Mission Update:

We spent the past 2 weeks working in the yard and trying to get some more veggies planted. We built another raised bed and added more soil and manure around the plants that are growing in the beds that we planted over the past several weeks. We've had a lot of rain lately, so the water barrels are overflowing.

I was happy to see that the mulberry tree is loaded with fruit this year. The berries at the top of the tree are already turning a reddish color while the fruit that is within my reach is still a whitish green. Last year was the first year that I was able to harvest any mulberries. I tend to forget that the tree is there and the birds always seem to beat me to them. At the grocery store, I made sure to purchase some Sure-Gel. I am dying to do something with those berries when they ripen!

We started cleaning out the carriage house to prepare to build the indoor chicken pen. The each end of the carriage house was already equipped with hardware cloth/welded wire. It was in pretty good condition so we just tightened it up a bit with a few more nails. Next we shored up the plywood that covers some of the other windows. Predator proofing is a priority for us since there are raccoons, skunks, dogs, feral cats and a myriad of other hazards in the city.The next step is to frame the area that will be used by the birds.

We also said goodbye to the remaining Rhode Island Red chicks and one Ameracauna. The Ameracauna had a crossed beak which sometimes can make it difficult for the bird to eat. This bird managed to eat anything that wasn't nailed down. His absence alone should save us a bundle in chicken feed. They went to a very nice family with a five acre mini-farm. I had grown awfully fond of the Rhodies (as we call them) and added their breed to my ever-growing list of critters that I want to have when we move to a rural area. Although they could be boisterous at meal times, they were extremely quiet at all other times...

Another Budget Update

Here is the latest tally of what we've spent so far to get our property ready to be an urban farmstead. We did modify the budget to re-allocate funds to urban farm categories that are more needy. So far, we aren't doing too badly.

CHICKEN EQUIPMENT - Budget $250 - Only $83 left!
Children's Playhouse.............$80
Plastic Dishpan.......................$ 1
Plastic Crate............................$ 1
Diatomaceous Earth...............$15
Crushed Eggshells..................$ 0
Poultry Waterer Heater........$ 0
Poultry Feeder.......................$ 0

Chicken Feed..........................$20
Oyster Shell Dish...................$ 0
Brooder Construction............$ 0
Welded Wire...........................$13
Heating Pads..........................$30
Fasteners................................$ 7

Garden - Budget $225 - Only $55 left!
Member to Member Seedswaps............$ 5
5 Mushroom Kit.......................................$28
12 Raspberry Canes................................$26
Assorted Fruit Order..............................$63
Plant Labels..............................................$ 6
Recycled Wood.........................................$38
Concrete Edging.......................................$ 2

Garden Shears..........................................$ 2

40 oz Beer.................................................$ 0

Newspaper................................................$ 0

2 Water Barrels........................................$ 0

Aquaculture - Budget $200

Miscellaneous - Budget $325 - Only $84 left!

1000 Mealworms...............$20
Oatmeal...............................$ 4
Aquarium Brooder.............$ 0
Potatoes..............................$ 0
Plastic Bins..........................$12
Quail Supplies....................$41
Quail Eggs..........................$29

Quail Feed.........................$ 13

Bird Seed........................... $ 3
Welded Wire......................$26
Chicken Eggs.....................$74
Wall Thermometer...........$ 1
Pea Seeds..........................$ 3

Child's Pool.......................$15

Quail Jail...With Paint!

A trip to the local hardware store yielded a gallon of cocoa brown exterior paint. The Quail Jail now blends nicely into my garden. I am planning to build another potting table in the garden and will likely install the Quail Jail on top of it. This will keep the birds up off of the ground and make it nearly impossible for a rodent to try to build a nest under them to take advantage of spilled food. It seems as though everything is a work in progress as we discover better ways to improve upon the things that we are doing. We are quite fortunate to have access to the internet. There are so many other blogs and websites for people who want to get a little closer to nature. So far, we have been able to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid some of the more common ones.

Wind Egg

I have seen other people post pictures of wind eggs. A wind egg is what happens when a chicken lays an egg that is abnormally small. It is sort of a glitch when it happens and the obligatory side-by-side comparison photos are quite comical to see.

They are even funnier when they are laid by a quail. You see, it took 11 quail eggs to make a small omelet for breakfast this morning. In other words, quail eggs are very small to begin with. A quail wind egg is about the size of a marble...or maybe a little smaller...Yep, definitely smaller!I didn't have the heart to crack it open.