It begins...again

Well, I am going to try and start writing regularly about this years farming. Caitlin and I are actually starting our own farm. It is going to be very small scale (maybe the equivalent of 5-10 CSA shares). We have big plans for the year, well plans anyway. The first order of business for us is to get a flock of hens. We decided to buy some 5 month old hens rather than raising chicks. This is because they will start laying soon (some already are), and because the expense of raising them from chicks makes it nearly the same start-up cost. We have spent a lot of money on start-up costs for the vegetable part of our farm and it made sense to have a product to start selling soon. If we had raised them from chicks, we would not have eggs until late-Aug, and the initial costs would have been similar. We are going to complete build housing for them next week, and then pick them up Sat. or Sun after next. We will be getting White and Barred Rocks, a Buff Orpington, some Welsummers, some New Hampshire Reds, and a few Wyandottes (I will add some pictures once we get them). I also started some seeds (tomatoes, celery, and celeriac) but I will write about that later.