25 chirpy ladies joined our homestead over the weekend.

That’s right…..25    yikes:)

We went to the hatchery on Friday with the intention of getting 12-15 chicks and…..well…..we…um…got all wrapped up in the excitement and the variety and before we knew it, Madeline had filled our box with one of these, three of those….she even had to put a few back.  When it was all said and done, I’m not exactly sure what ALL the breeds are that we ended up bringing home and will have to wait and see what they grow into, but we do know a majority of them.  We’re looking forward to seeing who takes the lead and how they all interact.

Madeline’s favorite is Charlotte…the Araucana.

Apparently, our 6×8 coop will house that many just fine — (we were banking on 4 sq. feet of coop space per chicken…but Bud from Murray McMurray Hatchery said with our run and the free range opportunity, we had PLENTY of room for 25 — Maddie’s eyes lit up with that bit of news and Jon and I knew at that moment, that we were going to be bringing home more than 12. Bud also gently steered us away from a rooster this time around to keep things as kid-friendly as possible.  Maybe when the girls are older.

It was the last hatch for a while, so we had to bust a move to get the coop built in 100+ degree weather!  We had enough salvaged materials to build the entire thing and have only $35 invested in it so far.  We still have some architectural elements to add, build the run and do some landscaping, but it’s turned out really cute and the little chicks seem to be making themselves right at home.

The folks at Murray McMurray Hatchery were incredibly hospitable and very helpful in getting our chicken raising venture off to a healthy, knowledgeable start. One of our episodes in Season 4 is all about backyard chickens and they shared a wealth of information that everyone will find very interesting and helpful.  I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous about bringing that many baby chicks home.  All I know about raising chickens is what I’ve read and heard…no personal first-hand experience in that area and you know how it is when you do something for the first time! Plus, the chicks we brought home had just hatched that morning….Fresh out of the shell and ready to roll.

But you know what….it’s been a very easy and joyful experience so far.  Those little chicks are hearty gals…they were eating and drinking the minute we set them up in the coop.  Madeline is LOVING every minute with them.  Saturday morning, she looked at me and said “These chickens have changed my life”… cutest soundbite ever!  We have a list of names, and she’s already started making her ‘eggs 4 sale’ sign….(not that we need that anytime soon….will be a good 20-24 weeks before we see any eggs…but I’m sure that time will go by quickly!)

Cheers to chickens…and the adventures that lie ahead!

michele.

 The concrete block garden beds have proven to be winners.

Yep, we will definitely be adding more of these to the yard next year.

They were fun to plant up, have been incredibly easy to maintain, and are FULLY LOADED with delicious goodies.

I may have overplanted a little, (I knew better than to put a zucchini plant in there, but did it anyway and I’ve had to stake it in a few spots to let the sun break through for a couple of things on the other side) but everything seems to be really thriving.  Even the stuff in all the side squares is doing great.  You can really get a good amount of produce going in one of this size and as I mentioned in a previous post, they were easy and inexpensive to build.

Lots of compost and regular applications of a soil amendment have also helped make these beds vibrant and healthy.

I played around with a little ‘product testing’ of my own with these two beds and it’s been interesting to see the results so far. The bed on the left is untreated.  The bed on the right has been regularly treated with a microbial product called Thrive.

You should all know by now that I’m not one to push products but when I find something that actually works and has been created by people who are also committed to the educational component of their business, I will enthusiastically share what I experience.  I’ve really learned a lot about the role bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi play in our gardening efforts over the past couple of years and it’s been exciting to actually SEE for myself what a difference it can make.  If we take good care of the soil beneath us…it, in turn, will continue to take care of us.

Cheers to backyard gardens!

michele.