The Hen Palace
They grow up so fast! Just a little over a month ago, Maddie and Sophia picked our little flock of hens, just hours old, from the hatchery. The 20 hungry little girls snuggled up in a plastic tote with heat mats below and a heat lamp above to keep them warm. They soon outgrew their tote in the spare bedroom and moved into a Guinea Pig cage in Fawn’s garage. Next, we added a dog kennel annex to the Guinea Pig Suite. This should give them a bit more space while they await their new forever home. The Hen Palace should be ready for the flock early next week, thanks to our migrant worker from North of the border, Peter, who thought he was here for a visit but instead found himself building a poultry palace.
But, why does a vegetable farm need 20 chickens?
Chickens turn plant debris and bugs into amazing compost in a relatively short amount of time. The chickens eat veggie scraps and weeds, as well as all the insects that happen into their coop. Then, we can compost the chicken manure to give our soil a nutrient boost. This process is basically a magic elixir for building healthy soil - and, just what the plants need to provide you with super-nutritious food!