Farm Fresh Eggs for Sale

The kids made some signs this weekend to put up in the yard announcing that we are now officially selling our eggs.  Of course we have been giving them away like mad since the big batch of chicks started laying.  I wanted to wait a while to get the egg size up a bit before we started actually selling them.  Finally, we have begun to get about a dozen decent sized eggs per day so I gave the green light to begin the selling.

And today an older gentleman drove up and asked to buy some eggs!  He seemed very excited to have someone selling eggs in the area so I believe he will become a regular customer.  We do have one problem though and that is how to get folks to realize that they can get their eggs themselves from the refrigerator on the front porch.  Our dog is a friendly little guy but he is a barker when visitors drive up so I can't have people ringing the door bell every time they want eggs.  My nerves will be shot trying to tackle the dog for the door every time the bell rings!

Coming up, I will post some pictures of the newest improvements to the barn.  We should have a flurry of other exciting farm activity coming up in the next few weeks to share as well.

Hot Enough to Fry an Egg on the Sidewalk

Because our egg production is so high at the moment and the eggs are too small to really sell yet, the kids and I got a little creative the other day when the temperature tied for the all time high in our area - 106 degrees.  We tried to see if we could really fry an egg on the sidewalk.

I opted for putting my egg on some foil.  The kids fried directly on the concrete.  The result?

A big, buggy mess.  The foil blew away even though we thought we'd weighted it down enough.  The others dried up and became a sticky glob.  So apparently, no, you can't fry an egg on OUR sidewalk.

Next time we will try a blacktop driveway.

Fried Chicken Anyone?

Baby it's hot out!

Last Thursday we topped out at 106 degrees.  Today we're only supposed to hit a mere 97 degrees.  Oh, but the heat index is targeted for 110 or higher.  Fun times.

We were not really clear how cool our chicken coop would stay but I have been pleasantly surprised that at the hottest times of the day the coop feels a good 10-20 degrees cooler than outside.  We experimented a little with propping open the front doors to see if a breeze would be helpful but what we actually experienced was a bunch of warm air blowing in.  So the doors stay shut and the chickens stay put inside the coop enjoying the relative shady coolness.  Although they have been panting a little, no one has seemed even close to being distressed.  Of course we are keeping them supplied with lots of fresh, cool water to drink and checking on them several times throughout the day.  Then there is one more little treat I have discovered for those that are in the big coop - a sprinkler.  These girls (and Big John too) really love to splash in a puddle!  So a few times a day we turn on the sprinkler to build up some cool puddles and they all come running out to splash and play.  Makes for some muddy feet and subsequently muddy eggs at times but they seem happy.

Coming out to check on the puddles.

Thank you to all of the past and present members of the military for your service to our country.  Happy 4th of July!

Chicken Updates

Whatcha lookin' at?

I noticed while looking back upon past posts that I probably should update a few items that I blogged about previously.  I know, you've probably been having a hard time concentrating on your own lives without hearing about what is happening around here.  Let me keep you in suspense no longer...

The little roosters

Of the 15 chicks we bought from friends of ours, seven of them have turned out to be hens.  Eight are roosters and are cracking me up with their pathetic little crows.  A couple of them I believe are going to be quite beautiful so I am sad that they are destined for my crock pot.  I have heard of folks that keep an upcoming rooster in case their veteran dies unexpectedly but I doubt we will do that but things change around here sometimes by the minute so who knows how that will end up.

First day in the big coop (six of seven hens)

Last weekend we introduced the hens into the big coop with the adults.  They had access to the outside for the first time and the process went rather smoothly.  We put three in the first night but one threw a fit trying to get back to the others in her group that we put her back temporarily.  Looking back the next morning, I wonder if perhaps that one was a male.  Either way I paid more attention the second night and put the remaining five hens in under the cover of darkness.  They still have not figured out the roosting bars but they have figured out how to get the heck out of the way of the older hens.  John seems comfortable with the little ones already and is quite attentive to them just like a good big brother should be.  If I was to do it again, I think I would have moved all of the chicks in at the same time - because I think the quantity of new faces actually spread out the pecking of the older ones and was less stressful for the new chicks.  Just a theory.





The 4-H chicks are growing fast!  Here they are today enjoying themselves in the nursery outside in the big coop.  We still do not have a clue what we are supposed to do to show them at the fair but the kids have been handling them loads so they should be friendly enough and used to whatever we throw at them.

The new "chicken pasture" was finished a few weeks ago.  We fenced in a larger area of grass and removed the old fence from the paved portion.  The adults are loving it and have already scratched out a couple of holes to "bathe" in.  We decided to try an unconventional way of keeping the chickens in the pen by running string across the top of the fence.  So far it appears to work - although we did have a couple of escapes we think it was through the gaps they created at the gate.  We have now barricaded that area and so far no more escapes.  Either that or they were so traumatized by not being able to get back in the area that they have not tried again.  I know you can clip a chicken's wings to keep them from flying but this would also take away their only real defense against predators so I'm not ready to take that step.  I also have no idea how to do this so for now the wings will remain unclipped.

To those of you that would wonder why we do not allow the chickens free range - I can answer that in one word:  neighbor.  Our chicken coop is directly on our property line and the first time chicken's escaped I found them in the road.  Silly birds.  I love the birds and I love having a friendly relationship with our neighbor.  'Nuf said.

Happy Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day today, our family planted three of my all time favorite flowering trees - the Purple Leaf Plum.

I can only dream of the day when mine look as lovely at the one pictured above though because obviously it is going to be a few years before we get to that size.  But I am so thrilled to have them back in my landscaping.  I had one at my last home that we planted at the corner of our house but thanks to some hopelessly tenacious squirrels we had to remove it so as to stop their route onto our roof and eventually into the attic.  It happened more than once so I know it was inevitable.

Out here on the farm we have yet to see a squirrel anywhere in the neighborhood.  Coyotes, yes, but not squirrels.  Call me crazy but since the coyotes have kept to themselves for the last year I feel more affection to them than I ever will again for a squirrel.  I am sure that will all change the first time they get into my alpaca pasture.

I will finish today's entry with a photo of the eggs we put into our new incubator this evening.  Assuming that we get some to hatch, they will be ready the week before my son's 9th birthday.  I thought it might be a fun new family tradition to hatch a batch of new chicks around the time of both of the kid's birthdays each year.  That would be spring and fall chicks.  What do you think?

4-H Season Begins

 

When we began our multi-year plan to own alpacas, we learned that our county had a fabulous Alpaca Club in the 4-H program.  Our daughter was in the third grade so it was perfect timing for us.  We jumped in with both feet and with the help of some 4-H experienced friends we made it through our first year.  The worst part for us  is simply setting limits on what the kids can actually accomplish in time for the fair.  When it is the middle of February it is really easy to think that you can tackle six or seven major 4-H projects in time for the mid-July fair.  I am sure some families CAN tackle that many and more.  I know that we are not that family.

So our first year she did alpaca (includes showmanship, obstacle, and costume classes), alpaca poster, alpaca craft, sewing and foods.  What I did not realize is putting her in camp the week before the fair was a horrible idea as projects were due to be turned in before the actual fair week.  Okay, lesson learned.

Second year she did all of the same alpaca projects plus dog obedience, genealogy, gingerbread house, and cake decorating.  Now that seemed a bit smarter for the following reasons - 1) dog obedience was over before fair week, 2) I have most of the genealogy work already done, 3) gingerbread houses can be decorated way ahead of time and sit on a shelf until it is time for the fair, 4) ditto on the cake decorating because it is just a Styrofoam cake and royal icing.  Here is the lesson learned:  all of these projects each come with their own club meetings or training sessions - often on the same day.

So I got smarter in some regards and yet still underestimated the craziness.  However, I suppose we might have gotten through it relatively intact if we had not also tried to move during the same time frame.  What a nightmare.  Did I mention that the second year was also the first year for my son in mini-4-H?  He took alpaca (showmanship, obstacle, and costume class), alpaca poster, and woodworking.  Yes, that's right - that means I made FOUR costumes (two for kids, two for alpacas) last summer in the midst of moving.

This year I am determined to keep the crazy at bay and enjoy the summer.  The plans are for my daughter to take alpaca (all classes), alpaca poster, photography (color and b/w) and genealogy.  My son will take alpaca (all classes), alpaca poster, archery (poster only for mini's), and woodworking.  The woodworking he will do with my dad so that one is an easy one.  Again, the genealogy can be done well in advance so I'm not scared of that either.  Posters can be done well ahead of time too and last month I purchased the poster boards and poster sleeves - three for her, two for him.  I am disappointed not to have my daughter doing gingerbread this year but she had an experience last year that robbed her of the joy she had from making her house.

Here is where I take a moment to insert the photo that will make you all laugh:

Yes, that's right.  We have been talked into taking on a poultry project for each child.  This week we purchased eight new pullets - the black ones are Sexlinks and the yellow ones are Production Reds.  After I saw the tiny ducks at the store it was all I could do not to take a couple of those home too but I had to remain cool headed.  We have no clue what we are doing and no clue if we will be able to EVER make a Poultry Club meeting but we are in it for the experience so we are going to try to make it a good one.  Wish us luck - we are probably going to need it.

To stay on top of it all, I am off to make a master list of the tasks we need to accomplish to make sure nothing falls through the crack.  All this thinking about critical paths makes me thankful for my years as a project manager.  Unfortunately, I have many MORE years of being a procrastinator.

Big John

Just a quick shot of the big man on campus - Big John.  He was named after my nephew so there is quite an attachment to him from the extended family.  He is fantastically protective over his girls and has a pleasant crow...which is important to me because there are some roosters out there that are so horribly annoying.

Little Sprouts

The broccoli has sprouted in record time!  Do you think they could sense their sibling being cooked for dinner last night and wanted to visit with them one last time?  Anyone hungry??

Laugh if You Must (Part 2)

So it might not be the smartest idea to tip off our readers to our inexperience (or insanity as some might view it) this early in our blogging career.  I choose to believe that it makes us appear more human and perhaps you can see a little of yourself in our adventures.  Then again, perhaps you are just here for the laughs.


Now that we have established that we have bitten off more than we can probably chew (perhaps literally AND figuratively) in our garden planning, it is time to share the rest of the story.  


This weekend we started some of our seeds - in those tiny peat pots and trays.  The kids of course insisted on helping and since I want this to be a fun learning experience, I let them join in.   Step one was to pour warm water into the tray for the planting medium to absorb.  Of course after I meticulously measured the correct amount of water into a bowl for child #1, I told them to gently pour it over the pots.  She splashed it all over the counter instead.  Repeating this process with a few extra warnings, I handed over the water for the second tray to child #2.  So concerned to show his older sister how it was done that he moved at turtle speed....which of course meant that the soil was knocked loose from the top of the pots because it was moistened before even half of the water was in.  Sigh.  


With all four trays ready to plant I suddenly had a garden panic attack.  How was I going to get all these seeds in so few pots!  You can not leave a seed unused after all.  I mean, we paid nearly a dollar for those 5,000 celery seeds!  I had already been concerned over the need to buy another set of florescent bulbs and a light fixture because I had doubled the planned number of flats.  Taking another deep breath I decided it might actually be okay if we did not plant more than 78 celery stalks since it isn't one of our most beloved vegetables.  And the remaining other seeds we'll try to throw into the garden and see if they will germinate as successfully there as under a grow light in the comfy warmth of our dining room.

PVC Planting Shelves

Which brings me to the next subject - where were we going to put the seed trays?  My first idea was to rig our downstairs bathtub (we do not use the bathtub in there).  My dad suggested an A-frame contraption that sounded difficult to move around.  Then my husband did a little internet searching and came upon a PVC creation that seemed to be a great solution as we could place it in the dining room where I am more likely to keep an eye on the water needs.  A quick trip to the hardware store and a little time and we had a pretty slick system.  We made ours to hold four large trays and two 48" light fixtures per "shelf".  There are three shelves - although we're only using one this year.  The entire system can be taken down and stored easily and although it looks a little wonky because of the uneven floors in our 100 year old farmhouse, it's going to work great.  We did decide it could use a little reinforcing in the center so we'll do that in a week or so.


Note to self (and others who may not already know this):  When putting in florescent bulbs, be sure your power is off.  I turned ours on and one of the two bulbs was not coming on so I tried to adjust it...at which point it slipped out and zapped the bulb.  Now we are already down one bulb and we have not even had the seeds planted for an hour!


My sister is passing on to us her greenhouse so I'm excited about using that too.  We will pick that up soon but here's a picture of the one we are getting.

The greenhouse we will be getting soon.

Okay, that about wraps up our garden plans for the remainder of the winter.  Another few weeks and we'll be able to start thinking about tilling up the great expanse of land all these seeds will need.  We have a great spot for our main garden but we have to select another site for the corn and pumpkins that isn't overshadowed by our enormous barn or too far from a water source.  Plus I want one elevated bed that I can plant the asparagus in so it doesn't get tilled up each spring.


Be sure to stop back in the early Spring to see the garden planting in progress!

Laugh if You Must (Part 1)

In my post-college years, I can recall taking several training course where we explored the different personality types.  Me, with my list making tendencies, clearly leans toward the "Type A" category.  So it should come as no surprise to you that when we began discussing our garden plantings that our list of potential vegetables got a little long.

Then the perfectionist part of me jumps out here and there.  I can almost look out my back window and see the massive garden plantings all in straight, healthy, bug-free, and weed-free rows.  The biggest obstacle to completely believing the vision is that the stronger part of me is a realist.  I know that I may have a piece of paper and badge that says I am a Master Gardener but the truth is I have never planted a garden of any real significance.  My knowledge of the cause of blossom end rot on my tomatoes does not help me from finding it on my tomatoes every time I have tried to grow them (only in containers on the porch because our previous home was in the deep shade).  Let's face it, I'm more of a flower girl.

Yet my husband has a passion for healthy eating and his city upbringing has given him a quaint view of the rural farming life...even if we are only experiencing it in a scaled down version.  His enthusiasm has fueled my own and soon the list required a second piece of paper.


Here was the original plan for the garden ~

     asparagus
     beans
     broccoli
     brussel sprouts
     cantaloupe
     carrots
     cauliflower
     corn - sweet and ornamental
     cucumber
     gourds - small, mixed and bottle
     lettuce - iceberg and romaine
     peas - eaten in pod
     peppers - green, red, and chili
     potatoes
     pumpkins - extra large and medium sizes
     raspberries
     strawberries
     sunflowers - mammoth
     tomatoes - regular, Roma, and cherry/grape
     watermelon

I ran to three different garden stores before I found all I was looking to add to the garden.  Of course when presented with all of the choices at the store I might have added a few extra that we had either forgotten about or just looked fun to try.  I also picked up ~

     cabbage - early and late varieties
     spinach
     peppers - yellow and purple
     sunflowers - an interesting red/white variety that will look great against the barn
     celery
     peas - kind you shell
     Swiss chard - my sister swears by this as an alternative to spinach

Now, for those of you that have planted and tended a large garden before you knew what you were doing, I will pause while you gain control over your laughter...

Let the Fun Begin!

Another milestone today - the creation of our farm's blog.  Getting here seems easy enough until you realize how hard it was to name this farm when Mom, Dad, and both kids have to agree.  We probably could have put the names we were considering up for debate by our family and friends but to be honest I really could not take any more ridicule of my own suggestions.  My ego just would not allow it.  Perhaps someday when my self esteem seems able to handle it I'll share the other contenders.  Let's just cut to the chase and say that the farm has officially been named.  I am proud that we reached a family consensus on something that for years will represent the heart we have put into this homestead.

Heartland Hill Farm

Of course the farm naming and the blog are only small steps on this journey.  We really need to introduce you to the first livestock to call Heartland Hill Farm home ~ the chickens.  

Our original 50 meat chickens plus the free "rare and exotic".

We started this past summer with 50 chickens we raised for meat.  I thought the kids would enjoy them but what I discovered is I could lose lots of my own time just watching these fat little feathered creatures as they ate themselves silly and grew seemingly by the hour.  Eleven weeks later and we had some seriously delicious and wholesome meat in the freezer.  However, left behind was one lonely "rare and exotic" chicken we had named Micco.  

Micco, aged 11 weeks, shortly after her brothers went off to the freezer.

Micco was shipped as a freebie with our meat chickens and the only thing "rare and exotic" about her is that she's a hen instead of a rooster (which the company usually sends out).  Raised as the only sister to her 50 brothers who never wanted to leave the comfort of their food bowls in the coop, she had no idea how to act like a proper chicken.  Giving her away to another family who was looking for more hens was not a possibility with children that considered her a pet.  The only option was to find her companions.  One failed attempt with Craig's List and countless other outreaches to other chicken owners to try to buy a few hens proved fruitless.  Then just as we began considering ordering more mail order hens (minimum order 25), my sister agreed to give us her seven chickens so they didn't have to take care of them over the winter. 


In the dark of night we introduced one large white rooster, Big John, a quirky rooster with questionable intelligence, Black Beard, and a small white bantam rooster who is completely happy with his larger playmates and occasionally shows some gender identity issues as he will sit on the eggs.  The girls included one large white girl (laying white eggs) that has moments of broodiness, another Easter Egger like Micco (sometimes hard to tell them apart), and two brown girls - one of which is laying a tan colored egg and the other which lays green.  I could make some really uneducated guesses at their genealogy but I suspect that someone wiser would correct me and I think we have already established I have an ego to protect.


Concerns were high that our baby, Micco, would be the odd girl out but our fears were for nothing.  She is happier than ever and is often the first one to run outside when I open the coop when she wouldn't dare venture outside before her friends arrived.  The others have adapted well also and the egg production has been at least one egg per hen per day all winter long once I realized they needed a few extra hours of light more than we were already giving them.

Our newest babies in the nursery.

A couple weeks ago, thanks to friends of ours, we purchased fifteen new chicks.  Once again our garage has turned into a nursery.  I don't know who thought hatching eggs in the dead of winter was a good idea but so far so good thanks to a couple of heat lamps.  We're not sure yet how many of the chicks are hens vs. roosters but we will have to find homes for the roosters because our three adult roosters are probably all that our coop can handle without upsetting the balance.

So that's the introduction to our farm thus far.  Hopefully in the very near future we can introduce you to the real stars of the farm ~ our alpacas!  After all, they are the reason we started this journey to begin with.  Until then, we will keep you updated on the farm progress and the garden plans.  And if you're really hungry for more, check out the website my daughter is creating for our eggs:  

Not That Boring White Egg