October 8

Steven was gone, so I wandered around the farm for awhile deciding where to start. So much to do, so little time. At least the weather is beautiful.

I began cleaning out the chicken pen. We have a large "holding" pen for them (6 feet high chicken wire) for the times/days we want to keep them more confined for whatever reason, before allowing them out free range. Gets them out of their house, but not ALL the way out.

Lots of volunteer trees had grown up in there, and the bigger trees (it is open top) had some broken limbs. I got the chain saw out (been meaning to get it serviced up and ready for awhile now) and used it for a bit -- but not too long because I realized I was out of bar oil, and I didn't want to risk damage.

Got the limbs cleared out, and hauled two truckloads out to the brush pile. The brush pile is in the goat pen, so they love this, because they nibble all the leaves off the brush when we pile it on. They really love leaves - even eat the dried ones off the ground as they fall from the trees this autumn.

Anyway, raked the whole pen and got it cleaned up well. We haven't cleaned out the house itself yet, because Steven wants to wait for a freeze. After first freeze, we want to till the garden really well (stir up those insect eggs) and then layer the manure/bedding stuff out of the chicken house onto the top of the garden for winter.

I definitely need to start buying straw to put around the house to prepare for winter.