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

Saturday at My Place

Last week gave us 4 new chicks.  Mom and the chickies are doing great.  She's teaching them how to scratch for food.  She's very protective of them and when she and the little ones are in the coop, no one dares enter.  That makes for 15 other hungry chickens.  So we've been letting them out of the coop so everyone can have a bite.

I've been saving my feed bags or rather retrieving them from the trash.  Doug thinks I'm a real hick to keep them.  Well I've made one tote bag (tutorial) so far.  I even used it at the grocery yesterday and it held up.  I have a few more to make.

It's not fantastic, but I like it.  I did notice while the clerk was bagging yesterday that I did put my handles on wrong.  Not a big enough mistake for me to fix.  I'll just remember on my next bag.

Flowers: rather Hydrangeas.  One of my all time favorites.  My daughter got me a Hydrangea potted plant one year for Mother's Day.  I fell in love.

Since then, I put them in every garden I have.  Take a look

I love the colors!

This post is being linked to Homestead Revival Barn Hop

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

Chaos Averted

Wow, There was chaos in our henhouse and has been for a couple of weeks. We got 11 chicks from a friend and of then only 4 turned out to be females. Well the crowing and the procreating was getting to be very cut throat. We had time on Tuesday and took 6 roosters to the auction. Good thing is they sell and you don't have to take any back home with you. We kept one Brama (Long John) for our rooster. From what I've read, they are pretty docile. (I hope). He crows like a sick foghorn but I'm sure he'll master that. The girls are much more settled now. They didn't have a second of peace with all the males in the pen. I had only been getting from 1-3 eggs a day because of the chaos. Yesterday I got 5! That meant all my laying hens except Cleo (she has 3 chicks she's raising) are laying again. Hoorah!

Here are the boys who went to auction.

Sunny Saturday

Today is a wonderful day. We let the chickens out of their run around 5:30. We planned on making their watering scenario a little more automatic. We purchased a float and DB attached it to our improvised water trough.

We hooked it up to a hose and is run from the house. We plan on burying it where it crosses the yard. I think this will also keep the water cool during the summer as it sits in the hose.

He made our water trough and feed trough out of rain gutter with endcaps. Then in order for them to not tip, he notched out some wood to cradle the troughs in. It's working great.



Next he moved indoors and installed my winder AC. Now he's playing horseshoes. He wants to hone up so he can play in some tournaments this summer. Me, I'm washing and hanging my clothes out. It's great to be able to have the sun out and the temps warmer.

Yesterday was wonderful also. I walked around our yard and just took some pictures of our flowers. Want to see?

The red hot pokers are a favorite of the orioles. We have a pair so far that like to dine on them.


How's your day going?

Getting Big

Our pullets are getting big. They were moved to the coop a couple of weeks ago and this is the first time they have been let out to roam and stretch their wings.

The big hen is Cleo. She's seen them in their sectioned off area but this it different. I don't think she likes being left out. The rooster is Fonzi. Man he's loud.

Escapees Cont'd

We were finally able to see how they are getting out......
Our chain link fence is shorter than the rest of their fencing.... DB is getting ready to raust him from his perch....The chicks are also basking in the sun.. They are really enjoying themselves.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday. We've decided since it's such a great day, we are going to BBQ tonight. I've already got the pork ribs marinating in a dry rub. DB says I make the best ribs. We'll see if I can do it again.

Eggs and Escapees

It seems like my hens are starting to get "with the program" Eggs that is. Consistently within the last week I've been getting 3 eggs. Yesterday, they surprised me with 5 eggs. Now to get the other two to become "team players". I know one of the hens that isn't a team player is Cleo.
She's a loaner. She wasn't part of the family we got the rest from so she's inserted herself as the Queen, hence her name "Cleo".

For the last 3 days now we've had a Roo and a couple of hens escape from their yard. I think they must be flying over. I've yet to catch them in the act. The weekend's here tomorrow and maybe I'll be able to watch them and find where our weak spot is.

Meanwhile, the chicks are doing very well. DB made a larger box for them in the garage. He hung one of my songbird feeders up for them and we've got a couple of ideas for a better waterer for them.
Look at his comb. Can you tell at this age (3wks) if its a roo from the comb?
This is one of the runts. He/she is small but sure fiesty. He/she holds its own with the larger one.

This is the other runt. I can't believe how they are growing. Their feathers are growing out. Their heads, I've heard are the last to get feathers.





I've been looking online to see what kind of chicks these are. I can't tell. They probably have to grow some more before I can tell. Some of them have the regular yellow legs and feet, some have green and some have black. They sure are a menagerie.

Chicken and Chick Happenings

It's been a week and I think the hens and Fonzi are liking their new home. We let them out of their yard everyday that it's nice, so they can scratch. When they see me coming around 5, they scurry to the opening. They know what seeing me means. The rooster likes his harem and is exerting himself daily. When they go to far, out of our established area, we (DB and myself) herd them back. Fonzi has challenged DB a couple of times. He didn't win, but when he backs off, he crows and thinks he's won. NOT.

Now the chicks we got from a friend are a week old and they growing my leaps and bounds. We've also been letting them out of their space onto the patio for some exercise and sun. They love it. They exercise their wings and investigate. They don't like the grass, yet. I'm sure they will as they get bigger.
We have 11 and they are thriving. One has green legs and feet. I'm thinking he must be an "Easter Egger" as I've heard them called. I tried to get a short video, but I can't figure out my camera, yet.

On the egg front. We've been getting 3 eggs a day now for the last 4 days. They are all consistently bigger than store bought extra large. The hen that laid the first two hasn't laid again. (bad picture) Her's were perfect. Not sure why she's taking a leave of absence. I hope she starts back up again.