Exercise For Laying Hens

September 24, 2012

My collection of vintage poultry books and pamphlets have charming graphics, and they’re worth seeking out just for that, but they also are filled with excellent advice. Three things were consistently recommended: sunshine, greens and exercise. Even as flocks became larger, and feed was bought instead of grown on the farm, this advise still held true. In 1929 the Wirthmore Feeds company put out a booklet. You’d think they’d have a vested interest in confined birds that ate only their product, and a lot of it. But, no! The cover showed busy chickens outside on grass.

(As an aside, I so want that apron!)

Even inside the barn Wirthmore advised a system that encouraged the hens to scratch and mill about.

So, before you toss handfuls of mealworms and cracked corn to your girls, remember the advice from the Wirthmore Feeds company. What your hens need are exercise, healthy foods and fresh air. Sounds like words of wisdom that I should follow, too.

PS For a useful vintage egg record chart see this post.

Chicken Feed Scoop

September 24, 2012

Having cooked professionally for years, I am a firm believer in having the right tool for the job. A tool designed for the task can make work less frustrating and often yields a finished result that is of a higher quality. (Have I told you how in love I am with my stand mixer?) Sometimes the right tool is expensive, but it should last and last. Twenty years ago I spent a lot of money on a chef knife, and continue to use it daily. That said, (and having defended my buying habits) I also believe that sometimes the right tool doesn’t have to be expensive. Sometimes it doesn’t cost anything at all.

I needed a scoop for the laying hen pellets. I had just used up the last of the laundry detergent.

I took the cardboard cutting scissors and went to work.

Not hard work, though. In two minutes I’d made my scoop.

Some perfect tools, like my knives, are beautiful. My grain scoop is not. But, using it makes me feel virtuous and clever. The chickens don’t care a whit about beautiful and told me that it works just fine.

You can make my scoop, or you can construct a plastic scoop that is far more attractive. I found a Korean blog that has a multitude of clever ways to repurpose plastic cartons, including this scoop. It’s much prettier than mine, but mine holds more pellets!

Bumblebee Farm

September 22, 2012

All summer I ignored the pumpkin patch. It is no surprise that it looks like this:

Some years my benevolent neglect yields a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins. Not this time.

That is a pitifully small harvest. But it’s enough to decorate the driveway.

Perhaps if I’d cared for the pumpkin patch better I would have had a more bountiful crop. But then, I might have pulled up this weed:

Instead of growing pumpkins, I’m farming bumblebees.

The pumpkin patch is back in the meadow, so it’s easy to ignore the tangle of vegetation. However, I have flowers and herbs right next to the house that I do water and keep tidy. It took me only minutes to harvest those pumpkins, so I thought I’d take the time to deadhead the zinnias. I didn’t. I think I’ll rename my property Bumblebee Farm.

Good Goats

September 21, 2012

Spencer Webb came over today to take a headshot of me (he’s the talented guy who took that shot of Steve and I.) He tried to get a nicely posed and composed photo of me sitting on the couch. Scooter jumped up, licked my nose, and then showed off his butt to the camera. He tried to take pics of me and the hens. They flapped. They pecked. They didn’t exactly stand still. Then I said, It won’t be any trouble at all, let’s get one of me and the goats. Let’s just say that the goats did not perform like this.