New Chickens

So, as I posted 30 secs. ago, we have some new chickens. They are silkie bantams and really cool. I got them from a guy in Hyde Park who had too many.

They were actually his wife's birds that she raises for fun with their grandkids and each was named. When I picking them up, he was told by his wife:

"He can have Willow--that's Black Willow is her name. Oh, and Mira. Her name is Mira because she is our little miracle. Sat on eggs for weeks and weeks and a miracle came and they hatched."

I kind of rolled my eyes but didn't let them see. I did walk away with 5 new birds for a steal of $10, but as I left, I was asked,

"You aren't going to eat them are you?"

Her husband responded, "Now honey, they're his birds now."

And I quelled her fears, "No, don't worry, I'm not going to eat them. I have enough larger birds in the freezer right now."

Chicken Update

Since last count we are at:

-1 Chicken lost to a migrating Cooper's Hawk.

+5 From a guy here in the valley.

New total = 24

Fluctuating Chicken Numbers

About 1.5 months ago we recieved 25 chickens. The numbers have changed thusly:







-2 (dead from dog attack).

+4 (from guy wanting to get rid of some).

-4 (from me butchering last night).

+1 (from my friend giving me his last chicken).

And soon . . .

-4 (from me butchering the last of the cockerels).

We should go into winter with about 20 left. If my math is right . . .

Teaching Moment

Last week my son had caught a grasshopper (we have millions of them), and called it his pet "Jumper". He kept Jumper in a small plastic 6 oz. cup with another one inverted on the rim for a lid.

When nighttime came I saw a teaching moment.

"Why don't you let him go outside now that you're going to bed?"

"He's my pet, I want to keep him."

"Well, think of all the animals we have here. Do I keep them locked up in small areas? Is Wagner [our dog] kept in a cage? Do the chickens stay locked up, or do they have a huge coop and big fenced in run? Can the bees fly anywhere they want?"

Now, I realize the last question there was a bit silly, but it helped make my point.

"They all have room", he responded.

"That's right. When I was growing up, sometimes we had to keep our pets locked up in cages, and I didn't like it. That is why I give all our animals lots of room to move and run and enjoy themselves."

It got through to him. Jumper went home that night and I hope he learned a lesson about keeping you pets and livestock happy and healthy.

Root Vegetable Harvest

A couple weekends ago my in-laws were up visiting us to see our new baby and he wanted to know what he could do to help around the house. My root veggies were too long in the ground so we went out for a couple hours of harvesting.

We pulled up about 15 gallons of red potatoes, tons of red, white, and yellow onions, French and Dutch Yellow shallots, and about 10 different garlic varieties.

I've given a bunch of them away, peeled and packed in oil the garlic, and still have tons of it in my garage. I guess planting in an area that has been used as a horse corral for the past 20 years was a good idea.

Welcome to Maple Acres!

Welcome to Maple Acres at Spring Creek.

Although I live in College Ward, Utah, the area is commonly referred to as the Spring Creek area. I like the sound of that much more than College Ward, so I use it as often as possible.

This blog is designed to document the progress, success, and failures of my (currently) 2 acre hobby farm in the Spring Creek area. It will cover everything from my garden, to my beehives, to my hand planted woodlot (maples galore), to my berry patch, to my nut orchards, to my forthcoming animals.

I love where I live and what I am able to do on my small 2 acres.

Visit often and hopefully we'll see lots of progress, growth, and good living.

(Photo is of autumn time Rocky Mountain Maples (Acer glabrum) of which I have about 40 planted in my yard).