Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Garden Knee rails, coop peek & out smarting hungry chickens

One thing I dislike about the beginning of garden season is the bareness of it all. Which has brought  problems with mysterious child like foot prints, appearing in all the newly sown beds. Of course no one knows where these prints come from and usually are accompanied by tiny paw prints as well.
My solution in hopes to curb the trampling is these rustic "knee rails" I whipped up the other day. I salvaged pieces from last years garden obelisks. The white Birch will look so nice when things have grown up and out a bit.
In the future I may need to add some "Chest rails" about 5 inches from the ground. ..to help with those tiny paw prints popping up as well.
I began my Long Pie pumpkins & various melon seeds far too early this year. The black cloth to the left in the above is their intended home, so remains bare for now. I am shocked at how quick they sprouted from seed this time around. I planted the seeds in the flat around dinner time 2 days ago. A few melons were already 2 inches tall just 24 hours later! I Kid you not!
I know it's been a while since I brought the new chicken coop home and although it is ALMOST in it's final state, I thought I would share a little peek. Not as Fancy as I had envisioned but FAR nicer then any coop I have had before:
See that dirt in the dutch door bottom? Yeah. Umm. That would be from the wood apparently swelling so we have had to kick it into the door frame when being closed. Gotta break out the jigsaw and take a little off the area. It will have to be on a day that someone else can entertain these chickens. They are like little kids, following me EVERYWHERE with their curiosity and of course determination I have food hiding somewhere on my person.
Why just the other morning I went to let them out of their coop but made the mistake of not bringing their food with me. I walk towards the gate. 17 chickens walk  Run towards the gate. I stop. They stop. Feathered bodies between and under my feet all the way. So I make a mad dash back towards their coop, thinking I could shake them by going around the coop, after all they are not the best at taking corners ,then RUN for the gate. Slam! tiny little heads popping out the chain link. I could not help but laugh. Most people run from A mean rooster. Me? A mob of breakfast hungry chickens.
What makes it worse is when you go in the ....barefoot!
And gosh forbid your nails are painted {even as chipped and in need of refreshing as mine:
Oh! I forgot to mention, it's egg watching time! Coming up on 5 months in 2 weeks. I wonder who will be the first? Will I actually find the first few eggs in the coop or will they be in their yard wherever the "urge" hits them?  Will it send them all into a clucking competition as they try to figure out what just happened? What about "Root Beer" the Rooster? Will he Crow for the first time or will he continue on with just sweet chatter to his ladies??
Silly chickens. They never cease to amuse me.
Sweet Dreams,
~Tammie

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...