Chicken Coop News

Dear Friends (co-op members and Cindy),

As we prepare to be gone for 9 days, starting tomorrow morning, a few thoughts.

Cindy will be doing some of the garden watering, but others should feel free to lend a hand if you see dry things. Only pick green beans in the garden nearest to the coop side gate. All the rest of the beans are dry beans for later. Help yourself to any beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers you want. Please leave any broccoli ready to be picked in a plastic bag in the fridge. Also if any of the cantalope looks like it can't wait until we return, please put it also in the fridge. Do not overwater the squash please. Bare ground has new plantings, so please water.

Only one of the new hens is laying so far. The rest have days of pure sloth. We have been leaving them in the pens until about 1 or 2, so we get a few eggs. Then we let them out until the end of the day. those who want a treat will line up at about 6:30 and go in. the few new ones with attitude will have to stay out until it gets fairly dark, then they are willing to come in also. You have to be really alert in the morning, as they try really hard to break out early.

We are leaving both kinds of food in the big coop now, trying to finish up the baby food. We need scratch and another bag of pellets. they can all eat the pellets now.

We generally open up the side and back pens for their use early in the day, then let them go back in both at the end of the day and leave the little inside door open. We usually put some water outside near the rain barrel, in the shade for their day time use. They are very spoiled.

Please keep them out of the gardens if you can, particularly the vegetable garden. Some of the little ones get trapped in the garden by the side shed door. The only way to get them out is to guide them with the hose to the small opening near the solar panels. They can also fly quite well and at times go right out over the top.

When you walk the back meadows, there is some water there in case the garden is really dry. Water around on the dirt, not on the stems please.

Also there are tons of blackberries which need picking, all over the land. Help yourselves and enjoy. We do not need any more.

Sean will be here Tuesday cutting trees. Anyone who wants to can check to make sure he is not under one by himself. He gets here around 2. His phone number is by the phone if he is needed for anything.

The emergency number where we are is 780-719-8587. Use only for emergency. We return on the 29th. Sean can use email now and his address is at the top, as is Cindy's.

Thanks to all. Have fun with the feisty little girls. The Auracanas are particularly stupid, but cute.

Peggy