Introducing New Chickens and......HAIL!!

 

Radishes that survived the hail

  It has been a few weeks since I last posted.  Traditionally, the early spring period after planting is a waiting game, and by waiting I mean, go outside three or four times a day to see if ANYTHING is happening!  I am the personification of the impatient gardener.  There isn't much to do out in the kitchen garden until things start popping up, or it's time to transfer your seedlings you started indoors to the outdoors.  Sadly, two very unpleasant things happened while I waited for new growth: weeds and hail.  A LOT of hail.  Much of Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas are experiencing unusual weather patterns, bringing flooding, hail, and even great funnel clouds.  These unseasonable and surprise weather predicaments are about as pleasant as surprise acne on picture day.

Herbs coming up from last year

      So what have I been doing?  I have been nursing the few plants that survived the hail storms, and pulling weeds.  I HATE pulling weeds.  But it had to be done, and it's during these tending sessions that you find what is coming back from the previous year.  This year, many of my herbs returned.  It is my advice to spend the extra $15.00 and buy a large tarp.  I keep mine rolled up at one end of the garden, and when the hail starts, I am able to quickly unroll it, and use large clamps, or even heavy bricks to hold it down.  I place large buckets upside down among the plants to prevent the weight of the tarp from crushing the young veggies.
     I also have been working in the greenhouse.  It hasn't been temperate enough for my plants to be permanently planted until this weekend.  It is really important to tend to the soil in your greenhouse, especially if you repeatedly plant tomatoes in there.  Tomatoes require additional calcium and magnesium.  There are lots of natural and organic ways to provide healthy fertilizer for your plants.  We use a lot of ground egg shells (from our chickens), and worm castings.  Worm poop is one of the very best things you can fertilize your plant with.  It balances the pH levels, and maintains water absorption.  I have also been tending to the greenhouse plants.  Those of course, were safe from the hail storm, but with such little sunlight, they aren't thriving as usual (along with the chickens, whose egg production drops pretty dramatically with weak sunlight, and Nelson, who gets sad without sunshine).
     On the chicken front, it's about time to integrate your new young pullets (and roos) into your current flock.  If you are just starting your flock, this wouldn't impact you.  For those of us who lost chickens over the winter, or culled our flocks for meat, we had to replenish our numbers.  Chickens are silly, and by silly, I mean homicidal cannibalistic birds who don't play well with others.  When integrating young birds, or two mature flocks together, you cannot just stick them together and hope they make new friends.  One flock will kill the new-comers (death by pecking is not something I recommend-or being burnt at the stake, also don't recommend, or zombies....).  I take integration very slowly.  It can be done quickly, but it will stall egg production in your current flock.

Young Pullets and a Roo

Here's Shanny's chicken playbook steps: 1) place "new" chickens in a crate, or cage (fenced portion of run is also fine) and put them in the chicken yard.  2) For several days allow the birds to see and smell the new birds (I also recommend spraying ALL the birds with vinegar water so they smell the same to one another). I do not put them in the coop at night with the other birds during this phase.  3) After 5-7 days,  I allow supervised visits(I feel like a court appointed mediator during this portion), while they establish a pecking order. They will peck at one another!  However, it's normal for them to do this to establish who is in charge, but if they become aggressive, you must step in before blood is drawn (if chickens see blood on another hen, they will peck that hen to death). 4) After several trials of allowing the birds all together in the run (and if aggression is absent), I will allow the other hens in the coop at night.   There you have it!
   

New Life

It's that time of year, the snow is finally melting away, and the sun is shining.  I look out and see neighbors tilling the earth and clearing their land in preparation for the new season (it's probably too much to ask for them to remove the toilet and mattress from the front yard for those of you who have delightful neighbors).  There is something innately glorious about the spring.  New Life.

Seedlings in Egg Shells

My son and I spent some time the past few days getting ready to plant.  We cleared out the remaining remnants of last summer/falls harvests, and tilled the ground.  On Saturday, we will till once more, with the chicken poo we collected and mulched all year (this is a point of contention between my husband and I.  I see the potential of chicken poo.  He does not). This is the roughest part, in my opinion; it requires two things that are difficult for most humans: work and patience.

By this time, your indoor seeds should be planted(you still have about 15 days to finish up).  You have until late March to get your seedlings going.  If you have a greenhouse, like we do, you can actually get your garden growing a little sooner than most in Colorado.  At Urban Improv Farm we start our seedlings in early/mid-March, and once the temperature are around 50 degrees during the day we set the seedlings in the green house.  As long as it doesn't get below 35 at night OUTSIDE the greenhouse, they can be left out there until it's time to plant them.  We bring them in at night, if it does get below 35 degrees.

Late Springs Last year

We had a fantastic harvest last year.  And it was a great learning experience.  Some helpful advice I thought I would share with those of you tuning in at home: 1) Tomatillos require at least 2 plants.  Yes, they need to cross pollinate, so you need two.  By August last summer I am looking at this gorgeous tomatillo plant that is easily three feet tall with ZERO tomatillos on it, and enchiladas that were devastated to me missing out on green goodness.  After some research (long after time to fix my problem) I learned I needed two to get the produce.  2) Tomatoes will take over your green house.  Trimming them back(pruning) is essential.  We started with 8 little tomatoes seedlings that harvested about 3 barrels of tomatoes.  I LOVE me some maters! 3) Squash and zucchini get this weird white fungus on the leaves that will kill your plants.  I couldn't figure out what was going on, and after talking to the professionals learned that these plants need CONSISTENT water.  Fungus will grow if their watering schedule gets thrown off.

My Garden Journal

Last, but not least: Write down everything you do in your garden.  This includes the plants, when you planted, where you planted, when and if they sprouted, if they produced well or not.  Keep a running chronicle of everything you do.  Trust me, next year you will be glad you wrote it all down (especially if you are like me, and believe I will remember, but then I don't).

The Cold-cold

I do not like the cold.  No I do not.  I especially don't like having a cold when it is cold.  So what does the Shanny do when she has a cold in the cold?  Makes bath time even more fun with "cold bath bombs."  If you too are suffering from a cold, this is AMAZING, and if I were a dictator, I would make everyone try it if they were suffering from a cold in the cold (or not-so-cold like today). All you need is some essential oils (make sure that they are Pure Therapeutic Grade), some baking soda, and some water.  Now, there are about a million versions of this on Pinterest, so feel free to use one you find there.  For my bath bombs (I was calling them bath balls, and then things got weird and awkward, so I started calling them bath bombs), I recommend using Do Terra or Young Living oils, but whatever you like, you do.  I take a cup of baking soda, 10 drops of peppermint, 10 drops of eucalyptus, 5 drops of lavender, and 5 drops of melaleuca (I have also tried rosemary with a ton of success). I stir it up really well, and then add water until it's a consistency that I can mold.  I get out my handy-dandy wax paper and role 1"diameter bath bombs (see where changing the name to "bombs", instead of "balls" was a good choice?) and set them out on the wax paper over night.  The whole house smells really good, and when I throw them in the bath, or on the floor of my shower, I can instantly breath.  I store them in an air-tight container in our multiple bathrooms, and I promise you won't regret making them.

Chicken Preppers

If I had been paying better attention to my homesteading/farming counterparts (aka the knowledgeable peppers), I would have been more prepared for my current situation. Was I prepared for a zombie apocalypse? Yes. Was I prepared for a second Cold War? Check. But for the most relentless snow I have ever seen in February in my life? Definitely No. But, hooray, it is finally March! Which means there is the promise of Spring right around the corner. So what is the Urban Improv Farm up to? Baby chicks of course!



        Have you ordered your chicks yet? Time to get crackin'! I have talked with a lot of people who are interested in getting chickens, and just don't know where to start. Here is what the Shanny says about getting Chicken Prepared!

Jersey Giants & Easter Egger Chicks

      1. What is your motivation for getting chickens? For pets? For eggs? For meat you can trust?
This is the first and most important question to ask yourself (preferably not out loud). There is a difference between a good meat chicken, and just a laying hen. There is an even larger difference if you are going to name them. If you name them, they are PETS. Sorry friends, that's the truth. If you have named your chicks, there isn't an ice cubes chance in a fiery furnace you will put that sucker in your mouth (unless you are dead inside).

Once you have made that determination, you will know what kind of chickens will work for you. The great classic layers are the Rhode Island Reds and the Orpingtons. But there are many great laying hens out there.

Rhode Island Red

Meat birds tend to be larger, heavier birds. Good examples are the Cornish Cross hens, Dorkings, and Leg Horns. And there are several dual purpose birds that are great layers and are excellent broilers. Some suggestions are the Jersey Giants, Australorps, and Plymouths.


Great pet birds are the exotic birds like the frizzle chicken, silkies, and polish varieties. These birds are just fun to have around! They are friendly and lay unusually small eggs that can be quite pretty, but are not consistent layers in places like Colorado.

Cochin Bantam Frizzle aka "Nugget"

       

2. Next, you need to get yourself ready for your baby birds. The most important thing your chicks need is warmth. It needs to be 100 degrees in there home. This early home is commonly called a brooder, and the chicks will stay there for several months. It needs to have plenty of space, water, food, warming lights, and sand (some folks use newspaper for the bottom of the brooder., but Shanny hates to clean up poop, and discovered fine sand is more like cat litter, and WAY easier to maintain). It also needs to be safe from little hands, cats, dogs, and natural predators (if your brooder is in a barn, raccoons are a serious problem). My poor neighbor lost a chick when she discovered her young daughter had decided it should sleep with her. Co-sleeping is NOT recommended for baby chicks (just in case you had the urge. PS: if you did have the urge to co-sleep with your chicken, and you are over the age of 5, unfollow this blog and seek therapy. The first step is admitting you have a problem).  I encourage friends to use a deep plastic tub (rubber maid is great), with a chicken wire top (for when the learn to use their wings). Next time, I will show you a great, inexpensive brooder that you can make for your baby birds.

Snow, snow, and more snow!

Like much of the United States, Colorado is experiencing an abnormal amount of February snow.  We have been cooped up.  I believed we passed cabin fever a few days back, and are now in full blown rabid-cabin-plague-fever.

Poor Chickens

We have run out of activities..... we already demolished the master bathroom and completely renovated it.  We cleaned out closets, dressers, and under the beds.  We have even gone as far as cleaning out the laundry room. While I am sure you would love all the morbid details of what I found during these cleaning episodes, I do have some pride.
While the forecast continues to predict more snow in the coming week, here is what I did this afternoon. Cloth napkins.
Yes, cloth napkins.

The Great 1960's Bernina

Why would I make cloth napkins?  Sit down and let Shanny tell you why.  We figure over here at the Urban Improv Farm that every little bit counts.  After looking over our new recycling company's list of what they will take, we learned that our most tossed out bit of trash in the kitchen was napkins and paper towels- (having a compost, and chickens we don't have that much kitchen waste) and while they are made out of paper, they are not recyclable. I haven't made cloth paper towels yet, but they are on the list.  Since there are no trips to the craft store in the near future, I used fabric scraps from the scrap pile.  I cut them in 8x8 squares, and sewed two pieces together.  We love them.  I have made several stacks before, but it was a good winter's day craft, and if you have kids interested in sewing, its a great started project! Just some scrapes and straight sewing!

Finished product

Manic Colorado Weather

     Last week in Colorado, our temperatures reached a record breaking high.  We enjoyed almost two weeks of beautiful spring-ish type weather.  Right now, I look out at a melting five inches of snow.  I do believe my beautiful state is confused.  It is reminiscent of the Katy Perry lyric, "You're hot and your cold, you're yes and you're no....." Oh dear, I just went on a singing rabbit trail. Apologies. Regardless (not irregardless, because that is a double negative and NOT A REAL WORD), Colorado can't decide what season it is, like I can't decide what I am going to wear.
      However, those few beautiful days got me a hankerin' fur plantin'. I can't wait to get my seeds sown, and things growing!  This is a common problem I have.  One would think I would have adjusted to it, but no- I can't wait, and you can't make me(life lesson: if you are/or have purchased baby chicks it is the same feeling you get when you are waiting for them to lay their first egg).

Egg Shell Seed Starters

     For others out there that are eagerly anticipating the garden season, I have hope for you.  I have already begun planting some of my seeds indoors, and you can too.  I have found that getting my "squashes"(like Mimi says, or "squarshes" like my grandma says), and tomatoes started early, helps them produce a few weeks earlier.  But I aways start my first wave of broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower by the end of February so that I have a few early spring veggies to enjoy while I wait for the rest of the garden to catch up.

Rolled Newspaper Seed Starters

       I have found that by becoming an egg carton hoarder (I am sure there is a clinical name for this sickness, I just don't want to know what it is), there are lots of early planting options.  I use the non-styrofom egg cartons to start my seeds so I can cut them apart and put the entire piece in the garden, where it will breakdown.  I also found that using egg shells (and we have A TON) as early seed starters worked wonders for my peppers and tomatoes.  It's not to late to start collecting your egg shells, and if you live in these here parts, I would love to share some of ours with you.  Give me a holler!
      There are lots of cheap and easy ways to start your seeds.  And I hope to share as many as possible with you.  Similar to the cartons and eggshells, look through your trash (here I go sounding even more like a trash hoarder..... sorry), coffee cans, milk jugs, and even water and soda bottles can be repurposed to either plant your seeds (make sure you have holes for draining), or for a miniature greenhouse over your tiny seeds.   I even used  newspapers rolled into seed pots, and again, I could put the entire thing into the ground.
       If you haven't ordered your chicks, or your bees,  you should do that real quick-like.  Here in the "719" most places have a waitlist for hives.  You want to get on that list as soon as possible.

       
   

How it all began.....

    A few years ago I was a newbie adjunct history professor at two local colleges.  It was during that time that my wee family went through some major changes.  We learned that our sweet daughter had mild cerebral palsy, and she was going to require a lot of her mama.  As a result, the Leupp Family had to evolve.  I was going to STAY HOME *insert scary organ music*.
    I had never really cooked before, or even had an interest.  I didn't sew, killed the cactus in our kitchen, and if I did make dinner, it was a frozen lasagna. A few months into staying home, I was having such an adventure I briefly had a blog full of my many cooking/domestic mishaps.  There was the time I thought polenta was cheese, when I accidentally burned a crepe into part of my pan-permanently, and the time attempting to reattach a button looked similar to a rubber band ball.... There were some issues. But I wouldn't change a moment of it.  I am having the greatest adventure right in my backyard. And I am intensely happy, even when I am cleaning chicken poop out of my hair (life lesson: don't try to clean the coop when chickens are in it).
    Fast forward to February 2015.  The Leupp's have a small urban farm, lots of chickens, we rarely eat out, and essentially reinvented our life.  I feel like the artist formerly known as Prof. Leupp. Now I am just a mama with a garden, lots of friends, and here in a few months we will have lots of veggies, fruits and honey.  I actually know how to sew!  We up-cycle as much as we can, reuse as often as possible, and hope that our silliness will be helpful to other families out there who are like minded.
     The point of this blog is to be a funny encouragement to families who want to go a different path, maybe not the "no-shave" path (I am Irish, so if I don't shave, I may become proof that yetis do indeed exist), and definitely not the "family cloth" path (if you don't know what that is, just search it on Pinterest). We just want to give our kids the best shot at health, happiness, and a lot of love.  So join us in the Leupp Circus!  It will be a good time.