Tiny Turkeys

They're here! Yes, October is a weird time to hatch turkeys. These little fellas are from our Black turkey flock, one of the oldest breeds in the world of heritage turkeys. They are genetically important, and, we just like them a whole lot. So, why hatch now? Well, unfortunately, our turkey hens took a hard hit from predators this year. We lost a couple to dogs and raccoons this spring, then we were down to six. Recently, we lost two more small hens to a barred owl-it left an incriminating, eau de skunk soaked feather at the scene. Also, our breeding flock isn't as young as they used to be. So, since one of the ladies was still laying, we decided to go for it.

So far, these five have hatched, and there are another four eggs in the incubator that we are expecting to hatch over the next couple of days. It is so cold out now, that these tender sprouts will be living in our laundry room in their big tub until they are feathery and vigorous enough to be relocated to the brooder room.

Black turkey chicks are especially cute-they remind me of little mimes.

It is pretty difficult to get a good shot of them, though, as they very rarely hold still for a second. Unless they are napping-then you can get a good picture of a massive pile of fuzz!

Speaking of tender sprouts, even with the chilly weather, we are planting away. The hoophouse is already half planted with cool weather crops. I decided to use all our old feed bags to hold down the grass in the aisles. It works great, maybe covered with a little straw it would be more aesthetically pleasing. The rest is waiting to be planted with overwintering crops, such as onions.

Mushrooms and Turkeys

It is starting to seem like October here on the farm. The little guineas are getting bigger-they are getting pretty well feathered and are trying out the whole flying thing.

Our shiitakes are still coming in. The logs we have are so old and crumbly, it is hard to believe they are producing anything anymore, but the weather is just perfect, and they keep on coming.




This one's a nice one




Most of the birds are in some state of molting, growing in a fresh new set of feathers for the cold weather to come. For those of you just dying to know, this is what a turkey looks like when molting.

Yark! This is an extreme case, actually. In my perfect world, there would be an on-farm spa for molting birds, with herbal wraps, meditation, warm towels and tea.


"I feel like a porcupine!"

"You're not a porcupine. Just relax, and focus on your breath...."


Then, when they are all done, they look like this.

Whoa, Mama!

using your noodle, or, What the @#*! is he up to now?

...is what the neighbors might be saying. So, our packing shed is surrounded by large oak trees, and for weeks now, we have listened to acorns hitting the roof-it is so incredibly loud: ker-POW!wacka wacka wacka. They have started piling up under the low side of the roof. Well, it got the old gears crunking along, and we recalled that in the old days, folks used to let their hogs roam around in the woods and feed themselves on acorns. With the high cost of feed and all, we thought it might be a good opportunity to supplement Babe and Lyle's diet. So, Steve came up with the idea of shopvacing them up. Did it work?

Yup!

But, would our piggies like acorns? These piggies that have been spoiled on corn, apples, peaches, and the occasional chocolate chip?

Yes. Yes, they would. With some pears on the side.

why so untidy?

Ah well, partly it is a bit of bitter humor that we always have unfinished projects laying about. And, wow, no matter how hard you try, there is always stuff that isn't tended to in a timely fashion, usually weeds. Partly, though, it is method. This is my preferred way of planting things:

In a big old blob. Rows, shmows. This is in our yard actually, but here you have rosemary, rue, chives, marjoram, and a rose. Right next door is some basil and lemon balm. When grown this way, the plants fill in each other's negative spaces and keep the weeds down.

I also like the way it looks. Functional landscaping.

When growing annuals in the field, too, I try to maximize available crop space by growing several crops in the same space. Radishes and carrots will coexist peacefully, and I had pretty good success last year growing pole beans on the stakes in between my tomatoes.

Also, I really hate to see everything perfectly mowed. This is the cause of many heated discussions throughout the growing season! I really like to leave brushy spots nearish the field as much as possible, letting the native wildflowers and grasses grow and set seed. These untidy spots attract so many butterflies, pollinators, and other beneficial insects, and snakes like to hang out in them. And snakes like mice. And mice like crops. See how that works?

Lastly, I must point out that I have the untidiest geese of all-Sebastopols.

Those long, curly feathers mean that they are naturally flightless, so as a breed, they don't feel compelled to fly away. They originated near the Black Sea, so cold weather is a joke to them! Overall, they are serene and quiet-and beautiful. When they are running around being goofy, it is the 'ghostly ballet of frolicking Sebastopols'.

The chicken and the egg

Seems like a good place to start a brand shiny new blog. After being part of the farm these past 4 1/2 years, I have become a bit of a poultry geek, it is true. Maybe we manage our birds differently than most, but I firmly believe that happiness=health=productivity, so I spend a lot of time observing our birds and our systems to make certain that all is harmonious and working well.

We got ourselves a nice Sportsman 180 egg cabinet incubator about a year and a half ago, and since then have hatched all our own chickens, turkeys and even geese from our parent stock here on the farm. This has given us not only the opportunity to improve the quality of our birds through selective breeding, but it increases the happiness, also. When our babies hatch, they are lifted with gentle hands to a warm comfy brooder, instead of being chucked in a box and sent through the mail. I have to think it is a much better way to start.

Although I have hatched hundreds of birds, it never ceases to seem like a miracle to me. Eggs are so elegant, and efficient. Contained within is all that is needed to make a chicken, and provide it with food and water for three more days after it hatches-this is why day old chicks may be sent through the mail. The ones that don't spend 21 days in the incubator to hatch fuzzy new babies, are one of our most perfect sources of nutrition. Eggs contain all of the essential amino acids that we need, and are the only 100% complete and utilizable source of protein we consume. It seems a shame to me that egg consumption is so important and ubiquitous, and the ladies responsible aren't shown more respect. Think good thoughts about a chicken today, please.