February 18, The chickens are eating the best diet we've ever fed...this includes:
1. organic pellets
2. bone residue from jan's frequent preparation of batches of bone
3. vegetable residue from the field
4. often times goat milk and
5. tender young weeds from our working in the field.
6. alfalfa leaves that fall as our goats eat their hay.
6. the hens also eat pea microgreens. But this is only ocassionally because there is so much plant tissue here in the field),
February 18-Chicken accident this early morning: Because I left a door slightly loose, Rosie (our dog), ate three birds.
January 3, 2023-Our birds are eating pea microgreens grown especially for them, along with their certified organic pellets. Also, they clean up the roots and stems after the microgreen trays come back from the market.
August 30-We are losing hens...maybe to the neighborhood hawks. Maybe it's our dog. Until we figure this out we will keep our birds in their yard.
Spring 2023-The hens are on open pasture. At the end of the rainy season the foliage growing in the field was tall as me and very dense. It was a huge amount of biomass out there and it was starting to dry. I cut and piled it up. During the summer the piles will be watered to keep the bug life going. Chickens are scratchers and hunters.
The hens are given a pelleted feed and weeds from the field. We haven't chosen to pay for organic certification.
1. organic pellets
2. bone residue from jan's frequent preparation of batches of bone
3. vegetable residue from the field
4. often times goat milk and
5. tender young weeds from our working in the field.
6. alfalfa leaves that fall as our goats eat their hay.
6. the hens also eat pea microgreens. But this is only ocassionally because there is so much plant tissue here in the field),
February 18-Chicken accident this early morning: Because I left a door slightly loose, Rosie (our dog), ate three birds.
January 3, 2023-Our birds are eating pea microgreens grown especially for them, along with their certified organic pellets. Also, they clean up the roots and stems after the microgreen trays come back from the market.
August 30-We are losing hens...maybe to the neighborhood hawks. Maybe it's our dog. Until we figure this out we will keep our birds in their yard.
Spring 2023-The hens are on open pasture. At the end of the rainy season the foliage growing in the field was tall as me and very dense. It was a huge amount of biomass out there and it was starting to dry. I cut and piled it up. During the summer the piles will be watered to keep the bug life going. Chickens are scratchers and hunters.
The hens are given a pelleted feed and weeds from the field. We haven't chosen to pay for organic certification.
March 2023 The chickens are a good size for Mr and Mrs Neighborhood Hawk's lunch. It'll take another month before the chickens will be safe on the pasture. When they are big enough to leave the protection of overhead wire, they'll be given the protection of our large, black rooster.
The 30 birds in the enclosure have spent this week learning how to eat the greens we carry to them. Eating greens can be hard for a young bird. Imagine sucking on a 12-inch grass stem and drawing the stem down into your stomach while the other end is hanging out your mouth. Weaker individuals would vomit. These young ones are also learning how to tear the leaves of tender Rocket into swallowable bits. They're turning into pigs...
The 30 birds in the enclosure have spent this week learning how to eat the greens we carry to them. Eating greens can be hard for a young bird. Imagine sucking on a 12-inch grass stem and drawing the stem down into your stomach while the other end is hanging out your mouth. Weaker individuals would vomit. These young ones are also learning how to tear the leaves of tender Rocket into swallowable bits. They're turning into pigs...