luna acres

ice hanging from the chicken wire fencing   a nice action shot of Trilli with a scrap of deer some nice hunter left just for her Jonathan giving the duckies some fresh water ice ice baby curious duckies  When we woke up this morning there was a pretty layer of ice coating everything.  This brisk air makes me feel alive. Until next time, Angela Kelly

Failure - Starting the baby birds in our bedroom! What a mess! The same tote brooders will work just as well in the barn with secured lids. Success - The totes themselves, two separate ones for the chickens and ducks. The ducks make such a mess with the water! We let them visit for days outside while they were still young. When we moved them outside to the tractors they got along just fine. Success - We used dog crates as little chicken tractors in the front yard until we got the big coop built, it was a good temporary solution that could be used again if needed. Success - The coop we built from timbers and cattle panels has worked really well. It is sturdy, easy to move (we have to give it a little push up hills with the four-wheeler) and is now, after a few lessons, pretty secure. It has been covered with plastic for the winter, and it is nice and toasty inside. Failure - Escapes. Both the coop and run had gaps in the bottom of the wire along the ground where chickens escaped and wer...

the garden - before the ducks the newly covered duck house - on the garden the garden - after the ducks. goodbye weeds! the backside of the ducks house, with their door to the run and a little window for ventilation The last week has been very windy, stripping the colorful leaves from the trees and leaving things looking much like winter, much too soon for my taste. This morning I recovered the duck coop with clear plastic, less drafty and more sunny. When I was doing my homework about preparing the bird house for winter I was pleasantly surprised to learn that ducks are much more hardy than chickens. They just need a semi-draft free space, unfrozen water, and some dry hay to keep their feet warm. Of course we try to give them more than just what they "need", like a brighter enclosure and access fresh grass. Stay warm duckies! Live simply, Angela and Jonathan

My amazing nieces and nephew helped me harvest some vegetables from the garden yesterday. They have been staying with us for a few days, and it is so nice to see them. We came back with a full laundry basket and a half of onions (red, white, and yellow) squash, zucchini, beets, carrots, and tomatoes. They were all quite tasty (the rabbits enjoyed the beet leaves) and Jonathan made me a great repurposed drying rack for the onions and beats (and soon enough, potatoes.)  Thank you, first garden, you have taught us much already. (BTW apologies for the crappy cell phone pictures, I lost my camera, temporarily.) Oh yeah, and this morning I woke up to our first eggs from our beautiful hens. Yay! Live simply, Angela and Jonathan

the smallest bun-buns bird baths always interested - our three pretty hens the first squash of summer climbing cucumbers and zucchini a small harvest from the week We have not been incredibly productive on the farm these past few weeks, not nearly as much as we should have been, but things are rolling along as they always do, regardless of our efforts (and lackthereof.) The garden has started to produce beautiful squash, zucchini, beets, and onions, which we have been enjoying on a nearly daily basis. The rabbits are growing fast and we should have 30 plus to eat or sell by the end of summer. The hens should begin to bless us with eggs within the month. The mushroom baskets are all pinning and we should have a nice and timely harvest for market next Thursday.  Yes, despite our efforts, mother nature keeps us moving forward. Live simply, Angela and Jonathan 

chickies on fresh grass one big happy poultry family I love to watch the ducks drink water always on the look out It's certainly the rainy season in the mountains. Overcast and showers nearly every day last week, and on the forecast for this week. The birds don't seem to mind much though, just another day to them. It's good to have them out on pasture now, and their hoop house is so easy to move, we just hook it up to the four wheeler and drag it a few feet. This isn't by any means our ideal chicken living space. We hope to get an electronet fence sometime this summer, then we could let them out of the hoop house during the day to be more truly free range, then lock them up at night to protect them from the predators lurking in the woods. The electronet is an amazing temporary fencing system, it's easy to move around and with a solar charger we can move it anywhere on the property. One day... rainy day birds   Live simply, Angela and Jonathan

April showers seem to be here to stay, making us a big wet mess- but we're adapting. chicks. I'm not sure what breed they are yet, but those two little ones are growing very slowly. The Pekin ducklings seems to protect the smaller Rouens constantly, even from my camera cloudy onions (and weeds) hello there bunnies bunnies bunnies flowers, in an amazingly rocky flower bed Live simply, Angela and Jonathan

There's been lots of little projects, growth, achievements... the garlic grows more every day our white rock chicks are getting fat the pekins are obviously much bigger than the rouens the little layers bunny pile but the biggest step of all... we finally have a greenhouse. at long last Live simply, Angela and Jonathan

Well spring is definitely here! The trees are blooming, flowers and grass growing. Oh, don't forget the rain. Our first litter of rabbits are growing fast, already out exploring with their mom. The ducks and chicks are quickly outgrowing their brooders. Today we moved the ducks into their new yard pen until we get the coop finished. The chicks are definitely jealous, but their time is coming soon.  Life is busy busy busy, and it couldn't be better. baby bunnies are growing fast Rose and Hopper are enjoying their time together. I think Hopper is quickly becoming a bit of a farm mascot. Rose the ducklings settling into their new home the chicks are definitely jealous Live simply, Angela 

Today was a very busy day.    the birds enjoying a field trip outside duckies are growing so fast the red pullets are so pretty, and small compared to the white cornish rocks Our mornings start around seven am, when we tend to the rabbits and birds before we leave for work. We returned home about five o'clock, and thanks to this wonderful spring daylight had plenty of time for projects. We planted nearly all the onions and put together the frame for the poultry tractor.  the poultry tractor frame being assembled onions planted We just need to buy a whole bunch of chicken wire to finish the poultry house, as well as the rabbit tractor. It was a great day, and each one seems better. Leela, a good mother the babies are growing fast Until next time!