[4 day old ducks]
We moved our fawn runner ducks out to pasture this week. They are 3 weeks old and seem to be ready to handle the outdoor environment. We really needed to move them outdoors considering they were almost taller than the walls of their brooder. Also ducks are very messy with water. We were constantly adding more shaving or changing out the brooder and adding all new shaving because the whole brooder would be wet. Continue reading
[Piglets with sow at the farm we purchased them from]
Last week we added 2 pigs to our homestead. We have never raised pigs before so this will be a true learning experience for us. We found these pigs posted on craigslist. We purchased them for $45 a piece and the drive was about 1 1/2 hours away.
Chicks can easily become dehydrated so always have fresh water available for them. When introducing chicks to their brooder, dip their beaks into the water first. This is especially important if you ordered them through the mail. Continue reading
It is very important to monitor the temperature in your brooder for about the first 3 weeks. Around that time is when chicks will begin getting their true feathers which help them to control their own body temperature.
For the first week, keep the brooder temperature between 90-95 degrees. We use a brooder lamp and hang it about 18 in. or so from the bottom of the brooder depending on how many watts the light bulb is. A red light bulb will help decrease the tendency of the chicks to peck at one another. Set up the lamp so that it can be adjusted up and down to increase or decrease the temperature of the brooder. We put a cheap thermometer on the floor of the brooder, directly under the lamp to monitor the temperature.
Reduce the temperature of the brooder by raising the lamp an inch or so. You will want to reduce the temperature by 5-10 degrees per week until the brooder is at a temperature of 70 degrees. This allows them to gradually acclimate to cooler temperature they will experience outdoors.
Our chicks and ducklings shipped yesterday (Monday April 16th 2012) and should be arriving tomorrow or the next day. So it was time to put together a couple of brooders. I needed one for the 20 or so chicks and one for the couple of ducklings. Continue reading
Here is our setup we use to protect strawberries from deer, birds, dogs, cats, and any other animal that might want to eat them or dig in the bed. Our strawberries were in there 4th year of production last spring, so we pulled up all the old strawberries a couple of weeks ago, put down a kill mulch of cardboard, and planted about 50 bare root strawberries. Our strawberries are in a raised bed because the soil in this area of our property is extremely rocky. At one time this area was part of the drive way.
Last April I constructed a hugelkultur bed and planted it with jerusalem artichokes. In previous posts I have discussed how the jerusalem artichokes grew very well in the hugelkultur beds. When late fall came around and the jerusalem artichokes plants had died back, I cut the stems down to just above ground level. This would allow me to see where to dig for harvesting the tubers.
I did harvest some of the tubers and cooked them with some olive oil and seasoned with pepper and salt.
Chickweed and violets (Viola spp.) are two abundant plants that can be found growing in gardens and lawns. Considered a weed, both are edible and very nutritious.
[Chickweed in late winter without flower]
Recently I have been trying to educate myself on foraging for wild foods that might be found in my 4 acre woodlot (zone 5) or growing in my garden areas. If you have every been interested in foraging for wild food, here are a few reasons you should learn.
[photo credit: Firefox Bushcraft: http://firefoxbushcraft.co.uk/]
