Hello faithful followers(?)

Today the last shipment of Cornish Cross chicks arrived. Yesterday the previous group went out on the grass. They liked it until the day cooled off and they were huddled next to the hay bales I gave them for protection.

The group before that will be going to the processor on Friday.

We had already processed about half of them but I felt that they were a little light so we gave them the rest of the week to fatten up.

After processing all the viscera and blood is dumped on an enclosed compost pile I built to keep the varmints out. It only worked sort of. Two nights ago I went out on the porch and checked things out with my spotlight. There was a coyote on top of the pile. How he got on top of a five foot pile I don’t know. The light spooked him and he ran a ways off, but wouldn’t go away.

Now keep in mind that the whole time he was no more than twenty yards from the lambs and the other chicken pens.

This is the kind of visitor we don’t want around.

After playing hide and seek with the light he ran off. About an hour later I  went out and there he was again. This time I  got out the new .222 rifle my friend gave me and found him in the scope.  I had Pat keep the light on him. Sighting through a rifle scope at night isn’t so easy,but finally I found him and at about that time he decided the light was too much and decided to leave. I took the shot, but he disappeared. I went out in the morning and looked around,  clearly I had missed.

Last night I went out  and swept the light around and there he was again. This time he didn’t hesitate, he took off at a sprint at the first sign of the light. I’ll leave him go for now. I ordered a new varmint light to attach to the rifle. It has a red halogen beam that varmints can’t see. This should give me all the advantage I need.

The weather has a definite feel of fall already. The days are warm and sunny and the nights are getting chilly. There is copious dew on the grass in the morning.

The garden has been doing much better than in previous years. I harvested over 250 garlic bulbs. Today I will get the onions. The potato plants are wilting, indicating it is time to dig  ‘taters too.

The farmer’s market has been slow, but still I have been selling chickens at a decent pace. I have been setting up a stand at Back to Basics Bulk food store on Rt. 13 and after several disappointing weeks I ran an ad in the Shopper and business has begun to pick up. Neighborhood customers! Exactly who I wanted.

By the time this last batch of chicks is ready for the freezer it will be October. I will be glad to put the chicken farm to bed for the winter.

I will get another crop of garlic in the ground and I am going to try to raise seed onions for myself.

I’m not really looking forward to winter, but a bright spot is that we purchased a vacation place in Florida and we will get to spend some time there this winter.

Well friends,

I hope you are really out there. I would like to hear from anyone who reads these things.

Take care, Be well!

Tom