The Walden Effect: Farming, simple living, permaculture, and invention.

Questions From Our Readers

Do you have a question about homesteading, permaculture, gardening, chickens, worms, or just living simply? We've got answers.

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Hernia update
Posted Wed Sep 5 06:00:31 2018 by Anna
Honda mower location update
Posted Sat Jul 7 06:00:42 2018 by mark
Keeping down weeds along a garden fenceline
Posted Wed Jul 4 06:00:48 2018 by Anna
Heat pump water heater review
Posted Mon Jun 18 06:00:45 2018 by Anna
Ratchet tension wire full view
Posted Sun Jun 17 06:00:36 2018 by mark
What happened to the Super Winch?
Posted Tue Apr 24 06:00:44 2018 by mark
Deerslayer: Retired
Posted Sat Nov 4 07:00:24 2017 by mark
Mid move interview
Posted Thu Oct 26 07:00:30 2017 by Anna
Hybrid heat pump hot water heater
Posted Sat Sep 23 06:51:44 2017 by mark
More moving questions
Posted Fri Sep 22 06:51:41 2017 by Anna
Are there any garden items we don't like?
Posted Wed Sep 6 07:01:07 2017 by mark
Should we consider selling the blog with the farm?
Posted Tue Aug 29 10:27:16 2017 by mark
Temporary adjustment of blogging interval
Posted Sun Aug 27 14:27:33 2017 by mark
How to use a small patch of sorghum?
Posted Thu Aug 24 15:05:07 2017 by mark
Surrendering to wildlife
Posted Sun Jul 30 14:26:58 2017 by mark
EZ Miser hole saw kit question
Posted Mon Jul 24 15:45:47 2017 by mark
Using bathwater to irrigate the garden
Posted Thu Jul 20 06:38:08 2017 by Anna
Why raspberry patches decline
Posted Mon Jun 26 07:01:46 2017 by Anna
Update on hens eating eggs
Posted Wed Jun 14 15:06:08 2017 by mark
Using fresh manure in the garden
Posted Sat Jun 10 07:16:47 2017 by Anna
Harbor Freight Solar Panels....Buyer Beware!
Posted Thu Jun 1 14:59:22 2017 by mark
Becoming a broccoli-growing pro
Posted Mon May 29 06:42:24 2017 by Anna
How do you prevent racoons from eating chickens?
Posted Sat Apr 8 15:46:46 2017 by mark
Kubota X900 won't go into neutral?
Posted Mon Mar 20 16:01:56 2017 by mark
Monthly chores
Posted Wed Feb 1 07:00:46 2017 by Anna
Kubota X900 stuck update
Posted Fri Jan 13 16:49:56 2017 by mark
Aquaponic answers
Posted Mon Jan 2 07:21:47 2017 by Anna
Is primer really necessary with modern paints?
Posted Mon Dec 26 07:36:22 2016 by Anna
Shaking saves paint?
Posted Thu Dec 22 14:14:16 2016 by mark
Lucy showing her age
Posted Tue Dec 13 05:21:34 2016 by Anna
Zoom out
Posted Mon Nov 21 07:14:49 2016 by Anna
Cover crops in a Back to Eden garden
Posted Fri Oct 7 07:41:24 2016 by Anna
Warm-winter cover-crop question
Posted Wed Oct 5 07:15:59 2016 by Anna
One bad bird spoils the flock
Posted Mon Sep 12 07:27:10 2016 by Anna
Backyard bees in the larger landscape
Posted Sun Aug 14 07:21:35 2016 by Anna
How do you know if your garden needs more compost?
Posted Mon Jul 4 06:36:02 2016 by Anna
Dangers of horse manure, revisited
Posted Mon Jun 27 06:50:24 2016 by Anna
Why summer train and prune apple trees?
Posted Sat Jun 4 07:14:10 2016 by Anna
Blooming cabbage
Posted Mon Mar 21 15:58:13 2016 by mark
Chicken tractors in winter
Posted Mon Jan 25 07:38:01 2016 by Anna
Unanswered questions
Posted Tue Jan 19 06:37:16 2016 by Anna
Folding bathtub
Posted Sat Jan 16 07:38:49 2016 by Anna
When to refresh a flock of laying hens?
Posted Sun Jan 3 14:55:32 2016 by mark
Cute goats and chicken watering business update
Posted Thu Dec 17 15:33:06 2015 by mark
How long does it take mushroom logs to fruit?
Posted Tue Dec 15 07:13:33 2015 by Anna
Best stainless steel drinking water container?
Posted Mon Oct 5 15:55:00 2015 by mark
Flying over fences
Posted Wed Sep 30 13:55:37 2015 by mark
Tips for starting a food forest
Posted Sun Sep 27 07:25:32 2015 by Anna
Incorporating soybeans into the homestead
Posted Mon Sep 7 07:25:31 2015 by Anna
Mangel taste test
Posted Tue Aug 18 16:00:17 2015 by mark
When to harvest butternut squash?
Posted Mon Aug 17 14:22:48 2015 by mark
Planting dates for the fall garden
Posted Mon Aug 17 06:39:38 2015 by Anna
When to stop milking goats
Posted Mon Jul 27 07:08:52 2015 by Anna
Masai bean harvesting
Posted Wed Jul 8 16:09:55 2015 by mark
Stunted fig support
Posted Sun Jul 5 15:13:05 2015 by mark
Homesteading hula hoop?
Posted Mon Jun 1 15:56:14 2015 by mark
Two questions for our readers
Posted Wed Feb 25 07:28:20 2015 by Anna
Winter goat update
Posted Tue Feb 24 14:14:09 2015 by mark
Snow dog
Posted Sat Feb 21 13:41:04 2015 by mark
Box Elder vs Sugar Maple taste test
Posted Wed Feb 4 15:10:49 2015 by mark
Why *not* to get goats
Posted Thu Jan 29 07:44:58 2015 by Anna
2015 hay shortage
Posted Wed Jan 28 16:22:20 2015 by mark
Hay storage
Posted Tue Jan 27 15:44:46 2015 by mark
Drilling through a 4x4
Posted Sun Jan 25 12:50:44 2015 by mark
Greywater wetland in winter
Posted Fri Dec 19 07:39:22 2014 by Anna
Training goats to follow
Posted Sun Dec 14 08:16:40 2014 by Anna
Hanging hay with bicycle storage hooks
Posted Tue Dec 9 16:00:51 2014 by mark
Why ducks stop laying eggs
Posted Sun Dec 7 07:53:22 2014 by Anna
Weight and longevity of row-cover fabric
Posted Wed Dec 3 08:08:51 2014 by Anna
Do goats dream of electric fences?
Posted Sat Nov 29 15:33:48 2014 by mark
Goats in the rain
Posted Wed Nov 5 15:41:51 2014 by mark
Lucy and the goats
Posted Wed Oct 29 15:56:29 2014 by mark
Pros and cons of feeding grain to goats
Posted Sat Oct 11 07:08:44 2014 by Anna
Walden Effect beach vacation 2014
Posted Sun Oct 5 15:22:37 2014 by mark
Trimmer mower line alternative
Posted Mon Sep 29 15:44:05 2014 by mark
Pears as low-work fruit trees
Posted Sat Sep 27 06:55:29 2014 by Anna
Sorghum
Posted Tue Sep 23 15:43:29 2014 by mark
Repurposed freezer
Posted Wed Sep 17 15:49:24 2014 by mark
Steep hill trimmer mowing
Posted Tue Sep 16 15:57:17 2014 by mark
Onion storage
Posted Mon Sep 1 15:43:02 2014 by mark
Mung beans are easy
Posted Thu Aug 28 15:19:43 2014 by mark
Slanted roof ceiling fan installation
Posted Sun Aug 24 16:21:16 2014 by mark
Best chicken cam?
Posted Sat Aug 23 16:23:26 2014 by mark
Chicken tractor predator protection
Posted Fri Aug 22 16:57:22 2014 by mark
Preventing birds from eating sunflower seeds?
Posted Wed Aug 13 14:36:24 2014 by mark
Saying good bye to soil destruction
Posted Wed Aug 6 15:06:35 2014 by mark
Straw bale Tuesday
Posted Tue Aug 5 15:51:30 2014 by mark
Cucumber completion
Posted Sat Jul 5 16:28:03 2014 by mark
Making your own weed trimmer string?
Posted Sat Jun 21 14:02:36 2014 by mark
Yellow Crook Neck
Posted Mon Jun 16 16:04:13 2014 by mark
Is it safe to mulch with paper?
Posted Thu Jun 12 07:03:28 2014 by Anna
How much manure and straw does a garden need?
Posted Sun Jun 8 07:46:18 2014 by Anna
Biochar in the composting toilet
Posted Mon Jun 2 06:47:34 2014 by Anna
Rain barrel workshop
Posted Sat May 31 13:16:54 2014 by mark
16 gauge Winchester
Posted Sun May 25 15:38:20 2014 by mark
Hammock chair update
Posted Sun May 18 15:35:51 2014 by mark
Heat limits of J-B weld expoxy?
Posted Sat May 10 14:59:29 2014 by mark
Cornish cross update
Posted Fri May 9 16:01:15 2014 by mark
How to pick up chicks
Posted Wed May 7 17:33:30 2014 by mark
What do you do with old chicken feathers?
Posted Sat Apr 5 16:10:19 2014 by mark
How to start sweet potato slips
Posted Fri Apr 4 07:50:15 2014 by Anna
Star Plate pyramid pentagon
Posted Fri Mar 21 16:08:39 2014 by mark
Weight lifting chicken
Posted Mon Mar 17 15:54:42 2014 by mark
Star Plate middle support angle
Posted Thu Mar 13 16:23:29 2014 by mark
Planning out a garden to feed two people all year
Posted Mon Mar 10 08:13:58 2014 by Anna
Seed starting window shelf
Posted Sat Mar 8 14:48:17 2014 by mark
Shade trellis tension
Posted Thu Mar 6 15:33:43 2014 by mark
Chicken tractor in the snow
Posted Fri Feb 14 15:41:16 2014 by mark
Do bees like sugar maple sap?
Posted Wed Feb 12 15:51:59 2014 by mark
The best chicken waterer for every occasion
Posted Mon Feb 10 07:46:50 2014 by Anna
Do chickens like coconuts?
Posted Sun Feb 9 15:15:08 2014 by mark
Taller fence part 2
Posted Wed Jan 29 15:43:14 2014 by mark
The Walden Effect diet
Posted Tue Jan 28 08:01:27 2014 by Anna
Chicken tractor capacity debate
Posted Fri Jan 17 16:24:43 2014 by mark
Walden Effect approved vegetable varieties
Posted Fri Jan 17 07:59:14 2014 by Anna
Best small space heater?
Posted Sat Jan 11 14:23:38 2014 by mark
Live trap update
Posted Mon Dec 30 15:59:19 2013 by mark
Biggest flood of 2013
Posted Sun Dec 29 14:11:34 2013 by mark
Testing an old can of fuel
Posted Thu Dec 26 16:31:08 2013 by mark
Refrigerator root cellar power cost
Posted Tue Dec 24 16:15:38 2013 by mark
Window light blocking
Posted Tue Dec 17 16:18:31 2013 by mark
ATV creek crossing
Posted Sun Dec 15 14:04:03 2013 by mark
An average day
Posted Sat Oct 5 07:29:58 2013 by Anna
Remineralization revisited
Posted Sun Sep 29 07:54:58 2013 by Anna
Why you might (not) choose to test your soil
Posted Fri Sep 27 07:21:39 2013 by Anna
DIY Kill Cone alternative part 2
Posted Sun Aug 18 15:47:51 2013 by mark
Is horse manure organic?
Posted Tue Jul 16 07:20:24 2013 by Anna
"Why don't you just use a fungicide/insecticide?"
Posted Tue Jul 9 07:13:48 2013 by Anna
Bucket hauler plywood attachment question
Posted Tue Jun 25 15:14:51 2013 by mark
Keeping birds out of the berries
Posted Fri Jun 21 07:22:16 2013 by Anna
Types of top bars for bees
Posted Sat May 11 07:59:43 2013 by Anna
How can you mow a cover crop then plant into it?
Posted Tue Apr 23 08:02:24 2013 by Anna
Remineralization vs. chemical fertilization
Posted Sun Feb 10 08:35:17 2013 by Anna
Can an apple with burr knot be saved?
Posted Tue Feb 5 12:01:22 2013 by Anna
Biological insect control
Posted Tue Jan 8 16:01:09 2013 by mark
How to tell when a mushroom is ripe
Posted Fri Dec 14 07:47:30 2012 by Anna
Inoculated magnolia stump update
Posted Tue Dec 11 15:26:34 2012 by mark
Metal roof acoustics
Posted Tue Sep 18 15:17:02 2012 by mark
Trimmer line vs Polycut attachment fingers
Posted Tue Aug 28 16:53:59 2012 by mark
Potato onion taste and storage
Posted Sun Aug 12 08:23:11 2012 by Anna
Planning a no-till garden
Posted Wed Aug 8 06:31:24 2012 by Anna
The cost of self-reliance
Posted Thu Jul 12 06:56:59 2012 by Anna
No-till soil structure
Posted Wed Apr 25 07:52:04 2012 by Anna
Chainsaw carrying bag clarification
Posted Thu Apr 5 16:21:48 2012 by mark
Reusing potting soil
Posted Wed Feb 29 07:52:36 2012 by Anna
Brood coop mounting details
Posted Sun Feb 26 15:21:08 2012 by mark
Golf cart vs ATV
Posted Thu Feb 16 15:26:11 2012 by mark
Chainsaw adjustment notes
Posted Tue Jan 24 16:26:38 2012 by mark
How do you hire a good homesteading helper?
Posted Fri Sep 30 16:16:55 2011 by mark
Cover crop questions
Posted Mon Sep 26 07:42:40 2011 by Anna
Name that knot
Posted Fri Sep 23 07:37:18 2011 by Anna
How to get free Mexican Sour Gherkin seeds
Posted Tue Jul 12 17:36:05 2011 by mark
Supermarket tomato facts
Posted Thu Jun 30 16:03:44 2011 by mark
Virtual chicken pasture tour
Posted Wed Jun 8 16:50:17 2011 by mark
Best bat box design for guano harvesting
Posted Tue May 17 15:31:10 2011 by mark
Do chickens sleep better with the light off at night?
Posted Sun Jan 30 15:37:32 2011 by mark
Outhouse technology
Posted Tue Jan 18 16:40:43 2011 by mark
How to experience maximum joy everyday
Posted Sun Dec 26 14:29:27 2010 by mark
Difficulty levels of self-sufficiency
Posted Mon Dec 20 06:00:29 2010 by Anna
What to look for in a homestead
Posted Sat Dec 18 06:00:19 2010 by Anna
Pumpkin growing problems
Posted Tue Dec 14 06:00:20 2010 by Anna
Do I need to replant Egyptian onions every year?
Posted Tue Aug 24 07:35:40 2010 by Anna
Permaculture interview
Posted Thu Jun 17 16:52:34 2010 by mark
Magnetic ratcheting review
Posted Sat Jun 12 19:51:05 2010 by mark
Honda HP450 Power Carrier
Posted Mon May 10 21:21:56 2010 by mark
Backyard deer.com
Posted Sun Apr 25 15:02:18 2010 by mark
Permaculture at home
Posted Sun Mar 28 08:08:10 2010 by Anna
Teamwork
Posted Thu Feb 18 09:04:19 2010 by mark
Tool question
Posted Tue Dec 8 16:15:52 2009 by mark
What kind of gun should a home owner choose?
Posted Sun Nov 1 15:34:17 2009 by mark
Sandy soil question
Posted Wed Jun 3 06:33:37 2009 by Anna
Ramshackle mobile home air conditioner
Posted Thu Apr 30 18:07:51 2009 by Mark
Cheaper chicken door contraption
Posted Fri Apr 17 14:14:40 2009 by Mark
Avian Aqua Miser question
Posted Mon Mar 30 20:26:49 2009 by Mark
Paycheck and a parking spot part 2
Posted Sun Feb 22 17:03:50 2009 by Mark
Full time ownership
Posted Sat Feb 21 20:37:14 2009 by Mark
Good Surprise, Bad Surprise
Posted Fri Feb 20 07:40:52 2009 by Anna
Can I go back to the land by myself?
Posted Thu Jan 22 08:24:18 2009 by Anna
Topeka question
Posted Wed Jan 14 19:02:58 2009 by Mark
Organic gardening question
Posted Fri Jan 9 09:26:58 2009 by Anna
Time is on my side
Posted Wed Dec 10 17:06:46 2008 by Mark
A crock of water
Posted Wed Nov 26 20:06:04 2008 by Mark
Barkside burning
Posted Sun Nov 23 12:37:09 2008 by Mark
Seed Saving Question
Posted Thu Nov 13 09:21:08 2008 by Anna
Chicken Tractor Question
Posted Fri Nov 7 17:31:23 2008 by Mark
The Daylight Saving Candy Conspiracy
Posted Sun Nov 2 14:19:13 2008 by Mark
Chicken Danger
Posted Fri Oct 31 11:41:22 2008 by Mark
A Question of Hunting
Posted Sun Oct 26 21:17:03 2008 by Mark
Drinking water question
Posted Sun Oct 19 20:12:02 2008 by Anna
Emergency Power Question
Posted Fri Oct 10 20:29:00 2008 by Mark
Question of the week
Posted Mon Sep 29 16:04:43 2008 by Mark


Anna Hess's books
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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.



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aqua miser & crock pot warmer
Have you tried the aqua miser with chicks at 2 to 3 days old, and if so, how good did it work? I don't know how low it will regulate the temperature, but have you tried a digital thermostat for an incubator to turn the crock pot warmers on & off.
Comment by jp- georgia — Thu Apr 23 17:36:24 2009
comment 2
I like your thermostat idea! We haven't tried the avian aqua miser on chicks that young, but one of our customers used it with 3 week old chicks and said that he should have tried it much younger.
Comment by anna — Fri Apr 24 07:56:33 2009
Ancona ducks
I want to know what can you give them to help them start laying eggs again its been 6 months since we've got a Edge from them there are a year old
Comment by chuck — Sat Jan 30 12:05:56 2016
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