Comments on Root Simple: Chicken Coop Deconstructed

The project sounds wonderful except for the pygmy ...

2009-10-19T17:04:54.132-07:00

The project sounds wonderful except for the pygmy goats! Nothing wrong with the goats themselves - we used to have a couple and enjoyed having them around - but they will kill all the trees in the orchard! Like deer they are browsers and will eat the bark off the trunks and the tree will die. Chickens, geese (though geese can be a bit mean) or guinea hens would be a better fit. Could you put up poultry netting for a ceiling to keep the hawks out? Anyway, way to go . . .

My mother grew up on dairy farms in Artesia and Ch...

2009-10-14T17:51:42.549-07:00

My mother grew up on dairy farms in Artesia and Chino. One of her old homesteads is now a Firestone Tire store and the neighbor's place is a gargantuan mall. Glad to hear there is a speck of the area's old ag roots lingering about, at least a bit for educational purposes. What a fantastic project!

Fantastic! Justin and you ROCK!

2009-10-13T10:28:58.077-07:00

Fantastic! Justin and you ROCK!

I don't know if the chickens will be allowed t...

2009-10-12T23:10:03.970-07:00

I don't know if the chickens will be allowed to forage in the orchard. In the past, they have had chickens that roamed in the open. Unfortunately they were all eaten by hawks. Some were even attacked in front of the kids. So I think the chickens will stay in their coop and enclosed run.
But the teacher wants pygmy goats. They would be excellent weed control in the orchard. Guess we'll have to fix up the old barn next.

Do you plan to plant chicken forage plants in the ...

2009-10-12T14:51:27.496-07:00

Do you plan to plant chicken forage plants in the orchard understory?

That is a wonderful project! Have you any info on...

2009-10-11T19:47:45.990-07:00

That is a wonderful project! Have you any info on the legality of goats? I hsve been looking into getting them here in LA, and I don't know what the codes are. The dwarf Nigerians are no larger than a dog (much smaller than the Great Dane we had) so it seems like it should be ok--but just haven't had any definitive info. on that.

Kudos on your project, I wish all schools were a enlightened about what constitutes an eductional environment!

Thanks for the info on a school in the middle of L...

2009-10-10T12:19:52.631-07:00

Thanks for the info on a school in the middle of LA that actually still has the remnants of an ag program.

Please keep us up to date on how things go with the construction, with the new hens, with the barn. This is great, so more power to you, from up here in San Jose!

One of the very coolest things in L.A. is our Mast...

2009-10-10T08:32:00.505-07:00

One of the very coolest things in L.A. is our Master Gardener program. The program teaches people how to grow food so that we may in turn teach others (specifically in low-income areas) to grow their own food. We must do a certain amount of volunteer work every year to keep our Master Gardener certification.
Pretty much any school garden or community project that needs help growing food can turn to Master Gardeners for help.

Now that is a cool volunteer job, if I lived close...

2009-10-10T05:08:12.225-07:00

Now that is a cool volunteer job, if I lived closer I would lend a hand. Good luck and keep us updated.

What a cool opportunity. How did you get hooked u...

2009-10-09T15:49:08.068-07:00

What a cool opportunity. How did you get hooked up with the school in order to volunteer in this way?