Training
This week week Rob and Bernie wrapped up the construction of our last animal structure for 2023 - the Gobbledygo (Name change pending). Our turkeys now have a home, outside, in the pasture. As usual, we followed a Joel Salatin design - moveable, relatively simple AND HUMONGUS! I was quite shocked at the size, so I re-read the structure description. Apparently it can accommodate 400 turkeys. I guess I missed that detail in the planning - oh well, more turkeys next year I guess!!
Getting the turkeys set up in their new home wasn’t as smooth as we had hoped. After their first night out on pasture, we awoke to find that a predator had bypassed the electric fence and taken out a turkey. Lesson learned: not all turkeys are staying perched up in the structure like they are supposed to and we need to remove the ramp at night so nothing can climb up to get them.
So I spent the next evening training the turkeys to get up on the structure and perch. After about 100 repetitions of 1) Pick up turkey 2) Place turkey on perch, 3) chase after and catch turkey that flew off perch - the turkeys finally got the picture and held tight on the perches. I removed the ramp, set up 3 trail cams and stayed up until 2am to listen for any noise or to help a turkey, who decides to fly down, get back up. Proud to say that now, after that 1 night of training, everyone is up and perching, without my assistance, at dusk and we have not seen any predators on camera. But, although it looks like we are in the clear, I still sleep with a spotlight beside my bed so that I can easily check things out if I am awakened in the middle of night.
We also had family come out to help with things at the ranch. Julien, the chicken whisperer, spent quality time with the hens, rubbing their bellies to promote egg production. And it worked! We are now getting 12 eggs a day! We also hosted a lunch made with our first batch of eggs, on the deck, with friends and family. Another dream come true. And of course, we celebrated!
I was delighted to receive this picture and feedback from one of our first egg clients. (another dream come true!).
Eggs fresh from Boreal Ranch for breakfast. So yummy! #farmtotable
The garden - oh the beautiful the garden!!! The weather here has been HOT! And the rain seems to miss us all the time. But have no fear, Rob quickly rigged up a solution to draw water from the nearby creek and feed it to a sprinkler system setup throughout the garden. Now we have water with the flick of a switch. This combined with the heat = huge growth. With the garden fully planted, automated watering system in place and next batch of seedlings seeded, I am breathing a sigh of relief when it comes to the market garden and am excited to focus on other projects, at least until harvest time comes along.
Another training project this week! (I guess the skills that I learned in my old job will never get old!!). Our laying chicks are outgrowing their structure and will be released into the pasture to roam around, forage and integrate with the older hens. The goal this week is to have these little ones heading up into the egg mobile for the night. There are 75 chicks - wish me luck!!
