May is always confusing. We started April with some sunny and 70 days, and then we quickly returned to rain and snow. As our chickens grow and fill up the shelters on pasture we commit ourselves to whatever the weather and field conditions bring. Farming in the north east, especially in the Adirondacks, means we have a short and intense growing season. For vegetable farmers this means getting starts going early in the greenhouse, peppers and tomatoes in hoop houses: all efforts to extend the season.
Last year we took a page from the veg growers handbook and re considered how we build and use our pasture shelters. With the help of Adam (Tangleroot farm, Door2Door CSA shares still available and the May share has already begun!) we essentially built a hoop house on metal skids, with roll up sides and all to extend our chicken season just like he extends his growing season. For the chickens this is about staying warm and dry. We have roll up sides that can go up on a sunny day, and stay down on a cold and rainy day. But what do we do when we get almost 5 inches of rain in the last 4 weeks? We can keep then dry from above, but when the water begins to flow through their coop I bring out a few bales of hay and spread them out down the middle of the coop. Chickens not weighing more than a few pounds can stay warm and dry on the thatch of hay. I have to do this every day as I move the coops forward while the ground slowly dries with the wind and sun.
The commitment of raising chickens (or any animal) on pasture has its challenges, costs AND benefits. It certainly would be cheaper and easier to keep the chickens in a barn, but the benefits of sunlight, fresh pasture every day, bugs, roots and such are worth the cost and challenge.
This coming week we will get our 5th batch of chicks and the total number of chickens on the farm will reach an all time high of 1200 birds! We will maintain this capacity through the season until the end of September when the chicks stop coming and we begin to wind down the season.
Reber Rock Farm Blog 