And it comes back around again…
I know it’s pretty obvious but it’s still nice to see it in practise.
Yesterday we had broad beans as part of our dinner, and a few minutes later, the chickens got the pods to snack on (they LOVE them); tomorrow we shall have manure (in the garden, not for dinner), and next year we’ll have more broad beans.
We should also get eggs out of the system too but it was too complicated to add that into my diagram ;)
Substitute Guinea Pigs for chickens and I’m there! I know you can make wine and soup and stuff out of the pods but I can’t be bothered and the Guinea Pigs love them – and I love their manure, in turn.
So true – love this. I’m hoping to someday have chickens in my garden to have a better loop – and to make better use of the extras from the garden. I might get rabbits soon instead.
I have broad bean pod soup sitting on the side ready to be blitzed, so the hens are going to have to wait for the next lot of broad beans to get a snack! (They did have all the gone-to-seed beet spinach leaves and heads, before anyone thinks they may be deprived!)
I love these loops- very satisfying.
My hens won’t eat the broad bean pods and nor will my rabbits so they just end up in the compost. There is not much they turn their little noses up at but this is one.
One of the reasons I wanted chickens was the whole ‘circle’ of things. However, much as I want them I have realised that it’s sadly,just not feasible. Not least because one of my neighbours will make my life hell if I do get some. Oh well, you win some, you lose some I suppose.
Aurora: I did think about turning them into soup too but the idea of treating the chickens/getting chicken poo was more desirable ;)
Chiot’s Run: I think you’d love having chickens :) Would you get the rabbits as pets or for meat? I like the idea of raising rabbits for meat in theory (since two girls and a boy can produce a whole lot of meat in a year, and they’re easier than most things to skin/butcher) but I think they’d remind me off my cats too much that I wouldn’t be able to do it…
Hazel: ooh, someone who did soup them! Do you have a particular recipe? I’ve never had it – is it a bit pea-y in flavour rather than beany?
Jo: I’ve read that elsewhere – funny how some get picky about stuff and others don’t!
Su: oh shame – but probably better that you realised that about the neighbours now than later.