Getting ready for Winter

There is so much to be done on the farm to get ready for Winter.  Aside from making sure that all the snow removal equipment is tuned up and ready, fences need to be checked and animal housing needs to have a good going over to ensure that everything is ship-shape.

While DH takes care of that end of the business, the garden needs to be readied for winter and all the birds and animals will also need to be checked.
Chickenland has looked like a giant pillow fight has taken place.  The girls molt twice a year, more heavily in fall than spring.  This leaves some looking a bit disheveled (does anyone ever look "sheveled"?).  We make sure that they get a balanced diet with a little extra protein (yummy! meal worms!) mix in.  Scratch feed is also increased a wee bit to ensure those tummies stay warm over night.

who you callin' scruffy?

To ensure that the chicken houses are warm, extra straw is laid down, forming a nice cushy floor to hold in the heat or provide a snuggly area to wiggle down into.  The hay works just like a down comforter: the air spaces in the down or straw slow the heat dissipation.  This makes those little burrows nice and warm when the winter winds blow outside.
Most of the day, Saturday, was spent clearing out the animal barn.  Once the paddock is clean of old straw, layers of stall treatment, wood shavings, and new straw are put it.  This lays down the beginnings of a deep bed which will help keep the girls warm in the winter.  Boers are cold hardy provided that one allows them to get plenty of pasture time while the seasons change.  While they don't stay outside in the cold rain (who likes to get wet and chilled?), they do go out to play while things are dry. 

 Everyone seems happy despite the chill in the air.  Winter is coming.  Another new adventure.

Harvest time 2014

Patiently we watched and waited.  Every few days, we walked the orchard, monitoring the baby trees for signs of growth and possible pests.  With sharpened tools, we selectively pruned, gently spreading limbs to uncross and grow healthy.  First year fruits were removed to allow the baby trees to put their energy into growing strong.  This year we allowed some of the little trees to produce fruit.
Gala, Fuji, and Cortlands were very productive, resulting in large, lovely apples, beckoning to be eaten straight off the tree.  The Honey Crisp trees produced apples, however perhaps need another year or two to mature before they will be a marketable size.

Helper puppy guarding the pick sack

As far as I'm concerned, they were all perfect size for making apple butter and, above all,

mmmmmmmmmm, pie...

apple pie.  If you're looking for some good recipes to use your apples in, < click here>.  Remember, keep it simple.  Enjoy a fresh fall apple today!

At home with the Buckeyes

I'm happy to report that the Buckeyes finally settled into the new chicken tractor.  By placing their food and water inside the tractor, encouraged them to go inside it to explore.  Once they had determined that it was a safe place, it only took a few more days before they started spending the night there.
Sidebar: the chicks had been taught to go to bed at the words: 'Bed-bye'.  In the beginning it didn't occur to me that 'Bed-bye' to the chicks would mean for them to go to bed in their chick house.  They made this association clear to me the first night when all were in bed in the big house except one.  I said, 'Bed-bye' and they all came flooding out of the house to stand by the chick house door, waiting for me to open it up.  Sorry, kids.  My bad.
A day or two after that, after tucking them in for the night in the tractor, we moved the chick house out to repurpose it for other things.

I'm now wondering how long is it going to take before they start using their roost at night.  Currently, when they go to bed, they nest up together like they did when they were chicks: in a tight chicken nest in a corner of the house.  All in good time, I guess.