There's No Business Like Egg Business

Nothing quite says spring like the sight and sound of a new baby chick. We've currently got 7 new little feathered friends peeping and pooping in the garage! As I mentioned in my last post, we are in the midst of building a small barn. The barn will serve a number of purposes, including home to our growing flock of fowl...and other exciting plans I have rattling around in my head. It appears hubby may be on a different page on the matter. I spyed a sketch he prepared of the floor plan which alloted the vast majority of space to his surfboard and other miscellaneous storage, with a corner scratched out for my gardening supplies and livestock. Those surfboads might have to make room for the pony I'm dreaming of. (:

With "my little pony" remaining a mere childhood dream at this point, I'm focusing on our flock of chickens and ducks. I have to admit, it's pretty easy to get caught up in the excitment of learning about and acquiring new breeds. On Easter morning, I had the whole family up bright and early, on the road to Silverlane Farm Shop in New Germany, Nova Scotia. The Easter Bunny was so accomodating this year and came to our house a day early (what great service). I was on a quest to acquire Cuckoo Maran chicks for our little flock. These hens, known as the "chocolate layers", produce eggs of a deep chocolate brown. I became fascinated with them and was so thrilled to find a Nova Scotia source. We also purchased a few more Americauna chicks to add to our flock of green layers. Sometimes I wonder what Chi-Chi and Muffy will think of me when they look back on these days.....dragging the family across the province to source out my coveted birds. Perhaps they will think that Mommy is just like her Maran's, a little "cuckoo".

Anyway, a growing flock inevitably leads to a growing supply of eggs in the fridge! Since we've got a bit of a surplus, I decided it might be a good idea to start sharing the goods. I have a lovely neighbour who expressed an interest in purchasing a dozen eggs every couple of weeks. We agreed that although I don't feel compelled to take her money, it would be a good learning experience for the boys to start a little egg selling endeavour. Both boys assist me in caring for the birds and collecting the eggs so it's not a stretch to say they have earned the funds. We agreed that every second Friday, she will pop by the house to pick up her eggs. It's a nice way to stay in touch with a neighbour, and a great way to start teaching the children about earning, saving, spending and financial management. Underneath this apron of mine, I'm still an accountant (:

My Not So Empty Nest

With the month of October knocking on my door, I cannot help but feel nostalgic as I reflect upon the last few months. It has been quite some time since I last visited this space. In fact, since the boys' preschool classes wound down in June, there has not been much time or energy available in my life for "screen time". We all enjoyed a summer of bicycles, beach days, fruit pops and good old fashioned fun.

Fall is in full swing in these parts! We are all busy settling into different rhythms and routines, and adjusting to the new beginnings that go hand in hand with the season. My sweet Chi-Chi boarded that big yellow school bus for the first time this fall. Although over a month has passed, I still find myself wiping away the tears some mornings. It is with mixed emotions that I pack his lunch box and kiss him goodbye each day. I am so proud of him, excited for him, worried for him. I do, however, miss that baby in my arms, those sticky toddler fingers, his never ending scientific inquiries, his near constant presence at my side. It is time for him to try out those wings of his. Sniff, sniff...it is time to change the subject.

Speaking of wings, one recent highlight the entire family rejoiced in was the arrival of new baby chicks! In early August, we noticed some strange behaviour in one of our hens. This behaviour, we soon found out, was broodiness! After waiting not so patiently for twenty days to pass, were were greeted by four of the sweetest little peeping puff balls! Thank goodness I am not a mother hen! I would not be able to handle an empty nest so quickly. Our little fluff balls are now fully-feathered little chickens, racing daringly around the yard and holding their own against Rocky the Rooster and the rest of the flock.

So, I am hoping to get back into my blogging groove as I have missed the creative outlet and the opportunity to share and exchange thoughts and ideas. The kick off of the new school year has me very inspired these days and the boys and I have been up to all sorts of crafty goodness that I hope to share soon!

Patience is a Virtue

If patience is a virtue, than I guess I’m not much of a virtuous person! I do love gardening, but sometimes I find the waiting game a little hard to swallow. I’m anxiously awaiting the tender taste of home grown spinach, peas and lettuce from the rich brown soil. Since I just planted these rows a couple of weeks ago, I realize I’ve got a fair wait ahead of me. In light of this fact, and my rather impatient nature, I've been participating in a bit of instant gratification gardening. Ok, the word instant is a slight exaggeration! In gardening terms however, 36 hours from seed to plate is pretty darn instant.

Last year I purchased a little counter top sprouting system. I picked mine up at Eos Fine Foods in Wolfville, but no doubt many other natural food stores carry them. This no fail system is super simple and the results are fast and delicious! For lunch I munched on a tasty salad topped with healthy handful of organic alfalfa and red clover sprouts. My home sprouter proved to be a great source of fresh organic greenery during those bleak and cold winter months. If you share both my love of gardening and my impatient nature, a countertop sprouter may just be what you need! I’m certainly enjoying the daily harvest around here......though I'm still dreaming of my sugar snap peas.

You can see from the photograph, that other creatures have their eyes and hearts set on those peas. The chickens and I are in the midts of a battle of the wits. I'm ashamed to admit that I am losing this fight miserably. We erected a 6 foot high fence around their designated "area" to deter critters from getting in and critters from getting out. Being birds, my feathered friends just fly over my fence. It appears they too love fresh sprouts as they scratch away in my garden plots. I spent a good chunk of time this week erecting various nets and other chicken scare systems. The winner of this battle will earn the prize of the harvest. Who are you betting on?

Don't Count Your Chickens...

A few months ago, we realized a dream of raising backyard chickens. After a long year of planning, building, waiting and dreaming, we finally welcomed eight little chicks to Seaside Farms.

Since that time, we've been on a bit of a roller coaster ride with a few ups and lots of downs! When chick #1 perished, we held a small family funeral for our fluffy little friend. The death of chick #2 was just as shocking, but we all swallowed the news a little easier. By the time chicks #4 and #5 passed on, we were starting to get just a little paranoid and suspicious! With #5 packed in the trunk on ice, I headed to the Nova Scotia Agricultural College for help. For $52.50 they performed a detailed autopsy on our chicken and provided me with the grim news - a disease called Marek's (and a few other minor parasites to boot). Wow! Dreams of hens scratching around the backyard and farm fresh eggs were dashed in an instant. We were advised to prepare ourselves for further deaths. Time passed and just before the holidays we lost #6. That left us with two ladies in the hen house. The first six to perish were all Black Australorps. Our two remaining hens had been obtained from a different breeder and were Ameraucanas - also known as Easter Egg Chickens for their green shelled eggs. We certainly weren't holding out much hope for these two. We continued to care for them but remained emotionally detached in fear of getting hurt!

On one of the coldest days of the year, December 30th, I found my husband pounding on the kitchen door with a huge grin on his face. An egg, a beautiful GREEN egg was in his hand! We all rejoiced and celebrated the egg and hoped it was a sign our chicken woes were behind us, a sign of a new beginning. Convinced our two hens were going to survive, I opened up my heart a little and grew attached to our friends. Yesterday we decided the ladies needed company to keep them warm this winter and headed out to pick up a little Barred Rock rooster we lovingly named "Rocky". After a three hour round trip, we arrived home with Rocky and were eager to introduce him to his girlfriends. We called and called but my favorite hen Spec was nowhere to be found. I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Our friends usually greet us eagerly when we pull up the driveway. Hubby went searching and followed her footsteps into the woods......soon emerging with the sad news that Spec had been killed by a hawk. What timing! We were all very, very sad to say the least. Hubby turned around, hopped in the car and headed back on that three hour trip to fetch me three new hens! He's a good man I tell you. Exhausted, he arrived home last night with a new flock for us. We spent today getting to know our friends and quietly observing them as they settled into their new surroundings.

Today for lunch we dined on homemade toast and the last of Spec's green eggs. I'm saving a couple to blow out and keep as a reminder of our feathered friend and the first egg. Spec is the darker hen in this photo. This was taken about an hour before she perished. Muffy is playing peekaboo with them at the kitchen door, a favorite hang out spot of theirs.

Lessons learned - don't count your chickens, even if they have hatched! I will admire and like my new friends, but I won't fall in love again!

Playing Chicken

Finally! Finally! That lonely, vacant chicken coop gathering dust in our backyard is now home to a tiny little flock of chickens! Truth be told, the chickies moved in about two weeks ago. We've all been so preoccupied with them, I've been too busy to sit and reflect.

As planned, we purchased six Black Australorps. This heritage breed is quite striking in appearance and is known for its friendly disposition and good egg production. Two days later, I stumbled on the website for Active Life Farm, located in Londonderry, Nova Scotia. Noticing they had Ameraucana chicks for sale, something clicked in my memory (which has gotten pretty foggy since motherhood). Ameraucanas are sometimes referred to as Easter Egg Chickens because they lay bluish/green shelled eggs. This sounded like too much fun. I HAD to have them. The very next morning we set off on a road trip to pick up two more chicks. None of our chicks are sexed so we are still trying to figure out the mix. We only have room for one rooster so there may be some shuffling in the coop's pecking order pretty soon.

Although it has only been two weeks, our taste of raising chickens has been a wonderful learning experience on many different levels. It's actually been quite thought-provoking, giving Hubby and I a new perspective on the humane treatment of agricultural animals. Buying a plastic-wrapped package of boneless-skinless chicken breasts from the grocery store is so easy to do with little thought involved. Having my own chickens provides me with a greater appreciation for the "life" behind each meal. It's been rather "weird" at mealtime actually. One minute I'm chatting cheerfully about the hens, the next minute I'm directing Muffy to, "Eat your chicken Honey". Interestingly, Hubby and I are more bothered by this than the kids, who haven't blinked an eye on the subject.

It's also been a lesson in death for Chi-Chi and Muffy. One little chick, appropriately named Runtie, didn't make it. She was injured early on and failed to thrive. One morning, she was just gone. We had a nice little funeral in the woods for her. Ah, this story gave the boys at the feed store a good laugh! What can I say, the chicks are certainly viewed as pets around here.

Despite one minor grabbing/squeezing incident with Muffy, I'm impressed with the calmness and respect the children are exhibiting towards the chickens. Keep in mind, I've got two VERY ACTIVE boys! They are learning about the important responsibilities and kindness involved in caring for another living creature.

So, I'm inspired about the chickens as you can imagine. My mind is getting ahead of me....dreaming and planning. Every Wool Fairy needs her own sheep....doesn't she??