Hanging with My Peeps

Amazingly, all seven chicks are still alive & well.  No thanks to this guy.

Surprise!

I had put some bread and scraps out in the pan in the yard for the chickens this morning.  Imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and saw a hen with seven baby chicks hanging out munching on bread crumbs.

We have had about 30 chickens for awhile, but June was a tough month for them.  Free ranging chickens has its downsides.   Two of the oldest gals had to be...culled for medical reasons.  Another died apparently trying to cross the road.  We don't know why she was crossing the road, but she did not make it.  And a fox has been seen skulking around leaving several odd piles of feathers in his wake.  That seemed to have occurred when we had an medical emergency a few weeks ago that left them unattended for 24 hours.

Anyway...I wasn't too sure how many hens we currently had and really hadn't noticed which particular ones were missing.  Some are distinct and we know on sight, others are breeds we have several of and can't tell apart.  It'll be fun to see what we've got now.  Hopefully, all seven will live and be hens as well.  We already have three roosters and do not need anymore.

So, for all the things that go wrong around here when something good like this happens, it makes for a happy day for us all.

"Dinner!!!"

I went out tonight when dinner was ready to call in Sweetheart and the boys.  I ran the triangle as loud as I could and hollered, "Dinner!!!!"
Ten chickens came running.  No humans.  So, I fed the chickens and came inside.
Maybe next time the chickens will get the pork roast.

*****
Wow.  I posted this and noticed it is the 1,000th post I've done.
Maybe I should erase this one and try to do something....better.
Eh.

Typical Farmgirl Day

Kill a chicken, do chores, go to tea.
Not really.
But it is the plan for today!
****
BTW~ I deleted both my Kimberly's Cup and my personal Facebook accounts. 
I didn't de-friend you.  (I guess I defriended myself!)
Comments, emails & visiting over at Pinterest are still available.
 I don't follow a lot on Pinterest for the sake of my time,
but I do usually reply to comments or questions if I see them.
 

Spring! (for a day)

Cupcake loves the chickens.

 

 

Isn't her hair wonderful?

 

This is the best these shoes will probably ever look.

 It is such a beautiful day here!  I am in for just a moment to make lunch.  We're having a picnic out in the little orchard today.  The weather is supposed to revert back to yuck, so we're planning on being out as much as we can today. 
It is a perfect day for a nap in the hammock.  Maybe it will happen.

What Became of the Christmas Tree I Chopped Down

hi.

Today was Interesting

The day started at 5:30.  I milked Buttercup and tested her for mastitis.  The test was a positive in one of her quarters.  I called the vet and picked up some medicine for her.  This means I had to stuff a syringe into her teat and infuse the meds into her udder.  Lovely.  It also means that I will be hand milking for the foreseeable future.

The good news is we can still use the other three quarters' milk.  It would stink to have to toss it all.  The up side to hand milking is that it is quiet.  The machine is so noisy.  Though it is nice to be able to hook her up and do the other chores at the same time like feeding the chickens, cleaning, and feeding the neighbor's horses.

I had to call for help last night.  One chicken died yesterday morning, and one the evening before.  Between more chickens looking like they were about to die, and the possible mastitis issue, I really needed someone who knew what they were doing.  My neighbor is wonderful with cow things, but hates chickens and is out of town anyway.

The friends that came over last night were so helpful.  They know chickens and said it was time to butcher them anyway so they would come over today and help.  I had not realized it was time simply because they have been Sweetheart's project.

So, the wife came over today and we processed all the meat birds.  That sounds so tidy, doesn't it?  It wasn't.  At all.

This was the first time I have had to kill anything larger than a bug.  And I killed all of them after the first one.  It is a hard thing to do.  I think my general feeling of being completely overwhelmed may actually be helping as I cannot dwell on much for long.

I had hoped to kill and pluck the chickens and be able to keep them whole for roasting.  I really like chicken roasted and love having all the bones for broth.  And had we been able to plan and prep for the slaughter, I would have been able to process them the way I wanted.  However, just being grateful that I didn't have to do it all alone, I will take whatever I can get.  Which ended up being quite a lot of bags of meat in parts and no feathers to pluck.

After the extensive clean up, I drove the remains up the forest road and dropped them off the side.  There are some happy bears and coyotes and wolves tonight.  We had leftover Beef & Barley Stew, but chicken in on the menu for tomorrow.  I think I may have to fry it, which I love, or do Chicken and Dumplings.  (What do you want for dinner, Mom?)

Then it was time to milk, feed horses and take care of the remaining laying chickens.

I am about ready to drop, but decided to write while waiting for the dishwasher to finish running.  It is a portable one that you have to shut the water off when the wash cycle ends, or the water will just run until you do.  It just ended so I will be signing off in a moment.

Hopefully, Sweetheart will be home in a few days.  His three day trip is on Day 9 and I am not sure when it will end.  Doing all this myself is not fun.

Meet the Ladies!

Mrs.  Goodenough

Pecksie & Flapsie, Laura, Daisy and Amelia

Mrs.  Goodenough, Peckies & Flapsie are all names from Wives & Daughters.  Daisy was Joanne's suggestion.  Pumpkin named Laura after Laura Ingalls Wilder.   Amelia was Bonnie's suggestion as in Amelia Earhert.

Finally.

Someone laid an egg.  :)

WOOHOOO!!!!

Up to the Hay Loft

Once we discovered where #6 was hiding out and failed at catching her this afternoon we changed tactics.  I checked to see where she was when I came in from milking so we could easily find her later.  Under cover of nightfall, we walked out to the homestead house and Sweetheart just scooped her right up.  She pecked at him the whole way to the barn.  (Well, until he flipped her upside down.)

We opened up the pen and slipped her in.  All the other girls were already roosting for the night, but made some noises.  We'll see what the morning brings.

As we walked back  to the house, we both commented on how easy that was.  Amazingly so, especially when compared to the escapades- of the- last week.  She's been loose for nine days.  I figured she was a goner.  Now, to just get her and her friends to lay some eggs!

Keep those name ideas coming...

PS--Check THIS out!!!  BIG smile!  Can't you just see it in the 4th of July Parade this summer? 

PPS--And go visit the Homestead Barn Hop...

Guess Who We Just Saw?

Yup.  #6 is still alive and well and roosting in the homestead house area.  After a valiant effort to capture her, we had to give up when she made her way back to the thicket.  I truly thought she was dead or living at the neighbors' house with their flock.  Amazing.  This Chick deserves a great name.

#6-Marvel

So, I am heading back to the house with my pail full of milk this morning when what do I spot strutting through the apple trees, but a chicken.  Assuming it's ours because who else let's their chickens run free?  I set the milk pail up on a sawhorse in case the neighboring dogs came by, as they always do and start walking toward the chicken.  Clunk goes the pail.  The morning milk gone.

No use crying over it, I walk to the apple trees wondering how I'm going to get this bird to want to just jump into my arms and happily go to the barn.  She sees me and runs off to the thicket between our property and the neighbors'.  I head over and the covey of quail roosting in there go nuts as well.

I came inside to try to find the boys' fishing nets (thanks Bonnie!) and saw Sweetheart.  He gets the nets and we headed back out.  Hilarity ensues.  The boys are watching from their bedroom window and want to come outside to play.  Apparently, to anyone not actually trying to get the bird, it looks like a lot of fun.  Whatever.


We've given up and come inside where it's warm, my  hands almost too stiff to type.  And no chicken.  Sweetheart says when he gets it, it's dinner.  Guess I better find a nice dumplings recipe...

Bird Brain

That's me.  Picked up the box of chickens from the neighbors' house last night.  We'd been told there would be 11-12 originally.  Then seven.  Then six.  Apparently one didn't make the journey to their house and they decided to keep more than they originally wanted.  No problem.

We put them in the pen in the barn last night and all was fine when I went to milk Bella this morning.  I decided to be nice and clean up some of the mess they had made, shutting the door, but not latching it as I was inside.

Yup,  they got out.  Luckily, I had already put Bella and Eve into their outside pen or I imagine it would have been worse.  Somehow.  Chickens squawking!!  Feathers flying!! And one apparently made it out of the picturesque window Bella enjoys looking out of that Sweetheart removed to fix.


Bedlam ensued.

By the time it was all said and done, I got five back in the pen.  Some swearing may have occurred in the process.

Where is number six?  Who knows.  I went walking around a bit looking and met a new neighbor who is probably still laughing at me.  She may still be hiding somewhere in the barn for all I know.  The chicken, not the neighbor.

The rest of them are just lucky I already have meat for dinner, or it might have all ended differently...

Go visit Farm Friend Friday for more adventures...

Chickens?!

Yup.  As soon as Sweetheart can put together a quick, safe place a bunch of layers are ours for the taking.  Still adjusting to the goats!!!