Farming without the assistance of synthetic pharmaceuticals might sound sexy, idealistic, or stupid. I suppose it depends on your perspective. The reality is: it’s darn hard work. One night a week for the last three weeks Katie and I have put our work clothes back on after dinner, grabbed our head lamps and headed down to the barn to “dust” the hens after dark. We have moved them in ones and twos (Katie was tucking a hen under each arm on Tuesday night) from their coop to a chicken tractor for temporary housing. Then we have donned masks and one by laborious one picked them up by their legs, gently lowered their heads so they are hanging upside down (this makes them much calmer) and proceeded to work handfuls of ash into their feathers from beak to tail. This has taken at least two and a half hours each time. Your hands and back are in awkward positions the entire time and the ash is hard on your hands and gets Everywhere!
We purchased a batch of Orpington’s in the fall and unfortunately they brought poultry lice with them. They slowly started to show signs that they weren’t thriving and after some research Katie discovered the cause. The wood ash is the first method we have tried and Katie has instituted a number of other measures (garlic in the hen’s food, grape-seed extract and apple cider vinegar in their water) to try to make sure we give the hen’s every possible chance to recover from these parasites.
We farm this way on purpose. We believe it’s better for the animals and that ultimately the eggs or meat those animals produce will be far better for our bodies and yours.
Me dusting one of our hens
We have to dust them at least one more time and I’m not looking forward to it. Two things have been bouncing around in my head the last few days:
- Community is life giving whether you are going through a divorce or whether you have to dust 56 hens with wood ash. Anyone up for joining Katie and I for our last dusting?
- There must be time for play . . .
I love hard work. I am an overachiever, a perfectionist, often to my detriment. I am learning to rest, to take breaks, go slow. I am learning that even though we have enough work on the farm to break our backs and our spirits if we let it, it’s ok, necessary, to take a morning and make snowmen with Shep and to fly down a hill on a toboggan Doug reclaimed a few winters ago.
Shep and his glorious snowman
Next Tuesday (and our next dusting) will be here before we know it and work is always more fun with more people. We would love to have you join us. š Come see what makes it possible for our girls to provide you with fantastic eggs.
Love this!