And well you should not!
We’re starting to see some ripe apples from our various and sundry trees. The larger apple is a Chehalis and the smaller apple is a windfall Honeycrisp that was blown down in last night’s rain. I don’t know about you, but the smaller apple certainly looks riper and more appetizing. The larger egg is from one of our established hens, while the smaller is the first egg from one of our new ladies – one of the three Barred Rock pullets we picked up after the mystery deaths of an Americana and Golden Campine pullet.
In other news, hopefully the weather will cooperate this week and I’ll be able to work on setting the posts for the 5′ tall fence around the orchard in preparation for moving the hens there for the winter. The hens should have plenty of bugs and rotting windfall fruit to eat to augment their scratch and layer mix (at least until the snow hits). After the posts are done, I’ll be able to cut and attach the rails and wire, and work on the gates. The final step will be disassembling, moving and reassembling the henhouse that’s in the old kennel area adjacent to the house. I am NOT looking forward to that.
-Derek
The 10 Year Challenge 
I have a three hundred tree apple orchard and sometimes have apples that size. It is usually from a tree that has too much fruit. I polish those little apples up and save them for the little children who visit. They love the small size.
The Honeycrisp definitely looks like the more tempting apple of the two. I am not keen on oversized fruit because to be blunt about it – it is too much like the supersized foods we have pushed at us everyday and after about six bites the flavor starts having little to no impact anyway and certainly hunger is actually sated long before a big whopper piece of fruit like that is half way consumed. I’ll take the little Honeycrisp any day!
The eggs on the other hand both look lovely – big or small they are a tasty and nutrient dense protein source that is a true treasure of the home food production system. I like your plans for the winter range set up. The hens will be thrilled with their new foraging prospects.
The chicken arrangement gives me visions of Chicken Little and the sky falling…*: \
As of 7:30PM last night, all the fenceposts are in. I need to buy the wire fencing material and then I can start cutting and nailing up the rails prior to pulling the wire. Oh, and I need to make a couple of gates while I’m at it…
-D