LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty (and Johnny)

It is the end of March.  The first quarter of 2011 is now over.  It is, for farming, the toughest quarter of the year.  The first one is generally cold and frozen.  There is not much that can be done during this time.  We spend most of it planning for the Spring and Summer quarters.  Immediately following the December Holidays we are quick to begin sourcing and buying seeds and supplies for the upcoming selling season.  That sourcing and buying will continue for another few weeks, or even up to a month or so. 

The planting has also begun.  The indoor lights are up and seeds are planted.  There are small shoots coming up from the soil, so, indeed, the season has begun.

Amidst all of this we now have eggs in a more plentiful number.  The Americana hens are starting (slowly) to lay.  The eggs they lay are green/blue in color.  The taste is the same as any free range egg, but the color is really unique.

As a surprise, last weekend we had the opportunity to save three hens and a rooster from being butchered.  The owner has lost her lease on the house she lives and had to get rid of the chickens and had to get rid of them one way or the other.  She posted on ‘craigslist’ and I saw the add and we were able to rescue them. 

Johnny is a large rooster.  He is now the largest member of the flock.  That size makes him the target from some of the other roosters.  He is currently isolated for most of the time.  We do let him out when we are there so that he can begin to acclimate to the flock and the flock acclimate to him.  We had the same problem when we introduced Wilmer to the flock.  That worked well and so will this.

The 3 Buff Orpinton hens are already acclimated.  They were let out yesterday and very quickly assimilated into the flock.  They were isolated overnight again, to be safe, but not sure we need to do that again.  They are also laying very well.  They really only skipped one day and now are laying almost every day.  They came to us with no names.  They were collectively referred to as ‘the girls.’  We still do call them that too, but we needed to have names for the newest of our chickens.  I named them after the WWII era singing group, The Andrew Sisters. 

LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty are now very much a part of the farm.  Chuck had no idea where I got the names from, so I sent him to the expert….. my mother.  She only had to think a minute or so and had the groups name.   I knew I could count on her.

We have feelers out for a few more hens and will likely get a few more in the next days.  We also are going to reduce the flock by culling some of the roosters out and sending them off to auction.  We have about 10 roosters right now, but we really only need 2 or 3.  Not sure which ones are going. 

Next week we are off to some auctions for equipment and stock.