Hello Fall! Let's Get This Farm Ready!
There is something special about fall on a farm.
The mornings get a little crisper. Shorter days end in gorgeous sunsets. Bright autumn colors start to appear on bushes and trees. The garden starts giving up the last of its tomatoes, squash, and peppers. The chickens seem to know winter is coming before we do, and suddenly everyone on the farm has a little more work to do.
Fall is the season of harvest, preparation, and making the most of what you have.
And while we may not be able to stop winter from coming, we can certainly have some fun in the months before it arrives!
🍂 Start With the Animals
Chances are that if you raise animals, you probably really enjoy doing it. When the season changes, you'll need to consider how that effects your critters. It may seem like a chore, but don't forget to enjoy the amazing fall weather as you accomplish the tasks. Nutritional needs and routines will change. Let's get into it...
If you have feathered friends, give the coop a fall checkup.
Before the first really cold nights arrive, take a walk through the chicken coop.
Check for:
- Drafts at bird level
- Leaks in the roof
- Wet or compacted bedding
- Broken roosts or fencing
- Waterers that may freeze
- Adequate ventilation
And remember: ventilation is not the same thing as a draft.
You want fresh air moving through the coop without cold air blowing directly across your birds while they sleep.
Fall is also a great time to give the coop a deep clean and add fresh bedding. A clean, dry coop going into winter is one of the best gifts you can give your flock. We recommend equine pellet bedding or pine shavings.
Keep an eye on nutrition.
As pasture quality declines, animals may begin relying more heavily on supplemental feed.
This is a great time to evaluate what you're feeding and make sure your animals are getting what they need for the season ahead.
For laying hens, fall can be especially interesting. Daylight is decreasing, temperatures are dropping, and your flock is moving from the abundance of summer toward the demands of winter. Good nutrition becomes even more important during that transition.
At Red Bridge Farm Feed, we actually change our layer ration with the seasons. Pretty cool, huh?!
Around the beginning of October, we start milling our Winter Layer ration.
Our winter formula is designed specifically for the colder months, when your flock has different environmental and nutritional demands. Our Winter Layer feed is 16% protein and 4.5% fat, compared with our Summer Layer ration at 18% protein and 2.5% fat.
Why the change?
Because your chickens don't experience summer and winter the same way we do. During the warmer months, birds have more opportunities to forage, chase bugs, scratch through the soil, and take advantage of everything the growing season provides. As temperatures drop and forage disappears, their diet becomes increasingly important.
The higher fat level in our Winter Layer ration gives birds an additional source of energy they can use to help maintain body temperature during colder weather. In simple terms, they can burn fat for energy and heat while still receiving the appropriate amount of protein needed to produce an egg.
That balance is important. Winter isn't the time to simply pile on calories and hope for the best. Your hens still need the amino acids and nutrients required for egg production, while also having enough dietary energy to handle colder temperatures.
We also maintain a minimum of 0.4% methionine year-round, and calcium comes from a combination of oyster shell and local soluble limestone.
And, just like all of our feed, we mill it fresh here in Northeast Washington.
So if your flock has been living the good life all summer, fall is a great time to start thinking ahead. Don't wait until the first snowstorm to wonder what you're going to feed everyone!
The chickens may not know what month it is, but their bodies certainly know when the seasons are changing.
🌾 Harvest More Than Your Garden
Fall harvest isn't just about pumpkins and apples.
Look around your farm and ask:
What can I harvest, preserve, save, or repurpose?
Maybe it is:
- Garden produce
- Herbs
- Seeds
- Firewood
- Hay
- Bedding materials
- Eggs
- Wool or fiber
- Honey
- Farm-grown grains
- Preserves and canned goods
Fall is a great time to take inventory of what your farm naturally produces.
And sometimes, the things you think are "just extras" can become some of your most exciting and useful finds!
Extra pumpkins become seasonal decorations. Or a nutritious snack for your animals
Bundles of dried herbs become gifts. Or store them away for later in the winter.
Sunflowers become beautiful fall bouquets.
A little creativity can turn "What are we going to do with all of this?" into "I wonder if someone would buy this?" or "What can this provide for us in a couple months?"
🎃 Make Your Farm Feel Like Fall-so fun!
You don't need to spend a fortune decorating your farm for fall.
In fact, the best fall decorations are often the things you already have.
Maybe you've already got:
Pumpkins + hay bales + old crates + galvanized buckets + corn stalks + fall leaves + wooden signs.
Add a few corn stalks around the entrance of your farm.
Stack pumpkins near your roadside stand.
Hang a simple fall wreath on the barn or front door.
And don't be afraid of a little imperfection. Rustic is totally in style! :)
A crooked stack of pumpkins, an old wooden wagon, or a weathered feed scoop can look far better than something that came straight out of a plastic bin at a big-box store. And it's authentic!
The farm already has the decorations.
You just have to arrange them in a creative and fun way!
🐔 Turn Fall Into a Farm Experience
If you sell directly to customers, fall gives you a wonderful opportunity to make your farm more than just a place where people purchase a product. People love a fall farm experience!
Fall Farm Day
Invite customers to come out for a Saturday morning with pumpkins, farm products, animals, and maybe a little coffee and cider. All the classics.
"Meet the Flock" Day
Let families meet the chickens that produce their breakfast.
Kids love animals—and parents love giving them something real to connect with. Not everyone can have chickens, so those people get excited to spectate your birds.
Harvest Basket or Farm Stand
Put together a seasonal bundle of your farm's best products.
Eggs, produce, preserves, soap, honey, feed, or whatever makes sense for your farm. There is something irresistible about homemade goods!
They want to know where it came from, who made it, and why it matters.
That's especially true when they're buying local.
Fall Farm Photo Spot
Say "Cheeeese!" A simple hay bale, pumpkins, an old wagon, and a beautiful view can become a surprisingly popular photo opportunity.
People love taking pictures.
Give them somewhere worth taking one.
🥕 And Have a Little Fun With It
Farm life can sometimes feel like one enormous to-do list.
Fall is a good reminder to enjoy it, too.
Let the kids pick the biggest pumpkin.
Have a family harvest dinner and invite some friends.
Take pictures of the farm as the leaves change.
Make a giant pile of leaves and let the kids—or the dog—go crazy in it.
Save some seeds for next year.
Make something from something you grew.
Decorate the chicken coop.
Put a pumpkin next to the mailbox.
And maybe, just maybe, give the chickens a pumpkin of their own.
🌲 From Our Farm to Yours
From our farm to yours, here's to crisp mornings, full harvest baskets, happy animals, and a little bit of mud on everyone's boots.
Happy Fall! 🍂🌾🐔
