Broody Hen Day 14: Weather Catastrophe

It rained on our hill on June 11.  After that we had 23 days of no rain whatsoever.  Uncle Mark counted.

Finally the weather started to break.  The first week of July we had five whole drops of rain.  Perhaps I exaggerate just a bit; it may have only been 4.5.  Leeds, Alabama had enough that there were puddles on the sidewalk.  Our driveway had dry patches.

The second week of July the weather was better.  The temperatures were not as brutal and we got real rain.  Not only did the driveway get wet, there was water gushing out of the gutters.  Hurray!

Tuesday evening July 10th (that's Bible Study evening at our house in case you are interested) we had an early supper and the house was in order.  Uncle Mark and I were relaxing for a few minutes when we heard what sounded like torrential rain.  We were so excited that we ran to the porch to watch.  There was no rain, just a fierce wind.  Uncle Mark plopped down in the hammock to watch and I started pacing the porch so that I could see everything.  After a bit I went inside to check on something and as I was coming back out to watch the storm I saw Uncle Mark running at top speed down the sidewalk.  Figuring there was a chicken problem, I ran outside, slipped into the shoes and took off after him, hollering for Dan on the way.

As I raced down the sidewalk, I saw what had gotten his attention.

Can you believe that not one chicken was hurt?

Can you believe that not one chicken got loose?

And that it fell away from Big Mama Broody Hen??

That thing with the shiny roof in the background is where Big Mama is setting

Instead of studying Roman chapter 7, the women-folk had "fellowship" time.
The men-folk got busy with saws, axes and muscles.

We were able to rig a safe area for the flock; Uncle Mark was even able to get the electric fence rigged (we have a coyote problem out here).

Wednesday Uncle Mark visited our friends at Lowe's.  Thursday he reconstructed the pen.  In the meantime, Buckaroo and his girls are learning to be thankful for what they have, even though it is smaller than what they are used to.  And I am thankful that my husband and my son are so strong and so handy!

Broody Hen Day 10: Candling Catastrophe

 

There are different opinions about whether or not to candle one's incubating eggs.  Candling is the process of shining a bright light into the eggs in the dark to see what is happening developmentally.


Those in favor of candling point out that if an egg stops developing the contents of the egg could build up toxic gasses.  If the egg explodes (a possibility), those toxins are then released into the nest and could potentially infect the other eggs.

Those in favor of not candling point out that since Creation, the vast majority of broody hens have managed this whole process just fine without any human intervention.

Since this is our first broody, since we were a little concerned about a few of the eggs, and since we are innately curious (!), Uncle Mark and I decided to go ahead and candle.

Friday evening we went out after dark to see what we could see.  I was tasked with taking care of Mama.  She is used to me by now and puts up with me. We opened the nesting box, I reached in and picked her up, held her, talked soothingly to her, and petted her a little bit (True Confessions!).  As we looked in at the nest and counted the eggs, we realized that there were only SEVEN there.  Just as I was commenting...OK, shrieking, ("WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER EGG???!!!!), catastrophe struck.  I did not know then that sometimes an egg or two will get stuck up under Mama's legs and feathers.  One had.  It fell.

Good news?  The egg was fertile.

Bad news? We are down to seven eggs.  Mean old Mr. Gravity!

We tried to candle them but realized that we really did not know what we were doing.  After the second egg, we put Mama back, closed the door, and walked away.  We'll find out when we find out!

Broody Hen Day 3

It has been a beautiful year in the garden.  The problem with a garden blog is that if the garden is successful one is usually rather busy keeping it that way and the keeping gets in the way of the blogging.  But we have some exciting things going on here, so blog I shall.  The men can fix their own tomato sandwiches, by gum!

Last month and early this month we had some of our hens start teasing us.  They acted like they wanted to set and hatch some chicks for us.  We would watch for a few days and get our hopes up.  Then we would sneak out when they weren't expecting us and find the stupid things off the nest and playing in the dirt.  Sigh.  At one point we were so sure that one was broody I made Uncle Mark drag the tractor around and set it up as a broody pen.  Alas, she did NOT take to that experience.  Once we moved her she absolutely refused to get on the nest.  She slept in the middle of the tractor on the dirt.  After four days we gave up and let her go back in the pen.  At this point, Uncle Mark decided that we needed to just give up on the girls and he would build an incubator come September. 

Last Friday we realized we had another of the girls on the nest.  This time was different.  When I went into the nesting/feeding area, she would puff out her hackles and start screaming at me.  Aha!  Maybe this was it!  We left her in the regular pen Friday through Sunday.  By Sunday evening it was quite clear that this really was IT.  That evening after sunset we fixed up the tractor and put 8 pretend eggs in the far left nesting box (I don't know what it is about our hens and the far left nesting area, but that has always been their favorite.  Uncle Mark is afraid they are libs).  We then moved Big Mama in.  There she sits!  She had done so well that by Tuesday night we removed the pretend eggs and put in REAL, LIVE, FERTILE, HEN EGGS!!!  (At least we hope they are fertile.  If not, Buckaroo may be destined for the stew pot).

Today is day 3 of 20 and there she still sits.  I'm almost worried about her.  In fact, yesterday I called my Chicken Guru, aka Grandaddy Reed, and asked him if I should remove her from the nest so that she could eat and drink.  He is denying the title of Guru, but did suggest that I might want to just let her be.  So I am.  Her comb is not in terrible shape ~ just a little limp but not bad and not terribly pale.  It was awfully hot over here today, so I took an ice pack and put it on top of the metal roof that is over the nesting boxes (but not right over Big Mama since I don't want condensate dripping on her).  I do know that she has had at least two sips of water today.  I'm trying really hard not to be anxious... 

If this works, we will have babies around the 16th of July.  Pictures coming!!

New Growing Season: Fourth Year

After three growing seasons, we are starting to get a feel for what works and what doesn't.  Uncle Mark has figured out that there are certain crops that might be fun and nice to have but don't work as well here and just aren't worth the space and expense.  The growing season in this area is a little different so we are figuring out when to plant what.

Now here we are in January once again.  Currently we have onions and carrots in the back yard.  Lettuce is coming along nicely in the basement and we even have some outside that is surviving our mild winter.  The asparagus bed should finally be ready to harvest a little this year.  There are several very hot pepper plants that we pulled up and planted in pots to over-winter, and one tomato plant too.  We have started some tomatoes, cucumbers, and early jalapenos indoors.  The herb garden has survived the winter; we still have parsley, sage, thyme, mint, catnip.  Last year's dill has reproduced itself (nice, since finding dill can be challenging around here!).

The fig trees are doing well, although this mild winter is really confusing them and if we get any long cold spells I don't know what will happen to them.  The scuppernongs we planted last year are thriving.  Last year we planted them in a row across the front yard.  This year we are going to replant them in more of a traditional square.  We are just a little concerned about the possibility of clothes-lining the UPS man!

The plans for this year are to keep food crops in the back and along the side of the driveway.  The front area between the house and the sidewalk will be given over to flowers.  Go figure!  We have already planted some tulip and daffodil bulbs and will be adding other things that catch our fancy.  Mostly perennials.  Auntie 'Ginia is really lazy and prefers not to have to keep adding a whole new flower garden every year! 

We have also been reading a lot of Felder Rushing, a fun and quirky southern gardener.  So we may be doing some "interesting" yard art this year!

OK, enough words.  Here is the picture of us getting the front yard ready....

...can you see the spectators in the background?!

At last.....

Chicken Update!

My friend Kim asked for pictures of our chickens now that they are grown up so here they are!

  That's Buckaroo Banzai in the foreground with Perfect Tommy Scar behind him.

(he had a a little run-in with the electric fence)

And this is Priddy Penny Purdy...she's my fave.

She comes running every time I come outside, hoping I'll let her sit on my knee.

I almost always do.

Penny and her sister Peggy keep trying to convince Tommy Scar that nesting boxes are for

girls only. 

No boys aloud!

Mark has started on his winter garden, so more updates coming soon.

And Speaking of Chicken Feed....

Here are the new additions to the family!  Born at approximately 6:00 AM on Saturday, February 26th.  They came home on Monday the 28th.

These are from the first week, taken March 2nd.

They sleep hard!

We are changing our breed this year and have decided to go with Buff Orpingtons.  This breed is supposed to be pretty calm and even bordering on timid.  They are good layers of large, brown eggs and (drum roll please!) the hens tend to get broody more than other breeds (that means they will sit on their eggs and hatch them for you).  Since our current chickens are approaching the end of their laying cycle, are meaner than snakes (they kill each other.  the hens, not the rooster), and don't get broody, this seems like a good change for us.  The best thing about getting a breed that will get broody  is that you don't have to keep investing in baby chicks every few years.  Hooray!

Our local Tractor Supply store (we love Tractor Supply!) even got Orpingtons in as a preferred breed this year.  We got fourteen straight run chicks.  Straight run means that we do not know whether they are pullets (girls) or cockerels (boys).  However, the hatchery that provided them to Tractor Supply guaranteed that the straight runs are 98% pullets.  While we don't need cockerels for egg-laying, we do need a cockerel to make that broody thing be productive.  Since we had only gotten fourteen we were beginning to wonder if we should try and get another five or six just to be sure we had one cockerel.  This week  we noticed that one of the babies was getting quite big but was not feathering out like the other ones.  Bingo!  That usually means a boy (they are big, but they don't mature as fast as the girls) (as all you girls and mothers of boys already know).  

So here they are as of March 13th at two weeks and one day old....

The little guy in front showing you his rear end is probably the cockerel.  I think we are going to call him Buckaroo Banzai.  Or maybe Perfect Tommy.

We call this stage of chick development the "Eagle Stage".  Notice how they are feathering out so well.  The next stage is commonly known as the "Dinosaur Stage".  When you see, you will understand.

So there you have it; the new additions!

About Growing Lettuce Indoors....For Liz

This is just for Liz so she can see how we do lettuce.

 

It looks just a little pathetic right now because we had spaghetti for lunch today which requires salad.

You can use anything to plant indoor lettuce; these plastic bins

(the little one on top ~ the big ones are too deep for lettuce but great for chicken feed)

or these aluminum roasters

We get these from Fred's dirt cheap (pun intended).  They are probably a couple of inches deep and just the right size for enough lettuce for almost 3 salads.  Just pour in your potting soil and direct sow the lettuce seed.  Sprinkle a little soil over top and gently water.  When you are ready to harvest, cut off pretty close to the dirt.  Keep watering it, keep it under some flourescent lights (or put outside during the day time if it is warm enough where you live), and enjoy!  If you put it in these, you can not only bring it indoors when it is too cold, you can bring it in when it is too hot for lettuce and perhaps maintain your growing season until the tomatoes get ripe!