The Camera Has Been Found

So here are some picture of the chickens in their coop as promised.













Just ingnore the debris around the coop. It's been removed now that they are coming out of their hosue. So far they don't seem to like wandering too far from the coop. Maybe I can get some pictures of them in the "great outdoors" tonight.

And The Harvest Begins

Actually, we at the radishes quite some time ago. But I never really count them since they are so early.

Everything has been flowering so late this year that I was afraid we wouldn't have anything for Jade an Meg to put in the fair. The entries have to be in place tomorrow morning. This morning I went out and found green beans, yellow beans, carrots (although they are quite small) and just a few radishes that actually grew in the heat. We will be able to harvest the green onions today too.

Since Meg is only in tykes and toddlers, she can only put on veggie in the fair. However, Jade can put in whatever is ready to harvest. I'm so stinking excited for her. I think I'm living vicariously though her since I never got to put things in the fair as a kid. Some time I think I'm more excited than she is.

The chickens are still alive and well. They are doing great in the coop. Hopefully we will have the fence up soon for them. I wouldn't mind them free ranging, but I don't want them to eat up the garden. Also, the neighbors have a dog that likes to hunt and she makes me nervous. Thankfully the neighbors are really nice people and do their best to watch her close.

The camera is still MIA. If I don't find it in the next couple days I'm just going to have to take substandard pictures with my phone and pay the fee to email them to myself.

That's all for today. I'm off to get more ready for the fair.

The Chickens are Cooped Up!

as of yesterda morning they are in the coop. FINALLY. I have mixed emotions about it. On the one hand, it's so nice to not have the chicken mess and smell in the house. At the same time, the house seems quiet and empty without them in here.

The move to the coop was a lot of fun. Two of my nephews came over to help. Four kids ranging in age from three years old to seven years old carried the chickens one by one to the coop. I carried the big cochin that we have decided is a rooster. He has been showing a lot of dominance lately, so I didn't know how he would do with the kids. Also, I like him and just plan wanted an excuse to carry him out myself.

For the next several days, the chickens won't be leaving the coop. The theory is that this will reinforce that the coop is home and they will return to it more readily to roost at night. We'll see if it works. At least half of them spent all day today just staring outside watching the big wide world.

If I could find the camera I would post some pictures. Hopefully it surfaces soon.

I Know What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

I turned 35 years old today and I finally have figured out what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be a farmer.

I have a start with the chickens. Rob has given his ok for honey bees next spring, then we will also start work on a barn. We'll probably start with goats, then sheep and cows. I'd like to do it all at once, but that would take a lot of money we don't have. Doing it in steps will get us there in a more doable fashion. It will also let me get use to one thing before I add another.

My ultimate goal is to build my hobby farm into a home business by the time Braden starts Kindergarten in about four years. I figure I can sell extra eggs, and we can sell the worms. When we have dairy goats, I can use the extra milk for soaps as well as using beeswax for things like candles, lotions and creams.

I don't have dilusions of making a ton of money, but I would at least like to make a little more than what it costs to keep the animals.

It sure is nice to finally know what I want to do with my life.

BooBoo has a booboo.

Megan's sweet little bantam BooBoo had a trip to the vet today. She was favoring her left foot and was obviously in pain. She was also staying at the back of the brooder, which is very unusual for her. She is one of the first to run up for attention when the lid opens. When I finally got ahold of her, I saw that she had what looked to me like a hair tightly wrapped around two toes. The circulation was cut off and Rob and I couldn't get it off ourselves.

Luckily there is a vet at our regular vet's office that treats birds. Dr. Scott saw us and it took all of about 10 seconds to get her all fixed up. And the best part is that they didn't charge us for the visit! I was amazed and thrilled. That office has been so good to us for so many years. I'm really glad that we can keep them for the birds too.

BooBoo Chicken is doing just fine now. However, she is giving me quite the cold shoulder this evening. It defiantly stressed her out being removed from the flock. Perhaps she is plotting her revenge. On the plus side, Rocky (our little bantam rooster) seems to have become quite protective of her.

Now I'm sure regular readers are wondering if the chickens are in the coop yet or not. The answer would have to be no. *sigh* But we are very close. The coop is in place. The window and roosts are in. Unfortunately, I still have to caulk some holes and Rob has to fix the big hole he put in it with the tractor. Both of those things were suppose to be done today, but the trip to the vet became the top priority instead. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have a good report for you on that front.

There is a part of me that is going to miss waking up to their chirping every morning. At this point they sound much like song birds most of the time. I suppose that just means I will be spending more time outside with them.

If anyone out there is considering chickens, I would have to say go for it. Even as frustrated as I get at them STILL being in the house, they are so fun to watch and interact with. Each chicken has it's own unique personality.


Random chick pic.


Here's BooBoo.


In the back is the cochin (that I hope is a rooster) and the turken.

Update: I wrote this Wednesday night, but since I'm posting it Thursday morning I thought I would let you all know that BooBoo is doing great this morning and came right up to greet me.

They make weeding fun

Well maybe not exactly fun, but at least I get a fun payoff now. The chicks love getting all the weeds I pull out of the veggie garden. They use to run and cower in the corner when I opened the brooder lid, now they come running to see what goodies I have for them. They also love to be fed crackers, bread and popcorn. Grapes are another favorite.

I'm quite positive one of the bantams is a rooster. His comb has turned VERY red and gotten to be about 3 times the size of the other bantams combs. I'm pretty sure that Megan's chicken, dubbed "Boo Boo Chicken", is a girl. She is the smallest and the only all white bantam.

As for the other chickens, I still have no clue who might be a rooster. They will be five weeks old on Saturday, so I guess I'm just going to have to keep waiting. Maybe someone will start to crow soon. I'm really hoping that I have more than one rooster. I would like to have our own chicks at some point.

The coop still isn't ready. Rob should be moving it on Saturday. Then I have some minor construction that needs to be done on it. Hopefully the smell of the chicks in the house for another week doesn't drive me insane.

Here are some new pictures. They are really close to being fully feathered.