Oh heyyyyyy. Turns out I do have a life besides writing recipe posts…I just don’t get a lot of time to write about it! Springtime is one of my favorite times on the farm, so many baby things!! Last year we scaled back on the animals so all we have this spring are chickens and our steer who isn’t a baby anymore. BUT. One of my hens went broody, which just means she decided she wanted to be a mama. Incidentally, broody hens act just like I do when I’m pregnant. They are fatter {not really, just fluffy feathers}, super irritable, demanding, refuse to leave the couch nest box and stop doing anything productive laying eggs.
There are supposedly ways you can make a hen stop being broody but I decided to just embrace it and give her some fertilized eggs to sit on. I bought some because 1} I no longer have a rooster so the eggs my hens lay aren’t fertilized {yep, works that way for chickens, too ;)} and 2} I always have health issues between chickens when I purchase older birds so I usually go with chicks even though they are more work. I was hoping to get out of the work part since this broody hen was so keen on doing it all for me.
I had 8 eggs, and only 4 hatched. 4 failed to develop at all, so I question whether or not they were actually fertilized since 3 of them were the same breed. But I have 4 adorable baby chicks!! And let me tell you what I did: nothing. Like this was so easy you guys. Broody hens for the win! I cleaned out the shells after she helped them all hatch and moved her and the chicks from her chosen nest box lair to a dog kennel in the coop so she could have some privacy from the other gals.
I am pretty sure I have no idea which chicks came from which eggs so I won’t know what they are until their feathers come in. #awesomefarmerskillz
And now, guess what I want to do? Get more chicks.
Hi, my name is Alli and I have an addiction.
Amen.
I also cleaned up all the poop from winter. If you are grossed out by poop, I’m not sure we can be friends. It’s not you, it’s me. Poop is just part of farm + mom life.
It is during the quiet moments when I’m cleaning stalls or scooping up the layers of dog poop that all melted out of literally 4 feet of snow that I contemplate the fact that I actually paid money to get a master’s degree.
Hindsight is 20/20. Or maybe this is just a season of my life. We’ll see how I feel about this when Abe starts potty training. I have a feeling the poop will only multiply. Speaking of Abram, he now knows the word poop and promptly grabs his crotch {or Aspen’s} when that happens and says “Poop!!!” No one ever told me that not laughing would be one of the hardest parts of parenting.
Cuz for real. How do you keep a straight face?!?! Don’t worry, we are now learning personal boundaries.
In addition to poop, we have mud a-plenty. Mud and dirt have never really bothered me, but I do like to keep a clean house. But then the mud kept happening and I gave up on the entryway. I have discovered the easiest way to clean up muddy pants, though. Let them dry, brush ’em down with a horse brush and toss in the washer while the water is filling up. You’re welcome.
One day I will have a house will actual real walkways leading up to it that my dogs don’t use as a bathroom area.
Speaking of that. We have a problem. When we moved into our house, the dirt under the steps and under the deck and the window boxes on the porch were used as a potty area for cats. Sick, right? We have cleaned out ALL the dirt that we can, replaced it with new soil, kept our cats from going there and it STILL SMELLS SO BAD.
Like I can’t even handle it. I am currently googling “plants that have very strong aromas” right now because I don’t know what else to do. Please tell me you have a solution for me. Please. Pretty please.
I’m begging for one. Because nothing says, “Welcome to our home!” like the smell of cat crap.
Or maybe it’s just fitting for us and that’s why it refuses to leave? It’s been 3.5 years! How can it still even be intact enough to stink?!?! Cats are seriously the grossest animal ever. Including pigs. And that’s saying a lot.
Maybe I’ll feel better about this in the morning. But probably not since that is when it stinks the most.
If you wanted to know what farm life is like, this is it, baby. You’re welcome.
Much love,
Alli, The Poop Master.
PS: The irony of me also getting a degree with the initials “BS” is all too real right now.
PPS: More animals are coming. I can’t change who I am…
Lynne Windley says
This so funny Alli. I couldn’t stop laughing. It was also very interesting to read about your broody hen. I had no idea hens could do that. As for the cat urine/poop smell, a eucalyptus shrub might mask the smell. It’s a fast growing evergreen with a strong odor. You’ll just have to check out what kind of light it needs. Love, Mamma
Alli says
Thanks for the suggestion Mom! You are always my go-to for plant questions!
Sheila S. says
This was great! Poop happens. This is a great book if you don’t have it. I just read this out loud to Grandma and my kids and we all laughed with you. You are amazing and not crazy at all. No help with the cat crap smell.
Alli says
Haha we need that book in our lives! Thank you for sharing these with Grandma 🙂 . Love you all!!