Well, we had a disaster tonight. I went to the back to change for bed and heard my chickens peeping loudly. It's 11 at night, so I grabbed a flashnight and walked outside, to find 2 dead chickens. Foolishly (they're dumb chickens!) they had not bedded down in their box, but along the side of the cage. A night creature killed 2 of them, and another narrowly missed death when I showed up and chased it off. Probably a cat, I heard something streaking away as I walked out there. Luckily I have an old piece of shade fabric rolled up nearby, and I wrapped it all the way around the cage, and secured it with boxes, rocks and an old gate, so hopefully the Beast can't drag another chick out through the chicken wire. This is the hardest part of raising chicks, protecting them from predators (and from themselves) long enough grow up. Kinda like kids....
I have to go out and check on them again before I go to bed, just to make sure my plan worked. In Colorado we had a big chicken hutch, it was actually an 1880's log cabin with 2 rooms, and a big 6 foot chicken pen around it. I fought skunks and raccoons there every year. I had a cage for the babies that I put inside the smallest room in the pen. I locked it up every night, but sometimes a skunk would push a hole through the rock foundation and get into the chicks. I would lose a half dozen some years before I could catch and shoot the damn skunks. At least the raccoons would steal a chicken, but take the whole thing. Skunks rip them through the abdomen and start eating them while they're still alive, it horrible. I had no qualms about shooting them as needed. It takes a lot of energy at times, but I love the fresh eggs and 'organic bug control'. Off I go to save the day, I feel like such a hero and Mom again!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Chickenheads
Well we hit the gun show last Saturday. I wasn't planning to go, that is David and Jon's idea of a good time, but then Jon decided to take Gina and her boys, so I was nominated to go with David. We met them in Prescott Valley and took in the sights. It was the 1st one in P.V., so we had to be at the debut. I thought it was pretty good, but David decided they had too many jewelry/craft booths, and not enough guns, so what do I know. We walked through the show before lunch, then took a break and went to Zeke's. We had a nice big western meal before going back to the show. Well, sort of. I took my knitting in, there was an area with nice cushy chairs. I got a platform seat to people-watch and finished a washcloth while I was there. I sat right behind a big blunderbus rifle, it was huge! It made an interesting spectacle, a big rifle display with me sitting behind it knitting. It might have taken the macho edge off the display, but oh well....
Today I moved the baby chicks from the dog kennel they've been in. We put chicken wire around it to keep them inside, but they grow pretty quick, and now they need more room. There are 10 of them right now, but Mom is taking 6 next week. I have a moveable cage that's built in a triangular shape, but it's old and needed to be tightened up. I spent the morning pounding in nails, stapling up the chicken wire and helping David build it a new door. It took a couple hours, but now they are tucked into their new digs. I scattered straw throughout the bottom, put their little box in, so they have a cozy hideaway, and cleaned up the water and feed containers. The containers are chicken feeders, so one holds almost 2 gallons of water, and the feeder holds 4-5 pounds of food. The idea is that you don't have to fuss with them as much.
After I put them in there, I checked on them about 1/2 hour later, and they were looking very hot and stressed. One chick was sprawled out, so I picked her up and put her head in the water. She was so shocked! Chickens are so dumb, that because their old water container wasn't in there, they didn't find the new one, even though it is in the middle of the pen, and they were walking past it. Dumber than rocks, really. Anyhow, the others saw her drinking and raced up to the water. None of them had drank anything that whole time... Now I've seen turkeys drown in the rain, looking up into it, but I honestly thought chickens could see or smell the water-sheesh. Now if I can just keep the skunks out of the pen, life will be good.
Today I moved the baby chicks from the dog kennel they've been in. We put chicken wire around it to keep them inside, but they grow pretty quick, and now they need more room. There are 10 of them right now, but Mom is taking 6 next week. I have a moveable cage that's built in a triangular shape, but it's old and needed to be tightened up. I spent the morning pounding in nails, stapling up the chicken wire and helping David build it a new door. It took a couple hours, but now they are tucked into their new digs. I scattered straw throughout the bottom, put their little box in, so they have a cozy hideaway, and cleaned up the water and feed containers. The containers are chicken feeders, so one holds almost 2 gallons of water, and the feeder holds 4-5 pounds of food. The idea is that you don't have to fuss with them as much.
After I put them in there, I checked on them about 1/2 hour later, and they were looking very hot and stressed. One chick was sprawled out, so I picked her up and put her head in the water. She was so shocked! Chickens are so dumb, that because their old water container wasn't in there, they didn't find the new one, even though it is in the middle of the pen, and they were walking past it. Dumber than rocks, really. Anyhow, the others saw her drinking and raced up to the water. None of them had drank anything that whole time... Now I've seen turkeys drown in the rain, looking up into it, but I honestly thought chickens could see or smell the water-sheesh. Now if I can just keep the skunks out of the pen, life will be good.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
I have a Farmer's tan
Well, I couldn't help myself, I've been thinking about it for a couple years, and now I've gone and done it. It started when I was driving all around the country with my Mom. We talked about gardening, and then moved on to other past pursuits. The next thing you know, I'm in the store, and now I'm a farmer, yup, I bought me some chickens! Pullets actually, just the hens. I don't want a rooster, neighbors don't like the noise. I got enough for me and Mom, she'll pick hers up in a couple weeks.
My kids hate chickens, they had to feed them for years. The worst punishment at our house was to clean the chicken pen, so when they'd done something particularly ornery, out to the chicken coop they went, to muck it out. So, I guess it's my fault they don't like chickens much, but I love having them. This time I got chickens as an organic grasshopper solution, last year the grasshoppers were so bad here that they stripped my butterfly bush and several shrubs. All that was left were the branches, it was so sad, I wasn't sure they would even survive. Every time we stepped into the back yard, clouds of them would fly up into your face. Chickens love to eat grasshoppers, and there you have it. I also look forward to having fresh eggs by fall.
My other focus this week was to plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, sunflowers, lettuce and a little swiss chard. I didn't plant a lot of each, just enough to have a nice salad I hope. It's probably too late for lettuce, it's been so hot here, but I couldn't resist. Yes, I'm just a farmer at heart, but on an itty bitty scale. I have lots of simple joys in my life, and digging in the garden gives me so much pleasure!
My kids hate chickens, they had to feed them for years. The worst punishment at our house was to clean the chicken pen, so when they'd done something particularly ornery, out to the chicken coop they went, to muck it out. So, I guess it's my fault they don't like chickens much, but I love having them. This time I got chickens as an organic grasshopper solution, last year the grasshoppers were so bad here that they stripped my butterfly bush and several shrubs. All that was left were the branches, it was so sad, I wasn't sure they would even survive. Every time we stepped into the back yard, clouds of them would fly up into your face. Chickens love to eat grasshoppers, and there you have it. I also look forward to having fresh eggs by fall.
My other focus this week was to plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans, sunflowers, lettuce and a little swiss chard. I didn't plant a lot of each, just enough to have a nice salad I hope. It's probably too late for lettuce, it's been so hot here, but I couldn't resist. Yes, I'm just a farmer at heart, but on an itty bitty scale. I have lots of simple joys in my life, and digging in the garden gives me so much pleasure!
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