• We have reached the time when the squash goes wild. Squash, squash, and more squash. I blanched some and am freezing it for fall or winter. The chickens have also had their fair share of the larger ones.

• The plums are ripening. And, they are yummy!

• The herb barrels are full and beautiful. This is my first time growing parsley. It’s growing very well. Almost too well. I need to research recipes that include parsley.

• Back in March, we lost all but one of our ducks. She was then fenced in with the chickens. She was not impressed with this. Eventually, she ended up getting out and I didn’t have the heart to put her back. Lately, she’s been sitting on eggs. They aren’t fertile, but I hadn’t gotten around to taking them away. And sitting on eggs is what kept her safe from the predator(s) last time. Unfortunately, she is now missing and her eggs are gone…

• Our laying ladies are granting us with a lovely array of colorful eggs. My favorite right now is the dark brown Welsummer egg.

• Because we’re going through a lot of eggs these days, I crushed a bunch of the shells. Some I’m saving for a craft and others I sprinkled around our tomato plants.

• The olive eggers that hatched a couple weeks ago are growing quickly. I’m sure they aren’t, but they seem to be growing more quickly than our other hatches.

• It’s hatch day! About the same time the others were hatching another batch were set in an incubator. Those ones are starting to hatch. So far, we have 2.

The post 2016 Update – Week 30 appeared first on .

• It might be a tad late, but I finally got our squash and pumpkins planted.

• I love cedar waxwings and they’re here. Woop, woop! Farmer John has a different opinion of them, though. They are eating our raspberries and when he went to shoo them away one pooped on him – and pooped raspberry goo on him.

• This mess in the upper right photo is the mat of roots that get caught in the aquaponics pipes.

• We spotted a baby bird on the ground the other day. Mama bird was busy chirping away.

• The Little’s enjoying feed, oyster shell, and grit

• A colony of ants decided to stake out in the game cam.

• Mexican sour gherkins are going crazy in the greenhouse.

The post 2016 Update – Week 24 appeared first on .

• The grape vine has taken off

• I think the deer mama’s have gone off to have their babies. There are a couple yearlings walking around by themselves wondering what to do.

• Apples! We have struggled getting our fruit trees to actually grow and produce. I see quite a few apples on 2 of our trees. Woo hoo!

• Waiting impatiently for the raspberries to ripen.

• A flock of cedar waxwings have ventured our way. I love them.

• Foxgloves in bloom are my cue that summer is here!

• Sven mid chew.

• I let the cilantro flower. Oops.

• Our Littles are growing up.

The post 2016 Update – Week 23 appeared first on .

Spring is here and I’m loving it. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and I’ve been busy checking items off my outside to-do list.

• Farmer John brought home 4 chicks – 2 Welsummers & 2 Delaware. We have one Welsummer, but the Delaware chicks are new to us. They are a breed John has been wanting, so when he saw them he had to bring them home.

• A few herbs got transplanted into the garden, but many are still in the greenhouse and garage.

• I planted flower seed in the meadow and around the front pond, as well as around the pond in the bird village.

• I love the deer, but dang it I’d wish they’d eat only the weeds and leave my flowerbeds alone. I am thankful, though, that they quit nibbling on my lilac. It’s taken it a few years, but it’s finally looking fabulous.

The post 2016 Update – Week 17 appeared first on .

MAMA HEN #1

This mama we knew was sitting on eggs. We don’t always let our broody’s stay broody, but this one was out of the way, in a secluded area behind rakes, brooms & shovels in Farmer John’s Man Shack, so we let her continue. I’d check on her occasionally and she was always sitting super still without making a sound and sure enough eventually her eggs hatched. Thirteen chicks total. She was such a good mama. I wish all broodies would be such good mothers.

MAMA HEN #2

The next day – Surprise, another mama & 11 more chicks wandering around. Complete shock. I still have no idea where she was hiding and sitting on her eggs.

MAMA HEN #3

Often in our main coop a hen will go broody. Usually we end up taking her out, so she doesn’t disturb the laying process of the other hens since they all seem to lay eggs in the same nest box, which also happens to be the nest box they tend to sit in when they go broody. Well, we weren’t so diligent about it the last month or so. And, the day after spying Mama #2 & her chicks, I saw our Welsummer hen with one baby in the main coop.

MAMA HEN #4

One more mama to be. I found her behind the goat fence in the brush, under a tree. This is probably not the safest place for her or her eggs, but I’m going to hope for the best & not disturb them. I’m not sure how long she’s been sitting here, but she’s got quite a collection of eggs.

And, I thought we were done with chicks until next spring. Ha! Now that the weather is turning colder & wetter, though, we’ll move everybody back to the enclosed coop and have a better handle on babies in the making.

The post 2014 Mama Hen Hatch #3 appeared first on .

Weather

February began with snow, wind, & freezing rain:

The month ended with almost spring-like weather & our crocus in bloom:
 

Flower Beds

Contorted Filbert Tree
Leaves are thinking about making an appearance.

My hellebore never look good at this time of year. I think they just get too saturated with water. They should be blooming soon.

The heather & grass are looking lovely next to the pond.

There’s always work to be done in the flowerbeds. One day I pulled out all the grass that had crept onto the brick edging & into the flowerbed. Hopefully come summer it will look nicer than the soggy mess that it is right now.

I pulled many weeds & old flower stems. Some of it was given to the chickens, some was added to the compost pile & some was burned.

Chicken Keeping

Black Copper Marans hen
When it snowed, the chickens enjoyed a little taste.

Later in the month they enjoyed the weeds I pulled.

This lady is broody, so she’s off by herself… w/o eggs.

Blue Marans
Love this handsome guy.

Easter Eggers

Welsummer egg front & center

February began with embryos developing.

Those eggs hatched and the chicks are already getting real wing & tail feathers. On the nicer days, I’ve been taking them outside for a short time. They seem to have a great time finding goodies to eat.

Aquaponics

The first step in setting up our aquaponics system.
It can take up to 8 weeks to get the bacteria in your water that is needed for the plants to grow. We are starting the process with goldfish & minnows in an old 50 gallon aquarium we had. You can also get the bacteria from your friends fish tank, but we opted to go with this method.

Random Pics of Good Ol’ Country Living

Welsh Harlequin duck

5 day old Easter Egger chick

Bring on Spring. I’m ready!

The post Around the Farm and Garden – February 2014 appeared first on .