We cleaned out the coop and moved the chickens out to the back gardens yesterday. We had some difficulty with the ladies. They’d grown so used to their little patch by the house that they were not happy about moving back to the pasture.
But, with a little help for our chief chicken herder, we convinced them that they’d find more bugs, seeds and treats in their new home.
We have been moving their coop across the kitchen garden all winter and the chickens have been hard at work tearing up and fertilizing the soil.
Not only have they scratched and eaten all the pests they could find, but they’ve done a lot of mob grazing and fertilizing.
In other words, they’ve eaten and pooped. A lot.
Why is this a good thing?
They’ve trampled the weeds and stirred in their waste creating a rich layer of topsoil, perfect for planting.
In other words, they’ve fertilized and mulched the kitchen garden for us.
The stomped down topsoil provides an excellent habitat for the beneficial bugs and earthworms we want in our garden.
Below is a picture of our beautifully prepared soil.
In a couple of weeks, after all of the nutrients have settled in, I’ll rake the bed and start planting seeds.
| Borage | 1st week Apr |
| Lovage | 1st week Apr |
| Onion | 2nd week Apr |
| Oregano | 2nd week Apr |
| Carrots | 2nd week Apr |
| Shallots | 2nd week Apr |
The garden is prepped for seeds
The waste is all stomped in
They’ve trampled all the weeds
Let the planting now begin
a pinch of homestead 
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