The Rewards of Starting Slow

It's springtime here in Alberta. After a long and bitter winter, the snow is melting, the sun is shining, and the birds are starting to lay their eggs. It's the time of year when you start seeing everyone looking for baby chicks, ducklings, and hatching eggs of all descriptions. We're all guilty of it, but I am reminded constantly of the reason why it's not such a good idea to rush into things. As I learned during my first year on our farm, there is a certain amount of knowledge that can come only with experience. 

Rushing in headlong and buying absolutely everything you think you might want, is absolutely the worst thing you can do. Both for yourself (mainly your sanity) and for the animals that you're starting to collect. Start with one type of poultry, be it chickens, ducks, or geese, and then give yourself time to learn how to care for them properly. Learn to identify normal, healthy behaviours so that when there's something wrong, you'll know it quickly. 

Get a mentor, someone who can give good sensible advice when you come across something odd. Trust me, that happens more than you can imagine. I can't count the times that I've sent a strange picture to my friend asking her, "What the heck???" If she doesn't know, then she knows where to point me for more information. She gave me great principals and made sure that I learned good habits.

I rarely bring in adult stock, but when I do they get quarantined for a minimum of a month, usually longer. If I have a bird that's not thriving, they are humanely culled and sent in for testing. Since I do sell chicks and hatching eggs, it's my responsibility to be sure that I have a clean flock. That means testing. There are lots of bugs out there that can cause backyard keepers a ton of heartache, and the last thing I want to do is sell someone a sick bird. 

I've expanded from my initial purchase of Polish chicks and meat turkeys three years ago, but those additions were done slowly. This is my first year with a breeding trio of heritage turkeys. A breeding tom is not to be messed with, and that was a hard lesson for me. I think if I'd started off with him, I'd have probably packed it in all together, because a 30 lbs + bird launching himself at you is a little intimidating. My lessons from aggressive roosters and pushy drakes have given me the tools to handle him.  

So do yourself a favour and ease into things. We all had to start somewhere, but set yourself up for success, not heartache. Your critters will thank you. 

My journey

A year ago I left my home, my friends, and many things familiar to me. I drove across Canada with my dogs in tow, driving through some of the most beautiful countryside I had ever seen. I remember driving up through the Canadian Shield, through to the open plains of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, to the forests and mountains of Alberta. We arrived to a riot of fall colours and sights and I’ve watched the seasons turn a full cycle now. 

It’s been a year of learning and the most important lesson is that things rarely go the way you intend or expect. Especially as concerns livestock. I’d done my research, and when I was ready looked for my first chickens. I was lucky and bought my first nine chicks from a reputable breeder who has been there to help me with all my random questions along the way. While of the original nine chicks I have 5 left, those lovely pullets are my survivors. They survived my learning curve in keeping poultry and have given me lots of beautiful eggs and plenty of laughs. 

I learned to cull when injury or sickness required it *Amprol is now a standard in my chicken first aid kit*. I raised my first turkeys for the freezer from day olds to butcher weight and learned to process my own birds. There is something very satisfying in knowing how that animal was raised, and knowing that their end was fast, painless, and that they suffered no stress. It is something I will do again, and with more confidence. 

I was also introduced, in a very snowy fashion, to the short growing season up here. My vegetable garden choices require some reworking for next year, but it was a fun summer of experimenting with different heirloom varieties. My beets, onions, and lettuce went bonkers for me while my beans, peas and squash were a bust. So I’ll be looking to try some different varieties and maybe try setting up a cold frame. 

One year in the books...and a second one to come.