Oak Knoll Farms - My New Journey

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Miss @Oakknollfarms,

Just checking to see what you have been up to lately...

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[Oakknollfarms]

Miss @Oakknollfarms,

Just checking to see what you have been up to lately...

Senile Texas Aggie

Hey there! Just settling in to life, really. Feeding critters, finding my happy place in this Spring. Planting some stuff in the new flower beds, marveling at how fast these baby chicks grow. This place has magic. I swear it.

 

[Grant]

Great start to your new life. Congrats on all you've done.

 

[Oakknollfarms]

Picked up a new chicken tractor this past week. I was thinking of using it as a way to introduce my new Peeps to the ladies once they’re ready to move outside. Are there Pro’s/Con’s to just letting each set of 4 birds have their own coop in the same run?

 

[thistlebloom]

That's a good looking unit.
Two coops in the same run should be fine, but naturally they aren't going to stay in their designated spots. It wouldn't surprise me if they all picked one to crowd into.

 

[Oakknollfarms]

That's a good looking unit.
Two coops in the same run should be fine, but naturally they aren't going to stay in their designated spots. It wouldn't surprise me if they all picked one to crowd into.

My main coop says that it’s for 6-8 birds, and currently only has 4. Looking at it, I’d hate to think of 8 in there, but I suppose it would only be at night anyway. They’re loose in their run all day long.

Its my first year raising chicks, so I wanted a safe, enclosed way to get them moved outside, and integrated with the girls in a few weeks. Next year, I hope to be set up to brood outside in a coop. Between bottle baby goats and Peeps, it’d be nice to have my living room back.

 

[SA Farm]

Once they pick a coop, just use the other one for a broody hen for chicks next year and you’re all set (Also nice to have a spare spot for separating if needed, anyway.)

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

OK, Miss @Oakknollfarms,

You can't just come on this forum, bless us with your presence, get us all interested in your journey, and then disappear on us. It's not fair!

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[Oakknollfarms]

Well, once again, it seems that I lost a few days (or weeks) in this quarantine. I swear, I’m becoming completely feral out here, but it’s led to loads of projects being done.

I made three new raised garden beds and got all my herbs planted. Next up are the blueberries and strawberries and cherry bushes. And got one of my stalls cleaned out/cleaned up and turned into my feed/hay/straw/storage area and it helped clean up the barn area nicely. My uncle got the road scraped for me in preparation for the rock to be delivered this week and I got the last of the last load of gravel spread yesterday around the parking area at the barns

I picked up a new zero turn mower so I can keep this place manicured like my papaw used to. That’s been a real hoot learning how to drive it (the controls are counter intuitive to me), but the place looks GREAT.

The baby peeps can fly now, and I’ve taken the brooder plate out in preparation for them to move to the new coop next weekend. I have a chicken tractor inside of my chicken run for them so that the adult ladies can get acclimated to them. Pecking order is real. I had no idea chickens were such bullies!

Aaaaaaaaaaand, chicken math happened to me. Again I went with a friend to a local Olive Egger breeder to check out her set up and network, and help my friend pick out her chicks. Well, as I was leaning on the fence, this dark slate blue beauty flew up, landed on my arm, snuggled in under my chin and proceeded to go to sleep. I looked at her owner and said....... “well, I reckon we’re just gonna call this one mine?” She’s the sweetest little thing.

I’m making progress with Dale. My goat’s (Chippy’s) goat. I can finally pet him during feeding times and he runs to the gate wagging his tail. Baby steps. Thinking of wethering Dale and leaving Chippy intact for breeding since he’s such a social little thing and easy to handle.

Also tossing around the idea of starting a community garden and monthly farmers market out here on the farm. I’ve got the perfect stretch of driveway and field to line with farmers tents. I’ve always tried to support local as much as possible, but after the supply chain broke down to grocery stores, I feel even more strongly about it now.

I have been loving this recluse-like life, but I am super excited to start my new job this coming Friday. I need some human interaction before I start barking. Or peeping. Or bleating.

I hope everyone is well. I’ve got a rainy week ahead of me, so I hope to catch up on some posts on the forum.

 

[Oakknollfarms]

Oh!! And BEES!!!! A life long dream came true and I got to spend the day with a local beekeeper doing hive maintenance and learning. Next year, I’ll be starting my first hive!

Forgot to add pics to my last post. Not enough coffee yet, on the rainy, lazy day........