And so here we grow again. Our family and friends have had numerous discussions about the propensity for bugs in the south and the best way to combat them if you are a farmer. There is, of course, the easy choice – spray, spray, spray. This option is not the favored, to say the least. Too many chemicals floating around today with little known about long term effects. So, whenever possible, we avoid this option. Then we get into the natural deterrents which include everything from eggshells to castor oil to Dawn dish soap to garlic powder. Now I am always willing to try home remedies or organic options. The benefits are tremendous, the top being that they are usually things you already have on hand or require a minimum purchase. This being said, if they don’t work it doesn’t hurt my feelings or my pocketbook too badly. In addition, home remedies often make possible positive contributions back to soil nutrition. For instance, egg shells or coffee grounds are always a bonus to add nutrients and natural material to your soil so you have a dual benefits if they achieve their goal. The last option broached was natural predators. I am all for planting flowers or vegetables that attract natural predators who feed or discourage the bugs we don’t want. This again is an option we favor, but in this instance it took a little twist.
My husband, Troy, was visiting a friend who had chickens. While our friend does have a nice chicken coop, he allows his birds to free range for several hours a day and then encloses them at night to discourage the chicken buffet for foxes, coyotes, snakes, etc. As the two men walked through the grass talking about whatever was on their minds, the chickens flocked around them frantically gobbling up various bugs and grasshoppers disturbed by their steps. When Troy commented on the activity, our friend assured him the chickens would quickly eliminate all the pesky little bugs and worms in the area in addition to eating grass seeds. After much discussion on the pros and cons of chickens – the friend loaned us his portable chicken coop tractor and offered to procure us some birds. Voila! We are in the chicken business.
Now, I will freely admit, this is not something I set out to do. I just don’t care much for chickens unless they come fried or served with dumplings. Admittedly, it’s a good approach for bug extermination. I am willing to try anything after taking on the grasshoppers we had this year. They were voracious and did significant damage to our crops, especially in the late summer to our squash and okra. Hence – the chickens. So, now we have our little coop sitting in the middle of our big garden. Being the all in kind of people – we splurged. We have 6 hens – of varying pedigree – and one rooster, whom I am calling Bubba just because he looks like a Bubba to me. Yes, it’s true! McTier Family Farm is now raising chickens! At this point in life, I am pretty laid back and willing to try anything once.
So far, we are rolling along smoothly. We were instructed to keep the chickens in the coop for about two weeks until they acclimate, then we can let them loose a few hours during the day so they can eat bugs and grass/weed seeds they would otherwise not have access to in the coop. I think we missed out on the grasshoppers this year with the recent turn to cooler temperatures. I feel confident they will find other equally delicious bugs in the garden field. The perks of our little chicken adventure are two-fold. First, of course, is the eggs. I love to bake! And having fresh eggs to cook with is terrific. We have only gathered four eggs thus far, but have been assured once the hens settle down from the move and acclimate to their new home, we will have a steady supply. The other perk is chicken manure. With the coop being mobile with its’ own wheels, we just move it a few feet every two or three days. That way all the lovely chicken poop is spread over the fallow field and will be tilled in when my husband breaks it up for the next planting. So, so far so good. No really interesting chicken adventures yet, but I’m sure there are many on the horizon. Now I just have to be sure to count chickens every day to make sure no one is missing. There are always animals around the farm looking for a free chicken dinner – one little, two little, three little chickens….