Month: March 2010

Chicks arrive, cozy in their new home.

On By stefrobrtsIn 2010chicks, chickens3 Comments

Today I brought home 20 chicks – 10 Buff Orpingtons, and 10 feather-footed cochins. I can’t wait to see what the cochins grow into, they are partridge colored, red, white and buff, and maybe a black or blue in there too. They were still unloading chicks from the packing crates when I got to the feed store this morning, so they packed mine right up in a little box and I brought them straight home to their brooder box which was all warmed up and outfitted with food and water.

I started out using my waterer I used for the chicks last year, but they ended up hopping right into it, so I switched to this chicken-waterer that has just a shallow trough so no one will get their butt wet standing in it.

There are two little guys like this, I think they are the partridge colored cochins. I know they’re cochins, look at all the feathers on her legs.

Warm, fed, and dozing under the heat lamp. Happy chicks!

Chicks -2010

On By stefrobrtsIn 2010chicks, chickens5 Comments

Wednesday I will be picking up 20 chicks from the feed store – 10 buff o’s and 10 assorted color cochins – red, black and buff. Hopefully someone will go broody and I’ll get some chicks from my own hens as well this year, but because the feed store chicks are sexed, I thought this would be a nice way to go. Not so many roosters to deal with. Also I want to handle them more and make them friendly, not stand-offish like my mama-raised birds. I plan to keep the ones I like and sell the other one’s to be urban egg layers, since city-folk love having tame chickens, but not everyone has the facilities to raise their own chicks.

I set up a 4 x 4ft brooder box in the chicken shed, with a heat lamp hanging from the ceiling on a chain, and food and water inside. The floor is covered in vinyl to protect it, and that is covered in wood chips. This same system worked great for the turkey chicks last year. Now I just need a cover to keep the cat out.

Farm Tour at Greengate Farms

On By stefrobrtsIn farm2 Comments

The Small Acreage Program had a farm tour today at Greengate Farms. It is always fun to go to these and see how other people run their farms. I still only dream of having a real farm, but I learn something everytime I go to one of these. Here Kelly, the owner, talks to the group about her barn and how they built it and what they would have done different if they knew then what they know now.

They had a nice barn and a composting area next to it, and talked about how they handle all the manure – did you know horses make about 50lb a DAY?! Luckily they have someone who wants their manure for fertilizer, so they get it hauled away. But they also talked about how they used to compost it and spread it on the fields. We also learned about sacrifice areas, mud control, and runoff management.

This is her own horse, the white one, and her boarder. She runs a boarding stable/retirement home for show horses. The horses were very clean and happy and friendly 🙂

Her sweet old golden followed the group around, resting whenever we stopped to talk 🙂

And her pesky golden puppy put on a show of chewing on his leash and generally acting like a puppy whenever he had to sit still while everyone was talking.

Out in the pastures we got some tips on pasture rotation, not letting horses out on grass too early in the spring, composting, and fencing – regular and electric. Plus some pasture management. Lots of great information. It’s so much to learn, it’s a lot of help to see how people do it all successfully, even when they feel they have more to do to perfect their techniques. Just goes to show there’s always more to learn! I’m so glad there are great farmers in the area willing to share with those of us who are still trying to figure it out!

Garden and chickens

On By stefrobrtsIn chickens, garden1 Comment

Laid down peat moss on top of the garden beds, one bale only covered a bed and a half. Guess I’m going to need a couple more bales before I’m done.

My sitting area next to the garden, looking out on the pasture.

The chickens were out in the backyard again today. I get such a kick out of watching them, they are so busy and look so serious about it 🙂

Memories of Alki

On By stefrobrtsIn alki, chester3 Comments

It helps to look back and remember what a full life she had with us, traveling, playing on the beach, romping through the snow, and just being a great dog. After being sick for three years, it’s easy to forget how active she used to be, and how much fun she had just running around and doing doggie stuff.

Chickens in the backyard

On By stefrobrtsIn chickens2 Comments

Chickens exploring the backyard. I let them out to wander around under the backyard trees, hunt for bugs. It was a beautiful day.

While the girls are pecking around, all you see are chicken butts, but this guy keeps his head up watching for hawks.

He has really grown into a spectacular rooster, and he’s never made so much as a move at me, though he did fuss at me once when I picked up one of the girls, but he didn’t attack.

Rest in Peace, little Pup

On By stefrobrtsIn alki, pets3 Comments

Just yesterday I posted how Alki seemed to be feeling great. I’m glad she had a great day and came out and enjoyed the sun, because today she woke up with a badly swollen leg. We watched her until afternoon to see if it was temporary, but it was bothering her, and she kept coming to me for help. We took her to the vet and she confirmed that the cancer had blocked something. She was able to let her go while resting peacefully in my lap. Almost three years since the cancer diagnosis, and it was no easier even though we knew it was coming. But it was the right thing to do. We never wanted her to suffer, and the time had come to let her go.

Alki was almost 15, and we got her when she was 8 weeks old, in fact we met her litter while they were still blind and in the box with their mama, who was also a wonderful dog and convinced us she would have a great temperament. One of my favorite stories is how we met her. The breeder had two girl pups left, and we got to choose. She said ‘take them out on the lawn and play with them and see which one fits you better, but I recommend this one’ and handed us a pup. We took her out on the lawn and put her on the grass and Dave called her and she toddled over to him, and then I called her and she toddled back to me, and she was so sweet and adorable. Then we went back in and she handed us the other pup. We took this one out and Dave called her and as soon as I set her on the grass whoosh – she took off running – away! Dave jumped up and grabbed her and brought her back, and I called her, and as soon as her feet hit the grass – zoom – she ran away again! Dave caught her and we took her back inside, the puppy wriggling and trying to get away, and told the breeder – we’ll take this one! ‘Are you sure?’ she said, knowing the other one was sweet and mellow, and we were first-time owners. ‘Yup, this is the one’ 🙂

And she was. Beautiful, full of spunk and trouble, she was absolutely evil as a puppy, destructive and pesky. But she grew up to be loving, and a great friend, loved to pin us to the couch with a paw on each shoulder and try to drown us in kisses. She knew all her toys by name, learned tons of tricks, knew hand signals, and would have earned her CGC except we moved across the state the week before testing. She would ‘go find Daddy’, and loved to say hello at the door, and wasn’t happy until everyone was home. When we moved out in the country and she stepped on thorns, she would hobble over to me and hold her paw up for me to make it better. We eat dinner sitting at a low table, and she would sit on the floor between us for the best view of the plates and potential for leftovers. Every morning she would wake up and come find me for a hug.

We did what we could about the cancer. She never complained a bit, and trotted off willingly with the nurse for every treatment. She got a couple extra years, and a chance to grow into an old dog. I’m glad we were able to give her that time, and keep her comfortable and love her for as long as we did. I know she never went a day without knowing how much she was loved, and in the end I guess that’s the best any of us can hope for.

Rest in peace Sweetie, Beautiful, Pup, Alki.