In this video I’m just giving you a real-time glimpse of what’s happening in our chicken yard—everybody’s in their own little world, doing chicken things, while I’m working compost. I’m digging into a pile that’s about 4–5 months old. It’s not “finished” the way I like it, but it’s absolutely good enough to go out right now as a top dress for trees and other perennials, especially with storms coming in. I’ve already given the trees a shot of alfalfa pellets, and then I come right over the top with this yard compost—which is also basically mulch, because a big part of it starts as wood chips. I also show an update on what’s been working in the chicken systems: the feeders are dispensing feed at 7:00 p.m., and the hens are still snacking into late morning. That’s reduced how often I’m filling feed dramatically. I swapped watering cups for nipple-style waterers, and it’s been a huge improvement—cleaner water and happier birds. Then we get into the not-so-fun part: our first aerial predator issue in four years. A Cooper’s hawk showed up when some chicks slipped out of a low barrier and got terrorized into a comfrey wall. We spooked it off and didn’t lose any chicks, but it’s a reminder that “free-ranging” still means you’d better build in refuge, barriers, and good habits—because nature doesn’t take days off.