It Must be July

Sometimes after a long week, the poetry and prose of writing fits my mood. Other times brevity is in order.

A few quick updates:

UPS Strike and shipment disruptions

A dedicated and conscientious customer and friend reminded me this week that there is a pending UPS strike that may take effect on August 1st. They plan to place an order this week to stock up in preparations for shipment delays and potential major disruptions in delivery and logistics. UPS has assured their customers that they will reach an agreement…

If you would rather have a freezer full of meat, consider placing an order to have delivery before August 1st (a Tuesday). I will be watching the strike, and if there is a strike I have FedEx backup plans, who will likely be overwhelmed if UPS strikes. So I would also consider not shipping at all that week and see how things play out. I would hate to see multiple orders spoil with delays and summer heat.

House Chicks

Lovett has now graduated her second round of what Racey and I call “house chicks.” The second round was more of a hospital, where we nursed back to health one chick with some genetic peculiarities including a crooked beak and a wonky leg. The other chick had some sort of eye injury. 

We’ve had almost 7000 chicks come through our brooder and with the exception of a rat infiltrating our brooder this week, these two chicks have been the only ones deemed worthy of hospital treatment. We are proud of that level of health.

Racey and I knew it was time to begin lobbying for graduation to the field when one of the chicks was well enough to jump/fly to the top of the cardboard box and roost there. While she made for an entertaining dinner companion, the droppings she deposited on the floor rather than in her box with bedding hastened our lobbying efforts.

With the few deaths and injuries from our rat, we have a new roster of patients and so Lovett and I brought the two hospital chicks out to the field to join their counterparts and make room in the hospital. I was anxious on the ride out to the field because I know how viscous chickens can be to new animals, would this be a traumatic reintegration? 

Lovett gingerly deposited the two chicks in the field coop and scooped them feed, brought them a palmful of water and shooed away any curious chickens. She even had the gratifying moment of losing “one eye” into the group and having her come back and chirp around her feet. “She knows me papa, she really knows me.” I love that feeling.

Proud Parenting 

Lewis decided this week that he wants to catch chickens with me this summer. He’s been attending a local drama camp this week, and while he’s clearly exhausted at the end of the day, he is also energized by all there is to learn. In a boundless display of energy and enthusiasm, Lewis bounded out of bed at 5:30 am on Monday morning, ate breakfast and requested we ride our bikes the mile down the road to where the chickens are. 

We caught chickens together with Richie and Romi, helped get the van unstuck in a soft spot in the field, and then rode our bikes back to the house to hop in the car and go to play practice until 3 that afternoon. 

Anything seems possible with Lewis.

Freezer Project Update

Tully and John continue their steady support in the project world. We are preparing for the arrival of a 40’ insulated shipping container that will be a walkin freezer. The side door will open directly into our barn, making freezer access, storage and organization much easier.

Step 1: Move all the things that are in the way.

Step 2: Make the hole in the wall, starting by removing the window!

Step 3: Figure out the rest.

Thank you Tully and John.