next-arrow-mdSo, hey – we’ve got things going on. We’ve got a freezer full of veggie-sicles for the chickens. We’ve got watering going on  because the trees are hot and dry. We’ve got a clean house because the keeper was here today (yay!). We’ve got the old cabbages cleared out and fed to the chickens making room for some new plantings. We’ve got chicken pies in the oven getting cooked for dinner. What’s next on our list of happenings?

IMG_4535We’ve got chicks, again! The next batch of meat birds came yesterday and they sure are cute. Same number as last time, but they seem smaller. That’s just because we’re used the the older ones now. They, the first batch, have legs on them that could fry up for a feast right now. They don’t really walk, they lumber. It’s quite funny.  It’s also hard to imagine these new little guys will ever be that big. This photo shows the the newbies as they were first introduced to the brooder. The water is dark in color because we give them this special concoction that helps them start off healthy and boost their immune system. We find it especially helpful in fighting off pasty butt. It has garlic and apple cider vinegar and honey in it – Justin Rhodes (Abundant Permaculture) calls it “magic water”; here’s a link to the recipe, if you’re interested. They are doing well, and since it’s been so hot here, we’ve only had to use the ceramic warmers and not the heat lights. They seem a bit more calm than the others – again, that could be just because we’re used to them as they are now. Once they have gotten a bit older, we’re thinking of bringing Ostrich (the free fancy from the previous group) and adding him in with these little guys. Ostrich is so much smaller than the birds he came with, and when we butcher them, he/she will be flock-less. We don’t want to go through that again; they get scared of everyone and feel lonely.

We are now about four weeks out from our first butchering date. We’ll have 15 birds to process, unless something happens in this heat. This new batch will go out on pasture at 3 1/2 – 4 weeks and then we’ll have one more batch come a couple weeks after that. Finally, we’ll get another set of laying chickens sometime in October so they will be ready to start laying come spring. That’s the plan, Stan. I thought I’d try to leave you with a little video of the meat birds waddling off to bed… enjoy!

Today’s Weather: H. O. T. 101° at very mid day today. Currently, at 8:17 p.m., it is 85° and windy in gusts of around 20 mph. Supposed to be windy all day tomorrow as well. We’re actually in the midst of a red flag warning due to high temperatures, stiff winds, and low humidity. Sunrise today was at 5:14 and sunset at 7:25.

Egg Report: Wednesday – 38 chicken, 2 duck.  Thursday – 40 chicken, 5 duck.