Tag Archives: eggs

The New Chicken Coop Is Completed – Building Security For Our Chickens

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The new coop - a much larger and hopefully more secure home for our girls

The new coop – a much larger and hopefully more secure home for our girls

The new chicks are getting big! They are ready for their new home.

The new chicks are getting big! They are ready for their new home.

1/2" x 1/2" heavy gauge wire mesh covers each of the three windows. It is stapled and then backed with an additional nailed board.

1/2″ x 1/2″ heavy gauge wire mesh covers each of the three windows. It is stapled and then backed with an additional nailed board.

The coop was framed in 2 x4's - on top of a concrete block foundation secured with concrete and bolts

The coop was framed in 2 x4′s – on top of a concrete block foundation secured with concrete and bolts

The entire coop is covered in 1/2 strand board to keep out unwanted intruders

The entire coop is covered in 1/2 strand board to keep out unwanted intruders

A secured and covered run will be attached to the back - with 1/2" wire mesh used to secure the flooring and sides

A secured and covered run will be attached to the back – with 1/2″ wire mesh used to secure the flooring and sides

Finally!  The new coop is  complete. With just a few small finishing touches to make this week – it will be ready to house our chickens for years to come.  It’s just in time too – as our 18 little new chicks are more than ready to move out of the temporary pen in the garage!

We designed the new coop to mimic a traditional mid-western farm coop – and to match the barn.  We also kept with our re-use and re-purpose theme, utilizing recycled materials throughout.

Just like our barn – the lower sides are made from reclaimed barn metal roofing. The board and batten top siding are made from picket fence boards.  We were also able to re-use a lot of old fencing and wiring – and even the coop’s roof is reclaimed metal left over from a project.

We built the coop’s door to match the design of the barn – making it from simple 2 x 6 framing boards attached to a 1/2″ plywood back.  We curved the top 2 x 6 to mimic the big doors – and then filled in with picket boards to create the finished look.

The coop measures 12′ x 10′ – and 8′ high in front, sloping to 6′ 6″ at the rear. The added space will give lots of room for the girls – and even more for us when collecting eggs and cleaning it out!

If you follow along, you know that in the last 6 weeks, we’ve had some intruders into our old coop that unfortunately killed some of our older chickens.

It was a tough pill to swallow – especially since we’ve never had any problems in the two and a half years we’ve had them. We’re now almost positive the culprit was a mink.  So in addition to proofing the new coop for raccoons, coyotes and opossum – we used tightly spaced, heavy gauge wire mesh throughout to keep out mink and weasels.

Security For The New Coop:

A secure coop starts with a secure base – for ours we used a footer made from 18″ concrete blocks placed on a 6″ packed limestone base.  We then filled the blocks with concrete and embedded 1/2″ x 9″ bolts to attach and bolt through the 2 x 8″ foundation boards.

We built additional security into the floor – laying down a double layer of chicken wire along with a layer of wire mesh on top of the packed limestone floor.  We then secured it up and over the inside edge of the foundation and top sill board with heavy-duty staples.  We then added 3″ inches of packed limestone and 4″ of packed topsoil on top to create the finished floor.

Now – even if a raccoon, opossum or mink tries to tunnel under the 8″ concrete block and 6″ packed limestone base – they would still have to dig through the 3 layers of tight wire mesh and 4″ of packed earth to get into in the coop.

The shell of the coop is made from 2 x 4 studs – covered completely in 1/2″ strand board along with a breathable moisture barrier.

We made the door from some 2 x 6's, fence picket boards, and a 1/2" sheet of plywood

We made the door from 2 x 6′s, fence picket boards, and a 1/2″ sheet of plywood

We installed tight, heavy gauge 1/2 x 1/2 inch wire mesh in the windows on each side of the coop to provide for good air flow – and then added a final 3rd large mesh covered window over the top door for additional ventilation.  All three windows can then be covered with plexiglass frames for the winter.  The door is attached with 3 heavy-duty strap hinges and double slide bolts to prevent anything and everything from being able to pry it open.

We still have some work to complete this week. The entire run – including the floor – will be encased in 1/2″ x 1/2″ heavy gauge wire mesh to prevent intruders – and will give the girls access to the outdoors 24/7.  We’re also adding gutters and a rain collection system to the coop, and later this summer will attach two solar panels on the back to provide lights and a water warmer for winter.  Beyond that and applying a few coats of matching barn stain to the coop – the chicken coop project can be crossed off the list!

Hope everyone has a great Sunday! – Jim and Mary

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The Chicks Are Here!!! Raising Our Chicks At The Farm

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Our newest additions to the farm - our day-old baby chicks!

Our newest additions to the farm – our day-old baby chicks!

It doesn't take the little girls long to find the food!

It doesn’t take the little girls long to find the food!

The new chicks are here!  Our 18 little girls arrived home with us last Wednesday evening under the watchful eye of our Labrador Retriever, Jazzy.

We started raising our first chickens two years ago – and it has been a truly rewarding experience.  When we first began, we really knew little other than what we had read in books and on line. But before we knew it, we had a coop, nine full grown hens and about four to five dozen eggs a week!

I think more people might consider raising a few chickens if they knew how simple it can be – not to mention the added benefits they can provide to your garden, flowerbeds and breakfast table.

Our chicks come to us as 1 day old little balls of fur.  We keep them in a brooder we made from some old shipping crates that we set up in our basement.  The brooder gives them plenty of room, and will serve as their home for the first 8 weeks of their life. We use a heat lamp attached to the brooder to keep the temperature around 90 to 95 degrees during the baby chick’s first 5 to 7 days.  With no feathers and just a little fuzz to protect them at birth, its important to provide them the warmth their little bodies need to survive.  As they continue to grow – we reduce the temperature by about 5 degrees each week until they feather out and can provide their own body heat.  It is amazing to watch how quickly they learn to use the water and food feeders – and by the end of the first week, they are already trying to learn the art of perching.

Our older girls out and about looking for insects - they provide valuable natural pest control for our farm.

Our older girls out and about looking for insects – they provide valuable natural pest control for our farm.

At about 8 weeks, they will be ready to move to the farm and will take up residence in the “big coop” with our older chickens. It takes about 18 weeks on average for our new chicks to start laying eggs.  The first few eggs are usually on the small side – but they get the hang of it pretty quick and start laying nice sized eggs at about week 20.  We raise mainly Golden Comets and Leghorns, and they will lay an egg about 6 of the 7 days each week.

Our chickens have become the stars of the farm, and are an integral part of our goal of creating a self sustaining homestead.  In addition to the great tasting eggs they give us each day – they provide us with valuable manure that is a key ingredient to our composting process.  Chicken manure is high in nitrogen, and when mixed with carbon materials such as shredded leaves, coffee grounds, straw, grass and vegetable scraps – it helps to heat our compost pile quickly.  The end result is rich organic matter  that we work into our garden soil to provide valuable nutrients to grow our vegetables each year.

Our girls checking out the morning from atop the coop

Our girls checking out the morning from atop the coop

Our chickens also provide crucial pest control services.  Chickens can devour hundreds of bugs each day as they roam about, and do wonders in keeping the farms insect population under control. When Mary and I first cut down the high grass on the property, we would almost always come home with a tick somewhere on us.  Once the chickens arrived – finding a tick has been rare!

And of course last but not least – they are just plain fun to have around.  The farm wouldn’t be the same without them!  We will keep you updated on the progress of new chicks as we head into spring!

- Jim and Mary

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Keeping Our Chickens Happy In The Winter

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The last two weeks on the farm have been filled with a lot of snow, wind and freezing cold temperatures.  It’s about this time of year that most of our friends and family start asking us how the “girls” are faring in the frigid conditions.  Our “girls” of course are our chickens, and surprisingly enough, with a few simple adjustments, they handle winter better than us!  Now don’t get me wrong, they are not particularly fond of the snow any more than us humans.  In fact, it’s funny to watch them when we open the doors to check on them.  They will run to the door, and the minute they see the white stuff on the ground, they stop, do an about-face, and decide to stay in the warm coop!

The Coop with it's winter blanket

The Coop with it’s winter blanket

With the door open during feeding time, Amelia wants no part of heading out into the snow.

With the door open during feeding time, Amelia wants no part of heading out into the snow.

The key to keeping healthy and happy chickens through the cold winter months is really quite simple.  Keep drafts out of the coop, keep the inside of the coop dry, give them extra insulation (straw), and make sure they have fresh (not frozen) water and food to eat.  If those simple needs are met – chickens stay happy and healthy even through the coldest of winter nights.

I think a lot of our friends and family are surprised that we don’t have heaters or warming lights in our coop during the winter months – but there really is no need if you have good shelter and it’s properly prepared for winter. Here are some simple basic strategies that we practice with our girls and their coop in the winter:

Keeping Out Drafts

Happy Chickens = Eggs. Here are 3 of our "girls" enjoying the warmth of the coop and their nesting boxes

Happy Chickens = Eggs. Here are 3 of our “girls” enjoying the warmth of the coop and their nesting boxes

We cover each of the windows in late fall with a 1/4″ thick piece of clear plexiglass. This allows the light to still get into the coop, but keeps out the cold winter winds and drafts that can be so detrimental to the chicken’s health.

We keep their attached covered run filled with thick straw as well during the winter months, and if it gets too cold we can cover the small opening to the run with some heavy plastic strips that keep out drafts.  Make sure if you do have an outside run attached - that the small opening faces away from your prevailing winds – this will also help to keep out drafts.

Deep Litter Method:

One thing we do not do during the cold winter months is clean the coop.  Instead, we practice what is called the “Deep-Litter” method.  In very late fall, we give the coop one final clean-out.  We then put in a good 6″ to 10″ layer of straw all around, and for the next few months, we will add a few inches of straw every week or two on top of the old.  The new straw provides a nice clean, dry surface for the chickens to roam about on.  More importantly – the old straw below, along with the chicken droppings that are mixed in, will start to slowly decompose, releasing heat that helps to heat the coop and keep the chickens warmer.  As the winter progresses, we keep covering the old straw with a few more inches of fresh straw to continue the process.  In the early spring, when the night temperatures begin to rise, we will clean it all out and start fresh.  This big clean-out has an added benefit – it’s a great start to a new compost pile each spring!

 Water and Food:

Happy Chickens Lay Eggs

Happy Chickens Lay Eggs

With the simple practices above – it is amazing how warm the coop actually stays.  In fact, it is usually at least 20 degrees higher than the outside temperature.  Even so, one thing we do keep an eye on is their water supply.  On extremely cold nights, it will have the tendency to freeze over by morning – we just make sure to switch out a new watering bucket in the morning, and all is well.  It’s important to also keep their feeder full of food through the winter months. Without as much access to scratch and dig outside for worms and bugs, they need a steady supply of feed.

I always remember the four words of advice an old farmer told me when we first started keeping chickens : “Happy Chickens Lay Eggs”.  He couldn’t have been more right, and if you keep them dry and draft free through the winter, they are a lot happier!

Have A Great Sunday!  - Jim and Mary

Shared on Savvy Southern

News From The Coop – The Hens are Happy!

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George stops for an early morning pose outside “The Coop”

Of all the things we do on the “farm” – the one that seems to receive the most attention from everyone are our chickens.

The chickens were the first ever true residents of the farm – heading out in the early Spring of 2011 at the tender age of 8 weeks to their newly built home we call “The Coop”.  We built The Coop on the cheap from recycled shipping crates and pallets.  We then added some protective measures like welded fence wire to the bottom to keep out raccoons – and cemented in fence wire to their attached outdoor fence run to keep the raccoons, coyote and other prey from digging under and getting to them.  We had heard so many horror stories from other friends and farmers who keep chickens – so we took a little extra care in securing the coop.  So far - we have been fortunate enough to keep all of ours accounted for.

One of our nine – Sherwin Williams

We have nine chickens (all hens) in all, led by Big Mamma – our 10 pound + hen who is to say the least a little “weight challenged”.  She happily shares “The Coop” with the other 8: Amelia, Comet, Curious George, Co-Pilot, Digger, Foghorn, Goldie and Sherwin Williams (named for her love of pecking at paint).

Amelia quickly found a way to “fly the coop” – climbing up on the flat roof and escaping to total freedom

The Chickens don’t have complete free range anymore thanks to some chicken wire – but they still have a large green space to roam and dust

Goldie finds a worm in the straw

The Girls in their laying boxes – the nine hens provide an average of 8 eggs a day for us

They produce on average about 8 to 9 eggs every single day.  We certainly don’t raise them as a revenue source – however the 5 to 6 dozen we get each week is more than enough to keep us in fresh farm eggs.  So we sell the extra’s for $2/dozen to an ever growing list of farm fresh egg lovers.  It’s been a win-win for us – as it covers all of our feed and straw costs – and there is usually enough money left over for a pizza or two.  It’s amazing how quick a simple posting on Facebook can clear out our holding fridge of extra eggs.

When we first started out at the farm – we gave the chickens the run of the place during the day.  However, as landscaping and the garden grew -so did their ability to destroy the mulch and beds.  So earlier this year, we opted to enclose a 250 foot area with temporary chicken wire fencing  that lets them roam during the day, and keeps our garden and landscape plants safe from their curiosity.  We move the fencing every 3 or 4 weeks to give them a new area to explore.  As the garden comes to a close later this summer – we will move the temporary fencing around it and let them go to town.  They do wonders with the garden area- consuming hundreds if not thousands of bugs, weeds and weed seeds – all the while leaving “natural” fertilizer behind to help improve the soil for next year.

We will be performing a little remodeling on “The Coop” in the coming months – all in the name of creating a match to the barn.  We will be adding a 30″ high corrugated knee wall to the coop, and a miniature version of one of our pergolas to their “back porch” area that will give them some extra shade -all done of course to match the barn :)

Chickens really are so very simple to keep and care for.  They require very little effort – and if you give them a safe home, water, feed and a little space to roam – they provide countless benefits to your home and garden.  Not even counting the incredible eggs they produce, they keep insect and bug populations at bay, and provide a great source of natural fertilizer for our garden and compost pile.

We plan on adding another 6 to 9 chicks to the flock next Spring – and hope in the coming years to keep our flock at right around 15 hens.  After raising them and having fresh eggs – I don’t think we can ever really imagine a time in our future that we won’t have chickens.

-Mary and Jim

Happy First Birthday Girls – The Chickens Turn 1

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Foghorn posing for an up close shot - Foghorn just enjoyed his first birthday on the farm

As Jim and I  took a small break last week between tasks at the ‘Farm’, we began to think of where we were last year at this time with our dream.  We sat up under the garden pergola and scanned the property and laughed about the day we spent hours researching how to raise day old chicks.  We had read about diseases, brooders, breeds, feed, etc….   until we felt comfortable that we could become suitable ‘parents’ to day old chickens.

Jazzy checking out the new chicks...

In fact, I am pretty sure we could have written the book ‘What To Expect When You Are Expecting…..Chicks”.

Just like new parents do, we brought them home to their well-prepared brooder and sat and watched them.  Yes,  sat and watched them sleep, wake up for a few minutes to eat and drink, and sleep some more.   We then introduced the girls to our black lab dog, Jazzy.  Now Jazzy is a ‘single child’ and hasn’t had to share love, affection, or snacks with anyone else.   She was very interested in the new arrival and wanted to be a part of the ‘watching’.  Of course, as nature progressed – and the girls got bigger – Jazzy also wanted to see what it would be like to try to put one in her mouth – so at that point – the dog and chicken show ceased!

The coop - now painted brown and black to match the barn.

So the day finally came.  We had finished building their coop and hauled it out the farm as the first “building” on the property.  We secured it with a wire mesh bottom – a brick floor, and a coop run that included burying a portion of the fence in concrete to make sure the raccoons and other predators couldn’t get to them.  And we watched them grow – and grow – and grow.  And every day we would check those boxes  waiting and waiting for that first egg.  And then it came – week 16 – a single tiny egg in the box!  I’d be lying if i didn’t say we jumped up and down.

Ready to lay eggs in one of their favorite nesting boxes.

We had done it – We had raised our girls to be egg layers.  Within another week – they started coming daily – and the chickens were established as our first succesful farm project.

The chickens have been one of the most rewarding and fun projects so far in the short time since we began the “farm”.

Chickens in the brooder - all lined up at age 4 weeks learning to perch

They not only provide us with an incredible bounty of eggs – but do an incredible job of keeping ticks, mosquitos and bugs of all sorts and kinds at bay.  They help control our weeds and give us great “material” to use in our compost pile.

We love sharing what we have learned with others, and how easy it can be to have and care for chickens in your back yard.  It’s somewhat funny – but it always seems that two questions come up more than any others when asked about our chickens.

1) Where is your rooster? and, 2) How did you train them to lay their eggs in those boxes?

Well, as many of you know – you don’t need a rooster to have eggs – in fact – in many cases – such as ours – the hens are much more tame and comfortable not having “Big Daddy” around :)    It also makes it a lot easier when not having to worry about the fertility of your eggs.  It’s pretty simple – no rooster – no checking for chicks!

As for that training part about laying in their boxes…I must confess we have a little fun now and then making up a tale about the intensive training process to get them to lay in the boxes – i.e. – placing music in the box, or special treats – or my favorite – the special “chicken” shock collars we use to train them …. only to break into laughter and let the perplexed faces know that it’s simply nature taking place – and chickens prefer to lay their eggs in those little boxes nests all on their own.    And please, no worries – we treat the chickens like family.  So even if there is such a thing for chickens as shock collars – we don’t use them!

A bountiful harvest of eggs from the ladies

So far – the chicken experiment has gone better than we could have ever expected.  We have yet to lose a single chicken in spite of many raccoon and coyote visitors to the outside of the coop.  Then, of course, the hawk  who came awfully close to snatching one late last fall put a little scare into us all as well.   In the last 365 days – our nine little hens  have given us an average of 56  eggs a week since about the 17th week of their lives – that’s about 2000 eggs – or 175 dozen eggs!  Not bad production for the ladies at all!  We have had plenty of eggs for family, friends and our own hungry kids.  We now sell a few dozen eggs each week to friends who want those great tasting farm fresh eggs – which has turned out to be more than enough to cover our feed and fresh straw costs for the coop (which run about $20 per month on average).

So Happy First Birthday Girls!   Thank you for a great first year on the farm – and here’s to another great one this year!

9′ long and made from recycled barn flooring – our egg sign for the barn.

Chickens sentenced to 6 months in a minimum security prison

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“What is this fence crap? And why can’t I go in the garden anymore?”

While working at the farm this past weekend – we decided that it is time.  Our girls, the chickens, need to have more of an assigned “designated area”.  During the building of the farm, the chickens have truly been free range and had free reign of every space.  With little to get into or get in the way of, we have simply let them run around.   However, now that there are patios, and flowerbeds and a much bigger garden going in –  things have to change.   Chickens love to dig, they love to scratch – and they just can’t seem to distinguish between all the green grass and dirt that is theirs – and the flowerbeds, patio spaces and garden space that is ours.

Enjoying her last few days of true freedom, Amelia surveys the empty garden from a fence post.

Late last summer and into fall, as the garden season came to a close – we allowed them in to rummage.  If you have chickens, it is actually a great thing to do after your garden has run its course.  They had a field day dusting and rooting around in the straw – decimating the insect population, eating and devouring weeds and seeds, and dropping valuable fertilizer.  It became a daily ritual – we let them out of the coop – and away they ran to the garden.

But now it’s spring, and plants are about to go back in.  We have spent the last few days raking back in the mulch that they have destroyed while mulling about all of the newly planted flower beds.   So, we decided we better get a plan in action.

Goldie wants to appeal the decision.

Now don’t get worried. We are not banishing them to a 2′ x 2′ cage.  Oh no, these chickens are our friends…we want to give them lots of space to roam and scratch and be happy – and to keep laying great eggs!  But just not in our barn, garden and patio area!  So out we went this past weekend to purchase a 150′ roll of fencing and a large amount of temporary poles.  It will allow them to have  a 30′ x  40′ area to scratch and play in.  Our plan is to rotate them around the property every  week or two to a new pasture area.  A minimum security “country club” type prison sentence for the next 6 months so to speak…until they can taste the freedom of the garden again this fall.

Jim and Mary

“The Farm” – A perspective from a 12 year old.

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***This post is written by Nolan. He is the youngest in the family at 12, and surprised us this past week when he asked if he could write a post.  Here is his post in his own words:

The Chicken Coop – made in the driveway, but now at home.

I have learned that the farm is a place where work is being done and beauty is being made.  You go over the little hill at the top of the driveway and immediately you can see the beauty.  Looking at the farm makes me think of all the hard work and reliving moments over the past few years.  It might only be 3 acres, but it feels like that’s all we need.  In the distance you can see the barn, chicken coop, garden and pergola.

Our first project was the chicken coop. At first I was a little embarrassed.  When we first started to build the coop, it was in our driveway in the city.  Even our high school football coach made a comment on the structure we were building, telling my brother he liked our new ‘dog house’.  The embarrassment came when we told him it was a chicken coop. but now I am getting used to it.

This has been one of our favorite family stories to tell.  Moving that chicken coop out of our driveway and to the farm wasn’t easy.  But with the help of some friends we accomplished it.  I even help get the eggs, and have learned to corral the girls to go back into the coop when it is time.  Don’t tell anyone, but I even asked to go buy more chicks last week.

This is our garden after we planted it in the spring

This is our garden after we planted it in the spring

Then spring came and it was time to start the garden.  This was one of my favorite projects, surprisingly.  There is a variety of food that we grow, but I like the banana peppers the best.  That is what we use to make our Hot Pepper Mustard that I love. I do not like to eat a lot of the things we plant, but they are still fun to help manage.  We got so many vegetables from the garden this year.

In fact, one day we were picking the garden, putting all the vegetables in a wood crate.

End of the season picking day – this is the crate that we filled at least once a day with produce. The one I couldn’t carry – and one Jim had a hard time carrying because it was so full.

I told Jim I would carry the full crate to the car, but when I went to down to pick it up, it was so full and heavy, that I couldn’t.  Then Jim comes over and he could barely pick it up.  Now Jim is a tall and bulky man, so you can tell how much stuff we had picked that day.  This was probably the best project we did.  The whole family was involved, especially the chickens.  They helped clear the bugs and weeds out of the garden, and Mom tells me they ‘fertilize’ the garden too.  After all the dirt and sweat that we put into the garden, it was finally finished.

Almost right after that we made our first pergola.  At first I had no idea what a pergola was, but I did learn quick.  I had to, because the next week I started helping making them make one for our farm.

My favorite pergola

The Barn we built from two old barns

The Barn we built from two old barns

One of the my favorite pergolas that we built was one for my friend’s grandparents. After building it, Mom and Jim were sore and ready to relax.  Well that’s what I thought.

After about two months, they started to focus on our farm.  They said it was missing something.  I guess that something was the barn.  I thought they were insane.  I did not think they could do it, but I knew that they were at least going to try.  They tore down two barns to make this new “recycled” barn.  I thought this barn was going to be just a new barn made with old things.

But I figured out that it was not.  Instead they made an amazing,  old fashioned barn.  After all the hard and painful work, they got it done.

One of my favorite things to do is take pictures around the farm.  In fact, a lot of the pictures they use on the website are mine, which is pretty neat.  Now we look at the farm and take pictures, we realize that this farm is truly paradise.

- Nolan

 

Meet Millview Farms from Ontario, Canada – This week’s “Tell Us Your Story”

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We want to thank Celi and John from The Kitchens Garden ( http://thekitchensgarden.wordpress.com/ ) for sharing their story last week of their beautiful “farmy” on the Praries of Illinois. I think everyone enjoyed hearing about Mia, Ton-Ton, Daisy and all of the other wonderful animals – thanks so much Celi and John!

We travel to Canada this week and into Southern Ontario for the story of Marie and her husband, who own and run Milllview Farms.   Marie’s blog, Plowing in Pearls ( http://plowinginpearls.com) chronicles their life where in addition to growing cash crops, they raise meat and eggs in a natural and sustainable manner.

To follow along each week with our Sunday feature “Tell Us Your Story”,  you can simply enter your email address on the right of our blog and click “follow”.  Better yet – if you know of a farm that would make a great feature story, click on our “Tell Us You Story” tab and let us know all about it!

So here, in Marie’s words – the story of Millview Farms :

I want to thank Jim and Mary for putting this series together. It’s such a great opportunity to share, and get to know other like-minded people! My name is Marie, and I write a blog called Plowing in Pearls, which chronicles my “amazing life as a farmer’s wife.”

My husband,myself, our son, and our home.
My husband and I run a cash crop farm in Ontario, Canada. I’m a mother to a beautiful son, and am passionate about sustainability, homemaking, homesteading, and connecting with a way of life from years gone by. Although my husband has farmed his whole life, it’s completely new to me, and the learning curve has been a steep one. I like to think I’ve picked up pretty quickly though.

Here on our farm, we raise chickens, turkeys, and pigs for our own use as well as for sale to the public. I raise all my animals with respect, and in a way that allows them to exercise their natural tendencies. We use no hormones, preventative antibiotics (meaning they aren’t given antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick, like commercial producers, but I will medicate a sick animal if nothing else works) or growth hormones. Raising livestock in a respectful way is something that is very important to me, and this year we will be adding two rare breeds – the Large Black pig and Blue Slate turkey to our menagerie.

Chickens are my first love. I have many (many) breeds, from standard to heritage. All are free ranges, and we just love all the beautiful eggs they supply for us. Since my love borders on obsession, we have around 50 hens which provide us with more eggs than we could ever eat. The extra eggs go in to a fridge by our front door and we’ve developed quite a following of people looking for those golden yolks that can’t be found in the grocery store.

Although we raised our turkey’s on free-range last year, we learned that turkey’s “range” is quite a bit further than chickens. I spent a lot of time herding them off the road and out from underneath the cars of visitors. This year we will be implementing the “Turkey tractor” to keep them contained, while still allowing them the benefits of free-ranging.

We also keep a few “just for fun” animals, including our duckies (although they do lay eggs, so they kind of pull their own weight ;) )

I’m also taking on a new challenge in homesteading this year, and that’s milking my own goat. Maebelle hasn’t kidded yet, but I’ve been getting her used to the stanchion I built, and the routine of feeding. My biggest mistake with Maebelle however, was that she has never been milked before, and she wasn’t hand raised, so she is not a fan of being touched. Let’s just say it’s has been an adventure getting to this point, and I think the party is just getting started. I’m sure there will be lots of spilled milk and tears, but I’m determined to make it work.

Although I love all my animals very much, there is one in particular that holds a special place in my heart, and that’s Pearl, our beautiful donkey. Pearl is the most affectionate, and gentle creature I’ve met. I’ve spent a lot of time with Pearl, crying in frustration when it feels like the world is against me, or enjoying a beautiful sunset after a long day, it doesn’t matter what my mood is, Pearl is always the same – sweet, gentle, and loving.

My dreams for our farm include the on-farm market we will be opening this spring. At the moment we sell eggs out of a fridge by our front door, but my goal is to have a designated place to sell not only eggs, but pork, chicken, and turkey as well. My Mom and my sister will be joining in this venture by growing cut flowers (glads, zinnias, Salvia and sunflowers ect.) Although it’s been years since I worked in the retail/fashion world, I still maintain my eye for all things esthetically pleasing, and I love all things vintage, rustic and girly (which is part of the reason my blog is entitled Plowing in Pearls) so I really see this stand as being something that could have been pulled from a story book.

My husband and I are so blessed to have the opportunity to live on and care for this land, and it’s not a job we take lightly. We would love to see our son be the fourth generation to live and farm here, with his own little “zoo” of critters. For the time being though, we’ll enjoy raising him in the best environment I can imagine. There’s no better way to raise a child than out in the sunshine and dirt where they can burn energy, learn the value of hard work, and play with real toys (i.e. sticks and mud!) not Nintendos and iPhones. This simple life is perfect for us and we’re so glad to be able to share it with anyone who is interested.

If you’d like to see a bit more of our farm and our life, please feel free to stop by the blog at www.PlowinginPearls.com, or our farm website at www.MillviewFarms.com

“Tell Us Your Story” – Meet Linde and Rich

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Linde and Rich's Canned Pickles

Every few weeks, we hope to share the unique stories of the people, farms and gardens that are dedicated to leading a more self-sufficient and responsible life.  As we know ourselves, it doesn’t take 1000 acres or a 5 acre garden to have a story.   Sometimes we all get caught up with the latest technology, the newest, biggest, or greatest next thing – to wake up and realize no matter how much we have, we’re not happy.  Mary and I are more convinced every day that it will be our commitment to simplify our life that will bring us true happiness.

Our first story comes from Linde and Rich in Northeastern, Ohio – and shares a lot of similarities with our “farm”.  A 3 acre plot, gardening, canning, chickens and eggs – and their commitment to a live simpler life.   If you like their story like we did, feel free to read more about Linde and Rich and follow their story at their blog called the “lost art of simple living”   http://lostartofsimpleliving.wordpress.com/

With that said…here is the story of their “farm” in their words…

I’m Linde (the blogger) and my husband is Rich. We live in a suburb in Northeast Ohio, on a plot of land a little less than 3 acres. We live here with our 2 dogs, and 3 chickens. In our area, 3 acres is a lot of land, which we’ve come to appreciate and nurture. In return, our land gives us food, entertainment, and the ability to live a self-sustained life. We fondly refer to our place as “The Farm.”

I’ve always gardened. I learned it from my grandmother, as a child, living in the mountains of Pennsylvania. When I moved to the city, having somewhere to garden, even in containers, was a must.  When my husband and I decided to buy a home of our own, we lucked into our tiny house with the leaky roof, and a yard big enough to fulfill even my grandest gardening plans. And so it has evolved.

This past summer our garden was about 800 square feet. We had nearly everything, from sweet corn to potatoes, zucchini to beans.  In addition to our annual plantings we have rhubarb, horseradish, red raspberries and blueberries. We usually have so much success that we give a lot away to family, friends and co-workers. This year, people started offering to buy it.

Corn in the Garden

We also use home canning as a way to preserve much of our produce. We make applesauce, apple butter, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, pickles… You name it, we can it.  The goal is to have enough to get us into the next growing season without buying canned goods from the store. Having a pantry full of canned goods definitely saves us money. We don’t eat out as much; we save on the grocery bills, and eat healthier overall.  No chemicals or artificial preservatives. We know exactly what we’re eating, and that’s a reassuring feeling.  We find that even though canning is a foreign concept to a lot of people, everyone seems to appreciate the improved taste and quality, and lack of chemicals, so we give canned goods away as gifts and favors during the holidays. This year, people started offering to buy some.

The new residents...

We’re currently building cold frames, lighted seed trays and learning about season extension. Most people don’t know it, but you can have fresh greens grown in your own garden at Christmas, even in Ohio! This year, we’re increasing our garden to about 5,000 sq ft. (4 times bigger than our house!) I plan on growing things I’ve never grown before like leeks, and brussel sprouts. We’d eventually like to add a mini orchard with a few apple and pear trees, and maybe some concord grapes.  We built a small portable pen for our newly inherited chickens, and hope to add a few goats to the mix to help clear out our wooded areas of the overgrowth of poison ivy.

My love of gardening, our mutual appreciation for good food grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and other’s interest in purchasing our produce has strengthened our passion to live off the land. The goal is to start a CSA (community supported agriculture) business, but we plan on getting our feet wet this spring by taking some produce to local farmers markets.

and their fresh eggs

Although we both have professional careers outside the farm, we find more fulfillment and gratification in working our small plot of land, or tending to the animals. One day we hope that the farm will bring enough profit to replace one, or both, of our jobs. Until then, we’re satisfied with a pantry full of homegrown goodness, a fridge full of farm fresh eggs, and sharing our passion for the simple, sustainable life with others.

-  Linde and Rich