The Signs of Spring

Since the chicken and ducks are free range, we are very attuned to their behaviors.  Our first anouncement of spring was the increase of the squawking of the female chickens and ducks being chased by the males.   We did note that it was time to decrease the ratio of female animals to males!

We have been busy getting ready for spring.  We have ordered 200 chickens, and setup 2 new mobile homes for them.

This is one of the 2 new homes that are on wheels.  We have also ordered a huge trailer that we will build a chicken coup on that can be pulled by the tractor around the farm.  We have also ordered more ducks.

Also... we are getting more pigs today!  We built 4 new pens with electric fences and 3 new homes like the one here

The pigs themselves will take the straw we lay down and bring it into their cozy little house.  While we were setting up the new pens, the original (and now quite large) pigs looked on.   I really can't take enough pictures of these guys!!  You will note the chickens hanging around them.

The rabbits have been busy also and are all expecting.  We separated the females and put them in their own cages.  Here is a picture of the males.. you will note that their current cage is on top of our vegetable garden.  We hung all the rabbit cages on top of our vegetable gardens.

The chickens are always eating the other animals food!

The farms first sighting of plants arrived February 23rd.. Chives and saffron Crocus!  The flowers will probably arrive this warm weekend.  

And a special surprise bloomed in my home - an orchid from last year.  I have used only pond water and I think it made a big difference!

The bees made a short appearance 2 weeks ago.  I did loose one hive from this crazy weather.  When the weather fluctuates with extremes, the bees think it is spring and leave the hive looking for food - of which there is none.  The bees will swarm from their hives thinking there is no food and leave too few bees to manage the food intake for the rest of the winter - they starve to death even though there is food in their hives because there are not enough bees to feed the ones keeping the hive warm.  I will check the remaining hive this weekend as the temperature climbs to 60.  Here is a picture from 2 weeks ago - so I have hope that this hive is still alive.

I have been using the winter to learn more about plants, bees, ducks, pigs, permaculture, weeds and most important DIRT!  We are going to make a small fenced area for the pigs to dig up for our new gardens.  That is pretty cool!  As my son said.. "this is starting to look like a farm"!

The pond froze for a short time, but not as long as last year.  The melting ice and snow has been flooding the area and bringing back the 'beastie' - MUD. 

Mud boots - a must!

The new farm sign is almost finished!  I have to put a clear coating on it and then we hang it up!

It was fun learning how to use the new tools to make the letters.  

It takes a village - for sure - to run a farm.I leave you with a quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe used in the book 'The Invention of Nature Alexander von Humboldt's New World'

Close you eyes, prick your ears, and from the softest sound to the wildest noise, from the simplest tone to the highest harmony, from the most violent, passionate scream to the gentlest words of sweet reason, it is by Nature who speaks revealing her being, her power, her life, and her relatedness so that a blind person, to whom the infinitely visible world is denied, can grasp an infinite vitality in what can be heard.

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe