Busy, Busy...But No Bees!

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There are not enough hours in the day sometimes. Do y'all ever feel that way? We've had so much going on that I haven't had a moment to even think about this blog. But today it's chilly out and I'm under my electric blanket so I figure it is a good time to catch up. 

The babies are now fully integrated with the old flock and everyone is getting along great. We did have a mishap that caused injury to one of our hens though. My daughter was taking snacks into the chicken yard when Henrietta decided it would be a great time to go for a stroll in the yard with four of our dogs. The puppy declined to participate but the other three tore her up pretty well before we could finally save her. The flock was picking on her so now she is recuperating alone in the new chicken coop. I think she's pretty happy and we may just let her live out her life in there. I'm hopeful that she will heal and begin to lay eggs again. 

The attack forced us to finish creating a buffer zone between the dog area and the chickens. I have corn, sunflowers, lentils, and peas coming up there. The chickens are thrilled each time I thin the plants out. My small spring garden is doing great. I have so many potatoes coming up that I have to dig some up and move them. For whatever reason my cauliflower did not take but the collard greens and broccoli are making up for the loss. 

Tomorrow I'm traveling to get some tomato and pepper plants from a local homesteading mom and to get some sawdust from another homesteader. My friend plans to have some tomato and pepper plants for me to purchase a bit later. I plan this year to stagger my planting times to hopefully get a bigger harvest. Another friend of mine brought me some fish parts today and will bring more. They will be used to make a fish emulsion and some will go straight into my tomato planting holes. I'll let you know how it all works out.

My son began tilling up the front garden yesterday. I'm so ready for the temperature to stay up at night so I can plant my summer garden. I have peppers and tomatoes in my greenhouse waiting to be planted.  Here's a brief list of veggies I plan to grow: cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, okra, and corn. I'm excited to see how much I can grow this year. 

What have you been up to, Chics? Are you planting? Harvesting? Planning? Getting animals? Leave us a comment and let us know how your spring is going so far. If you've ever raised mason bees and/or leafcutter bees please tell me about it in the comments. 

See you next time, Chics!


    

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