Chicken Update

 

It's been a while since I've done a chicken update.

 

A couple weeks back, we picked up another 10 chicks, or so we thought.  Ok, pause right here, I have to say something really quickly.  

 

I have always stated that God has a sense of humor and I'm more and more convinced of it.   From the day that I ever thought of having chickens, I always said, I don't want a rooster.  Don't want it, always hear horrible stories and just didn't want to deal with it.

 

When we got our first chickens 2 years ago, we knew nothing about being chicken parents, so we bought straight runs.  Big mistake right there, because as you may know, they're unsexed and you get whatever you get.  We ended up with 2 hens and a rooster!

 

Fast forward to last year, when we decided to allow our hen Puffy to hatch some eggs.  We had 4 to begin with, 3 didn't make it, and only one survived, hatched and I was convinced it was a hen.  To my surprise, one beautiful morning I started hearing a weak straggly crow.  Yeah, that hen, was another rooster.  Thankfully this one is so sweet, doesn't attack, loves walking around the yard and running with our dog, loves being held, and is just the sweetest boy.

 

Now......let's fast forward to a few weeks ago.  We made it a point to pick up Pullets, because they're supposed to be sexed females.  Just females.  I thought I had finally struck gold, I kept looking at them and thinking "this is great, I'll have a full flock of just girls."  

 

 

Well, that's when God stepped in again with His sense of humor, and changed it. 

I started noticing that while they all started developing their combs, one was developing way faster than the others.  Fear struck me, not gonna lie.  I kept saying to myself "it's alright, probably just growing faster."

 

No my friends, guess what I have?  Another rooster!  🤣

At this point, I've given up, I think I need to quit fighting the rooster thing, and maybe just maybe, I'll stop being sent roosters by God.  

 

Anyway, after that long intro, let me show you these sweet ones.  We went with White Leghorns this time.  Did you know that they originated in Italy?  More specifically in Livorno in the Tuscany area of Italy.

 

So keeping that in mind, I have decided to give them all Italian names.  Well, when I can distinguish between the girls, the boy was easy because there's only one of him, so his name is Gino!  The girls?  We will have a Stefania, Rafaela, Maria, Francesca, Alessia, Isabella, Gianna, Giulia, Cecilia.  

They are ready to go outside, and will be doing so this weekend.  For the moment, they are in my living room and as much as I love them, I need them out.  They do start stinking.  But, it's all part of the process and I just embrace it and go with it.  Keeping their area constantly clean is a big part of keeping the stink away, but I will be happy to have them outdoors.

 

Hope you enjoyed this little peek at our newest babies.  We have 10 White Leghorns, Gino the rooster and 9 girls.  They are also very big egg producers so we will be up to our ears in eggs soon, but we will be sharing with our family too and friends.

 

Have a wonderful Tuesday friends, and if you have chickens yourself, tell me all about them in the comment section below.  Can't wait to hear!

Tackle it Tuesday

Today, Curt and I tackled the little chicken area.  We recently got 10 more baby chicks, or pullets, and we had forgotten how quickly they grow.  The blue tub that we were using to house them in, quickly started being outgrown.

 

So, since Curt had the day off yesterday, we headed to Lowe's, picked up some wood and a few materials and came back home to build a bigger area for them.  Something that will become a part of their new coop when they're ready to head outside in a month or two.

 

It is not perfect, it is not exactly what we want, but as I said above, it will be part of the new coop we will be building in a few weeks for them.  For the moment, we just desperately needed a bigger area for the girls because they're needing space to grow and play.  

 

Without further ado, meet our newest babies, we have 10 White Leghorn pullets.  They are adorable and will be such a fun addition to our flock.

Rain, Books, Cows, Ducks and Baby Chicks...oh my!

 

It has just gone past 10am, and I've come in to sit for just a few minutes to chat a little.  

I used to keep up with my blog and made sure to have daily updates, a record for myself and for my children one day, to be able to look back at where I've been, what we've done and what was happening around us.  We live in such a high paced technologically filled life, that it's often hard to take some moments to record our lives.

It sounds strange to say that, I mean everyone has a phone stuck to them at all times, and we have no shortage of videos and photographic evidence anytime anything happens.  But have you noticed that it is not really used for family time?

We are so eager to capture anything news worthy, but not our lives, and I find that quite sad and disheartening.  

And trust me, I say all this knowing that I am part of the problem too.  I may not be out there doing tik toks (can't stand that app), or filming world news, but I also get caught up in daily life and forget to see what is around me.

It also doesn't help that my children are now grown and don't like being photographed, or talked about on my blog.  Hence no birthday pictures from Nick's birthday on the 11th and there will be none from Jasmine's either on the 25th.  It bums me out, but I have to respect their wishes.

 

But, I digress!

 

So let's rather talk about the things that I can talk about, or want to talk about, which is what I've been up to around here.

 

Tea.....lot's of cups of tea, some times milky tea, sometimes plain black tea.  The weather has been rainy and wet, which always puts me in the mood for a nice cuppa while I read a book.

 

 

I've been using my free credits on Paperbackswap, to pick up some new reads, like this one from Lucy Maud Montgomery.  It is actually a compilation of 2 of her books, The Story Girl and The Golden Road.

I've also received Georgette Heyer's Venetia which I'm quite excited to get into.  Georgette Heyer is fantastic and I don't think there is a single book of hers that I didn't like.

Last week we also had quite an interesting thing happen on our property.  Every evening, after dinner, our family plays games, whether a card game or a board game, even sometimes some tv games.  It's a way that we bond and spend time together.

It was during one of these evenings, that we looked out the big dining room window and noticed a huge cow, just casually walking across our yard.  It's nothing new, and it's certainly not the first and I'm sure the last time that a cow happens upon our property.  We live surrounded by land and there are about 5 or 6 homes in the area that own cows.

We put the game on hold and my husband headed outside, right as a truck pulled into our driveway.  The man was not the owner of the cow but he did know the owner.  

About 35 minutes went by, the cow just stayed behind my house, just hanging out doing nothing.

We had a neighbor from just up the street, come down to us, who also knew the owner of the cow, and said he would grab her and deliver her to the ranch.

Next thing we know, we have cowboys, cowboy hats, horses and a full on cow chase with lassos going on. 

 

It was quite fascinating to watch, especially since on the 2 horses, were a father and son.  The young boy looked to be about 8 or 9.

They went around the back and chased the cow towards the front where a huge trailer with other men were waiting.  It was over pretty quickly once they got the horse to our property.

I swear, never a dull moment in my life.  

 

Our duck friends have also returned, we get them every year.  There are about 8 or 9 them, they show up during the day for an hour or so, then they leave, and come back again.

One of these times, they decided to leave us an egg.  I chuckled so hard when my husband came inside with an egg in his hand and completely confused Hahahahah

We feed so many animals in our area, I wonder if this was their way of thanking us for food and water.

Whatever the case, I think it was sweet.

Last but not least, our little baby chick is doing amazing.  Puffy is such a good mama to this baby.  She brings the baby out every morning and then takes it back into the coop every night.  Until 2 days ago, we would have to go out every evening, and let puffy into the coop, then help the baby in because it was too small to climb the ramp.  Our ramp has a little space between it and the coop entrance, and the baby was just too small to make that jump.  Now it's big enough.  

I swear, we may have lost our other 3 chicks but it's been such a wonderful, fascinating and informative journey just watching all of this from start to finish.

How long have I been wanting chickens?  If you know me, you will surely know that it's been years if not a decade that I've been talking about this.  It seems surreal sometimes that we now have our own coop and flock and we've had the pleasure of seeing chicks hatch, from egg laying to brooding to hatching.  All of it.  So thankful to God for this blessing.

Anyway, you are now caught up on what has been happening around here.

I sure hope you all are doing well, and please friends remember to stay close to God, to stay in prayer and above all to cover yourselves and your families, homes, cars, finances and health, with the blood of Jesus.  It is so important to do that right now.

I love you all, stay blessed and until next time,

Sandra

End of week

 

I just finished tidying up the house, and editing the photos for today's post, and decided to come and sit on my warm bed, to write up this post.

One of the bedroom windows is open, letting the most wonderful breeze.  The sheer white curtains are dancing, the birds are chirping loudly outside, and every once in a while Henry, the rooster, crows.  I think it's his way of letting me know he wants some attention, because once I get out there and give them a snack or check on their water and food, he is good to go.

I must say, my adventure as a chicken mama is nothing like I expected, and I'm not saying that in a bad way whatsoever, it's actually much better than I ever envisioned.  We're already talking about adding more chickens to the coop, but that is something for Spring time.

I don't want to put out the new babies when we are smack dab in the middle of winter, which would be around the time they would be ready to head outside.

 

 

It's cold enough that we've brought the plants in.  I still have a tomato plant, a pepper plant, a berry bush, lemon tree, and my avocado tree that I've been growing from seed.  I don't want them to die already, because even though it's just the beginning of November, we have had freezing temperatures.

 

So what have I been doing the past few days? 

 

Well....I'll just show you. 

 

Feeding my fruitcakes, and they smell so good. I keep resisting the urge to leave one out for us to eat. In order for me not to do that, I've just made a different cake to draw the attention away, from the Christmas ones.

 

It worked, although it is so good, that I'm afraid it didn't last but 2 days, and the boys are all asking me to make another, so that will probably happen tomorrow.  I'll try to add it to the food blog too.

 

 

 

I've kept a close eye on the chickens, because it's their first experience with really cold weather.  We've weather proved their coop and run, and they are extremely happy.

This is my favorite girl, Puffy.  She loves me so much, she hears my voice and comes running.  I pick her up and hold her, pet her, and she just stares up at me, closes her eyes and stays.  

 

The colder temperatures, have also brought out in me, the need to start moving things around, getting ready for Thanksgiving, and creating little corners for those really cold days.

Corners near the fireplace, fluffy blankets and pillows, and reading nooks.  Very much looking forward to that first cold, dark day, where I can sit near the fireplace and the tree, and read a good book.

 

I've also pulled out my Christmas books, for inspiration.  I especially love these Vintage ones because they take me back to my childhood.  

When I think of Christmas, I think of the vintage drawings, the books, the cards, the cartoons.  I find that, as the years have gone by, they've tried so hard to modernize  all, that it's lost that appeal, that magic that made the season so special.

 

And then of course, the Gooseberry Patch Christmas cookbooks.  I have to thank my sweet friend Tamy at Chasing my Life, for sending me all these.

She knows that I would absolutely love having these, and would put them to good use, so a few years ago, I received a box in the mail with all these goodies.  They have a special place on my bookshelf, as well as my heart.

Thank you Tamy ♥

 

 

My TV watching has also shifted a little, I do still watch my Turkish shows, but I'm not watching them as much as I was a few months ago.

Are you also the kind that changes with the seasons?

I used to think it wasn't a thing, but I've realized it is, at least with me.  This time of the year makes me want to read Little House on the Prairie and Beatrix Potter books, watch Jane Austen and other period dramas and listen to classic old Christmas music.

There's actually a channel on Youtube called Vintage Radio which I want to share with you, because I think many of you will enjoy it too.  

 

 

 

From Thanksgiving playlists, to Christmas, Sleep, Workday, Autumn, Summer days, spring cleaning.  There's just so many to choose from, and I really think you all will love them.

I just put one on the TV and go about my day.  It helps to drown out the world, which I think a lot of us are wanting to do at the moment, at least, for a while, to sit in our homes, in peace and quiet and just focus on our families.

That's what I've been focusing on, and I tell you, it's been wonderful.  It helps to keep you grounded and pulls you away from all the sadness, and negativity that seems to be filling the entire the world.

Anyway, it is Friday, thankfully, which means I get to stay up later, wake up later, and have a slow weekend.  Tonight for dinner I am making Brazilian hotdogs, and if you want to see what I do, make you're following me on Instagram because I do daily stories, and I share all my dinners on there.

Some days I show the whole process, and some days I just show the finished meal, but either way, I pretty much share every dinner, which is quite popular with my followers.

Have a wonderful start to the weekend, and I'll see you all tomorrow.

{ Blog 365 #150 - Our chicken are in their coop }

 

As a first time chicken mama, I have to say that the day we moved them outdoors, my heart broke.  I felt like I was putting my child outside in the yard, to fend for themselves.

 

I hardly slept that first night, I kept looking out my bedroom window, to make sure they were ok.  Silly me!   

Of course, as always, it was me who was panicking, because they were quite content being in their new, big chicken coop, with lots of space to run around.

 

 

They should have gone out sooner, but so much was going on here at home, that we didn't have the run fully sealed off, and didn't want to take any chances.

 

For the moment, as they get used to being outdoors, we have placed their little coop, in the big run, and they are only too happy to go in and sleep when it's nighttime.

 

I thought I would have to train them to go to bed, but they trained themselves while still in the house, with us.  The minute it started getting a little dark, they would all climb in and put themselves to bed.  Smart chickens we have.

 

So, let me show you how our babies are doing.....they are huge right now.  Henry the rooster is the biggest one, and he has really taken to being the owner and ruling the roost.  It's quite funny watching him with the two girls.

 

Kaia loves the chickens. She is not aggressive towards them at all, and I think that is due to the fact that she watched them grow, indoors, and got used to them. 

 

However, she IS curious and sometimes gets her nose too close to the fence, which then gets pecked by the chicks.   She just pulls back immediately and walks away  Hahaha

 

 

 

 

I love them all, but I have to be honest and say that my boy Henry, has a special place in my heart.  He always comes running to me, and loves getting petted.  

 

The coop in the back of the run, will eventually become their main one, but for the moment, we are not allowing them near it, as it needs a bit of work.

 

Some of the trim needs to be replaced, the nesting box needs to be fixed and the latch replaced, and other little bits here and there.  Oh the roof, it needs to be removed, fixed and replaced.  So, quite a bit, but they have the other coop which they love, and are used to.

 

 

We plan on planting some plants around the coop, plants that are beneficial to chickens and not harmful at all.  So far we have some Thyme planted by the door to the run.  

 

This morning, we also added in a small swing for them.  They haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure soon we will see them enjoying it.  On top of the run, we have some misters which we also want to attach, to help them cool off a little during the summer months.

 

I'll have to take a photo of the coop at night, it looks so pretty with the lights we have hanging.  

 

I hope you enjoyed seeing our chickens, and how much they've grown.  Makes me wish I had gotten chickens many years ago, because I am absolutely in love with these babies.  So much fun being a chicken mama ♥