Tag Archives: babies

Aug30

Babies! And other things

Posted on August 30, 2011 by awunderl

Don’t count your eggs before they’re hatched, or so they say, well we DID count them before they hatched and there were three dozen. Post hatching, we were delighted to have 10-ish join the flock. Now I say “ish” because there were two or so that died during the first day. One of the chicks was hen-pecked, and had a head that was oozing. So, I, wanting to be a day saver swooped up this chick and put it in a box in the house and treated its head wound. This chick which I have since nicknamed “Spaz” lived in our house for about a week, then I reintroduced it to its siblings. The Mamma hens were in this new coop with the babies and they knew Spaz was back and pecked at it again. Ok, plan B, “Get rid of the Mamma’s”. Well, easier said than done. Through experience, I am an expert chicken catcher. I have an accurate swoop, and through training am no longer afraid. I threw the mammas into the coop with the bigger flock, and both mammas and babies started freaking out. The crafty young somehow snuck through the fence and joined the big flock with no apparent side effects such as other hens nipping them and the like. Leaving sweet Spaz all alone in the new coop. Such is life.

Babies just hatching.

Little “Spaz”. Since Spaz had been in the house, it didn’t know how to be with the other chickens.

Mammas and babies trying to figure out what happened.

And little Spaz again, trying to figure it out.

In other news, the Missouri Angels are gone for two weeks. They will return, to over-winter here, this is great news for their help is so valuable. Also, Paul Pakis, a previous WWOOFer, has just came back from a week-long vacation. It’s funny, I have pictures of Paul P. and have never posted them, so to you dear reader, this may be your first introduction to him. Paul who? Exactly. Paul came to us from Little Rock Arkansas, he stayed with us here for three weeks, left for a week, then came back. He told us last night that as soon as he left and was home for a couple of days, all he could think about was coming back. He said he had never eaten healthier, or felt better in his life. That the farm life made him happy. Things like this make us happy too. It feels good to create an atmosphere for people where they feel good. This farm is therapy. Also, I could mention that right before Paul P. left, the Frenchies, David and Marine have returned to France. I’m not sure how they’re doing, but I bet they’re relieved to not have to be awake and at breakfast by 6:30 am! Happy trails to you both.

Jul31

So much excitement and all before 8am!

Posted on July 31, 2011 by awunderl

Standard

This morning Paul comes in and tells the team over breakfast that plans have changed. The original plans were to work on digging more row space or picking blackberries. However some of the eggs under the rumps of our diligent chickens are starting to hatch, so plan B, make a new coop for the baby chicks.

Paul and Patrick are discussing plans for the new coop.

Finding materials to work with.

There are always usable pieces lying around. Pat is putting the pieces to be used into a pile.

PS. Don’t call it a come back! The Missouri Angels were gone for about ten days visiting their family and such. They made plans to go to New Mexico, but the farm there told them they were full at the moment, so they came BACK. They couldn’t get enough, and I guess neither could we. It feels really great to have their help once again.

Jake and Laura are stitching the holes in our deer fence. So far so good on the security front, the sweet potatoes are still there.

Laura is going to LOVE this picture! Sorry girl, I caught you blinking, but it’s funny.

So I’m in the house doing some activities with the kids, when Paul comes in and tells me about a problem with the chickens. He mentioned how he had about four dozen eggs under four broody hens and that we have lost some to what he thought were other chickens. That may be true, but within his next breath he mentions a SNAKE. I gasp at the thought. We were all excited about the possibility of babies, I don’t want to hear about a large rat snake entering the coop and eating them all. For some reason it made me think of the book Rikki Tikki Tavi. Then Paul tells me that it’s dead. Dead? Did you kill it? I ask. He explains that it somehow slithered through the top that is covered with chicken wire, realized that it wouldn’t fit and came back out. Mr. Rat snake must have been greedy and hungry, because it stitched itself back through the chicken wire one more time, only to meet its untimely death. Chickens 1, snake 0.

It totally grossed me out getting this close to a dead snake.

An inside view.

Jake “Snake” Jones, sharing a moment with his brethren.

Crazy huh? We don’t know what to do about it. I personally don’t feel like cutting that snake out of there. So if there are any volunteers, please raise your hand! Maybe the snake can serve as a reminder to others to steer clear.