2010 – A Very Good Year

As we go into the New Year, it’s nice to remember what’s occurred over the past year:

• Surprising many who thought I had no technical computer ability, I created Better Hens and Gardens to share back-to-basics information on food, sustainability, and self reliance. Randy put up a chicken cam, and I added that link to the blog so we could watch the chickens. Surprising me, blog readership grew:

• We learned a painful lesson about the need to quarantine new birds before adding them to a flock, and eventually had to cull our original flock of chickens. Despite the painful lesson, we missed the chickens and decided to start again.

• For new chickens, we decided on a dual-purpose, heritage breed – Buckeyes; and ordered twenty-five day-old chicks in the spring. Because of hatching difficulties and summer heat, the chicks didn’t arrive until mid-August.

•  Instead of keeping the chickens in the barn (where they make everything very dusty), we bought a chicken coop. We were thrilled with the six Red Comet baby girls that came with the coop. They grew into beautiful hens that give us an egg a day.

• The property was named Bramblestone Farm and incorporated as a Limited Liability Company.

• We vacationed with our friends Dave and Doris at the Grand Canyon – the scenery was awesome and we had a great time.

• Deer decimated the garden and we decided to get Nigerian Dwarf goats; so the garden and approximately four acres were fenced. After fencing, the garden recovered enough to give us lots of corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and zucchini.

• Two Dwarf Nigerian goats (Bit ‘O’ Honey and Tinker Bell) joined us on Bramblestone Farm; and we fell in love with them.

• Thirty day-old Buckeye chicks arrived; we lost two almost immediately, but the rest thrived. They’re now twenty weeks old; and are the most friendly and inquisitive chickens we’ve ever had.

• Many family members visited us throughout the year and met the new additions to the farm.

• Randy went deer hunting with his crossbow, and was successful – there’s venison meat in the freezer.

• An electric E-Z-GO cart arrived for Christmas.

We’ve come a long way with in the past year, and I hope we enjoy another happy, healthy, productive year together again in 2011!