Is she a he?

What say ye?

Finally... a chicken post

He's so handsome!




This is Yolkie, with her leg pulled up. Yesterday morning I noticed she was limping.



She won't put any weight on it. Any ideas? I've looked at it and it seems fine.


A chicken video for your enjoyment.

Win a quilt

One of my readers brought to my attention a quilt giveaway over at Pigtails and Snails. Go check it out!

Chicken Tractor Success

So, I've been totally struggling with getting my flock to go into the chicken tractor. I have fifteen birds and up until two days ago I could only get about eight of them out there at a time. I was chatting with frugalmom about it. She was asking me all sorts of questions about my behavior with the chickens and she wisely said "get out there and make them get in it", or something like that. That spurred me on to try to figure a way to get them to go out without too much stress. I've noticed recently that they have been very excited when I bring their food in, like they might just eat my hand while their at it excited. Sooo, it dawned on me that maybe if I put their food in there they would go out. And sure enough that worked for all but a couple and they were easily shoo'd out. Day two has come and gone and it's working. I will try to get a picture of them when it stops raining. I am amazed at how different the two spots look where they were. Mowed Down! I am relieved that they are finally "free ranging"! Thanks frugalmom for the nudge. ;0)

2 Busy 2 blog!

Seems like just yesterday I told someone I would be posting about the chickens and three weeks later here I am, no chicken post. So sad! I've been busy! Soccer, Scouting, Christian Women's Conference, Illness, House guests, Consultation with a surgeon and now on the horizon is a birthday party for our newest nephew and our #1 son.

Boo will be 1 and #1 son will be *gasp, 12. How did that happen? It seems like just yesterday I was holding his tiny body in my arms. Now he's almost as tall as me(really not saying much, I'm a shorty) But he's counting down the days til 12, he gets to set up front in the van(or so he thinks). He's checking at least every other day to see if he's grown. Slow down I say, it goes by so fast! Just yesterday I was pushing you in a stroller, just yesterday I was teaching you to tie your shoes, just yesterday I kissed your boo-boo's, just yesterday you held my hand to walk into the store, just yesterday you cozied and cuddled with me, oh what will tomorrow bring? Serious talks, razors and hair gel? Girlfriends and cars? Heartbreaks and scars. Lord please protect him as he grows, please protect my heart.

It's A Big Scary World Out There!

The chickens got to go outside today because this finally was finished. What you can't see it, darn camo! It's our chicken tractor and hopefully this will allow my lovely flock to "free range" in safety.



What in the world does she expect us to do? I am not going out first, who knows what's waiting for us out there!


Oh, move out of my way! I'll go first. K, I don't see anything out here that wants to eat me. Come on out girls I think it's safe.


Hey, everyone there's food out here!



Mmmm, yummy! Tomatoes and feed. Oh my, look at all this glorious green stuff and dirt! Are we in heaven?

We are in Heaven!


Look at us! Hey, where's everyone else?

Hey girls, what's going on? We're too scared to go outside. Well, you don't know what your missing. Maybe we'll go out later. I don't know, you all look like a bunch of scaredy cats to me. CATS! Are you crazy woman, we are not going out there with cats! Silly chickens.

Rooster!

His name is Rooster said in a Carol Burnett voice yelling at her brother in the movie "Annie".

Moving Day

Moving day has arrived. We moved the chickens to the coop this week. They seem to be loving the space and seem to be enjoying my visits more. Maybe because I'm more on their level? We have a security system in place, i.e. the baby monitor. My husband thinks it's hilarious that I put the baby monitor out there. I said, "Well I want to listen to them and this way if something gets in we'll here about it".

Family Reunion

This last weekend we went to Wisconsin for a reunion on my FIL's side. My family, my In-laws and two sets of Uncles and Aunts stayed at a B & B there. That was great!




We visited and met family. We actually met some family on our way up at a rest area! Our license plate has our last name on it and they noticed and stopped to say hi.

We went for a hike next to the river. The boys loved that!

We ate at an A & W root beer restaurant. The boys really loved that!

We also visited the world's largest talking cow! That was odd!




The B&B was a beautiful home, the breakfast was yummy and the owners were super friendly and accommodating. On the morning we were leaving the boys were playing outside and G stole P's shoe. He was running backwards away from P, taunting him and fell in the fountain!! He was crying and freezing, it was 47 degrees that morning. We got him stripped, dried off and re clothed right away. What a memory he will have of our trip!



Also, on this trip my husband's Grandfather was presented with an honor stone. The High Ground is an amazing place. If you are ever up that way make a point of stopping to visit.

Rooster?

So, when I talk to "Rooster" I hear Carol Burnett screaming at her brother in the movie, Annie. But some have said that it's not allowed to name your rooster, well Rooster. And both of my boys have been hounding me about naming him something else. G wants to name him 'Lil Man and P wants to name him Rocky the Rooster(from the movie Chicken Run). So, dear readers give me your two cents worth.

I'm shopping!

I'm shopping for a new washer and dryer. Everybody chime and tell me what you like about yours or which one's you've been eyeing!

A visit from a friend

Today was a great day! A friend of mine came to visit. This friend and I usually get together about every five weeks. Much less than I would like but she has a life, I have a life, you get the idea. She said she was coming to visit me but, I'm pretty sure she really came for the chickens. Here's the evidence:

Here chick, chick!

Here girls, come eat the yummy chick feed.

Rooster, would you like to come up in my hand?

Doubling her odds.

Have you guessed who this friend is?

It's frugalmom. This was her favorite chick. She's the most friendly and calm of the bunch. Look at how happy she is, I mean frugalmom. She needs some birds of her own and some llamas and maybe a goat and a few donkeys. Yeah, that sounds good to me.

While frugalmom was here she taught all the good girls and boy how to be bad. She is a bad influence!

Do they ever grow up?

So, my last post was about my boys this one is about my DH. He loves riding as much as the boys. Here he is showing the boys how it's done.

Raising Boys

Hmmm, I'm not sure what the right way is to raise boys. I know it's hard to let them do all that boy stuff without feeling nervous, without saying "be careful". Without worry. But you get the worry whether you have boys or girls. Just different worry. My boys make me proud. They "usually" make the right choice, they are boys so sometimes the boy-ness gets the better of them. My husband says it's important to let them do all that "stuff" that gives me more gray hair. It helps them become self confident men. So, I let them do bb guns and climb trees and such. I just pray a lot! Here's a video of something that is turning my hair gray. I find myself holding my breath while I watch them. I love seeing them glow when they manage to start the bike by themselves or when they hop right back up after a minor crash. I hate the crashing! The laughter you hear in the background is my FIL. I think he's having as much fun watching as the boys are riding!

Two Weeks Old

Finally....I'm learning

The boys and I went to my Grandparents today. They have blackberries coming out of their ears. So, we came home with some, also a few raspberries. I made this. It was fantastic.

I finally got a little smarter than the birds today. I put their waterer up on a bowl. It's staying much cleaner now. What's funny is look at the chick peeking around at Rooster. She looks like she's sayin', "Hey, whatcha doin' ?"

Funny Birds

Today we had to go to town. I was a little worried about the chicks getting out while we were gone. See, they've taken to trying to fly around in their brooder and I just had this feeling if I left them alone, welll, I thought they might make a break for it. So, I was trying to figure out what to put on top of the brooder when I happened to look over at my laundry room window and I thought, Hey maybe that screen would work. And sure enough it was long enough, a little too wide but that wasn't a problem. So, I put in on there and went to town. We returned to 15 safe chickies in the brooder. I took the screen off and went over to the washtub sink to do something, when I turned around there was a pretty little girl sitting on top of the waterer. Whaaaaa???!!! No picture, sorry, my camera wasn't near and no way was I leaving her up there. Soooo, I'm so glad I listened to my instincts and imprisoned them, I mean made them safe before I left.

Here's a video of me hand feeding them. They are such funny little birds.

A full day.

Today was a full day. I took care of the chicks, both boys are home and one is feeling puny, I made pickles today, I made a clothespin apron today, I did laundry and took the non puny boy over to Grandma and Grandpa's to practice his swimming. Oh, yeah and there was that burial thing. Trying to overlook that. Supper, etc. I'm done for today. ;0)

RIP Tiny

We lost a chick today. I had noticed she was smaller than all the rest. Then I started noticing she was sleeping a lot, not eating or drinking. I moved her into the Chick ICU(an ice cream bucket in the brooder). It was just slowly going down hill, I emailed a wise chicken lady, who has been giving me advice and info on this road to chickendom. She gave me the sad news that Tiny was more than likely not going to make it. Around 3:00 today she passed. She was a good little chick. I hope we made her as comfortable as possible while she was with us.

Day 4

K, they are changing way too fast! This morning I went in and I saw the rooster flapping his wings and trying to herd them all to the other side of the brooder. Then a hen stretched up and bumped his chest. Is she challenging him? Also, their little wings are starting to be more pronounced. less baby chick fuzz on them. Here's a pic or two, so you can see what I mean.