Curb Appeal

Some people have nicely manicured front lawns. Maybe a flower bed or a tree or two. Or maybe you live out in the far reaches of the county and no one can see your front yard so you plant a car out there. Well, we were the people with just a tree and really sad grass and something that once resembled a flower bed. As much as I would like to have a nice front yard to sit in and watch the world go by, it's just something that we have never done. Sitting in the front yard sounds like such a nice activity...(sigh)

These days we have no grass and if there is anything out there it's the overgrown cover crop that should have been tilled under weeks ago. We don't even have a curb! Tom has tried to use the space as a garden for the past 3 seasons. There was some success, but mostly things that gave it a good try and then gave up. Plus it's the front yard - and we really don't spend time out there. Also, the tree that's in the middle doesn't help out much. Things that are planted around the edge of the yard usually does well. Most other things not so much. Although, there was a zucchini plant out there last year. Zucchini probably isn't too picky...just stick a plant in the soil and it will take off!

After a couple of seasons with chickens I have decided that it would be okay to go ahead and let the girls work the front yard garden. I mean really, if we aren't going to enjoy the space we may as well let the chickens hang out there. Up until this season I have been a little reluctant to have the chickens smack dab in the middle of the front yard. We are already a bit of a spectacle as it is. We don't need help in that area. In just the past couple of months the ducks and the pigs had been hanging out in the front yard for the cover crops which the pigs enjoy or what might be hiding under the fallen leaves. The ducks love to root around in the leaves!

The poor girls had a mud pit up until this past Monday

Now that it has been a few days, I'm okay with them in front of the house. They don't seem to mind much either.

The chicken's new space

The girls were patiently waiting to be set free to explore their new space.

 I'm not sure where we'll move them to next. We'll keep them out front at least a month, maybe a little longer or less depending on how much they tear up the mediocre lawn and the cover crop in the garden.

Whenever we can get the chickens (or any critter) to do the work for us, the better!

Farm Life is the best when you put chickens in the front yard.