New Baby Chicks Week 6 Not Babies Anymore New Watering System for Coop

Do all of us chicken mamas think our chickens are the best, smartest, and prettiest chickens ever born?  Love must be blind because we really like our chickens a lot.

And our girls even have different colored eyes!  Ours must be eggstra-special (okay, Ill stop).

But seriously, they have been out in their coop now for two weeks and everything has been going extremely well.  No casualties, and they seem very happy. 

Todd also finished the watering system in the chicken coop.

They can access their water outside under the coop.......

....or inside. 

It holds a little over 2 and a half gallons of water, here is where we fill it.  We hope to hook it up to our future rain barrel system one day.


























It took them just a few days to learn how to drink from it. Several times a day, Todd would hold each one and put their beaks up to the chicken nipple, but only when we removed their plastic watering bowl did they finally figure it out. 

Two days ago, they started going into their coop at nighttime on their own.  Up until then, we had to pick up each one and put them in the coop.  That was making me extremely frustrated because they would not go willingly and it would take the girls twenty minutes each night to get them in.  It was mad chicken/children chaos every night at bedtime.   The neighbor kids would even get in on it, too.  Needless to say, were VERY glad that instinct finally kicked in. 

If only we could convince the kids to go to bed on their own........






This post has been shared at:  The Homestead Barn Hop, The HomeAcre Hop, The Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop

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How NOT to Make Kale Chips

 

I would like to blame it all on the kids, but the truth is, it was all my fault.  Im the one that looked up the recipe.  Im the one that assumed that "Total Time" meant Total Baking Time.  BUT everything else that went wrong was on them.

 

The middlest SSL Kid took it upon herself to create this video.  The topic was her idea, the camera was hers, and she literally did everything herself except for preheat the oven.  And although our oldest was not in the video, she edited the entire video by herself, thanks to her 8th grade media productions class.

 

Although not edible, we are still very proud of the girls for trying to make kale chips on their own.   We all had a lot of laughs and we hope you do, too.

 

 

 

 

 

This post was shared at:  Homestead Blog Hop, The Backyard Farming Connection Hop, Homestead Barn Hop

 

 

 

 

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Square Foot Garden Update Not Impressed Just Yet

Phew!  Its been a busy week with the holiday, normal chores, and getting our "new" camper trailer ready to take up north this week.  Now, everyone who lives in Michigan knows what we do, but for those of you who do not live in Michigan, we like to go up north every chance we can.  Whats up north, you ask?  Lakes, campgrounds, seasonal resort towns, trails, rivers, cabins, and a whole lot of nothing, too.  You cant ask for a more relaxed, laid-back vacation than in northern Michigan and its Upper Peninsula.  Torch Lake, UH-mazing.  If you havent been, you should visit Torch Lake at least once in your life.  And Copper Harbor, there are no words to describe that part of our state.  Its perfect and gorgeous and just so awesome up there.

So, I have been patiently watching the slow progress of our square foot gardens over the past few weeks.  I cannot tell a lie, we are not impressed by their growth.  I honestly think our aquaponics system may have ruined us for gardening in dirt.  Notice the 8-inch tall tomato plants in the square foot beds above.  Now, look at this baby.......

Almost 4-feet tall!  This tomato plant was started from a clipping of a tomato plant growing in our aquaponics system.  All of our cloned tomato plants are flourishing, and fruiting.  My husband calls it his Clone Army....he thinks hes so funny.  Heres another one of our pride and joys.

It has been cooler here in Michigan than whats normal for this time of year, so maybe thats why the garden is slow to grow.  But we are enjoying the benefits of not weeding and the moisture retention in our square foot garden beds, thats for sure.

Would love to hear from readers about your garden growth so far!  Anyone out there square foot farmin?


This post has been shared at:  Homestead Barn Hop, Simple Lives Thursday, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Natural Living Monday

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