With spring arriving in full force last week, the fields are starting to dry up nicely, which means it’s officially time to get the animals relocated to the back fields to start their summertime pasture rotations.
The laying hens are the first to make the big move, followed by the pigs. No one seems to have a harder time acclimating than the chickens.
The hens are stubborn and spirited creatures by nature, and the problem is that at this point in the year, they’ve gotten quite accustomed to their stationary high tunnel at the top of the farm – they know where to eat, drink, roost, and lay their precious organic eggs.
But this week, we switched them over to the mobile chicken coop and moved them out to the back fields, and frankly, despite our best efforts to ease them into the new routine, they are completely discombobulated at the moment.
All this is to say, we’re spending more time than usual chasing around a few chickens who, confused by their whereabouts, venture outside of their fence in the mornings.
And we’re harvesting more eggs off the ground since some of them haven’t figured out where their new nest boxes are yet.
If previous years are any indication, we’ll also need to do some “sleep training,” which involves heading out after dark to relocate the stragglers who’ll inevitably decide that sleeping underneath the coop (where they’re more vulnerable to predators) looks more fun than sleeping inside the coop with their friends.
The upside is that they’re already loving the salad bar of tender grasses, bugs, and legumes (see it for yourself here!). And with a little patience and a lot of love, two qualities we infuse into all our interactions with all the animals, we’ll get these girls up to speed in no time.
Next week comes all those pigs…
Your Farmers,
Jenney & Greg
PS – Do you have any questions or stories to share about farm life? We’d love to hear from you! Reply to this email or connect with us on social media. Let’s continue this adventure together!
PPS – It’s another FRESH pork week at the Farm Store, so we’re stocked up with your favorite cuts, perfect for roasting or grilling while Mother Nature decides what season we’ll experience this week. Order ahead online or drop in to see what’s available.