Giant Gophers Attack Permaculture Group!

We rented the excavator again and dug 71 (!!!) tree holes and two troughs for bamboo.  Super Ross was at the controls again (I think he wants one of these for his b-day) and is getting pretty danged good at intricate maneuvers.  I watch him and I can see him mastering nuanced muscle memory more with every hole installed--he would probably be operating the thing as easily as other people drive cars with a few more days under his belt.

But fortunately, we'll be pretty much done with gas-powered machinery soon on the farm. 

We've made an effort to use smarter field tools.  Our chainsaw and string-trimmer both operate on battery.  AND, we use ultra-nice hand-tools because that's what I like to spend 'disposable' income on.    

So, we'll be planting what trees we can acquire within the next weeks, but many holes will sit vacant until January, when the rest of our desired trees are available.   

Chicken Tractor

The flock had their first experience in their chicken tractor today.  Jackie, Ross and I were all on hand for the maiden voyage of the tractor, which traveled about five feet.  We just wanted them to have a few hours getting used to a different environment and they did pretty well, once we got them through the port. 

I had to go into the coop to physically put them through the port door and they kept coming back into the coop--it was pretty hilarious.  Then we used a combination of food lure and a baffle to corner them by the port to shoo them through.  One chicken slipped through a crack in the transfer but we secured her almost immediately.

They spent about 4 hours doing their thing, which is scratching the ground for insects, weed seeds, grass and other plants and pooping, before we trundled the tractor back to the coop.  The reentry went more smoothly than the exit; we used food again to lure them in and had to wait a bit for two stragglers.

We'll test the electro-net fencing tomorrow so we can start regular day shifts while we are away during the week.

   

Chickens Move into New Digs

Our first flock of chickens has moved out of their dogmobile brooder into their permanent henhouse.  Ross built this ultra-cool henhouse using a lot of salvaged parts like loading pallets.  It sits on a concrete slab, is predator-proof and is very well-ventilated because adult chickens are very hardy and resistant to as cold as it typically gets here.

Smart design features include a metal roof for rainwater harvest, metal panels on south and west walls to buffer prevailing winds, natural tree branches for roosting, elevated nest boxes for laying eggs and a nifty port for interface with the chicken tractor.

The girls (no roosters in this flock) took to their new home immediately and are more active with more space and windows to look out of.  They will be introduced to the tractor within a week or two, after the portable electric net fencing arrives.

Excuse me!