April | 2018 | The Kuntry Klucker

It’s Tilling Day!!

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Noelle K. Moser

Welcome back everyone!! Today is the day that the girls look forward to the most, tilling day. For those who don’t understand what all the excitement is about, allow me to explain. Tilling means two things, one the start of the next growing season and two, worms!! I am more excited about planting crops while the girls are more excited about the worms and bugs.

I have lots of help here on the Kuntry Klucker Farm. My hubby willingly tills the garden for me while the girls enthusiastically follow him gobbling up any worms and bugs that the tiller disturbs. It’s a big deal here at the farm. Below I will chronical the events of the evening.

The tiller is awoken from its long winters slumber in the garden shed and brought to the backyard. Now most animals when they see something as scary looking like a tiller coming into the living quarters they respond in sheer panic, the girls not so much. The girls (with 8 years now under their wings) know exactly the bounty that shortly awaits them when the tiller makes it annual appearance. They flock to the tiller following the user to the garden where they line up for the imminent buffet.

As the tiller turns the soil, worms and other delectables come to the surface which the girls delightfully gobble up. Now the rules of this chicken game are to be the chicken right behind the tiller. The hen that is closest to the tiller gets the worms first. Its a literal game of “the early bird gets the worm”. As you can probably suspect, there are squabbles for the first-place position behind the tiller, but that’s all part of the fun.

As the garden is further tilled the worms are more abundant so being the first hen in line does not matter as much. As the tiller makes its way around the garden, so do the girls. Instead of a line of hungry chickens, we then have circles of worm inspectors following the tiller. The human perspective of the excitement that the girls experience is absolutely hilarious. We get as much joy out of watching them getting the worms as they do in getting the worms. Owning chickens is so much fun, this is just one of the delightful aspects that chickens bring to the backyard homestead.

When the tiller has done its job and is returned to its place in the garden shed, the girls still work for a while longer. They will continue to further till the soil for me for the next several l weeks. Once the last frost has passed it will be time to plant the crops and the growing season begins. The girls will continue to work in the garden all summer long patrolling the plants for bugs and turning the soil as they search for delicious worms to feast on.

The Bantam Boutique and TARDIS crew on the other hand are new to all of this excitement. This is their first experience with the tiller, this time last year they were still eggs not yet hatched. Enigma and the crew are not sure what to make of the tiller. But if life can teach a chicken anything it’s to love the worm god, AKA the tiller.

That is all the excitement for now, the girls will be busy the next several weeks helping us prepare for planting season. Thanks for stopping by, the girls and I will be back soon with a post on the new arrivals. New chicks will arrive May 11!! We here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm are anxiously awaiting their arrival.

I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer and blog contributor. If you like this blog, please visit some of my other sites.

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres

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As always, thanks for reading. Till then keep on crowing.

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew ~

Spring has Sprung!!

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Noelle K. Moser

Spring has finally sprung here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. The days are finally getting longer, and the weather is starting to warm up nicely. Along with longer days and warmer weather comes flowers and bugs. The girls in particular are excited about the bugs whereas I am a bit more excited about the flowers. But no matter the excitement whether it be over bugs or flowers spring means one thing, planting season!

Things are about to get really busy here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm and the girls are very excited. First, we took the plastic down from around the coops. I put this up in late fall to protect the girls from the chilly winter winds and participation. The plastic helps to keep the coop and pens warm and dry while keeping rain, snow and ice out. All the girls appreciate the added protection and consequently spend more time in the coop and pen where it is warm and dry as opposed to outside. But as the weather warms the girls spend less time in the pen and more time in the backyard doing what chickens do, hunting and pecking.

After taking down the winter protection from around the coops it was coop cleaning day. I deep clean the coops once a year usually in the spring after the winter season. I completely wash them inside and out along with the pen, shoveling all the old sand out of the coops and replacing it with new fresh sand. Since the girls are out in the yard a lot more, I can finally prepare the coops for the spring and summer seasons. Now that coop cleaning day is done its time to start getting ready for planting season.

While I am busy planning the gardens for the upcoming growing season, the girls are busy doing their share of work tilling them for me. All winter long I dump shaving from the coops on the gardens where it decomposes conditioning the soils in preparation for spring planting. The girls after a long winter of being cooped up due to the winter temps and weather enthusiastically get to work. They turn over all the shaving in the gardens as they search for worms and other delectables. In the process their efforts till the gardens working the shaving into the soil as they search for bugs and worms. Soon it will be time for the tiller which they thoroughly enjoy. Turning over the soil in preparation for planting lends to many worms to enjoy. When the tiller come to the backyard, they know the banquet that awaits.

Finally, after spending the winter in the warm dry coop and pen, it’s time to catch up with old friends at the other end of the yard. The Bantam Boutique and Tardis Crew are doing well. They too are appreciating the longer days and warmer weather. The Silkies are busy finding worms and bugs in the mulch that surrounds their coop while the Bantam Crew does the same. The sheer joy that is expressed upon the unearthing of a juicy worm or fresh bug is nothing less than exhilarating in the world of a chicken.

As the flocks once again greet each other and the increasing warmth from the sun all is blissful here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. Soon we will have crops in the ground and berries on the bushes. The girls will diligently work to rid my garden plants of bugs while getting a bit of the spoil in the process. Good times are ahead as we plow away at the coming growing season.

The girls and I have more exciting news to share with you here at the Kuntry Klucker Farm. I have ordered some new recruits; chicks will be arriving in early May! We are so excited to welcome these new little members and eagerly await their arrival. I will of course have a post detailing the additions to the Kuntry Klucker Farm crew.

I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer and blog contributor. If you like this blog, please visit some of my other sites.

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button.