We've had an abundance of roosters hatched out at Dogwood Trace lately! This past week, I was able to sell ten of them! I sold four Swedish Flower Hen roos, 3 Rhodebar roos and 3 Cream Legbar roos. That still left me with a good-size breeding flock of each of those breeds.
Now I still need to sell a few more roos - and I'm afraid that I have a disproportionately high number of roos among the chicks in the grow-out pen. I love having one or two roosters. But more than that is just too many.
A Middle Tennessee farm dedicated to living closer to nature and becoming more self-sustaining
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Beekeeping at Dogwood Trace Farm
Dogwood Trace Farm has now entered the ranks for beekeepers. On Tuesday of this week (April 17, 2012) Ron set up two hives - with the expert help of two of our good friends, Cherry Lane and Jim. The most difficult part of getting the hives set up was leveling the cement blocks that the hives would be set on. Once they were leveled, it only took a few minutes. Since I didn't have a bee-keeping hat/veil, I watched from the car. Ron, Cherry Lane and Jim got everything done quickly. Even though Ron didn't wear gloves, he didn't get stung a single time. Jim was stung once. Amazing! It'll be a year before we are able to harvest any honey. I sure am looking forward to that, though!
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Garden is Planted
We finished planting our garden yesterday. Someone told me that their grandmother said to always wait till after April 15th to plant a garden. Yesterday was April 15th. So I guess we did okay. The chicken coop in the background with the garden in the foreground makes for a relaxing country setting.
In the photo above, our herb garden is in the foreground. All the herbs are in boxes or pots. The rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, curly leaf-parsley, flat-leaf parsley, lemon balm and mint over-wintered and is doing great. Then I planted new basil, dill, leeks, stevia and chives. I found out from last year's herb garden, that I use the herbs a LOT. It's nice to be cooking and be able to walk a few steps from the back door and pick fresh herbs for whatever I need. I use the mint and the lemon balm in iced water or iced tea. I've even made a cup of tea with the lemon balm. This year I want to dry the stevia leaves and use it for sweetening.
In the photo below you can see how large the parsley, sage, oregano, lemon balm and thyme had gotten. I'll be dividing it soon to share with friends in my FCE club. That's what the smaller pots between the boxes are for.
In the vegetable garden, we have planted 32 tomato plants, about 8 peppers - several different varieties, asparagus, carrots, garlic, lettuce (couple of varieties), spinach, yellow onions, red onions, zuccini, crook-neck squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, okra, broccoli, beans, cucumbers, and peas.
In the photo below, there are almost two full rows of tomatoes. On the second row at the end is where the pepper plants are. There are four cross-poles with beans, four with peas, and one with cucumbers.
This next photo shows lettuces and spinach - and a bush tomato plant. There are carrots planted next to the lettuce in the far box, but those aren't coming up very well. I may till that half of the box and re-plant.
The box below is doing really well. I have another bush tomato plant in the corner, four rows of carrots beside it. Then a small section of garlic, and across the end is asparagus.
I am determined to do a better job of keeping weeds down this year. I got a special weed hoe yesterday at Home Depot, and I'll use that I weed between the plants. I should make weeding a twice-weekly job. Consistency will be the key.
In the photo above, our herb garden is in the foreground. All the herbs are in boxes or pots. The rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, curly leaf-parsley, flat-leaf parsley, lemon balm and mint over-wintered and is doing great. Then I planted new basil, dill, leeks, stevia and chives. I found out from last year's herb garden, that I use the herbs a LOT. It's nice to be cooking and be able to walk a few steps from the back door and pick fresh herbs for whatever I need. I use the mint and the lemon balm in iced water or iced tea. I've even made a cup of tea with the lemon balm. This year I want to dry the stevia leaves and use it for sweetening.
In the photo below you can see how large the parsley, sage, oregano, lemon balm and thyme had gotten. I'll be dividing it soon to share with friends in my FCE club. That's what the smaller pots between the boxes are for.
In the vegetable garden, we have planted 32 tomato plants, about 8 peppers - several different varieties, asparagus, carrots, garlic, lettuce (couple of varieties), spinach, yellow onions, red onions, zuccini, crook-neck squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, okra, broccoli, beans, cucumbers, and peas.
In the photo below, there are almost two full rows of tomatoes. On the second row at the end is where the pepper plants are. There are four cross-poles with beans, four with peas, and one with cucumbers.
This next photo shows lettuces and spinach - and a bush tomato plant. There are carrots planted next to the lettuce in the far box, but those aren't coming up very well. I may till that half of the box and re-plant.
The box below is doing really well. I have another bush tomato plant in the corner, four rows of carrots beside it. Then a small section of garlic, and across the end is asparagus.
I am determined to do a better job of keeping weeds down this year. I got a special weed hoe yesterday at Home Depot, and I'll use that I weed between the plants. I should make weeding a twice-weekly job. Consistency will be the key.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Our Chicken House
Our son (the landscaper) had his guys finish up the landscaping around the chicken house today. Here are some photos.
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| I love the dogwood tree on the corner. It has so many blooms! No wonder our chickens provide us with so many delicious and nutritious eggs. Just look at the beautiful and functional chicken house and run they have! |
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| This photo shows our garden plot in the foreground. Ron plowed it yesterday for the first time - just breaking up the soil in preparation for the serious plowing before planting. |
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| The chicken house and run is in the background. My herb and "salad" garden boxes are in the foreground. My parsley (both Italian flat leaf and curly-leaf), lemon balm, rosemary, oregano and thyme did great over the winter. I had to put out new basil, though. I have various lettuces, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, onions, garlic and leeks in the boxes. |
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| Here are a few of the chickens enjoying their roomy run. I put out six bags of pine shavings to make the floor of the run look nice. In addition to looking nice, it gives the chickens something to do. They LOVE kicking the pine shavings around and pecking in it, too. |
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