hello (is it me you're looking for?)

You may have noticed that it’s been awhile since I have posted anything on this blog. I’m sad to say that I have been two-timing with another blog.

Yes, I’ve been writing somewhere else.

We knew where this was going when I started this journey with you.

We hoped to take our little farm onto bigger and better things. And now it has.

Sweet Biddies Farm.

We’re selling at farmers’ markets, we’re now online and we’re even in the BBQ sauce and rub business. 

We’re a brand now.

And all my farm adventures will now be posted to the Sweet Biddies Farm blog.

Yes, I have even created an official logo with my new blog.

But you will always be my first blog. 

You were there when I was having an existential crisis. You were there when I first moved away from the city life and to the farm. You were there when I brought home my first chicks. You were there when I lost my first chicken.

This isn’t goodbye.

It’s a new beginning.

I still have things I want to share with you.

I can’t really get too personal on the business blog, after all. 

.

That blog is for farming and gardening and chickening, and I still need a place to discuss other not-so-farm-related stuff.

So, even though you may not hear from me often, I’m still there.

I’m still close by (still on blogger even).

And I promise to drop in every now and then with stories. 

Till then, if you want to hang out, you can find me HERE.

If it's not too hard, you should definitely stop by sometime...

to rooster or not to rooster

Raising free-range chickens is tough. There are a lot of things out there that want my chickens dead.

Coyotes.

Foxes.

Hawks.

Owls.

Dogs and cats out there roaming the streets.

Raccoons and their thieving little jazz hands.

Not possums but Opossums.

Cars…

We haven't had the misfortune of finding one of our ladies squashed in the middle of the road but those mother cluckers like to test their limits by getting this close to the road. They have tons of room to roam around on some non-pavement but for some reason, they like to live dangerously. None have actually ever quite made it out into the road. Hopefully, they wised up the first time a car went zooming by them and decided they wanted no part of that. Chickens are super smart right?

The biggest disaster that has befallen our chickens has actually come from above (figuratively and literally). This past winter, there seemed to be an all-out aerial attack on the flock. Every now and then, a chicken would just vanish, leaving behind only a little patch of feathers.

I haven’t witnessed any of the attacks (thank goodness!) but the disappearance of just one during the daylight hours every other day or so made the hawk our number one suspect.

We’re down to just 16 chickens now.

We knew that we would lose chickens here and there when we decided to free range the chickens, however, this winter was brutal. And it turns out the cold is the least of our problems.

Maybe it is because there was less cover since the trees and bushes lost all their leaves. Maybe it is because there is less prey out there so a bunch of chickens roaming around in the open was easy pickings. Maybe it is because there is less out there for the chickens to snack on so they decided to be brave and venture even further out looking for food.

Mistake.

I guess you can look at it as Darwinism at work. Who has the smarts to stay alive???

So far, it looks like the australorps are the winners here. All five are still going strong.

Not only are they first on the survivor list but they also still sit atop the "my favorite" list.

And the losers???

It’s the partridge rocks. None of them have survived.

In fact, they were out pretty early.

Figuring out a solution that works for everyone involved has not been easy. Yes, we have our dog, Althea, and she is awesome at spotting big birds flying above and barking quite incessantly at them until they are out of sight. However, Althea is not left outside when we are not home, and well, the attacks come when we are not at home.

We have begun to leave them in the coop while we are at work. Right now, this is the safest option but it sucks. They are inside for most of the day and only get a few hours outside. This is what I didn't want for the chickens…to have them cooped up. Since daylight savings has started, they do get a little more outside time.

What advice do most people give on protecting your free-ranging flock???

Roosters.

Mean, loud, take their protecting jobs way too seriously roosters.

I am not too keen on the idea of having a rooster. Sure, I hear they will fight to the death to protect their ladies (which is pretty cool) and will keep them from wandering into danger zones (which is not as cool but still cool), but they are also mean, mean, mean (definitely not cool). I doubt that a rooster will take too kindly to a dog that likes to sometimes play with a chicken or two and will mess that dog's ass up. Plus, I don’t really want to deal with the whole biological aspects of mixing boys and girls.

So, no to roosters right now.

"We don't need no stinkin' man."

Hopefully, spring time will be the biggest help in keeping everyone alive. There will be more growth, more cover, more little bugs. And we will take the lessons we learned into next winter...

Happy little biddies stick close to home.

we're in the sauce

The Milk Cow BBQ Co. is in business.

It’s the first product brought to you from the farm – now officially christened Sweet Biddies Farm – and we are just starting to roll out.

You can currently find the sauce at Irwin Street Market and very soon it’ll be on the shelves at the Buford Highway Farmers Market.

And coming this summer, Sweet Biddies Farm will have a booth at the Snellville Farmers Market.

If you don’t live in Atlanta and you want to get your hands on some sauce, well you should start demanding to see it on the shelves of your local market…

or you can contact The Milk Cow BBQ Co…

but you should still demand to see the sauce in your area.

Make sure to visit The Milk Cow BBQ Co. website to find out about Sweet Georgia Heat and the other flavors to come.

And we’re working on getting the Sweet Biddies Farm site up and running. Stay tuned!!!

cat condo

This one is for all the cat lovers out there. I have a great project for you. It’s easy, inexpensive and your little furry guys will absolutely LOVE it! But maybe not as much as you will!

This guy wants a cat condo.
 

I’m actually fine with spending all kinds of money on my pets, but why spend any money on a cat bed when your cat is just as happy – more likely happier – in a box.

Sure, all those other DIY cat beds out there are a hell of a lot prettier, but I guarantee they are a hell of a lot harder to put together than this one. And for all you that kind of suck at DIYing – like myself! – trust me, this is a very manageable one. Plus, it will only take like five seconds to finish.

Here is what you need:

1) a box (preferably big enough for your cat)

2) an old sheet

Here are the steps:

1) flip box to side

2) put sheet inside

TA-DA!

Cat Condo!

Now, watch as your cat comes sniffing around and then makes himself right at home inside.

He has claimed it as his own.
 

It also works if you keep the box upright and put the sheet at the bottom. A cat may actually prefer this, but I like the feeling of accomplishment I get whenever I see my cats sleeping inside. I’m selfish like that.

Some people may get all fancy and put an actual cushion inside, but I have found that an old sheet works just fine.


Able to groom in the privacy of his condo.
 

You can also decorate your box to your heart’s content, but I am keeping mine just the way it is. After all, why does it need to be fancy when I am just going to hide it in another room whenever we have guests.  

WARNING: this project will depend on your box. You have to find the right fit for your cat. I tried to do this with a much smaller box but with a sheet, it was just too small for our cats. Yes, they sat in it but that wasn’t good enough. We found the perfect box for about $300. Sure, the leaf blower that was inside is very nice but the box was top notch as a cat condo and I suspect it will get more use. 



Snug as a bug in a...CAT CONDO!
 

But sometimes one is left on the outside looking in...
 

 

winter is coming

Well, technically, winter has been here for a few weeks now, but down here winter doesn’t really rear its ugly head until right about now. Sure, there have been cold days and a couple of nights have dipped below freezing, but the real preparations for winter on the farm have only just begun.

Maybe I am only writing this now because  this week the highs are only expected to reach the upper 30s. And for all you from up north that say that is nothing, that is definitely SOMETHING for us down south. That is freaking cold, my friend, and I don’t like it one bit. I should be prepared. After all, like I mentioned, we have seen temperatures dip below freezing and we are several days past the first day of winter. However, just last week - just a couple of DAYS ago – it was in the 60s. Nice and mild with the sun shining gloriously on my face. Everyone on the farm was happy. 


Chickens happy in the field only a few days ago.
 

Then – BOOM - rain hit and the temperatures just dropped. I mean drrrroooopppped. It’s like you just wake up one morning and your whole world is a freezer. That is the one thing about Georgia weather, you can’t really prepare for the cold. It just hits you like a ton of ice bricks.

And before you know it, it will be 100 degrees again.

I can’t wait for that.

I do wish that if it was going to be cold, just be cold. Yes, it sucks to have temperatures below freezing but 40 degrees sucks too. But you know what below freezing gets you – snow and (most likely for us) ice, which around here should mean SNOW DAY. We get a lot of rain this time of year, but it is never really cold enough for it to turn into anything or – what we really need to happen – accumulate.

And I have not forgotten what happened to our fine city this time last year. Snowpocalypse. It did snow. It did accumulate. It did turn to ice. It did bring a city to its knees.

Fortunately, I wasn’t one of those people stuck in their cars for hours and hours. I was lucky to be safe and sound at home watching it all unfold on my TV. And while some people had to spend a night in their car, I got to enjoy something that I so rarely get to enjoy.



We're not used to this much snow.
 

Althea loved the snow.
 

And we unbelievably got hit twice with a dusting and a long freeze.

 

I loved it too!
 

Of course, we didn’t have our chickens yet. From their reactions to a bit of earlier frost that hit us, I can tell they will not enjoy the freezing weather. They didn’t even want to leave their coop that morning and decided to just all huddle together.  I always feel bad for the ones that are on the outside of that huddle.

 

Not that we are worried about the chickens in the cold. They are pretty hardy and the huddling together shows that they know how to keep warm.  Plus, they have a good shelter and we’ve put plastic around their run. And despite the dropping temps, they’ve been just as happy to be outside, even in the rain. But we’re keeping a close eye on them and their combs.  


Apparently, you can tell if a chicken has frostbite by her comb.
 

For now, we’re just getting ready for winter to really set in, and we’ll deal with any issues that may come up. And although I wouldn’t mind having one day of snow, I don’t think it would be a good thing to have a week and then another week of ice. We may have to keep the chickens inside if that happens again.

And we’ll just have to do the very best thing to do when it’s cold outside…


Naps!!!

 

for the love of coyotes

In my transition to wannabe farmer, one big thing I learned this past year is that there are enemies all around you. Those cute woodland creatures that hang out with Disney characters are not actually your friends.

This is a hard lesson for a girl that has been an animal lover her entire life. No, I am not on the PETA extreme side of animal love but I can admit that I am not too far off.

But as a farmer of chickens (and one day goats), it is my responsibility to keep my animals safe. No matter the other animals involved.

Chickens have free roam of the yard.

Deer, snakes, rats, mice, squirrels, chipmunks - cute, cute chipmunks! – opossums, other dogs and cats, these are all nuisances that I have learned are not good for gardens and chicken coops.

So when Hank decides to take down a chipmunk, I just have to turn my back and sing to myself “The Circle of Life.”

And when a stray cat wanders through the yard, I can’t try to coax the cat towards me for some friendly petting. Instead I have to scare that cat into never wanting to come close to our property again.

And when you find an opossum snuggled up in one of your chicken boxes in the coop, well that opossum gets to have a shovel bashed into its skull.

“The Circle of Life.”

And as bad as all of those things are, there is an even more deadly enemy out there…

The coyote.

We suspect that a coyote - more likely coyotes - took the lives of four of our chickens recently. They were left out of the chicken coop one night and decided to get an early start the next morning before the sun even rose. Mistake. All that was left of them were a pile of feathers.

And I guess I am starting to toughen up because I wasn’t devastated by their deaths like I was about the other chicken deaths (see don't be stupid post). Sure it’s sad but it didn’t faze me. Next thing you know, I’ll be getting some death cones and chopping chicken heads off...

...well…

...no.

Another important lesson learned. Sure, the chickens seem fine when they decide to fly into trees or on top of the coop roof for the night, but they really should be inside the coop at night. Especially those extra smart chickens that decide not to follow their companions into the trees or higher ground and instead decide to just lay on the ground in front of their door. It's like they are not even trying to hide from danger.

You cannot be one minute behind in getting our chickens in for the night.
If you are, they'll decide to roost in the tree for the night.

Now we make sure that we get those chickens in on time because once the day is done for them, they find their own place to sleep for the night. Coop be damned.

It also helps to have a dog that barks at everything that moves and any little noise she hears (it is amazing what she can hear even when she is inside). So, when Althea sounds the alarm, we – Sean – go to investigate. It usually turns out to be nothing but you never know when we might stop our nemesis from foul play

And you do have to think about your other pets when it comes to coyotes. Fortunately, Althea is really an inside dog and is just too big and a bit on the crazy side. No coyote in their right mind would want to bother with her. And Hank is too smart for a coyote. You don’t survive on the streets of Atlanta without learning a thing or two about escaping danger.

So what about goats?

When the time comes, we will make sure our goats are also protected from coyotes. They will be fenced in, will have shelter and will be kept in the company of a miniature donkey (or two). Yes, we will also have miniature donkeys on the farm, and they will be miniature because who wants to mess with a full sized donkey.


This is not our donkey.
 

He was at the fair.

There was also a giraffe.
 

And here are some fun facts we have learned about donkeys:

They hate canines, so they are perfect for protecting livestock from coyotes. We’ll just have to make sure Althea stays away.

They go ballistic when they sense danger and make all kinds of noise to sound the alarm and scare off predators.

They are smart. How smart? Well, unlike horses, who will break its own leg struggling to get out of a fence if it gets caught, a donkey will calmly wait for you to come get its leg free or will figure out how to get out of the fence without breaking its leg.

They are not stubborn. They get this reputation because they are thinkers and will reason, then make a decision based on their safety. So, if a donkey won't budge, it's because they are deciding if it's worth it.

And the best fact of all - they have best friends. It is said to get two donkeys because they will form an attachment and don’t like to be on their own.

I have officially fallen in love with the donkey, y'all…

trial and (lots of) error

I once had a dream of having chickens and a beautiful flower garden.

At this point, as I write this post, I see the dream of having both slowly fade away. 

Fading away a little more each day.

Every day I find my flowers have been eaten, leaves have been shredded, roots have been dug up, dirt has been scattered and dreams have been shattered.

I should have known, though. This is what chickens do. They scratch and dig and want a little taste of everything in their sight.

But still.

Now, I have to get creative. And well, I don't want to be creative. I mean, I already have to plan out what and where things need to go. Why do I have to also think about how it is planted?

We've already come up with one solution: a container garden.

Instead of planting in the ground, plant in a container. Those darn hens won't be able to scratch up the roots or to take a dust bath. I now despise dust baths, by the way.

So, that solves the digging up of flowers, but what about the eating of flowers? Most people would probably research which plants chickens do not like.

Well, I am not one of those people.

It's trial and error for me.

Plus, I just don't spend a lot of money on plants that I buy.


Chewed up black eyed susan
 

And you know, in theory, it's nice to say it doesn't bother me because I didn't spend a lot of it, but, in reality, it does still suck to see my blacked eyed susan all chewed up. After all, I did spend time planting that thing and most importantly, I had a vision of a beautiful vine spreading across the chicken coop.

See there chickens, you are ruining your own home.

So I am going to get tough. I am going to keep you out one way or another.


Ha!

No leaves for you!
 

And just when you think you have the one up with container gardens and hardware cloth, you come to see that those containers do not actually save your plants from becoming a meal for the chickens.

My poor decimated flowers...

I will not accept defeat! I will put this thing on a chair!


Ha!

And it's not weird having a chair in the middle of the garden, right? 

There are other tricks that I have seen and tried:

You can place rocks around your plants.

And so far a success!

I've also placed chicken wire under mulch, which keeps the chickens from scratching my mulch onto the pavement, which is one thing I CANNOT STAND! I've had the thought of slaughtering a chicken or two after seeing the destruction they do spreading all kinds of mulch around where mulch does not belong.

Spread all over the damn driveway.

To help with this problem, I just placed chicken wire along the edges of the garden so they don't scratch close to the pavement and spread it everywhere. Just turn the edges of the chicken wire into the dirt, stake it down, cover it up and and watch your chickens scratch everywhere but here.

Chickens now dig everywhere else...I'll take it!

And through all this, I have discovered one plant that chickens don't seem to be interested in at all...

Mums.


Thank goodness the mums are safe!
 

I have lots of mums out there for fall and not one has been touched.

Trial and error.

And you would think that the chickens would love it out in the vegetable garden.

There is an abundance of fresh dirt. There is an abundance of things to nibble. There is an abundance of BUGS.

It would be a feast for the chickens, and we actually want those chickens in the garden to take care of all the pests.

Look at those stink bugs everywhere!
 

Unfortunately, our chickens have absolutely no interest in the vegetable garden.

There is an invisible line in the yard that the chickens refuse to cross. I don’t know how they define this line but it is there, and they will not cross it. Not without pure force. And it is absolute hell getting a chicken to do what they do not want to do.

We tried walking with them (since they like to follow us) and luring them with bread, but these were all failed attempts. We had to physically take them to the garden.

After eventually catching three (because that was all we could stand to do) and probably causing those three some PTSD, we thought they would surely love it out here since they have all kinds of bugs to feast on, and then surely the other chickens would follow them over to this new paradise.

Wrong.

Thechickens hated it. It was like we put them in some type of torture chamber.
 

See the chickens. See the stink bug. See no chickens going after the stink bug.

After hiding in the overgrown bean bushes and not eating a damn thing, the chickens eventually ran out of the garden as soon as our backs were turned.

They found their way back to their coop, and I guess never, ever thought about the garden again, except maybe to warn the others to never, ever go to that hell. Not one has ever attempted to get to this wonderful bug paradise since then. And yet they wander about scratching and searching for bugs in parts they are not wanted, in complete oblivion to this garden of (bug) Eden.

One day. One day we will figure it all out…