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...