March 23-27 Happy Hen Farms Newsletter: Soil Structure

Good Afternoon, 

Eggs: 

As of today, I have about 8 Md dzn and 2 Lg dzn that are going to be kicking off the week. Total egg production has been right at 6.5 to 7 dzn per day, with 2 dzn of them being Large eggs; by Thursday night, I should have about 20 Md dzn and 8-10 Lg dzn. 

Newsletter: 

I posted a new article later last week about some of the differences between Free range eggs and Conventional eggs. You can read it on the Happy Hen Farms blog here 

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Since spring is basically already here, its getting time to start planting some of the early vegetables. I just planted peas, lettuce, and kale on Friday, and with the warm, sunny days, they should start sprouting by next week. 

  

Last fall, I put about 3 inches of wood chips, compost, and shredded leaves over both of the garden areas. A few weeks ago, I put the uncomposted chicken bedding on the smaller section of the garden area (I am going to put corn and sorghum in this plot this year), all on top of the 3 inches of wood chips. Doing this has kept the dirt moist and will continue to keep soil moisture in for a long time. By increasing the holding capabilities of the soil, that also means that there will be less water needed later on in the year because it is trapped in the ground. 

 In this picture, you can see the layering of chicken bedding on top, wood chips, then the actual soil. This time of year, the dirt is still really wet because of all the rain and melted snow that has been passing through it. However, when the temperatures get hotter (both outside and inside the soil), soil moisture starts to evaporate. If any of you have ever dug a fence post hole in July, it usually takes a while before you get to the dirt that is still wet. Combined with the multiple coverings placed on top of the soil, and irrigation, I should only have to turn the drip irrigation system on a couple times per week due to the increased water holding capacity caused by covering the top of the soil. 

Not only does the layering-effect conserve water, it also provides a store-house of nutrients for the soil bacteria, worms, fungi, ect... and also the plants to utilize throughout the year. 

To give a contrast to soil that hasn't had the bedding and wood chips on it: 

 This sample was taken a couple of feet from the first section of the garden (it's the middle point between the two sections of the garden). I was able to keep this dirt sample in one piece on the shovel, which also indicates that it is harder dirt than the sample taken in the previous picture. When it comes to growing plants, hard dirt makes it harder for the plants root's to effectively search for nutrients and water. On the other hand, dirt that is softer and has a "crumb-like" structure allows for maximum water penetration, as well as supporting vast root systems. In turn, it allows the plant to yield more and remain healthy to fight off diseases. 

I am going to leave a separate section of the garden to grow some vegetables on without the wood chips, and will see how big the difference is between the plants with wood chips and chicken bedding versus those planted in bare soil. Maybe there won't be too much of a difference? 

As always, if there are any questions or comments, please feel free to ask them! 

Thank you!