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Re: Questions



On 7 Jun 1996 08:00:57 -0400, cathcon@psinet.net.au (Cathy
Constantine) wrote:

>I own a suburban house with my sister and we are recent converts to
>permaculture. I have a few specific questions which I'd love for anyone with
>experience or advice to respond to,privately or publicly.
>
First question that pops to mind is --will your zoning board allow
your plans?  Here we are rural and zoned agricultural.  So we can have
the livestock and necessary buildings.  A few miles over the zoning is
different and livestock is not allowed.  Pet rabbits - yes, chickens-
no.

>        I want to create a water cycling system in an urban garden with
>components like - a sump/tank receiving input from rain and greywater - a filtering
>reed bed - ponds/streams (with fish, edible plants, marron(freshwater
>crayfish)). Ideally the system would run with a single alternative energy
>driven pump.  Challenging climate - nearly all rain in winter, very dry
>summer so big annual cycle in water quantity.  

Cattails are attractive and edible.  So are goldfish (carp), if
properly cleaned (old Rome treated goldfish as a delicacy).  
>
>        We have some rabbits and intend to get some chickens. I'd like to
>build a permanent, wire-covered pen for the rabbits and a house for the
>chickens both connected to 3 pens in our orchard for rotating use.Any
>practical hints or personal experiences?
>
Build your rabbit cages up high enough for the chickens to run under
them.  (Do not put the rabbits on the ground.  They dig and might
escape, and are more venerable to diseases carried by wild rabbits.)
Add a piece of scrap wood (worm house, so the chickens do not get them
all) and some bait worms (red wrigglers work well).  Once a year,
spring is best, scoop composted manure and worms into garden areas.
(The combination of rabbit, chicken, and earthworm manure is very
rich.  Plus the wild rabbits will not willingly feed near rabbit
droppings.)  The rest of the year, let the worms feed on the manure
and chickens feed on the worms and possible fly maggots.  (This seems
to work well on our farm.  Low fly populations, well fed chickens and
ducks, plus valuable earthworms in a region that seems to have little
native population.)  

The heat from this composting manure will help keep the rabbit house
warm in the colder months.  Try combining your rabbit and chicken
house as one unit.  We are currently experimenting with this, but have
not been doing it long enough to know if there is any value gained.

>        Also I'd like to grow a rose hedge at the front for privacy/security
>and don't know about what type of roses would suit this.
>
If you can not find a suitable disease free rose for your area, check
out raspberries or blackberries.  A nice private thorn hedge with a
few deserts and food for wildlife thrown in.

>        Finally, our front verge has a height limit of 3 feet so we thought
>about some low growing natives, perhaps on bark chips.
>
Watch using 'bark' chips.  Evergreen bark tends to be very acid and
will kill some decorative plants.  Suggestion-- instead of buying
chips or mulch borrow/rent/buy a chipper shredder and produce your own
out of downed branches and fall leaves.

>        Thanks for any responses, I hope you don't mind the specificness of
>the queries but when you dfcide to actually do something the questions
>become very specific indeed.
>
No problem:^).

Vandy Terre
vandy@avana.net



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