Category Archives: Winter Farming

Storming again

March 5, 2008   Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Growing Vegetables, Homestead, Poultry, Winter Farming

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We had a little light snow followed by a light coating of ice this morning then it stopped. I picked kale, tatsoi and spinach for a soup early this morning but didn’t have nearly enough. Back to the greenhouse I went with the idea that I’d get what I needed before the snow started again. Ha. I’d barely stepped through the door when a freezing mist started then quickly turned to sleet and snow. Brr. It’s 18* and the wind is blowing. It’s the bitter cold that cuts through you leaving you chilled to the bone. I came back in and jumped in a hot shower.

I’ll clean up the disaster area called a kitchen before making soup. Some days my family has amazing abilities. They’re able to leap the dishwasher in a single bound to put their dirty dishes in the sink. They’re also able to put the dirty dishes on the sideboard without feeling bad. They can reach over the compost bucket to throw paper and food products in the trash can. They are especially talented in being able to look at a stove and not see the pots and pans from supper still sitting there at bed time. It does not pay to do something as stupid as dislocating my shoulder. I don’t have the amazing ability to clean up after my slobs (I say that lovingly…kind of) when Advil wears off. So, I’ll make soup and I’d thought about whole wheat bread but then realized kneading bread wasn’t a good idea today.

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*&^*!!! Snow !!!*^&*

March 3, 2008   Daily Farm Life, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Winter Farming

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If you’re the person who pissed off the snow fairy I need you to get up, march yourself over there and APOLOGIZE! Now please. Oh good Lord, enough already. I spent the day shoveling snow. This morning’s first job was to clean some snow away from the seedling house. I always clean the snow off the roof and let it fall straight down. I’ve had the seedling house for six or seven years and have never had so much snow that it builds up to the 6′ high edge of the roof. I could shovel the top 2′ then tossed some rock salt on the top of what’s left. It was sunny for part of the morning and level dropped another 6″.

Then the greenhouse – same story, different snow storm. We have rain coming tomorrow and freezing rain on Wednesday. I had to get all of the snow from Saturday’s 12″ storm off the poly. I wanted to do it yesterday but it was so windy it blew the snow back in my face. Not moving it yesterday gave it time to compact.

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The Big Picture

March 1, 2008   Daily Farm Life, Homestead, Winter Farming

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I was standing behind the house when I took this video. It shows you how everything in the previous photos come together. In the video I said the greenhouse is 24 x 48. It’s 22 x 48.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgxMAw1Ctkw]

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Snow & Fedco

March 1, 2008   Agriculture, Daily Farm Life, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Growing Vegetables, Winter Farming

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Snow Will Become Heavy Later This Morning And Continue Into The Evening Before Tapering Off To Light Snow Late Tonight. Snowfall Rates Of Up To 2 Inches An Hour Can Be Expected Later This Morning Into The Afternoon Hours. Total Snowfall Accumulations Of 8 To 16 Inches Can Be Expected.

I’m hoping for the 8″ but less would be better. It should be light and fluffy and easier to shovel this time.

I picked up most of the seeds yesterday. The onions were out of stock for the year and a few things are on back order. I’ll find a replacement for the onions today. At OGS I picked up Fertrell fertilizer, kelp meal, 90 six packs, 1020 trays without holes, spinosad for the Colorado potato beetles and legume inoculant. The fertilizer is a temporary fix while I work on getting the soil tested and remineralized. It’s lacking something but I don’t know what.

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Winter Wednesday

February 27, 2008   Agriculture, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Homestead, Winter Farming

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The snowy greenhouse. This was taken after I started clearing the 5″ layer of wet, heavy snow. You can see how far the snow was able to slide down before becoming stuck. This is usually the easier side to clear thanks to the wind blowing a lot of snow as it fell. It’s almost post card pretty with the snow on the evergreens.

The seedling house is out of sight on the left. The pond is behind the crab apple and other trees in the foreground. If you use your imagination you can see the hoop house I neglected to uncover before the first storm. I thought I was ready for that storm and didn’t realize what I’d done til it was too late. The red building on the right is the hen house. All of the open space from below the apple tree well beyond the hen house to the right is market garden (1 acre).

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Weather

February 27, 2008   Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Winter Farming

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Snow, freezing rain, ice, snow, freezing rain, now lightly misting.  The ducks were happy to get out.  They were out of the barn and up on their favorite snow banks before I got back to the house.  We have 5″ of new snow and crusty ice.  Shoveling is hard work because of the very wet, very heavy snow.  I’ve cleaned off most of the seedling house.  When I realized it was getting close to 9 am I came in to be sure Taylor was about ready for school.  The hens were screaming at me to get out so they could lay their eggs in privacy.  And it was time for a cup of coffee anyway.

The greenhouse is an all day project.  The snow can’t slide off because it doesn’t collapse and pile up at the bottom.  I cleared a section earlier.  I’m getting another lesson in gh management today.  The snow has to be shoveled from the bottom up to get started this time.  I cleaned out the bottom of a 4′ section, went into the gh and pushed the snow down, went back out to shovel the snow that slid down, went back in and pushed off the rest.  I’m a little concerned about being alone all day and hundreds of pounds of snow coming down before I’m ready for it.  Steve will check on me at lunch.

I’m sure I’ll remember in a few days why I wanted this greenhouse and why I think I need four more.  Til then, this is possibly the stupidest idea I’ve ever had.  Last week I saw pictures of collapsed greenhouses.  That’s enough motivation to send me back to work.

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Recent Searches

February 25, 2008   Cold Weather Growing, Daily Farm Life, Food, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Homestead, Winter Farming

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  • farmcollies maine

We have two farmcollies. They’re here to be family pets, herd, hunt pests and guard. They do an excellent job.

  • hoop house

This might be helpful.

  • what chickens naturally eat

Insects, worms, plant matter

  • plans for seedling greenhouse

Mine is 2 x 4/2 x 6 frame covered with 6 mil, four year poly. If I build another it will probably be a small greenhouse like the steel framed four season greenhouse I’m using for vegetables year round. Most of the year the seedling house sits empty. A small greenhouse will be put to good use year round, probably with a compost pile.

  • what animals are born with eggs

None here but gees, if I could make that happen on the farm I could be a wealthy woman.

  • meat eater are better than vegetarians

No, we’re not.  Vegetarians aren’t better than meat eaters either.  We all have personal preferences that work for us.

I read something yesterday that left me shaking my head.  Flexitarian.  A flexitarian is a flexible vegetarian who eats meat. Flexible + vegetarian = meat eater.  Even if you eat “just a little meat” you’re not a vegetarian.

  •  snow peas in hoop house

Overall I don’t think they’re worth the space they take up.  They’re so hardy that they can be planted as soon as you can get into the garden without mud.  They take snow and frost and keep going.  If you have the empty space go ahead, it works well until it gets too warm.  When they’re done you should cut the vine from the roots and leave the roots and all of their nitrogen benefits in the soil.

  •  vegetable tomato cucumber “tunnel farming

I’ll be growing both in hoops and the greenhouse this year.  I’ll take photos and explain what I’m doing as I do it.  The cucumbers will be a European variety.  They’ll grow up twine.  The plants will be pruned to keep them under control.  I’ll get a jump start on the tomato season with Glacier in the greenhouse.  It’s not the best tomato out there but it is really good when grown in good soil.  About the time Glacier is done the plants outside will be producing.  The gh plants will be pulled up and something else will take their places.

  • what happens running water on icy driveway

A skating rink is created.  Don’t do this at home.

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Right Field

February 20, 2008   Agriculture, Growing Vegetables, Homestead, Winter Farming

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The moon is coming up in the distance.  If I can stay awake I’ll be back out later tonight to get pics of the eclipse.  I’m imagining what this quarter acre will look like filled with growing vegetables this summer.  The back corner of the greenhouse is on the left.  The stump is an old apple tree girdled by goats years ago and long dead.  It fell over in the fall.  It will be used for firewood in the outdoor fireplace this summer.  After it died but before it fell over it was home to starling nests for three years.  We could look down into the hollow trunk and see the nestlings.

There’s less than a foot of snow now.  I was able to gingerly walk across the top of it without breaking through late this afternoon.

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February Thaw

February 19, 2008   Agriculture, Daily Farm Life, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Winter Farming

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It’s sunny and just above freezing this morning.  The ducks were quacking to go out at 5:30 am but I wasn’t risking the icy driveway in the dark.  When the sun came up I spread wood ash to make a path.  It makes a huge difference. Water is inconvenient for me in winter.  I have to make sure I dump all of the waterers at the end of the day so that they don’t freeze solid.  I knew it was going to be warm relatively speaking so I dump the ducks’ water and filled it with a pail of water that dripped off the roof.  This morning a nudge with my toe was all it took to break the thin film of ice on top before pouring another bucket in.  The ducks were so happy to be going out all but two were in front of me leaving the barn.

February thaw is something I’ve come to appreciate a lot.  We’ve had it the last three winters. January thaw is great but we’ve come to expect it.  February thaw is still new and exciting.  The longer days on top of warm temps make February’s thaw more productive than January.  I loaded up with Advil for the aches and sinus pills for breathing and went out to work.  It was raining lightly but warm.  Manure freezes in front of the doors over time in the barn and hen house.  Last week I found myself frozen out of the barn by a couple of very large duck poops (you’re welcome, glad I could share this info).  It took rock salt and several hours to work my way in to let the ducks out.  Next winter the few remaining ducks will be closed in a stall so that they can’t poop in front of the door.  And hopefully next winter the barn has a new door that swings out.  I can shovel snow from a door that swings out a lot easier than I can melt duck poop on the other side of the door.  And next winter, if all goes well, my gilts and boar will be in the barn.  I can’t have them sleeping in front of the door and locking me out.  My last GOS sows were 600 pounds of laziness.  If these pigs manage to get out of their stall at night I need to be sure I can get in the barn.  They’ll be outside most of the time but better safe than sorry.

I’m working on MNN this morning then will finish up the grout on the diningroom floor.  This has been a drawn out project.  Between weekend activities and two sick people in the house the floor hasn’t been worked on much.  I can seal the grout Thursday and carefully put the furniture back Friday.  There are enough tiles, mortar and grout left over to do out tiny bathroom.  YEAH!

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Seedlings

February 17, 2008   Agriculture, Cold Weather Growing, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Growing Vegetables, Winter Farming

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I meant to post this last week but life got ahead of me. Some of the lettuce seed I planted in January are growing. This is Waldman, an obviously good choice for cold weather growing in a four season greenhouse.

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The Bobcat – Final Chapter

February 10, 2008   Winter Farming

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I took my rifle and a handful of bullets, left the dog in the house and went to the barn. Standing in the barn door was fruitless. I couldn’t see the back side of the wood pile where the cat was. I carefully walked from the barn door to the old apple tree at the edge of the pasture. There it was, behind the tarp that covered the back tier of the firewood. The tarp moved as the cat ate my rooster. I waited. Steve would be home in a few minutes. I’d hand the situation over to him unless I could get a clean shot before then. For that to happen the cat would have to leave the wood pile and head for either the pond to my right or the woods behind me. If it went for the woods I’d have to take the hen house into consideration before pulling the trigger. For a few seconds I thought I’d have a chance. I clicked off the safety, brought the rifle up and firmly set it against my shoulder. I was ready. I’d never fired this particular rifle at a living, moving target. I started to shake a little. My blood pressure was so high I could hear it pounding in my ears…

I hesitated. This wasn’t the right thing to do. Legally, if I caught the cat threatening my livestock or poultry I could shoot it. There wasn’t a threat right now. It worked hard for my rooster. I kind of felt like it deserved its meal. Still, this had to end. The Bangor Daily News ran a story a few days before this telling about a bobcat hanging from the throat of a goat when the farmer shot it. My does were ready to start kidding. This animal was desperate. It had to go…illegal at the moment. It had to go…sympathy for the cat. It had to go. I lowered the gun but didn’t click the safety on, just in case. I left the cat alone to its meal and waited for Steve.

Steve gets excited easily in a farming emergency. A half dozens solutions will run through his mind in a matter of moments. He’d had 30 minutes to think about this while he drove home. He made a few phone calls and had a solution. Call the warder and have it trapped. Ok, I agreed to this, but it had to be driven off. I couldn’t let three dogs out with the cat here. One has a nose that can smell voles in tunnels under the snow. Blood on the snow would be a breeze. The other two would attack. I couldn’t let Taylor wait for the bus without me, or play outside to her slide off the roof of the old rabbitry, down the snowbank and across the driveway. Yes, the roof. Our weathers Buddy and Pal walked up the snowbank to the peak of the roof and stood there. They stopped a few passing cars. The health of the livestock was a big concern. The horses snorted and stomped constantly. The unfriendly Dexter cow shifted and the goats were nervous. I didn’t want to leave them tied up and locked in stalls for the days it could take to trap this cat. Steve went to the house to get a gun and I went into the barn to calm the horses. An extra flake of hay each and time being groomed would take their minds off the situation for a little while.

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The Bobcat, Part II

February 7, 2008   Daily Farm Life, Winter Farming

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Obviously, the predator was a bobcat. You knew that when you read the title but that morning I still wasn’t positive. I hadn’t yet been out to the woods to look for tracks. It’s been so long now that I don’t remember if the snow was powdery, making tracks easier to identify, or if the surface was solid. It didn’t matter. I hadn’t looked for tracks and it hadn’t been back in four hours.

Fair warning – includes death. One death was not immediate. If you’re going to be upset by this you should stop reading. I’m going to include details. If you’re going to be offended, start screaming about animal rights, or in any other way have a fit, step away from the blog and nobody will get pissed.

When chores were finished I brought the dogs in, poured another cup of coffee and before I could get my boots off, answered the phone. I wanted a nap, not a conversation, especially not a 30 minute long conversation. I no more set the phone down when Maggie went ballistic. It was back…

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The Bobcat

February 5, 2008   Daily Farm Life, Poultry, Winter Farming

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We’ve always known there are bobcats around. Before we moved in a large male sat in the back right corner of the overgrown field. Not long after moving in I saw three young cats in the road. It was surreal, amazing and startling at the same time. Three adorable, seemingly friendly kits that weren’t afraid. Of course, they’re not friendly and I know better than to approach or try to touch them. Bobcat hunters have come to the door to ask permission to hunt. Later, they’d come back to tell me they were leaving so that I could let the livestock out. I kept the animals in to avoid the risk of their dogs meeting up with my animals. I always asked how the hunt went – did they see tracks, did they see enough to think I might have a problem brewing. One set of hunters commented on my dogs. “You can tell where their territory ends. The bobcats have a path 100′ from the dogs’ path.” Having bobcats on the farm isn’t a big deal as long as the population stays small and the natural food supply is adequate.

Five winters ago the snow came in early November. By early February our 5′ fence posts were out of sight. We didn’t see them for six weeks. On May 3 that year we still had 3′ of snow in the woods. This gives you an idea of what a rough winter wildlife had.

As I’ve said many times, we have working farm dogs. They’re here to protect our poultry and livestock, keep them or put them where they belong, and pest control. They are intuitive beyond words. I don’t know how they know when something’s wrong but they do. Taylor had febrile seizures when she was a toddler. Thanks to a family reunion in Boston we were near an excellent hospital the first time she spiked a temp and had a seizure. It nearly killed her. I will never forget the look of a gray, unresponsive baby. The night the bobcat problem started Taylor had a 103* fever. I gave her Advil and put her on the couch to sleep. I sat up in the chair watching to be sure she was breathing. She was 9, hadn’t had a seizure in years, but still…

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Some Days I Wish I Were A Dog

January 31, 2008   Agriculture, Cold Weather Growing, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Growing Vegetables, Winter Farming

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Maggie and Seb are sleeping in the sun here in the diningroom. I’m bothered by insomnia now (happens every winter). Although I’m not tired a nap in the sun seems lovely. I woke up very early this morning to Scooter jumping on the bed with me. It’s a spoiled dog’s life around here.

We had a brain cramp and left my vehicle at the high school last night. We were 10 minutes from home when Steve remembered that we’d met at the high school and lft the Blazer to ride together. He left early yesterday morning. It was 9:50 pm. It wasn’t worth going to get it that late at night. I rode in with him this morning and brought it home.

It’s sunny today and I’m dragging thanks to SAD. Other than make bread I’ve done all I’m going to do in the house for the day. I’ve gathered up seeds and am taking the dogs to the greenhouse with me. I need them to dig around in the snow to find mice outside the greenhouse. I’m planting seeds today and don’t want mice eating the seedlings next month.

I am planting:

  • Hakurei turnip
  • Asian Kyona (mizuna)
  • Claytonia
  • Mache (maybe I’ll get it right this time)
  • Tom Thumb Baby Bibb lettuce (I think five nights well below 0* have killed what I had growing)
  • Red Russian Kale
  • Pac Choi
  • Borage and Chives in a 1020 tray under cover
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Taking a Break

January 29, 2008   Agriculture, Cold Weather Growing, Daily Farm Life, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Winter Farming

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For the most part I’ve run out of farming things to tell you about.  I still have the bread baking entry to write.  Seed orders are gone, the greenhouse is pathetic looking after five nights of -10*.

Our plans were to go to Bangor Friday to get the last of what we need to tile the floor this weekend.  There’s a storm predicted so that’s out.  Taylor has bball games today, tomorrow and Friday.  That leaves us Thursday to try to get to Bangor.  While I take a farming break I’ll get the last of the painting done, tile the floor and figure out the kitchen.  I’d like to tackle the laundry room too but that probably won’t happen.  Actually, I should rephrase that.  I’d like to have the laundry room done but I want someone else to do it for me.  There.  That’s accurate!

There’s something blooming almost every day of the year in my house.  This picture does no justice to the amaryllis.  The flash washes out its deep red color.  There are four flowers on this stalk.  Three Christmas cactus are blooming (pink, white and peachy yellow) now and the African violets will follow soon.  The neglected amaryllis I’ve had for nearly ten years are due to send up stalks.

My reading list for the next month is short: maybe finish Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (I’m not impressed with this book like so many others) and re-read Walden.  Barbara Damrosch has the second edition of Garden Primer coming out.  I might pick that up.

And with that, I’m off to be the best Domestic Goddess I never wanted to be.

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Getting Antsy

January 26, 2008   Agriculture, Garden, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Winter Farming

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I’m getting antsy. I’ve ordered seeds and supplies. The greenhouse is down for the count thanks to below 0* temps during the night this week.  I don’t expect to see any signs of new life for about two weeks.  The only big garden project I have now is to finish guesstimating dates when I pull one crop and replace it with another.  If the replacement is seedlings I’ll need to start them ahead of time.  I’ll start onions and leeks as soon as the seeds get here.  I’ll have tomatoes, eggplant and peppers read for the greenhouse by May 1.  I’ll be watching overnight temperatures and temps inside the greenhouse overnight to judge when warm plants can be moved out.  And that’s it.  I’m beginning to need winter to end.  That won’t happen any time soon.

I think I’m going to have to put a hen chicken down.  She’s a bloody mess.  I can’t tell who picked on her but am guessing it’s the mean hen turkey.  This is a “pet” chicken.  She’s solid white but the product of two 100% barred rocks.  Her name is Dumpling.  I know, a little warped! I’ll give her a couple of hours and make a decision then.  <sigh>

I figured out this week that the wild mallards are domestic mallards someone dumped off here.  That explains why they knew about going into the barn at night, why the drake was so willing to fly in over our heads and land close to us, and why they aren’t leaving.  I felt a little stupid that I had wild ducks here long to settle into our daily routine before I noticed them. I’m particular about my birds and animals. I need to know they’re closed in at night or I don’t sleep well.  I count everything but the older laying hens.  Seven pullets, 11 turkeys, 20 ducks, or as it is now, 25 ducks. I couldn’t figure out how I missed five extra ducks for days or possibly weeks.  One of the hen ducks had cold feet this morning and didn’t get up to go out with the rest.  That gave me a chance to get a really good look at her.  She’s a hybrid and is not half runner.  I have only mallards and runners.  I’ll take Steve out later today to tell him.  I can hear it now.  “WHAT?” and the rest will not be repeatable here.  I don’t usually let things get by me like this and I’m a little amused!  Someone pulled a good one and got away with it.  Or got away with it for now.  It’s a small town.  Someone will talk. I’m sure I’ll have a skunk or four to relocate this year…

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Made In Maine

January 24, 2008   Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Winter Farming

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MPBN hosts a television show called Maine In Maine.  It’s my all-time favorite show.  You can watch several shows online.  Organic Maine is about the Common Ground Fair.

Today’s list includes checking on the greenhouse (looks sad and pathetic),  chores (have to suck it up and kill a turkey this weekend), firewood (pile is starting to lean, need to tip it when Steve’s home to help me, stop stalling on the Johnny’s order and get it done (I’ve spent almost $1,000 on seeds so far), make bread and make cinnamon soap.  After that maybe I’ll quit stalling and look up Maine publishers and pretend I’m really going to send in the children’s story I’m totally chicken about.  Or start next month’s column for You Are What You Eat.  I need to spend some time snowshoeing this afternoon to see if it helps ease the headache I’ve had since Saturday.  Or stare out the window at the redpolls, pine grosbeaks, chickadee and red breasted nuthatches.  <—  Ya, probably that’s what I’ll do.

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Fedco Grower Supply Order

January 21, 2008   Agriculture, Daily Farm Life, Garden, Greenhouse, high tunnel, hoop house, Growing Vegetables, Winter Farming

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Garden Combo Legume Inoculant 1 $3.25 $3.25
Kelp Meal – 50# 1 $42.00 $42.00
Fertrell Feed-n-Grow 3 $27.00 $81.00
Monterey Garden Spray 1 $15.00 $15.00
Six Packs (three sheets, six per sheet) 17 $3.00 $51.00
1020 Plant Trays 17 $4.25 $72.25
Seed envelopes 2 $2.00 $4.00
       
      $268.50
    +5% tax 13.43
    Subtotal $281.93
    -5% discount $13.43
    TOTAL $268.50

Being able to paste spreadsheets in has been handy.  If I make changes in the spreadsheet the totals will correct themselves.  I’m going to pick this up so there isn’t any shipping.  I’ll pick up seeds at the same time.  Monterey Garden Spray is spinosad.  It’s OMRI approved.  It does wonders on Colorado potato and flea beetles.  I’ve never used Feed-n-Grow.  The soil is lacking.  This will help until I get mineralized mixed and spread to correct the imbalance.

Johnny’s is next.

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08 Fedco Order

January 19, 2008   Agriculture, Cold Weather Growing, Daily Farm Life, Homestead, Winter Farming

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This is the first order to Fedco. There will be one, possibly two more. These are three columns from the database. Laura asked about my database earlier. These are the column titles I use:

Cat # Item Variety Wght Letter Cost Notes

Catalog number veg/herb/flower pkg weight pkg size letter

The first number in the right column is the number of days to maturity. These are estimates only. There are too many variables (heat, cold, sun, soil for example) to pin an absolute number on any variety. 2/3′s summer means I’ll plant 2/3′s of the seeds for summer, 1/3 for fall. 3 successions means I’ll have three planting dates. Cucumbers will be planted in early June by transplant, early July and Early August by seeds. Tomatoes – D = determinate. Most tomatoes will ripen at once then the plant is done. They’ll be pulled and put into the compost pile. Something will be planted in their place. I = indeterminate. They’ll continue to ripen until the frost or cold kills them or I get sick of them and toss them into the compost pile. I don’t waste much space in the greenhouse and hoop houses on fall tomatoes. I don’t think a tomato grown in short daylight has the flavor a good tomato should have. The space in the fall/winter greenhouse is valuable. Seedling indicates plants that will be sold in the spring. Winter greenhouse shows what will be grown in the winter greenhouse. All of those will also be grown in the open field too. Nothing is marked open pollinated or hybrid. I didn’t think of it until just now because it’s not useful information in my spread sheet. I grow both. There’s so much confusion about hybrids that I’ll probably write out an explanation of OP (open pollinated), hybrids, genetically engineered and how hybrids can become open pollinated plants in another blog. Yes, you read that right. Crossing hbrid plants can eventually result in open pollinated plants. I read a lot of blogs lately saying they’re genetically engineered. They are not. Bees and birds can cross pollinate and create hybrids. It doesn’t take a laboratory. An side note – some of the corn is going to be started in 72 trays (72 holes per 10″ x 20″ trays) for a particular customer. He picks it up when it’s three to four inches tall and transplants it into his garden. I’ve tried it. I get a nice head start but transplanting corn is too time consuming for me. Corn is grown for us only. Extra will go to Dad and Melissa and some friends.

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Chickens 2, Women 6, Laughter lots

January 16, 2008   Agriculture, Daily Farm Life, Poultry, Winter Farming

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Jan’s chickens decided on their own that it was time to relocate. When they had to walk through snow to get to the hen house they opted for living under the addition to the house instead. They’ve been there since the storm. We have another storm coming and frigid air after that. They have to go back where they belong. This job involved three women on their hands and knees under the edition, waving sticks and a fishing net, and calling back and forth to each other.

At one point I was face to face with Hackles, a rooster that doesn’t live here anymore because he has no respect for us (and our body parts). The only other thing that’s had the opportunity to rip my face off was a bobcat. If the rooster wanted to he could have had his turn to try but thankfully, Jan’s taught him manners. I compared him to a bobcat for just a brief time, then Hackles ran out of our reach again and my face was safe.

At one point I was very grateful that nobody had a video camera. It might have been when I pretended to be a hawk by getting on my hands and knees, leaning over the edge of the deck and swooping down on a hen as she poked half her body out from under the deck. Taylor said the look in my face showed I was as surprised at catching the hen as the hen was at being caught. I’m sure we’d have been quite a sight to an uninvolved viewer.  As far as I know, there weren’t any but perhaps we’ll watch Funniest Home Videos to be sure.

By the time the sun set six hens were in and only Hackles and a hen were left.

NOW I feel like I’ve accomplished something.

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