Uh- Yeah. SO this happened.

Part of why I've been so busy and WANTING to post about it, just not getting around to it?

Because this happened:

Oh so cute and fluffy. They've been around a couple weeks already and they've outgrown the little tub. That happened on week 2.

Week 2 also saw that all of them had wing feathers and the down markings are fading here and there. Still awfully cute though.

Now week 3 and they are beginning to get in their tail feathers and they are FLYING. Not far, but flying none-the-less. Especially to the top of the water canister. They love getting up higher than the other chicks and being the one looking down. Of course the dynamics insist that the chick on top gets knocked down by another occasionally and so on and so forth.


So, introductions....




This is Bunny. The coloration of it's down was all rabbit colored and mottled. Grays, tans, a little peach, BEAUTIFUL little thing. The feathers so far are lavender, grey, white and lightly tinted with gold.

This one is supposed to be an Easter Egger but has no promise for muff or beard development as of yet.

 S/he also tends to hop around a lot. So Bunny will probably stick as a name.

This chick is probably the most independent, but still enjoys a good snuggle. I think it will also be the first to spend the entire day outside by itself. (Safely enclosed in a cage of course)

Speckles, dotty, whatever is on the left.

This is our other Easter Egger, She does have wonderful ear muffs and shows promise of a small beard as well. This ones name started as Speckles, changed to Dotty, then.... well I don't think it's settled just yet.

 


This ones adult coloration is changing rapidly. red/gold with black circles on its feathers. It will be interesting to watch it develop. Just in the few days since I took these pictures the color pattern has changed.

Below are the two Brahmas. A light Brahma (Yellow chick) who's name is Fluffy. This one's name may be changed to Angel as I've caught the kids calling it that a couple times.

 




The black one in the back of the above photo is our dark Brahma. I've nicknamed this one PJ. It never really had a name, but always looks so scraggly, disheveled and the feathers on it's feet remind me of bedroom slippers. I'll have to get a better picture of that though because as soon as I pick it up it sits down. LOL


We are pretty well settled on at least one of these 4 being a roo. It's just a roll of the dice and even though all of them were sold to us a pullets (hens) it's a 10 to 1 chance of a boy from the breeder, and of course then you have the people who let their kids pick up the chicks and if they put it in the wrong box...well lets just say that I've found a 50/50 chance is normal hatch rates so anything better than that and you are lucky!

Only good news there is that if we have any roos it will make deciding who is staying and who is going much easier. No boys here, and I can't keep 4 more chickens...no way I could stay under the radar then!

So these have kept me busy beyond all belief but then this also happened....

Oh Boy...

As if I didn't have enough going on. She's sitting on 5 eggs. I didn't want her to have more than that. 1 has quit developing around day 6 or 7. So we have a chance at 4 ducklings. I'll keep you posted on that. Due date for hatching is around April 15th, So I'm thinking of duckling names like Uncle, Sam, Bill, Dollar, etc. Unfortunately those sound mostly male so maybe I should rethink that.

Anyone need a duckling? These ducks are absolutely gorgeous, and from what I understand good tasting, too. I can tell you this girl of mine laid an egg every single day from 22 weeks until she turned 1 year old, and then she promptly decided to sit. Even as a broody she's sweet as all get out. I can move her off the eggs and while the drake Swayze will come after me, he doesn't hurt me either.  <3 What a lovely breed. But, living on a postage stamp in an HOA means no more ducks for me...unless someone wants to trade a Welsh Harlequin baby or maybe 4 babies for a muscovy hen. Or even muscovy ducklings. I'm also willing to raise the ducklings for meat if you will come pick them up and do the butchering yourself. LOL

Nothing like Spring, huh? Babies everywhere. Good thing it's not contagious!

See you soon.

Barbie~

Speaking out of turn

It's true. I have a habit of talking about things before they happen. Last week I was so excited to share the new girls with you and then the weather didn't allow us to go and pick them up. Yesterday again I was happy to tell you that we would be integrating the new ducks soon.

Unfortunately reality has a way of changing things. See, I knew that ducks were louder than drakes. I just didn't realize HOW MUCH louder they were and how often. The Quack that endears those little fluff balls to our hearts? It's ear piercing. It actually hurts my ears. Truly. And if that is the case, how do you think this is going to go over with my HOA? Yeah, not so well. I brought home 3 girls last night. 2 of them are older and have already established their super power quacks. The other is just a duckling. But, seriously? There is just no way that my neighbors will put up with this. :-(

Now, here is the thing. To really get the full effect you need to put on headphones and turn your computer up to full volume. Only once you are quite certain that your ears are bleeding will you truly appreciate the insanity.

I'm so terribly disappointing. Not that I can't  keep them long term. That was never the plan...but I don't think I can even get away with holding them until our next trip to Alabama. It's so frustrating to have spent that money, time and effort in raising the drakes only to find out that all the work was for nothing.

Last night I confined them to the isolation house. It helped keep them calmer. But, they can't live in there for 7 weeks. That's just not fair to them. I'm going to try to let them back into the bachelor pad tonight after 9 or 10 pm when fewer people will be out and about to hear their racket. But, if they can't calm down and quit the screeching I won't be able to leave them there.

So for now at least it looks like project populate the lake is a complete failure. I'm sure it won't be my  last, and I will be revisiting this issue again once we can move either up to the property (10 or so) or we are able to sell our current house and can get somewhere that the neighborhood wouldn't fine me $100 a day for having them. What really sucks is that I thought I was being realistic in planning on keeping only 1 hen. HA! I'm thinking that maybe I need a reality check.

2/17/14 Harvest Monday

Hey there! It's Harvest Monday again! This weeks harvest includes most of the things you've been seeing here this winter. But this time I threw in something different, just for fun. LOL.

Cabbage made it on the list! Finally something different. I adore broccoli, but it's nice to have something else coming out of the garden, too. 

I got 2 of these bowls of broccoli from side shoots, and my head of cabbage as well. The hens are still giving me a decent supply of eggs. I've only gone 5 or 6 days the whole winter without one or the other of them giving me a little present. Good hens! I'm considering chicks right now, but it's such a catch 22. If I get chicks I have a better chance of being discovered. SO it's get new chicks, get rid of aggressive hen - BONUS... get chicks, get found out - BOOO!!! What's a gal to do? Additionally something has been getting into their pen lately. Food consumption has tripled. I'm thinking it's probably rats, and there isn't much I can do about that. I can't afford a $150 treadle feeder...so I'm not sure what else to do. :-( 

My first set of green beans is due this week. I can't wait to eat them!

Thanks Daphne for hosting, as always! Don't forget to check out her blog for loads of other harvests from around the world.

See you soon!

Barbie~

Hen pen redoux

The hen pen is done.
There is still a couple things that need to be done to make it a little bit easier for me to clean the coop, and a little more comfy for the little flock. But the major overhaul is done. They've settled in here for the last 3 weeks and suffered through a tropical storm fairly well. This is actually just after the first storm band passed through.

It is still raining out. Not non-stop. But the sun is not shining, either. So the run is very moist. Not wet mind you. No puddles at all but it's not drying out either. It makes for, well... it's kinda stinky. Not crazy smelly, but there is an odor about. I don't like it. I do pick up their waste. So it's not a matter of sanitation. The coop is cleaned daily, as is the run. Actually the coop smells light, and MMMmmm The smell of fresh cut wood is somewhat intoxicating to me. *swoon* I don't know why. 2x4's or tree limbs it doesn't seem to make a difference it's all good to me. ;-)

Anyway - I need to create a second small shaded area for them to go. Under the coop shouldn't be the only area. I also would like to have a (small) compost pile there in the run for them to dig through when the mood hits them. I need to replace the roost in the coop. They don't like the one in there. I've not once seen them on it. I have the perfect branch, I just need to figure a way to get it in and attach it. One side would be easy enough, but the back side I may have to think about.

At any rate, here is the new and improved hen pen. Tonight we finally will be done tying the gate shut. I'm getting the latch finished. It was supposed to be done before the storm, but I was panicking over getting the chicken wire out from  the overhead lean to's. I didn't want one of them tangled up in it, or it collapsed on top of everything possibly cutting open one of them - a VERY likely scenario. Besides, it's really nice to be able to walk upright in there now. It's so nice not to have to crouch down the whole way through anymore. Now, if I just didn't have to stick my whole body into that little hole to clean the coop...

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Something to ponder....

Something little, something big...

But I do SO love the speckles!

They make my cheeks hurt form smiling.

:-D

I can't wait to get home and see what awaits me today.

'Till next time!

Barbie~

Harvest Monday 8.27.12 & Isaac

It's Harvest Monday - I'm linking into Daphne's Dandelions once again to give my update on what's going on in my garden and what has been harvested! Thanks Daphne for always being such a wonderful hostess.

But, first the update on Isaac. For me he's just been a bit of a nuisance. Isaac took out my poor bean patch. My black beans are now none existent. Anyone who knows me knows this breaks my heart. I think it is too late in the season to restart them. (Daphne's seed for one  - I'd have to order this go 'round) and for 2 I need to repair the trellis the stupid storm took out last night. But for the most part this is what Isaac is:

It looks like the dead of night in broad daylight. It's raining, and windy. That's it. I'm glad. But, I think considering the timing I would have rather had it come here than where it is heading instead. :-( Hold on Louisiana!

As for my garden, I got 5 pods of black beans before the dagnabbed trellis came down, I also got a half pound of pink eye purple hulls, a pound of zipper creams (yummmm we had those last night) a few black eyed peas

a half pound of peanuts

AND... 2 small sweet potatoes. I totally forgot to weigh, in all my excitement I just cut those suckers up for sweet potato fries and snarfled! OMG.... I need to let the others grow more these were on the small side - but HOW - how do you leave behind the potatoes that taste like this?!?!?

Nom.Nom.Nom.

Also 'harveseted' 9 eggs.

Check out that range of colors from just my 3 hens. Can't wait till things settle down and I can figure out who is laying what eggs! Someone is laying a speckled egg that is absolutely beautiful. It makes it hard for me to break it. I want to keep them until the next one comes along just to make sure I'll get another that is just as pretty. LOL.

'Till next time!

Barbie~