want to set that up first. I’ll keep you posted on my progress, going to take tons of pictures!
Hi Jodi,
Yes, isn’t it exciting? Looking forward to the pictures!
John
Already have 8 chicken and 1 rooster, want to add few Amauraca I think thats the proper spelling. The water garden sound like a great idea. will look more into it.
Thanks for the info.
Like idea of aquaponics thank you for info.fan of this site
Lost my birds
To county ordinance.stupid law upset family hope rules change soon..
I have started to gather the materials, but I am having great difficulty finding IBC’s that are or were food grade. I am not real fond of using containers that once held chemicals.
On another note we have 20 chickens. Just starting out (I have not had chickens since I was 10 and just turned 60), but should work well with retirement. They are about 10 weeks and I think they are about ready to start laying. I do think we have one or maybe two roosters. How soon will we know?
Terry
Your new chicks will not start laying until they are almost 7 months old. You wont be able to tell the roosters from the hens until they are almost a year. Good luck and enjoy.
So happy with your work but accessing you physically is so hard since am in Africa – Kenya!
I already bought the greenhouse. Hubby started on it then got distracted. He wants to put down two perfect concrete footers so it doesn’t blow away. I have the large tank and instructions to make an aquaponics setup inside the green house once it’s set in place and the cover is put on it. (Now it’s just a skeleton.) I think I’ll get the chicken house first. He has to build it. We also have four pigs that wondered into our fenced garden. The gate closed. They are being treated well and don’t want to leave now!
We live in an area with lots of caves, so when we build our house up in our woods, we may tap into them for thermal assistance with heating and cooling that as well. Yes, we’re trying to become as independent as possible.
Extremely interesting…chicken, plants and fish, Wow! As a Peace Corps Volunteer now in Panamá I am always looking for a d9ifferent challenge…thanks!
Thanks for the tip about chickens liking fruit. I give watermelon to my 12 Rhode Idland Red chickens. they are 4 months old and they love. Thought we were sold all hens when we bought them at 1 week old but just read your article that said we wont know the sexex till they are a year old. Any other signs I can look for. JEANICE hARRISON, iDAHO
I have 25 Chicks about 6 weeks old and 20 Tilapia about the same and plan going that route next spring
John:
I got and read several of your books and my family and I are “all in.” We are in the process of building a 12′ x 14′ solar-powered, aquaponics & greenhouse facility as well as “The Olde Shack” chicken coop from your plans for our soon-to-be chickens. (Even raising our own meal worms as treats for the chickens). Everyone is so excited about getting off “the grid” when it comes to fresh, clean fruits, vegetables, fish and eggs. Thanks for all of your information and advice. It is all “spot on” and so easy to follow. Will keep you updated on our progress and results. Just curious about your thoughts on the Buff Orpington chickens re: ease of raising and egg production. Thanks-
David
Hello John,
you are correct in talking about the perfect combination and that chicken provide an excellent input material for aquaponics. In terms of nutrients for plants, chicken produce one of the best allround fertilizers. One caveat though: The chicken need to be truly free range and have had lots of access to insects, grubs and other critters we don’t like and they thrive on. I invite you to take a look at my article on healthy food, which you can find at http://bionomist.wordpress.com and www,ellenbach.org. You will find a layout for a completely self sustaining farming operation, which I call FoodWebFarming that even includes renewable energy production.
You have my email, I would love to chat with you if you find the FoodWebFarming concept interesting.
Thanks for your great website,
Nils