Chickens are getting big, should start laying any day now. They’re about 22 Weeks Old. Chickens usually start laying (depending on the breed) around 20-24 Weeks.
Spreading the manure with the neighbors Bobcat.
Rained all week but afterwards the sun came out and flowers bloomed.
I was able to get the fields disced again after the manure was spread. It supposed to rain again tomorrow so hopefully I can get some seed and plants into the ground before it does.
It was a nice day for a swim in the pond as Max and Moose showed their talents off chasing the ball.
Lemon Balm is blowing up……and finally Max Photobombing and the plow after use (all shiny)
Happy Mother’s Day to All.
Happy mother’s day also to you !
I feel your pain with the rain. Here in NH ours stopped for two days (yesterday and today) and starts again tomorrow. But I sure wish I had a neighbor with a Bobcat – the projects I could come up with Happy Mothers’ Day to your wife and mother.
Thanks for the photo updates! Happy Mother’s day to you š
Sseems idyllic! How beautiful… And the chickens are looking great. š
Happy Mother’s Day to you too. š
Beautiful photos…
You make me homesick. Happy Mothers Day to all at Soulsby Farm! The
earth, our mother, cups us all to the tiniest creature, in the palm of her big brown hand. And we love her for it.
Thanks for all these lovely photos on Mother’s Day (or any day!) Do you make anything from your lemon balm? We have tons of it and I use it to make a pesto- lemon balm, pumpkin seeds, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil all blended together in a food processor. š
Happy Mother’s Day! The chickens will lay healthy eggs that will serve our children.
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Happy Mother’s Day to you as well. Love your site and glad I found you.
Fantstic! Happy Mother’s Day:)
I’m jealous. Rain? Whats that? Happy Mothers Day!
Love your chickens.. and happy “water” dogs!
Thanks for the nice “likes” on my blog! I’ve been enjoying yours these past few weeks-very eye opening GMO stuff, and sorry to hear about your raccoon. Good luck waiting for your first egg from your ladies-there’s nothing quite like it!
It looks like a busy but productive week to me, and I loved the shots of the dogs swimming – some time for play too!
Chickens are lookin’ good! What a lovely farm.
HELLO THERE,
BTW..I wanted to tell you something I found out this week. I was discussing your article about chickens and that you said after they stop laying eggs that you can eat them, that is of course if that is a possibility for you…some of us cannot bear it right?
And when I mentioned that chickens stop laying eggs, the fine people here on Pine island Florida that have had chickens for their eggs for many a year, informed me that chickens never stop laying eggs they just “molt” not sure how to spell what that is but apparently it means they stop for a month or two or for awhile, but they will begin to lay eggs again.
I just thought you might like to have that information. I was happy to read your article and have only now thought about having chickens of my own. However at this time I live on a sailboat but we are getting a place on land as well soon, and since I have worked in virology in infectious diseases in molecular epidemiology, I do know that chickens and birds of all kinds carry many a bacteria and viruses and I did not want to be involved with that.
However since your article I may have to make some adjustments with my thoughts and simply deal with it. It sounds great to have chickens now that I have heard the “other side”. Thank you for your article. It was very uplifting and positive…and a”mind-changer” for me.
I love following your blog now.
Thank You Again,
Mother
P.S…..I am a West Virginia girl…so I know your territory as well….great place.
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Yes, chickens will keep laying but the cost to keep them is a lot more since they a lay so few eggs as they get older. Usually by the time a chicken is 21/2-3 the price to feed them outweighs the revenue from eggs.
Thank you for you reply..It is nice to know that information. These people are only farmers for their own families…I guess that includes their chickens as well ;-))
Thanks again
Mother
Your lovely wet land is such a blessing….we are in need of a gentle ground soaking rain.
Although, too much rain can get rather old.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
So do your chickens have their own blog? I would follow it š
Follow this blog, I write about them a lot!
Such beautiful pics and I love the dogs in the water!!!
Beautiful place you have. All of that garden area is full of hope and promise. Happy gardening!
Love this. Wish our neighbor had a bobcat! LOL! Love the photobombing pup too. š
We wanted to leave California for Ohio desperately. We tried to relocate and then found the house we have now. Our families are so rooted here that it is hard to leave. We managed to find the most non-California place in this state and have dubbed it “My Ohio” š
WordPress dumped all of my followed blogs when they changed their system and I lost you guys…I only just found you thanks to you posting on Serendipity Farm and wondering why I hadn’t had a post from you in a while. It looks like spring has sprung in your valley. Its crispy and cold here but we love it. It makes a big change from the heat in summer and I love living in an Australian state where you can actually tell the difference between summer and winter. Some of them (Queensland and the top end) are nicer in winter than they are in summer! It looks like you are gearing up for the coming cropping season and your hens are in tune with your dynamics. We have no logical progression anywhere here…most hens in Australia have stopped laying…ours just started! We gave a friend 6 eggs to put under her broody silky as her hens are off the lay for winter. Ours seem to have decided that they will start…sigh…just when you get a handle on this country living, the creatures that you cohabit with decide to turn it on its head! Oh well…back to the drawing board…but its great to see that SOMEWHERE life is running to plan š
I love Max’s photobomb! We are on our first batch of chickens ever here (about 8 weeks old now), and I’m amazed that they don’t look THAT much bigger at 20 weeks! We’ve witnessed the biggest part of the growth spurt, I guess. Can’t wait til our girls start laying, too… although I must learn patience.
wow I love the pictures! your dogs and chickens are pretty cute too! lol.
Your farm looks wonderful! I read your story as well. Thanks for giving me heart on following through with my own plans!
Awesome! š Aloha!
Love the pictures!
I LOVE your chickens. Wishing I had my own, but my town house community forbids it. Luckily, I have a friend with chickens and I can visit whenever I want.
Thanks for peeking in on my blog with a like. I’m having a peek on you and your chickens and I really like. I want to start raising chickens and will be following you for your expertise and of course your fun blog. Love the labs! š
It’s always a race against Mother Nature…enjoy the sun whilst it lasts.
Lab’s favorite things: swimming and fetch!
I could use some of that rain over here!
The chickens are looking good! We’ve had a run of rain here in NH too. Love the bobcat. I want one, just my size!
Do you sell your produce at the Hudson Farm Market – Saturday’s on the green?
Great site and wonderful pictures!
We also spent Mother’s Day in the farm way, visiting some chickens and sorting egs. Lovely post!
What a lovely little farm. Thanks for stopping by my blog š
Awesome chickens! Love all the pics š
I really love the pictures you shared of your farm and family! From the pictures your farm doesn’t look small to me, I think its wonderful! Thanks so much for reading my blog! I look forward to hearing more about your farm, especially learning about the chickens!
Sheryl
Just to let you know that I have passed the āOne Lovely Blogā award on to you.
I can’t imagine so much moisture. We get little in a year and this year is particularly dry.
Wow, you have had a lot of rain. Love the pics and your blog. We have a pond too on our farm in the Shenandoah Valley of VA. Not as wet this spring as last though. Enough rain to make it lush and lovely. All of my family keep chickens so I get eggs from them. We have barnyard geese and ducks. Also a lot of wild water fowl visiting the pond.
Send the rain our way, we are so dry half of the rain barrels are already empty. Mind you the dry weather does mean we put up over 1,000 bales of hay this week.
Lovely photos. I love lemon balm.
How idyllic! I used to have 2 chickens–golden comets. They made good pets, and, of course, laid 2 lovely eggs every day.
Wonderful photos! It’s been so wet here as well–if April showers bring May flowers, what are May showers supposed to bring?
Chickens…I love chickens.
CHICKENS! So wonderful. When I have more than a cement balcony to my name, you can bet I’m going to get some chickens. Thanks for posting!
I love seeing your pictures and the fun you’re having on your farm. Thanks for sharing.
Great photos! The barn in the sunshine is so pretty. Was wondering what you do with the Lemon Balm. I grow it in a large container. I love it and use the leaves with iced tea. I bet it would make a nice soap or shampoo and of course, it has wonderful medicinal properties, such as relieving pain. Nature sure offers up her gifts! Thanks for sharing your farm in pictures š
Lovely pictures from your recent work at the farm! Thanks for entertaing us! š
I love the photos- beautiful farm. Nice moist looking earth- I’m jealous because I am in AZ and it is VERY dry.