Survivors

Good news! We have four surviving turkeys. I didn't want to jinx that by making any premature announcements.

I have to say that they sure are cute and incredibly stupid, in an endearing sort of way. Yesterday we turned them out on the greens for the first time. They were stunned, not for five minutes or so, but pretty much all day. They didn't know what to make of the green stuff upon which they stood. They also found sunlight to be perplexing. It just wasn't the same as the old heat lamp. They don't seem to eat and drink as much as I thought they would. But they do seem to be growing. So, I guess they're getting enough.

Now, we were able to turn those turkeys outside by day into the "tractor" because we finally moved the previously incubated birds into the new bird barn that Michael built. I have to say, it is a nice looking chicken house with detachable porch to protect those birds from hawks. (They are still hawk bait sized).

We moved the "exotic" brown bird out of the meat bird yard and in with the little chickens.

She just wasn't fitting in with the roasters. (We're pretty sure, but not positive, she's a hen). Well, she is also having a bit of an adjustment getting along with the little chickens. There are some feisty cockrels (or "roasters" to which they are referred around here)in there too. Michael, Rex and Amira helped to relocated the little ones from the "tractor" to the "barn".

But the good news is that the bird barn is in the orchard where they can hang out with the other laying hens and Mr. Johnson. The porch protects all the little ones so they won't get killed by the big ones. But now they can get used to each other. And one day the fence will disappear and it is our hope that there won't be a terrible adjustment as they will all be acquainted.

Here are some close ups of the motley crew that hatched in March:

Speaking of birds, the kids found a blue jay nest in a tree across the street. Amira snapped off this photo. How cute is that?

And, speaking of survivors, in spite of my many attempts to kill all the seedlings I started in January, I still had some plants to put in the garden. We shoveled in two truck loads of horse manure to prep the soil and planted 17 tomato plants (four of which are labeled and the rest will reveal themselves as the season progresses). In the next bed over I planted out several huckleberry bushes, three eggplant (I think it is a Thai green eggplant? I can't remember!) and an assortment of unlabeled peppers. Now, I originally planted some red sweet peppers, jalapenos and anaheims. So, hopefully I still have an assortment.

With the super warm weather this weekend I think things will get off to a good start. Farmer Michael ran drip tape out to the newly planted rows. We pounded in fence posts to provide support for our raspberry patch and the peas. Michael also set up a watering system for the plants in the front of the house where I put some rhubarb, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, stevia, borage, catnip, sunchokes, calendula and a ton of strawberries. I still have some more planting to do up there this weekend. Still no bees yet ... in my boxes. But there are a ton of them in the yard. They just love the flowers on the bindweed that is sprawling everywhere (including amongst my peas!) I will give a call next week to find out where those bees are. In the mean time, I might just set up a box with some beeswax to see if I can catch a swarm? I enticed the kids to clear a pile of brush from the backyard so that I could actually see my "hedgerow". I promised them a cook out with hot dogs and marshmallows in exchange for brush removal. And, yes, we could burn the brush in the fire pit. A good time was had by all.

Well, what I lack in skill I feel I make up in enthusiasm. It's so cool to see this yard go from a barren weed patch to a thriving little eco-system of poultry and plants. And, of course, for each task I accomplish outside, another dish piles up inside. Thanks, kids, for taking this picture. A gentle reminder that I'm not Martha Stewart. I mean, really? Who do I think I am?