Early Spring Chores

With the garden still a mud pit I figured I had better start pulling back the straw mulch so things can begin to dry out enough to hopefully get a first turn-over with the tiller by next weekend. Not to mention that there is a lot of chicken crap that will need some time to rot in. The new strawberry plants are due in the second week of April so I hope to at least have their new bed in the mid-section ready to go soon. So for now the straw has been pulled back to each end of the patch and we'll have to wait for the wind and sun to do their work. I hand worked a few feet of the tomato and pepper bed to take some early chard and kale seedlings we have almost ready to go out. Hopefully these will provide us with some early greens while we wait to get some seeds into the ground next month.

The winter tarp was removed from the chicken tractor and the girls were moved up a bit toward the house to a fresh piece of ground. This will be their final over-wintering spot until we can start rotating them on green turf. Their crap in their last spot was about five inches deep and they needed to move so I could rake it into the garden. That section will be reseeded with grass later this spring and hopefully will recover back to normal yard.

The DIY nest box pads I cut out of a standard door mat last spring were beginning to break down so we finally ordered in some commercial grade pads from QC Supply of Schuyler, NE. It looks like they will hold up a lot better and not being as flimsy will be easier to keep clean. These things are cheap but the various on line suppliers have outrageous shipping costs. I'm sorry but I refuse to pay more for shipping than the actual cost of the goods being shipped! Luckily QC had a good price and they use the USPS which was cheaper than UPS and they still got here in two days. They are highly recommended.

Biosecurity and Avian Influenza

With recent reports of an avian influenza (H5N2) outbreak in the midwest, we are reminded to be on the lookout for anything odd going on with our backyard flocks. Some of the upper respiratory symptoms are similar to humans; labored breathing, sneezing, coughing, odd discharges from the beak and eyes, general malaise. Even though most backyard flocks are small and isolated, and those contained in a tractor are even more so, the potential does exist for exposure to wild birds and flu strains they may be carrying.

Care must be taken to limit exposure. The UMD Extension service offers a wealth of information on biosecurity. The state of Maryland also recommends (but does not require) that small flock owners register their property (premises) with the Ag Department so that if any outbreaks do hit the area you can be alerted well in advance.

The Fairplay Exchange Will Return

Since it appears that the Found Fruit network has gone dark (and along with it the Fairplay Exchange), I've pulled that post. Look for the exchange to return under a new host later this spring. Again, the goal here is to set up some kind of local barter/exchange site for garden produce here in the Fairplay area of Washington County.