Hi folks! Episode 8 of my podcast is now up. You can find it over on
!
This week, I talk about goals I had set for myself in 2019; what I accomplished, what I didn't, and what I learned from it all. Read on for an overview of what I discussed!
We had our first snow of the season, and temps got pretty low at times. This led to me considering finally getting some kind of heated waterer for the chicken coops. I need to have an electrician out to make sure the electricity in the dilapidated shed is safe to use but, assuming that pans out, I'll be running extension cords out to each coop.
When looking at various options for the girls, I found the following:
There are pros and cons to all of the above so I strongly recommend shopping around and checking out reviews. Some key points I came across include the fact that aquarium heaters, although inexpensive, can shatter if the water drops too low and exposes them to the cold air. Similarly, pond heaters/de-icers work really well (we just got one for our pond!) but they're pretty pricey, starting around $45 and going up from them. Personally, I'm going with the heated buckets! They have good reviews, are easy to find online or in store, and they start at about $25 so they're within budget.
Speaking of chickens, this cold weather had me worrying about Cracker, my white leghorn. She was deep into her moult, looking very patchy and threadbare, when the worst of the weather came, and she was noticeably uncomfortable. I've been spoiling all the girls with extra protein snacks (dried mealworms, nonfat yoghurt, live dubia roaches) to help them power through this uncomfortable phase of their moult but poor Cracker was just not herself for a while there. Thankfully, she's perked up as her new feathers come in, and seems much more like herself (i.e. she is keeping all the girls in line and acting like queen bitch!).
The hives are all bundled up and seem to be doing well. There are a few dead bees in front of each hive entrance, which is perfectly normal. We had a mild day this week (45F+, low wind, sunny) and the girls came out for their cleansing flights and general housekeeping. I was so thrilled to see them, and immediately suited up and went to see whether they had touched their fondant.
Unsurprisingly, my smallest hive (queen Macha's) had started on their fondant/candy so I put some more in for them. I could fill this whole candy board with fondant but I was worried about attracting pests back when the weather was still mild, and they all have honey stores. If things get very bitter here, or winter drags on, I'll definitely pack this candy board full of sugar for my ladies!
My biggest hive has barely touched their fondant, and my second largest hive has clearly been taking advantage of the free sugar, though no where near as much as queen Macha's girls. This is all exactly in line with what I expected.
Okay, on to my goals! Let's break this down.
Goals still to do:
build raised beds for veg and herbs
weed and re-seed side bed
wildflower patch/meadow
milky spore/carnivorous nematodes (to treat Japanese beetle issue)
chicken tractor
removing gravel path
improve drainage
bedroom rehab/strip and repaint
agility training for Chappie
obedience for Luna
scenting for Kaylee
outside tortoise/reptile sunning enclosure
Goals achieved:
bees! (hive stands, preparing area, trail camera, build equipment, nucs, #beedrama, keeping up with schedule, mite treatment, split, raising own queen, etc)
blog and podcast (instagram, facebook, tumblr); submitting to various places (I'm finally on iTunes and Google Play!)
mulch!
weeding
new rose bushes, removal of old/dead ones
bulbs planted (Spring and Fall)
mint everywhere!
coop clean out before cold weather hit
kept up with the mowing of my huge lawn with push mower!
PTS breeding (all babies sold! website/ads/Facebook; expo info for 2020; new bloodlines)
college/ASL 4 completed by Spring
Boo at the Zoo, 5 out of 6 shifts
Obstacles/time sucks:
watering; hate it, mosquitoes, no convenient hose on far side of house or back yard (need to buy additional ones)
various sick chickens needing vet visits/extra care
commute (need 2nd car)
pest control; missed the boat on Japanese beetles so it took a lot longer
weeding (all by hand)
daily animal care, especially with the babies
Luna flesh wounds x2!! (or 'how much trouble can one little whippet get into??)
swimming; self care but big time suck
Unexpected pleasures/positive events:
rescue hens!
foster pup
successful hive split and homegrown queen
Florida vacation; swimming with manatees! Real downtime. Saw what life is like without any responsibilities and made me really think about my choices.
socialising more; making consistent time for my friends
dates with my wonderful husband!
Oh, and something I forgot to mention on the episode but that I am super proud of: I got a new tattoo that I helped design! It's my first original piece and I just love it. The lizard is a baby pink tongue skink!
So that's it for this week! Thank you for checking in, and for listening to my Podcast. I recently hit 125 downloads, which is just amazing. I am so grateful to all of my listeners. You're the best!
As always, you can find me on
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Remember, hug your hens, and then wash your hands! Take care. <3
