Beautiful Day!

I've been in work mode for months now.  I haven't had any gumption to blog or post on Facebook.  Today is my day off, it's beautiful, sunny and promises to be warm.   I have put off buying some shoes for months.  I hate shopping, any kind, except maybe fabric.  Even then, I shop online.

I found my clothespins and have laundry on the line.  I love looking at it in the sunshine.  I have a chance to talk to my girls when I'm hanging laundry.

They are so happy to see me,  Probably more so if I had a bowl in my hand,  They usually ignore me after a bit.
The babies are doing fine.  They are thriving under their adopted mother's care. The other hens leave them alone, or else Mama will school them.

Just home from the store.

 Second day at our place.  Mama and babies are doing great.

I think this was their first day out.  They loved it. Now they only go in at night.

These pictures aren't too good.  The fencing is in the way and the light is too bright.  But the chicks are doing great.
Oh ya, I remember where I was going with this - - -

My clothes!  Funny how I pin them but it so I don't have any pin marks after they've dried.

Well I guess I need to get ready to leave the house.  I have some grocery shopping and shoe shopping to do.

I hope to get back so I can do some sewing.  I've cut out a couple a tanks for Doug but have to get some clear elastic tape for the neck.  I bought some but I can't find it.  I also have a quilt on the longarm that I hope to work on some.

Have a wonderful day everyone!  Drop in and let me know how your day is shaping up.

Chick Experiement

We've had some trials and tribulations with broody hens.  We've had four go broody this spring and only one had a successful hatch, she had 7 eggs and 4 hatched.  That's not great odds.  One had 8 eggs and none hatched, and one had 4 eggs with 1 hatching but only living for 2 days.  The other was too flighty and her's didn't hatch either.

Two of the same hens went broody again (Zorro and Minnie Mouse), so since they were selling chicks at the farm store we decided to try to set some chicks under both of them and see if they would take and the hens end their broodiness.

We got 8 deciding to put 4 under each hen.  We got 2 golden lace wyandotte, 2 RIR, 2 speckled sussex, and 2 silver lace wyandotte.   We were told they are 5 days old.  We picked the smallest ones, thinking from our experience, we would have a better chance of them being female.  The guy at the farm store said they were 95% female.  We'll see.

So we brought them in the house, gave them water and feed and waited until dark. The Spice Girls, Tilly's Nest (in an email message) and Kathy from the Chicken Chick said to place them after dark.  We took them out about 8:30 after everyone settled down.  We took the golf balls out from underneath Zorro and started placing the chicks.  Doug placed them near her rear and each one scooted right under her for warmth.  It was getting a little chilly last night.  Since Minne Mouse was doing her flighty thing, we put all 8 under Zorro.  Zorro's sounds changed dramatically from "keep away" to more soothing  sounds.  Once they were all placed, we stood there for about 10 minutes and waited.  All was quiet.

We went out there this moring to place feed and water for the chicks and everything was still quiet.  We'll get home right after work tonight and check in on them.  I'll keep you posted.

My Design Wall 9-10-12

For the past couple of weeks I've had company.  My daughter and her family came to visit.  They hadn't been here for ten years, since they moved in 2000.  I always go and visit them in Montana but this was especially nice to have them at my home.  We had a great time.

My design wall contains all the finished blocks for Nicole's sofa quilt that Judy at Patchwork Times conducted.  I need to sew the blocks together then add the binding.

Craftsy had a free lesson promotion Saturday.  I signed up for the Creative Quilt Backs put on by Elizabeth Hartman.  I think I may need to incorporate this less on my quilt.

We heard the weather forecast for Monday was rain, so we gathered all our onions and set them on the tables to continue their drying.  I'll need to get them off soon because my tomatoes will be ripening next.  I trimmed back all the unimportant leaves and stems so the romas would start to ripen.  I can't believe I don't have a single ripened tomato yet.

Zorro our black austrathorpe is broody again.  It just so happens our farm store is selling chicks.  I think we are going to get some and see if she'll accept them.  The Chicken Chick has tried it so I think we will also.  I'll keep you updated.  Has anyone tried this?  What's your experience?  Any recommendations?

This post is being linked to Judy's Patchwork Times, Design Wall and Homestead Revival Barn Hop #78

Chick Celebration!

After having one year old hen go broody and not hatch a single egg, we didn't know if we wanted the hens to go through the ordeal.  But Cleo has hatched a batch before.  Actually it was exactly a year ago.  Are their internal clocks timed like that or was it a fluke?  Anyway, we put 8 eggs under her in two batches.  Her first 4 eggs hatched yesterday and the rest should hatch today.  Here's one of them...

 Cleo is adamant about nesting way above ground and last year when they first started hatching, we moved the nest box to the ground, so the little ones wouldn't fall out.  Well, when we did that she abandoned the rest of the eggs and concentrated on the hatched chicks.  This year we decided not to move the nest box until tomorrow.  That way all the eggs will have had a chance to hatch.  So we put up a "playpen" around her box.  That way the lttle ones can't fall out.  There is Start N Grow in the metal pan and water in the plastic container...

It was interesting to see how Mama got the little ones to start drinking water.  She would scoop some up in her beak and let it dribble down her crop.  The little ones would catch the water drips off her crop.  Very interesting. In the picture below there are three showing. 

We got away for the 4th and had the neighbor boy feed and look after our place while we were gone.  On Thursday he said PJ (Plain Jane) (below) started to sit in this nestbox.  He said that she pecked at him trying to gather eggs.  So we have another broody hen.  This one is a year old also, we aren't sure of how she'll hatch.  But boy is she fiesty.  Doug is trying to see how many eggs are underneath her.  She must have pecked him 4-5 times.  He said she was serious, she was pecking him hard.  He only had time to feel 3 eggs.  Maybe tonight, I don some gloves and see if I what I count.  These will be due on July 27th.

Thanks for listening to me.  I have had my chickens for a year and half and they are so much work, fun, and entertainment.  But we don't have any domestic animals. No dogs, birds or cats. 

This post is being linked to Homestead Revival

My Design Wall May 7

I decided to join Judy's Sweet Treat Quilt Along.  I know, another project? I don't have the rest of my unfinished projects completed and I'm starting another.  I can't help it.  If any of you missed her post the link above will take you there.  I didn't get the 30 blocks done she suggested.  I've got alot cut out and I maybe able to do some after work this next week.  Although, the weather's suppose to be wonderful.

In other news, We got 3 3wk old chicks.

In other news, We got 3 3wk old chicks.  They stayed in the garage for a couple of days and nights and Friday we took them to the coop with the older hens.  They were let out of their cage this morning and everything's going well.  In fact, we even discovered a broody chicken tonight.  She sqwaked and screeched at Doug as he was gathering eggs.  So we picked out 6 nicely shaped (not cylindical nor pointed ends) ones from different hens.  Maybe by June 2nd we will have more babies.  I hope so.

This post is being linked to Patchwork Times and Homestead Revival Barn Hop