Not all Doom and Gloom

I realized that many of my updates seem negative recently.  Yes, we have scares sometimes and every day presents a new puzzle. Most days are like today, nice. Everything working as it should, or presents an easy fix. I can go about a routine and enjoy watching the hens range, collect a dozen eggs, watch the growing chicks start to explore outside their brooder, the pigs running and playing, and even get some time in to work with the recreational livestock. These peaceful, routine days make the venture worthwhile.

All Quiet in the Yard

As anyone with chickens will tell you chickens are only silent at night. That is, unless something goes amiss.

Thursday afternoon I arrived at a farm shrouded in silence. A hen ran from a pile of juniper branches across to the "hof" with mussed feathers on her back. Something had attacked her. When I parked I realized no other chickens roamed the pasture or the woods like normal. I found little piles of feathers, but no bodies and no birds. Panic and despair flooded my thoughts. Had someone stolen the birds? I just started getting a dozen eggs a day from my flock and people expected eggs now. I did not look forward to explaining that I lost my flock.

I searched the barn and found a few hens in the center stall that acts as their favorite free-range station. I walked toward the pine trees on the other side of the pasture and found one small juvenile bird and walked toward what I thought was a dead hen. Fortunately, it turned out to be a clever hen playing possum in the edge of the trees. I carried both hens back to the central stall.

After a few minutes the barred rock rooster and several hens came out from under the pig house and from the juniper trees near the pig pen. Relief started to flow over me. A few more minutes passed and the Freedom Ranger roosters and Polish Crested rooster (yes, I have too many roosters!) came out from other hiding places with hens. The juveniles came out of hiding last. They hid amongst juniper trees and scrub in the far corner of the pig pen. Despite the feathers, I do not believe I lost a single chicken. The roosters did their job, judging by the piles of their feathers and the number of survivors.

A look to the sky showed their predators; a small hawk and a vulture circled overhead. Neither attempted another attack.

While I am grateful to the roosters and glad that the hens hid themselves well, Nicholas and I are now on the hunt for a guard dog. Several other farms that range their flocks use such guardians and I think the guard dog method of protection will be the most efficient way to protect the flock while still allowing them to range.

Getting Things Done...Even by Truck light

You may have noticed that winter approaches. For us this means getting things done in the dark. The photo below shows Nicholas' work area for finishing the wooden shipping crates the afternoon before our last slaughter. Entergy is scheduled to hook up our electricity at the barn today. We look forward to seeing after 5pm without the constant aid of a flashlight or headlight. 

Winter is coming and with its early sunsets the chickens get to range around. I let the chickens out to roam since I can safely put them away at night now that the sun sets before I leave. Plus, this way they get to enjoy the shock of green fodder rye grass provides. The daily egg hunt is one draw back to their roaming. 

Changes for the New Year

We recently received 100 pullets of mixed layer breeds from Meyer Hatchery. One died in transit, but the rest are doing great. I'll post a video soon. These will start maturing in June/July. I look forward to figuring which breeds we received. 

Yesterday we purchased a trailer for our layer mobile base. We want to build something like the image below that will allow the birds to roam while remaining under protection from hawks. 

The pigs continue to grow and entertain. They run around more than I expected and did I mention earlier that they enjoy having their bellies rubbed? So amusing. Some of you may know that winter truly comes later in Mississippi and that our winters tend to be more like monsoon seasons than anything else. All the recent rain finally convinced the pigs to pile up in their house instead of underneath it. I will try to get a photo soon. They go to bed about the same time as the chickens and my iphone becomes practically useless in that darkness. 

Winter is coming, but I think we're ready. 

Chicken Day

Saturday we will process about half of the Cornish Crosses. For those of you interested in helping, shoot me an email. Slaughter Saturday also means that this is the last week to pre-order. After Saturday birds will sell for the normal $20.

We still have Freedom Rangers ($20) available as well as a few Dark Cornish ($8).

Pig Tales

This week I discovered pigs like to have their bellies rubbed. One in particular likes to be scratched. A couple of others would rather I just feed them.

Nicholas picked up a couple pumpkins a neighbor threw out on the way to the farm. The pigs appreciated their treat!

Over all, keeping pigs is quite pleasant. Though the rains last week led to the purchase of the best farm boots ever: Muck Boot Company boots.

Some may wonder if I'll be sad on slaughter day. A little I'm sure, but these pigs exist to be food. In the mean time I want them to curl their tails a lot and run and lounge in the sun and be as piggy as they please.

Small Update

One of our hens started laying about a week ago. Today is the second time she laid an egg two days in a row. Most of the eggs she laid her first week had double yolks and both rich gold colored and delicious! I wonder if the eggs this week also have double yolks.

Can't wait for the other hens to start laying.

September Summary

September ends with the completion of a few big projects. We moved the chickens from the hoop house to a Salatin Box to protect them from hawks and themselves, rebuilt the brooder, and processed the meat birds on October 1st.

The Salatin Box works great now that I've figured out a good routine. The chickens don't seem to mind the increased confinement much. Catching the birds for processing went much more smoothly, though it inflicted a different set of problems. We still need to find someone to fabricate a dolly for it. At the moment I pull it with either vehicle (the fit is go even on the farm). Over all, it is a reminder that we're still learning.

The re-built brooder now stands alone and better fortified against raccoons while also more accessible for the humans. Hopefully the chicks will arrive tomorrow as planned and let us know what works and does not work. I still need to paint it. Since winter is coming and I tend to become depressed with all the gray in the world, I decided to paint the base white and the roof yellow.  Once Le Petite Poulet has a logo we will paint that on it too.

                                 

Processing went very well Saturday, October 1st. We managed to round up five other people to help. One person had processed before, one volunteer brought their fishing and deer cleaning experience and others just caught on well. We processed about 60 birds between 9AM and 1:30PM. Then we all sat down for lunch, which was tasty thanks to Hal who also provided the driveway and equipment. One dedicated volunteer even stayed to help put away the equipment. Our volunteers rock!