We Bee Learning

We attended another bee conference today and while waiting for our first class to start we took the plunge.

We bought a beehive and bees!

We took the rookie way out and are having the (local) beekeeper we ordered from install the bees in the hive for us.  So he'll call us when they're already in the hive and the queen is laying.  The plan is to add another hive next spring - more on that later.

So much bee learnin'!

It's finally Spring here in Michigan! The chickens are getting outside time, out of the run.  Being the over protective chicken parents we are, they only free range when we're outside with them.  Outside today I was thinking that if a hungry critter decided to make off with one of them, what could I do other than run around flapping my arms and shouting? Yeah, shouting and flapping I can do but running and my name are not synonymous.

Tomorrow we give the coop its Big Spring Clean Out.  It has been one heck of a long, cold winter.  Lola has some frostbite on her comb but it doesn't seem to bother her, we put some vaseline on it to keep it moist; all of the girls below Clementine in the pecking order has bare butts because they all sleep in the rafters and their bottoms are at her eye level, and Mercy has a new white streak on one of his tail feathers.  We sure have learned a lot,  so next year it'll be easier for everyone!

Mercy sporting his new bi-colored tail

Now to talk my Beloved into goats.  Or at least ducks.