11 Mar Wed 2009
Let the planting begin
The weather out here has been gorgeous. Two days ago we hit 90F. Our farm is typically a good 10 degrees warmer than the predicted high when the sun is out. We have a south facing hill, which just heats up as soon as the sun hits it.
We have begun planting those things that can take some cool weather. As much as we would like for winter to be done, we know that we have not seen the last of the cold weather. We expect more frosts, we even know that snow is possible still.
The chickens have noticed the nice weather and are laying eggs - finally! We have too many roosters - they are testing their voices and some sound just awful. One rooster's crow sounds like a child's cry. That is annoying! My kids are getting quite the nature lesson as all the roosters are working on making fertlie eggs. Poor hens!
Yesterday we found a rooster in the middle of the pen, in a very odd position. My daughter gave it some food, and then a hen attacked it. The poor rooster had no feathers on the back of his neck. He had become the laughing stock of the flock. He couldn't move anymore either, so he must have gotten into a fight and lost. We separated him from the rest of the flock and we are giving him some time to heal. He is a Cuckoo Maran, which is a rare breed that lays dark chocolate brown eggs. He is one of 5 roosters of his type that we have. We definitely have to get rid of some of the roosters, but our freezer is full of beef, deer and turkey meat right now.