There's No One To.....

wake me up at the crack of dawn.....

or run around the front yard.....

annoy the cats.....

hide in the woods.....

jump through the window with the missing screen to eat the cat food.....

forage under the fallen tree.....

wait at the side door for treats.....

eat the flowers.....

go under the van for shade.....

follow behind when I mow the grass looking for bugs.....

or play hide and seek under the stairs.

 
BAD BEAR!

I MISS MY LADIES!   RIP, MY BEAUTIES!!

                            

What Else Could Go Wrong?

Well, Christmas has come and gone. WOW...that went by FAST!  I remember it being the middle of July and now it's December 28th.   I wish time would just slow down a bit.

These past few days have been interesting for us here on the farm.  Monday morning Skippy went to the coop to let the ladies out and give them feed and fresh water.  He came back in quickly there after, holding Queen Latifah in his arms, her had just hanging there all limp.  When I asked what happened, he said he found her hanging in the coop.  I immediately pictured her hanging by her neck and started to cry, but that is not what happened.  Skippy found her hanging by her wings on the wires we have the food and water containers hanging by that keep the shavings and the droppings out.   I still don't understand HOW it happened nor really how long she was in that position.  Earlier I had heard some commotion going on out in the house, but just thought it was their usual melodious, "COME NOW AND SEE WHAT I HAVE DONE" song.  I should have gone!

Well, we wrapped Queen Latifah up in a towel to get her warm and to see if we could get her to perk up.  She was in shock so we were going to keep a very close eye on her for awhile.  We got an empty tub from the porch and put some clean bedding in it and put it in the bathroom, out of the way of the dogs and cats.  As we lifted her up, Skippy noticed something strange on her backside. There was some blood and it looked like her insides were hanging out.   If you have never raised chickens, it can be a scary sight to see that first time.  After the harrowing experience of her being hung up by her wings, now come to find out the poor thing has what is called an oviduct prolapse, a condition in which the lower part of a hen’s oviduct turns inside out and protrudes through the vent.   Prolapse is a very serious condition that is treatable if caught early and is more than likely going to recur.   Talk about a DOUBLE WHAMMY!

After a quick bathing of Queenie's hind area, it was time to put everything back in its proper place.  Just how I wanted to spend my Christmas Eve morning!  lol  Before we began, we covered Queenie's head with a hand towel.  Since chickens can not see in the dark, they won't move.  We place a hand towel over their head to subdue them, preventing them from thrashing around and hurting themselves.

Armed with latex gloves, a hand towel, My Skippy Man, and Preparation H, it was time to begin. When you have a prolapse, everything becomes inflamed and swollen.  The Preparation H helps to shrink the swelling allowing the oviduct to remain inside the vent instead of bulging back out.  Very slowly, I gently pushed everything back inside, cleaning the area again with warm water, then applying a little more Preparation H.  We waited another minute before flipping her back over and removing the towel, making sure she didn't prolapse again.  SUCCESS!   Now to get her back in her tub and limit her light and feed so she will not lay for a time so she can heal.  When we were finished and everything was cleaned up, Skippy turns to me with a big smile on his face and says, "DR. DOLITTLE, STRIKES AGAIN!"  lol  Such a funny guy!

Ok, now with her all taken care of and in her nice clean tub, it was off to Wal-Mart for some last minute grocery items and prescriptions.  Fast forward three hours!  URRGGHH! 

Back home and groceries unpacked, we check in on our precious baby girl.  Just when we thought it was safe to go back in the water, we realized we had another problem......Queenie's wings were hanging to the ground.  After a quick search on Yahoo, we found what we had expected......both her wings were broken.  Time for another fix-it session, bandaging and binding her wings to her body.  We didn't have any gauze handy and another three hour trip to Wal-Mart was NOT an option, so we had to improvise.  My very helpful Skippy Man, gently gathered her wings and drew them up close to her body, putting them in place.  I then took a piece of fabric, ripped it into strips, and tied it around her middle, holding up her wings.  Not too bad for an impromptu sling.  Skippy gave her a small bite of oatmeal since it was very low in protein, but she only took two bites and was done.  It was time to go back into her bed.  She will have to be separated from the flock for about two weeks, giving her wings a chance to heal.  If she goes outside, it will have to be with supervision. 

Queenie Latifah did very well the rest of Monday and through the night.   She's just soaking up all the attention.  And, as you can see from the picture below, she was enjoying herself on Christmas day, just chillin' on my lap and hangin' with the family!   (ooops, sorry.....no pun intended) lol

Farm TV Episode 4 and a Busy Day

It's been a busy day here in the holler. We fed and watered all our animals, cleaned out part of the garden, did laundry, started to fix the latch on the coop door, and fixed the tarp on the run for our girls.  The weather had really taken a toll on the last one we had, tearing big holes in some sections and shredding the rest.  Now they have a place to go when it rains and to get out of the sun.

 

On days when we are all gone, I put the girls in the smaller run and the ladies in the bigger section.  Our girls are still a little small to put in with the bigger ones and are still on a finisher, so until they are all eating the same food, they will be separated.  It is funny to watch them communicate through the wire.  You can just imagine the conversation going on......."You just wait till I get in there, I'll show you who's at the top of THIS pecking order!"  LOL  Gena has gone broody again so she doesn't really care about what else is going on in the house.  lol

 Hey, girlfriend.........whatcha in for?  

LOL

The girls eating their watermelon

Some of the girls ~ Barred Rock and Rhode Island Reds

Skippy has come down with a nasty sinus infection and feels horrible.  He e-mailed me from work and requested soup for dinner.  I don't know how long he will feel bad so I am making a HUGE pot, loaded with veggies.  I am also making him a sugar-free cheesecake made with homemade vanilla and an almond meal crust.  Mmmmm......I can't wait to try that.   I hope it comes out good so I can post it for you later.

Well, it's time to get back to work.  Have a GREAT DAY!

An EGG-citing Morning

Every morning I go out and let the ladies out of their coop to run around and chase bugs, to play, and forage.  However today, I had a couple of errands to run so before I left, I put them in the run.  As I was getting everyone together, I noticed one of the ladies walking off to my left, over by the shed.  I just went ahead and finished putting the others in, knowing that when I called her and shook the bag of oatmeal, she'd come running.

When I was finished corralling all the ladies and the babies and put them in their different runs, and gave them all food and water, it was time to go get the girl.  I called her and shook the oatmeal bag but nothing.  I tried again, nothing.  This is very strange, they always come when I call them.  After 15 minutes of calling and searching, nothing.

Then, all of a sudden, I heard a noise.  I listened carefully.......it was my sweet lady, and she was talking to me.  She said, "HERE I AM, MOM!" Well, at least that's what it sounded like to me!  lol  "There you are!  Come on, baby....come get a treat!"  But she didn't move.  I continued to call her and she continued to stay right where she was.   By this time almost twenty minutes have passed.  Normally I would have just gone over and picked her up, but she was in the back yard in the wooded, overgrown area over the rock bed and creek……where the snakes are.  And anyone who knows me, knows that I am deathly afraid of snakes.  Yes, I’ll admit it….I’m a 6’1” AMAZON WEENIE! 

After getting a little bit closer and watching my baby for a few minutes, I realized she was stuck in briary branches.  It looked like she was inside a bird cage made of weeds.  OH, GREAT!  Now I really DO have to go into the woods.  (insert terrified l-00-k here)

By this time, Kiddo has come out wondering what is taking me so long. I told him what was going on and asked him to stay with me while I went into the woods and that I needed him with me in case I got attacked by a ferocious snake and I needed him to run to the neighbor’s house for help.  “Oh, Mom!” was his response!  Lol

So, with snow shovel in hand, I went one square foot at a time, plowing through brush, climbing over rocks and the creek and banging my shovel, all the while shouting at the top of my lungs.  (if the neighbors didn’t think I was crazy enough after chasing a rabid raccoon into the creek, they sure will know I am now)   After a few minutes, I finally get right up my sweet lady…..and she gets up and runs away.  "Hey, come back here............. I thought you were stuck?”

Then I saw something on the ground.  Am I really seeing what I think I’m seeing? 

Yup, I certainly was.  My sweet girl was laying her eggs in the woods.  Honestly, I am a little perplexed.  When I find out a reason for this, I will let you know.  After I found the eggs and took a picture, I always have my camera with me) I immediately stopped and scanned the ground.  Eggs ~ snakes……GET OUT OF THE WOODS!  I don’t think I have ever moved so fast in my life.  LOL

When I got my sweetie back in the run, I took the eggs inside to check them over. I am happy to say that all the eggs were good.....WOO HOO!

Welcome Home, Girls

Back on June 26, 15 little peeps were delivered to our local Post Office.  My friend G and I placed an order for our sweet little babies; 4 Rhode Island Reds, 4 Golden Buffs, 4 Barred Rocks, and 3 Partridge Rocks.  Since I didn't have a separate house for the girls and we would be going on vacation shortly, G kept the girls at her home.  A few days after they arrived, we lost Wilbur.  She was the runt of the flock (hence the name).  She was a sweet little girl.  I brought her home and buried her beside Meredith and Bethany.

Well, yesterday was FINALLY their homecoming.  I AM SO EXCITED!  

  

We built an enclosure out of palettes in the corner.

We will keep them separated from the ladies for a few

days so they can first get used to having them around.

Already making a mess, scratching and kicking up dust!lol

IT'S A FEEDING FRENZY.....LOOK OUT! 

They are standing in their food trough

They just crack me up!

ha ha ha ha ha

WELCOME HOME, GIRLS.....WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE! 

 

Our Newest Addition

I would like you to meet the newest addition to our farm.....Freckles. She is a New Hampshire Red that we got from wonderful friends of ours. Her 30 or so sisters thought that the "freckles" on her tail were bugs and kept pecking at them and pulling out her tail feathers. I am so glad that we were able to take her home with us. 

She is such a pretty young lady and has such a sweet disposition.  Make sure you come back the end of next week to see what other additions we are expecting!

How To Tell If Your Eggs Are Still Good

If your eggs have passed their "use by" date, and you're not sure if they are still good?  Well, here is a quick and easy trick you can use to find out.....


1.  Fill a bowl with enough cold tap water to cover the egg(s).  I have a very large bowl, so I am able to check more than one egg at a time.

2.  Place egg in water.  As you can see in the picture below, I had a little helper! lol

3.  If the egg sinks to the bottom, there is not much air inside the shell, and your egg is fresh.

4.  If the stands on its point and bobs on the bottom, the air pocket is much larger.  This means that the egg is not quite as fresh, but it is still good, but should be used soon.

5.  If the egg floats to the top, it needs to be discarded.

6.  Repeat with the rest of your eggs

This trick works because egg shells are porous, and overtime, the liquid in the egg evaporates and is replaced by outside air.   This is another reason why you should never keep your hens in the same building along with gas cans and the like.  I know I don't want to eat eggs that taste like gasoline or other chemicals.

FYI:  Did you know that if you want to make egg salad or deviled eggs, using eggs which are a week or so old are easier to peel than very fresh eggs?  I can personally vouch for that!  lol

Another Sad Day On The Farm

 Yesterday, I went out to give the ladies a little oatmeal treat. They were in their run, so I just reached over the side and scattered the oats on the ground. When they hear my voice, they come running.  They know that when I call them, I have a special treat in hand. It is not uncommon for Meredith to be the first one to come running, because she is at the bottom of the pecking order, and stays by herself most of the time, close to the house. I have to say, I have been known to sneak out when I know the others are off foraging in the woods, and bring her out some extra goodies. I just can't help it.....she's such a sweetheart!!

Well, when she didn't come running out with her sisters, I went inside the coop to give her a little something, so she didn't have to be run off by Gena, who happens to be at the TOP of the pecking order.  As I got closer to the screen door, I saw her in the back corner, by the basket.  I thought she was just hanging out, chillin' in the shade, but sadly, she was not.  At some point that morning, she had passed away.  I checked for signs of an intruder, but did not see any.

 

R.I.P., SWEET MEREDITH!

You are now home with your best friend, Bethany!

WE LOVE YOU, LITTLE ONE....

YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED! 

A Sad Day On The Farm

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our precious Bethany. She was a sweetheart and will be greatly missed!

RIP, MY LADY......WE LOVE YOU!