Running Hen Microfarm : Two non-farmers' experiment in sustainable living in Shepherdstown, WV

Still catching up…photos from May

June 20, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — Ruth @ 8:02 pm

Light bulb keeps off the chill

Morning - greens, water, food!

A lovely green salad...the red leaves are "orach" which adds a beautiful magenta color

A lovely green salad with orach (magenta color)

May 19 - messy porch with bigger birds!...time to move out...

Artichoke:  This plant wintered over next to the house (south side).  I had just thrown some straw and dirt over it but it grew right back.  This was the first head, and we got 4 more!  Now 3 new plants have been started from seed and transplanted....doing great!

This artichoke plant survived the winter next to the south side of the house with a cover of dirt and straw.  It came back strong and produced 5 heads!  More were started from seed this year and transplanted…they’re growing great!

Even more busy spring! April photos…

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — Ruth @ 5:12 pm

April 16 - One day old: 5 chicks and 2 ducks!

Getting bigger....

New 45x45 grain bed with oats and buckwheat, mulched with straw

April 29: at 2 weeks old, birds moved to a corner of the screened porch

Charlie watching the birds (or their food??)

Raised beds in the main garden...the 3 big chickens are in the orchard in the background

April 29: Greens and onions survived the winter...and now they are flourishing!

A couple of brown furry friends...gives Charlie something to chase

in memory of mrs. duck

March 17, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: — Ruth @ 10:51 pm

Sadly, we lost mrs. duck.  She was the friendliest duck and seemed to watch over the male ducks.  You can see her in this picture looking straight into the camera.  She always did this, and the male ducks never did.

She had stopped laying a few weeks ago and we thought she just needed a break – she had faithfully laid an egg every day even in the worst weather, but then just stopped.  Maybe the weather was just too intense.

Mr. duck seems to be doing fine.  He stays close to the chickens so I guess they keep him company.  We will probably get another female or two to replace his mate.

Snow AGAIN… with fowls

February 16, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — Ruth @ 7:11 pm

OK, this will be the last of the snow pictures this winter!! Any more will have to wait until next winter!!!

This is the super snow-blowing machine that we finally had to hire after 3 other trucks got stuck trying to plow.

This is the view out the front door on Wednesday the 10th…after shoveling the front walk and cleaning the car, it snowed over 10 more inches!  And then started to blow around!!  We decided to stay home…ha.

The path to the chicken and duck house

Can we stay inside today?

Food! Food! There are no bugs!

Where's our pond? Where's the food?

Updated duck page

December 29, 2009

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — Ruth @ 10:44 pm

I’ve just updated the duck page, so take a look.

Mr. & Mrs. Duck are pictured here browsing the orchard in the fall.

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