Keeping them safe

Talk with any parent about what is necessary to raise kids and the topic of 'keeping them safe' will inevitability come up.  Whether talking about human children or the babies about the farm, one needs to consider the surroundings and what to do to keep them safe.

Like most children, chicks are forever curious about their worlds.  As they scratch and peck, they look to their mom to tell them what is good to eat, what's best to stay away from, and to protect them from day-to-day dangers.  Since we can't watch over them 24x7, we build in safe guards.

The pastures and surrounding grasslands are all pesticide free which limits the worry that someone will eat something bad.  Any questionable weeds are removed by hand before the chicks are released into the run.  A well placed 2x4 acts as both a doorstop and a step, although the babes seem to prefer to burst out of the house in flurry of feathers.  Flying end-over-end, coming to a rolling stop just before the waterer, one somehow expects them to throw up their wings like an Olympic gymnast and shout, 'Ta-DAAA!' when they finally come to a stop.

Plastic chicken wire has been placed over the threshold.  This serves two purposes: put two fingers together.  This is the width of the hole or slot that if left open, a chick will attempt to squeeze into.  If one chick goes, the rest will soon follow after.  This wouldn't be so bad if they had the sense to get themselves out however a chick will sit and call to its mom until it hears her clucky encouragement to back out of the hole.  Since I don't speak fluent chicken, we're at a distinct disadvantage.  Under the circumstances it is sometimes best to screen those temptations than to tempt fate.
The other purpose of the plastic chicken wire is to discourage any would be predators from hiding there.  Everybody loves the taste of chicken.  Unfortunately this includes rats, snakes, turtles, cats, dogs, coyotes, and a long list of birds the live in our area.  A determined predator may not be kept out, however a slightly less determined one will.
The chicken tractor has small access doors on each end which can be locked.  Additionally, the protruding laying boxes have a cover which can be lifted providing access from the outside.  To keep coyotes and other large predators from openning and entering the coop from the laying box flap, a small hook and a very large rock has been added for extra peace of mind.

The little doodles are growing quickly.  More hoops will need to be made until the portable chicken is finally ready for the season.  Stay tuned...

Babies first day out

 Life on the farm is a never ending adventure.  There is really no such thing as down time or idle moments, only brief respites between tasks.  One continuously plans, schedules, and executes.   All that said, that does mean we don't have moments of fun.  This last Winter while biting winds howled, DH built a new chicken tractor for the new members of the family.  Fourteen new chicks arrived in May. 
With the warmer weather, the little troopers are now ready to move from their chick box inside, to their new home outside.  Like a mother watching her children go into the playlot for the first time, the umbrella and chair have been set up close enough to keep an eye on things, yet far enough away for them to brave the big wide world...sort of.
 




Last fall we bent some pipes to make row covers and hoop houses.  Using a few left over half circles, we attached these to a floating frame.  This frame can easily be moved around from one grassy place to another, providing extra protection to the babies from the beasties that see them as snacks and toys.  While the chicks explore their new home, we keep watch.
 
What's also nice is that this hoop frame easily joins to the chicken tractor.  As their house is moved from place to place, the frame can also provide a little extra shade and security.  Watching babies grow up is better than TV.

May Flowers or Out in the greenhouse part 2

To get a jump on the growing season, some plants can be started indoors.  After all the danger of frost and cold temps finally pass, the mature seedlings can then be transferred to their garden beds outside.
When walking about the garden center of the local big box store, one will see all sorts of stuff available to help the gardener grow seeds.  Special soils, additives, trays, heat mats, lights, gages, and probes fill aisle after aisle leaving the noice or professional wondering what she gotten herself into.  It doesn't have to be complicated.  Let's get back to keeping it simple.


I love seed catalogs.  They always come when the weather is cold and nasty reminding us that it won't be winter forever.  The hardest part is staying rational/reasonable in planning the new year's garden plot.
With the greenhouse, we were able to get our cucumbers, watermelons, and gourds an early start.  Each of these plants like warm soil to germinate.  When temps were hovering around 40F outside, the greenhouse was a lovely 70F.  As an experiment, we decided not to heat the house but rather let the sun shine in.  Fortunately this year, that was enough to make the little seedlings happy.
Now that the weather is becoming steadily warmer, the little plants are being transferred out to the garden bed..