For those in the midwest, rain is not the joyous occasion that is in here in the desert. It's only sprinkled a couple times since the end of May, just enough to stir up the dust on the cars so they look terrible, but not enough to clean them off. This weekend, just in time for the 4th of July, we had a storm come through that has brought a little rain every day. For three days, it's a marvelous thing. Probably not even 1/2 inch yet, but every little bit helps.
Mom took 4 of the chicks with her to St. Johns, AZ. I have 4 left, but 2 of them are injured and require more care. They were both injured by some critter, but at least they weren't killed. I don't name chickens usually, so I haven't named these.... Let's call one Betty and the other Lucky. Lucky can't use one leg, so she's been in a box in the house for a week. Betty got her right wing feathers chewed off, but there was no blood, and she was still strong, so I left her in the main pen. After Mom took 4 chicks though, the pecking order had to be reestablished, and when I went out to check on her yesterday the other chicks had picked that wing until it was bleeding badly. So, now I have the two of them in a rehab box. They are both eating and drinking water, so I think they'll survive. Oh the joys of chicken farming, all four of them.....
Nic was up today, and Dakota came to visit. We decorated fairy wings for her, and she played outside in the water. Nic brought the healthy chicks out for her to see and pet, but she would only look at them. She likes them, but doesn't want to touch them at all! I found 2 sets of the large block Leggos at a yard sale, and they were a big hit. She and Nic spent hours building a train, train station and lots of buildings. It rained a little more, and is nice and cool this afternoon too.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! I love to celebrate the birth of our country, and I'd like to take a moment to say thank you to the brave men and women that serve in the military all over the world. Right now Iraq and Afghanistan are the scariest places to serve, but there are many places our service men and women are put in danger every day. Each and every one of our military service people deserve our prayers and gratitude.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Disaster
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!
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Father's Day and birthdays
Last week Mom and I went to a friend's 90th birthday. 90 years old! What an accomplishment! Gene and Barbara were like 2nd parent's to me when we were in High School, they are Julie's real parents, and I had to be to Gene's birthday. He has lived his life wide open, he rode motorcycles, lived to travel, for years. He was riding his motorcycle on a rural road in the '70s when someone came around the corner on the wrong side of the road, and ran over him. Gene's leg was shattered, and it changed his life. He was in his 50's I believe when it happened, and had a very long recovery, but thank heavens he did live through it. He looked at life differently after that, more concerned about family matters than ever before, and he also sponsored missionaries for years, as a way of giving back to others. He still lives at home, and Barbara and the kids look after him well. I just want to say, 'hats off' to both of them and thanks for being such good friends to me!
We had Dakota and Nic here on Saturday, and that was great fun. We got a wading pool, and she took that literally- she never swam, or even sat down in the pool, just waded around, catching frogs. We unleashed a batch of plastic frogs in the pool, and with a bucket and shovel she was totally entertained for the afternoon. She and Nic made her a cap, it's foam with foam stick-ons, and we finally got her to wear it while she was in the pool. She's so blonde, we don't want her to get so sunburned, so we broke out the 30 weight sunblock, cap, etc. Sunday Nic and David went out shooting for a couple hours, great father/son bonding. Then we had a BBQ, and Nic left about 1:30 to head home. I missed Heather and Jared! They called their Dad and had a nice visit though, so all in all it was a great Father's day.
We had Dakota and Nic here on Saturday, and that was great fun. We got a wading pool, and she took that literally- she never swam, or even sat down in the pool, just waded around, catching frogs. We unleashed a batch of plastic frogs in the pool, and with a bucket and shovel she was totally entertained for the afternoon. She and Nic made her a cap, it's foam with foam stick-ons, and we finally got her to wear it while she was in the pool. She's so blonde, we don't want her to get so sunburned, so we broke out the 30 weight sunblock, cap, etc. Sunday Nic and David went out shooting for a couple hours, great father/son bonding. Then we had a BBQ, and Nic left about 1:30 to head home. I missed Heather and Jared! They called their Dad and had a nice visit though, so all in all it was a great Father's day.
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