Today is the first day of the Spring season. It is a time of renewal and rebirth. All around my home, life is returning from its dormant winter sleep. The birds are chirping. Nests are being built. The trees are starting to bud. There is promise in the air of all the things to come. The joy of Spring is felt deeply here at my home. We live in Michigan, where the snow belt squeezes and the winds that form over the Great Lakes blow down from our frosty neighbor in the north. Thank you Canada.
Winter is a time of reflection. It is when we sit down, look back at the year and really think of what worked and what didn’t work. What do we need to do differently? Should be plant more sunflowers? Did what we have get us through the long winter? Will the dachshund puppy that my son brought home ever be fully trained?
Spring around my home is filled with chores, yet I am not overwhelmed by them. Instead it is enjoyable to be back outdoors without all the extra layers of clothes. I am more able to enjoy the work. Breezes are still cool, but the sun is there and it is good. Today we cleaned out a layer of liter from the coop and added it to our compost pile. The snow has uncovered lots of forgotten items around the yard. The ladies are out enjoying the sunshine and the bits of grasses and new shoots that are starting to emerge.
This is also the time of year that we begin to implement all those plans made over winter. We are not adding new chicks to our flock this year. Currently, we have 5 hearty egg laying hens. That is enough for our small town homestead. We are however, making improvements to our coop. The years are starting to show on the 7 year old coop. We will be adding some new roosting polls and roofing the over hang that covers the nesting boxes. We also have lots of fencing that needs to be repaired. We did not get as much snow this year as we did last year, but the winds did do some damage.
Our garden is going to be extended. We plan all winter long on what to add to the garden that will help us winter over chickens. What plants are not only a benefit to our family but also our birds. I have really embraced using more herbs around my home and in my coop. Lavender and Lemon Balm patches that we have along the side of our house are going to be expanded. We will be adding to my small herb garden this year. Sunflowers, always one of my favorites, we will be planting more. The heads dry out well and are great way to keep your chickens occupied when cooped up. I like to plant a variety of squash. There will be zucchinis and yellow summer squash as well as heartier kinds like acorn, hubbard and spaghetti. These store well through out the winter and an added bonus is that the “guts” of the squash are great for the chickens. No dandelion will be mowed over this year. Or at least if I can help it. These are great for bees that are starting to leave the hive, but also for infusing in oils.
Of course, the front porch needs painting and windows need the grime of winter washed off. I can’t wait to hang back up my clothes line. The promise of sun kissed and wind whipped bed sheets is enough to make my heart sing. What are your plans for around the homestead? Fencing down? New chicks? Maybe adding other poultry to your backyard?
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How do I protect my chickens and guinea fowl from the swarms of mosquitoes and gnats we suddenly have? My local feed and seed had no ideas and nothing for me to use. I read somewhere that fabric softener sheets can repel them, but that sounds unbelievable. I’ve put out diatomacious earth in their wallows and hoped it helps them somehow, but I don’t expect it do do much, if anything.. Tomorrow I go and buy those “mosquito” plants to hang in their coop, but those bugs are making them miserable. Any ideas beyond putting all 15 of them in a 4 x 6 brooder with window screen on part of it?
I am starting my first flock and am so excited! I have 8 chicks and am turning an old horse trailer into a coop. I’ve already fenced off a little yard for the and the will also get to free range in my big yard. I am also doing a little gardening in raised beds and on hay bales. I’m loving this spring weather.
We are also ignoring the urge to get more chicks this year, something we have done every year for the 5 years we have had chickens. We did plan on getting 2 or 3 female ducks to keep our 3 males company, but then the boys stayed out refusing to be locked up for the night and one of them was killed by something. That, and our dog Cyrus, who we will have a year in April, likes to kill chickens and ducks. For some reason I don’t understand, he doesn’t mind the chickens poking around outside the window, but even if the ducks are curled up and sunning themselves quietly anywhere nearby, he goes bonkers trying to get to them. Almost a year of leash walking and trying to train him, and we have made no progress in training him to lose interest. So we’re thinking about finding a better home for the 2 remaining drakes.
Like you we plant a lot of sunflowers, squash and pumpkins. You should try something called Zephyr squash, a summer squash from Johnny’s Seeds in Maine. It is by far the best tasting and prettiest squash we have ever grown. It is part green and part yellow, looking like a cross between zucchini and yellow squash, but tasting better than both of them. Johnny’s also has lots of different sunflower varieties you might like. (No, I don’t work for them, but I have been buying seeds from them for about 20 years now.)
Thank you so much for the squash tip! I will definitely check it out. The dachshund puppy is proving to be a challenge in the training department. Best wishes!