There was light frost 2 days ago and the weather will be -3°C this week. We have removed the remaining potatoes, harvest the spinach and the kids have helped us put out a layer of straw on each bed, except the ones with oats. Hopefully the strawberry can survive.
The eggs are still laying almost 1 day an egg and we thank God for wonderful chickens and eggs.
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Total eggs in October
is 138!. As shown in the photos. The larger egg is double yolk and thus the size.
In another photo, a hen is laying in the nest box.
Pale Eggs
We have several pale eggs the other day. It might due to stress because I accidently shut the coop door for several hours leaving the hens outside. The colour comes back the next day. We are getting on average 5-8 eggs everyday. Don’t know when they will stop laying, may be when the weather is cold enough. We try to give them something green everyday.
Taking out Garbage
Today is my first time bring my second daugther to take out the garbage. We have a medium size driveway, long enough to park 12 cars head to tail. I always remember to take them whereever and whenever possible at least one of my children with me. This way, they get to know things work around them in everyday life. They also feel good about themselves helping us doing the chores. They feel they are needed and they are now “big and strong” to do something that they cannot do when they are small.
My wife also asked our oldest to gather eggs alone. And she did a good job.
You see, if kids were sent to school, they missed out all these opportunities
Egg lays in the nest
Surprisingly, most of the time the hens do lay eggs in the nest. We put straw inside the box.and nail a piece of cloth in front of the nest to give them privacy. But sometimes they still lay it on the floor outside the coop.
Planted Garlic
We planted the garlic. Find out Vesey is expensive. We bought some organic garlic from Avalon Orchard which is $4.99 /lb. Vesey costs us $17 /lb including shipping.
Our first egg
One of hen her first egg today on the floor. The egg size is small and hopefully will increase when it gets older. We have to find some way to train the hens to lay in the nest box provided.
Sow Oats
We planted some oats on the buckwheat bed as cover crop. We are saving the seeds of sugar pea this year for next year. We have gathered all the onions and will start to plant oats as well. The lettuce bed is covered with grass and when the garlic arrvies, we will plant the fall garlic there.
Sow spinach again
We applied some manure on top of the cleared potato bed and sow some spinach seeds. We didn’t mix the manure with the soil so will see if the seeds will germinate. Time for second cutting buckwheat again.
Our rooster died because of injury in the leg and unable to search for food.
No squash and pepper
This year we cannot get the pepper and squash to grow. The weather is very dry and we didn’t water the plants enough. The pumpkins are doing fine and they are changing to orange now.