Homesteading comes with its sacrifices. Sleeping in, for example. Time. Money. Energy. Bathtub space.
Say whaaaaat?
You heard me. Ever since the beginning of the month, our bathroom has morphed into an unrecognizable meshing of barn and greenhouse. It smells slightly of fish meal (from the chick feed) and soil, not anything like the essential oil scent that usually lingers.
Instead of taking long, bubble baths in the soaker tub, I'm instead soaking my newly emerged seedlings with fresh water daily. And instead of feeding my spirit through a little bit of rest and relaxation via painting my toes, shaving my legs, or pampering with a body scrub, I'm instead feeding the 14 little chicks that noisily remind me of their presence multiple times per day.
As I reorganized the vegetable seedlings for the umpteenth time last week, I glanced over at my dear Stuart (who had just spent the last two hours of his busy night helping me transplant cabbage seedlings into larger pots).
I gave him the best doe eyes I could and gently said “Did you ever think you'd be here? With chickens on your bathroom floor and tomatoes in your tub?”
He laughed. A real laugh. “No way.”
You see, my dear husband didn't grow up on a farm. Nor did he ever aspire to own, run, work on, or be involved on one. And then he met me, a Scot and a cowgirl, and well – here we are.
And after spending 12+ hours on Saturday building the pig shelter, pig pasture, and sheep pasture (more on that later), I'm sure he was beginning to question his lifestyle decision. Homesteading, particularly homesteading that involves livestock, is (after all) quite encompassing. Stuart is by nature a born traveler – a man who longs for adventure, open roads, and new experiences. And while homesteading no doubt brings adventure and experience of it's own, I'm sure he was secretly hoping for more of the European-backpacking sort of experience. Digging post holes and being charged by a rouge bull probably weren't on the top of his list.
I, alternatively, long for home always. While I too dream of seeing the wide world, I'm much more content spending my days tending to the seedlings and the milk cow. This is a lifestyle that I've dreamed of for the past decade of my life and getting to see the fruits of that, even if they're spread all over my bathroom, is all I could ever ask for.
And yet, somehow, Stu and I find a happy medium. A medium in a lifestyle that brings more satisfaction for both of us than we originally though possible. From seed a few days ago to that first smell of tomato-leaf on my fingers. From teeny chicks to blossoming teenage chicks, anxiously awaiting their new free range home outside. From the dirt. To the pasture. To the early mornings. To the satisfaction of a hard days labor. There is adventure here.
Though, let's admit, adventure takes on many forms. This past week, adventure involved hunting down the perfect supplemental lighting system for all our seedlings. As desperately as I long for a greenhouse, we decided months ago it couldn't be a priority year – acquiring the livestock took priority. And so, seedlings in tub, I set to work trying to find a system that would keep me (for the first time ever) from growing leggy seedlings (tomatoes, in particular). After much frustration… no… anger…. no… “adventure”, I finally settled on three of THESE LIGHTS, each equipped with two plant bulbs (like THESE):
I have two rods stretched over the soaker tub on which all three lights lay, a few inches above the tops of the seedlings. As the seedlings grow taller, I can remove some of the boxes that are elevating them up to the lights, and adjust the distance accordingly. Thus far, it's working great. No leggy tomato plants to be found. And actually, if I do say so myself, they're looking quite extraordinary and healthy! Though it wasn't the cheapest of set-ups (those bulbs can be spendy!) it's a one time investment, really. So I'm taking the expense in stride.
The chicks have been easy thus far, requiring little more than some high-quality feed, fresh water, and warming light. To be honest, I'll miss their company when they have to move into the coop. I think everyone should have a pet in their bathroom.
We've set ourselves an ambitious list of goals this year and will be welcoming a variety of new animals over the new month: geese, turkeys, a sheep (and her lambs) and two pigs will soon be making their arrival. On top of the daily milking of Sal and fourteen new chickens that we will add into our laying flock – it's certainly enough to keep us on our toes.
Couple that with the 1000+ square feet of garden space to fill and you've got the stuff homesteaders like us dream of.
Spring is the time to work. It's the time to lay the foundation for the summer and harvest season ahead. It's the time to stay up late, get up early, and make each minute of warm daylight count. Spring, on the homestead, is not for the faint of heart.
Spring, as I've said many times already, has arrived and sucker-punched me in the nose.
And yet still, as I listen to the chirp of the new chicks while I fall asleep at night or check on the seedlings for the millionth time that day (just to see if anything new is happening) I can't help but breath in the richness that comes with this lifestyle. An appreciation for hard work, diligent care, and the simplest pleasures.
Spring, as far as I'm concerned, is a time of new life. It's the best time of the year!
Susan E
Love this post! I know when there’s a will there’s a way. I have been taking extra epson/dead sea salt baths and we only have one bathroom so I would probably have my greenhouse in a tray under a light in a basement, but that is a good idea too! I love following your homesteading process & life and how you are appreciative of everything.
You are the type of girl that I want to hang out with to make bulletproof coffee, make butter & cheese, talk to the chickens, and milk the cow., etc.
Susan E
I forgot to say your vegetables sound wonderful & I can’t wait to start our garden too. I haven’t ordered any seeds yet and I was supposed to do that three weeks ago and so my seedlings will be a little late.
Davi
love it.
Nikki
Sooo So great!!
Amber W
Your husband and you sound just like me and mine! He dreams of seeing the world, and he does with his job, but I’d much rather be at home with my children, my garden, and my future chickens and goats!
Emily Swezey
Amen. Couldn’t agree more! My husband also has the adventurous spirit that I hope will be satisfied by our lifestyle as time passes. I love all the seasons because they bring such different challenges and experiences. Spring is unique though as its rebirth after a winter of slumber and anticipation, baby animals and plants just make it all the more exiting!
Diane
Beautifully told, Shaye. You really know how to stir up the envy in me.
brenda kaschner
I was planning to use artificial lights for my seedlings this year also. Do you have to have a grow light bulb or does any florescent bulb work?
Michael
To me spring is the best time of the year. Every year when I see the sprouts from the seed start coming up I get excited. It is like a fresh new sunny day after a storm.
Jessica
I am loving spring this year also! We moved from Ohio to North Carolina almost six years ago and we finally put down some roots and bought our home. We have just under an acre and I plan to turn it into a suburban homestead. This year is the year for the fenced in yard, the fruit trees, the berry bushes and vines, asparagus patch, and fowl. I am so excited! We have some of the chicks we are going to have and we also added 4 ducks! The coop will be built in just a few weeks. Until then we are enjoying them in the spare room.
Rose
Love this. 🙂 Also, I am quite relieved to see that your tomatoes are in about the same stage of growth as mine! I got worried when I saw the gigantic ones from Lowes the other day. Hopefully I’m not too far behind for Oklahoma! I’m planning on this being my year of ultimate success with tomatoes…up until now my results have been pretty dismal, lol.
Thank you for sharing your life!
Quinn
Haha! I love this! It’s fantastic that you’re being resourceful with your space! What a fine example you’re setting for those who think they can’t do it because of their limitations.
FYI- I think I read it in an Eliot Coleman book this winter, but he said tomatoes get leggy when they touch each other. This year I’m spreading mine out to see if that helps too 🙂
Mazzy
I love this! It makes me wanna cry, I want this life so badly!
(PS, idk about anyone else, but for me, the links in the margin [fb like, pin it, in share, g+1] are protruding onto the post, and blocking the majority of the screen.)
Lisa Yates
Yes for me too!
Lisa Yates
Hello! I love your chickens in the bathroom! We too have for the first time ever…………..have little chicks in the bathroom. I am home recovering from a car accident and I just love hearing them all day! They are so much company. I was wondering though…………….I have been reading up on them and a lot of sites are talking about getting them vaccinated??!! Do you vaccinate your chickens…………..blog posts on such things??
Thanks so super much for any help!
Lisa
Katie
Great post! We got chicks we are raising for a friend since we are still in the heart of our town. (still looking for that homestead of ours) . My boys love it and I love waking up hearing little peeps in our kitchen. Thank you for this great post! You guys are amazing! 🙂
Dianna
so good to see posts from others raising chicks in the house. I have that same tub for mine and they are outgrowing it. Covering it is helping but it won’t be long before they need something deeper, or moving out to the coop.
Al
We keep our chicks in a cold frame setup in our basement right next to the wood stove so we don’t have to use a heat lamp. I have duped them the offgrid chicks for that reason. Check out the video on them https://youtu.be/7McJsp0rzsE. We are going to be getting our two pigs in a few weekends. We are doing a large black/red wattle x berkshire cross. They are suppose to be a very good cross for pasture raising. What breed of pigs our you getting on your homestead? Spring is differently a busy time on a modern homestead but so much fun. Cant wait to see so piglet post.