Everyday I wander into the chicken pen to check on the health and well being of my flock. check their water and food and just to watch them, chickens can be quite entertaining!!!
So, welcome Dear Readers, welcome to the tales from the chicken yard.......
One of our white crested black polish hens is a bit deformed while this does not seem to affect her in a physical way, she is the most affectionate chicken out of the flock. Whenever I enter the chicken yard she runs up to me clucking away (I like to think that she is telling me all about her day) and continues to follow me around just making as much noise as she can. A few days ago she decided that it would be much easier to "talk" to me if she rode around on my shoe.. she just climbs up on my croc and hooks her little claws in the holes and goes for a little "ride" all the while clucking away. This gal makes me smile.
Our second tale stars our Silver-laces Wyndotte cockerel, who sadly is becoming a bit mean in his quest for dominance. Tuesday evening the hubs and I were out checking on the poultry yards, when we here a bit of loud squawking and a bit of carrying on going on in so we wander over to discover that the Wyandotte male is attacking any chicken who happens by.. we toss a rock his way and he released the female he had by the neck, she is bloody so I go in, to check her and wipe up the blood, so an not to provoke more pecking and discover several other ladies with deep gashes on their necks. Now, I know that this behavior is a natural occurrence in striving for a pecking order and mating ect.. however none of the other males seem to be as rough or mean with the ladies, he is not new to the flock all these chickens have been together since they first arrived in a cardboard box I assumed that the pecking order had long been established. While we were standing there this behavior continued for quite sometime, long enough that the hubs went in to get him, meaning scare the crap out of this upstart.... hubs chased him into the silo and was going to separate him out for a bit to calm him down, but then hubs saw what he thought might be an egg, but couldn't reach it through the small openings in the silo, so he reached in with a broom trying to brush it towards the door, well the cockerel thought he was coming for him with that broom and flew out in our faces que a bit of a scream from me and much ducking. It did seem to calm him down a bit and now he runs away from my hubs any time he sees him.
The third and final tale from the chicken yard...
This evening when hubs got home from work, he let the dogs out as per usual, and straight away they started barking and carrying on, he calls to them, they continue barking, he steps out on the porch and watches and Rasputin jumps all around barking.. so he goes out to investigate and finds that one of the crevocour ladies has flown the coop (literally) and the dogs were barking at her because she was not where she belonged. She had in fact wandered quite far from the coop and pen area, so hubs scooped her up and took her back to the pen where all the other chickens gathered around to hear her tale.
well that's all for now folks, check back soon and have a good evening.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
let's play catch up!
Howdy everyone, so sorry that I have not posted in a few weeks, had so much going on and I never did get back on to post an update about the fair. But I will share a bunch of new stories, plans and happenings for you now... so get comfy cause it's gonna be a long one.
Ok, way back on July 26, we went to the Fowlerville Family Fair. It was pretty nice they had rides and carnival games (hubbs won me a little purple bear, just by picking a random rubber duckie) we played ski ball and a racing game and won the usual little stuffed animal prizes. Another fun thing at the fair was the racing pigs, this is where 4 pigs race each other around a small track and through some water. It was great fun! We rounded out the evening by watching the Figure 8 Demolition Derby, which I found to be confusing at first but started getting into it, after a few rounds.
As for the rest of July it was a busy week for me, I planned and therefore ran my family reunion, my parents were in town, visiting from Florida and I had to work my "regular" job. It was also still very hot and muggy so I was not the best person to be around as that sort of weather makes me cranky. Everyone did survive, and I had a lovely visit with my parents, not to mention that it was great fun showing them around the farm. My parents were kind enough to take my son back with them to Florida, so he has been busy enjoying being a spoiled grandchild.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~August~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet another busy month for us (apparently that's just how we roll). Thankfully this month has seen a return to normal temperatures and cooler nights =) this is my kind of weather, warm enough to swim during the day but cool enough to sleep comfortably. Sadly though the fireflies are all but gone just a few stragglers, signaling that fall is on the way and I can't wait I love fall.. apples, pumpkins, cool weather,crunchy leaves and of course Halloween (my all time favorite Holiday)
Our dogs, Napoleon and Rasputin are thinking they are pretty hot stuff, because the other night they "hunted" up an opossum.. When we put them outside for the last time the other night they caught the scent and went off to search out what it could be, then when they wouldn't come back when we called we discovered them sitting by the little creature. Since it had been wounded we humanely finished him off. On one hand I do not want the little guys to eat my chickens or their eggs and on the other hand I really hate having to kill them. It's quite the quandary.
In other wildlife news--- the hubs and I were relaxing in the hot tub Sunday night when we spotted (out by the apple tree's of course) a doe and her twins, just taking a leisurely stroll through the orchard they didn't rush or pause for long, they were on their way somewhere else. The starlings and other birds were loving us Sunday and Monday for mowing the very overlong grass, they spent both afternoons gobbling up bugs as fast as they could.
Just this past Sunday morning hubs and I finally made it to one of the local farmer's markets (even though it looked like it might rain at any moment) we had a wonderful time looking around at all the locally grown fruits and veggies, they had craft sellers and music as well!! Hubs purchased some honey, cookies and an apple marinade type sauce and I purchased a new bag, a bouquet of flowers which included my beloved sunflowers, and cucumbers. Once we were home I worked with concrete for the first time ever Sunday afternoon and I have to say I was rather good at it!!! Hubs and I made a pretty good team, he mixed and poured and I leveled and smoothed it out, well I also handed him the tools and filled up the bucket with water. We made cement pads in the cellar for the new energy efficient boiler and hot water tank.. (hopefully saying good-bye to $600 a month propane bill). After the fun of the concrete, hubs mowed the grasses and I turned my cucumbers into bread and butter pickles, which happened to be the first time I ever canned!! it seems to have worked pretty well, guess we shall find out in a couple of weeks.
the past months have been very busy for the three of us as we have learned how to farm, work on fixing up the house, working regular jobs, starting a business for me, hubs already had his own business and various other commitments and of course just life!!!! But I have enjoyed every minute of it.
Ok, way back on July 26, we went to the Fowlerville Family Fair. It was pretty nice they had rides and carnival games (hubbs won me a little purple bear, just by picking a random rubber duckie) we played ski ball and a racing game and won the usual little stuffed animal prizes. Another fun thing at the fair was the racing pigs, this is where 4 pigs race each other around a small track and through some water. It was great fun! We rounded out the evening by watching the Figure 8 Demolition Derby, which I found to be confusing at first but started getting into it, after a few rounds.
As for the rest of July it was a busy week for me, I planned and therefore ran my family reunion, my parents were in town, visiting from Florida and I had to work my "regular" job. It was also still very hot and muggy so I was not the best person to be around as that sort of weather makes me cranky. Everyone did survive, and I had a lovely visit with my parents, not to mention that it was great fun showing them around the farm. My parents were kind enough to take my son back with them to Florida, so he has been busy enjoying being a spoiled grandchild.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~August~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yet another busy month for us (apparently that's just how we roll). Thankfully this month has seen a return to normal temperatures and cooler nights =) this is my kind of weather, warm enough to swim during the day but cool enough to sleep comfortably. Sadly though the fireflies are all but gone just a few stragglers, signaling that fall is on the way and I can't wait I love fall.. apples, pumpkins, cool weather,crunchy leaves and of course Halloween (my all time favorite Holiday)
Our dogs, Napoleon and Rasputin are thinking they are pretty hot stuff, because the other night they "hunted" up an opossum.. When we put them outside for the last time the other night they caught the scent and went off to search out what it could be, then when they wouldn't come back when we called we discovered them sitting by the little creature. Since it had been wounded we humanely finished him off. On one hand I do not want the little guys to eat my chickens or their eggs and on the other hand I really hate having to kill them. It's quite the quandary.
In other wildlife news--- the hubs and I were relaxing in the hot tub Sunday night when we spotted (out by the apple tree's of course) a doe and her twins, just taking a leisurely stroll through the orchard they didn't rush or pause for long, they were on their way somewhere else. The starlings and other birds were loving us Sunday and Monday for mowing the very overlong grass, they spent both afternoons gobbling up bugs as fast as they could.
Just this past Sunday morning hubs and I finally made it to one of the local farmer's markets (even though it looked like it might rain at any moment) we had a wonderful time looking around at all the locally grown fruits and veggies, they had craft sellers and music as well!! Hubs purchased some honey, cookies and an apple marinade type sauce and I purchased a new bag, a bouquet of flowers which included my beloved sunflowers, and cucumbers. Once we were home I worked with concrete for the first time ever Sunday afternoon and I have to say I was rather good at it!!! Hubs and I made a pretty good team, he mixed and poured and I leveled and smoothed it out, well I also handed him the tools and filled up the bucket with water. We made cement pads in the cellar for the new energy efficient boiler and hot water tank.. (hopefully saying good-bye to $600 a month propane bill). After the fun of the concrete, hubs mowed the grasses and I turned my cucumbers into bread and butter pickles, which happened to be the first time I ever canned!! it seems to have worked pretty well, guess we shall find out in a couple of weeks.
the past months have been very busy for the three of us as we have learned how to farm, work on fixing up the house, working regular jobs, starting a business for me, hubs already had his own business and various other commitments and of course just life!!!! But I have enjoyed every minute of it.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The County Fair!
Just a few quick bullet points about the going's on this week!!!
This week the annual fair is in town.... 4-H will be showing animals as well as other activities, tractor pulls and demolition derby's, games, rides and good food. I have never been to this fair so I will have to post more on it later today after we've gone to it.
My niece had her graduation party here at the farm this past Saturday, the chickens and turkey's were in 7th heaven as all the kids wanted to throw corn for them. Though one of the kids got a little zealous with the throwing as was trying to hit the chickens in the head, no worries I put a quick stop to it and no one seemed to be affected. The hubs and I got lot's of compliments on the property (what could be better than people appreciating all your hard work).
Summer continues to roll towards fall, thankfully it seems the heat wave that was hovering over Michigan has moved on. The orchard is doing well, green leaves on the tree's and some tiny apples appear and just as quickly disappear as the birds and deer find them.... they wouldn't have been big enough to eat anyway.
This week the annual fair is in town.... 4-H will be showing animals as well as other activities, tractor pulls and demolition derby's, games, rides and good food. I have never been to this fair so I will have to post more on it later today after we've gone to it.
My niece had her graduation party here at the farm this past Saturday, the chickens and turkey's were in 7th heaven as all the kids wanted to throw corn for them. Though one of the kids got a little zealous with the throwing as was trying to hit the chickens in the head, no worries I put a quick stop to it and no one seemed to be affected. The hubs and I got lot's of compliments on the property (what could be better than people appreciating all your hard work).
Summer continues to roll towards fall, thankfully it seems the heat wave that was hovering over Michigan has moved on. The orchard is doing well, green leaves on the tree's and some tiny apples appear and just as quickly disappear as the birds and deer find them.... they wouldn't have been big enough to eat anyway.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
no more garden =(
It's official, I did what I set out to do, I grew something, something edible at that. My pea's are still producing pea's, but, the amounts are starting to drop and the vines are browning. Sadly, they were my only crop this year. Oh, I started with big plans, pea's then corn and tomato's and green beans... perhaps some watermelon..... Well as you may know Romeo (the cat) ate my started corn and green beans right down to the dirt, and then continued being helpful (sarcasm alert!) by knocking the started tomato plants on to the kitchen floor where Napoleon helped the new guy Rasputin tear them to shred's. The strawberry plants did not bounce back from their transplant. Moral of the story no garden this year. I am a little sad about it, as I also, wanted to try my hand at canning. I could always hit a u-pick or farmer's market to get some good stuff to can. I am choosing to think that the slight delay gives me some more time to compost and make some more garden beds. I think I may have time to plant some pumpkins but perhaps, I should wait, not sure yet.
July, has been a busy busy month. We started out the month with a bang, had a little party to show off the new farm. Our family and friends, brought ton's of good food, we provided hot dog's and hamburger's. I made homemade lemonade, I squeezed so many lemon's the house smelt like lemon all day (no complaints there). The hubs friend brought some homemade peach/brandy ice cream, which was so good the hubs hid it. I have to say that nothing says summer like an afternoon and evening with good friends and family, splashing in the pool, yummy summery foods, wide open space and to top it all off fireworks. Perhaps we could have done without the mosquito's. I did get to watch my cousin Stephanie (all of 22 years of age) chase chickens around the pen determined to catch one, well the brown one because he challenged her. She did finally catch him, with some help from the hubs.
My hubs, is the most awesome man on the planet. He fixed the spigot out by the barn!!!! No more hauling water from the house to the chicken and turkey pens which is quite a distance and we usually ended up losing half the water along the way. Makes evening chores that much quicker. He sweat (it was super hot) , made some trips to the hardware store and was chest deep in a muddy hole, but it looks great, and I did bring him a frozen lemonade and some pizza while he cooled off and relaxed in the pool.
will post some picture soon. Talk to ya'll later.
July, has been a busy busy month. We started out the month with a bang, had a little party to show off the new farm. Our family and friends, brought ton's of good food, we provided hot dog's and hamburger's. I made homemade lemonade, I squeezed so many lemon's the house smelt like lemon all day (no complaints there). The hubs friend brought some homemade peach/brandy ice cream, which was so good the hubs hid it. I have to say that nothing says summer like an afternoon and evening with good friends and family, splashing in the pool, yummy summery foods, wide open space and to top it all off fireworks. Perhaps we could have done without the mosquito's. I did get to watch my cousin Stephanie (all of 22 years of age) chase chickens around the pen determined to catch one, well the brown one because he challenged her. She did finally catch him, with some help from the hubs.
My hubs, is the most awesome man on the planet. He fixed the spigot out by the barn!!!! No more hauling water from the house to the chicken and turkey pens which is quite a distance and we usually ended up losing half the water along the way. Makes evening chores that much quicker. He sweat (it was super hot) , made some trips to the hardware store and was chest deep in a muddy hole, but it looks great, and I did bring him a frozen lemonade and some pizza while he cooled off and relaxed in the pool.
will post some picture soon. Talk to ya'll later.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Farm Auction and Gardens
This past Saturday, hubs and I went to a farm auction, the entire contents of a farm that had been lived on by the same family for over a 127 years was being auctioned off. We got there early for the preview, and there was some wonderful farming equipment spanning the last hundred years horse drawn on up. They also had some household goods available. Since this was the first auction that the either of us had ever been to, we were as excited as 6 years olds on Christmas morning. We had decided on a budget before arriving (highly recommended as you can get caught up in the moment of bidding) and during the preview made a plan of action on what we really wanted or needed and things that we might like to have but were so so, set us a limit on each item, and thought that we were ready.... well, once the bidding starts it's fast paced and they move through items very quickly and so you may get caught up in the moment and there were several times I just wanted to stick my card up and bid on something cause I was so excited. I managed to control myself though there were several things that I was like oh I'll bid it's not going for very much and then thought where will i put it or what will I do with it pop into my head, so I wouldn't bid. But, really by the time all that went through my head they were done with the item and on to the next. Guess, I didn't really want it anyway. Out of our $200 budget we only spent $80, we did however have to leave early for a wedding and didn't get to bid on some stuff that we had really wanted. The items, that we did get: 4 old leather horse collars and the harness sets to go with (really I only wanted 1 but they sold them together, so... good news though we already sold two of them for $10 more than we had paid for all 4 so it all works out) hubs got a hand crank meat grinder and my favorite item we got is a WWII ration books that still has some stamps in it. I love all things historic or old items, especially if they have a story behind them. "One man's junk is, another man's treasure".
My gardening plans did not really go as I planned, I have pea's galore though. Which the turkey's love to eat, and so do I. The strawberry plants that I got from my aunt did not transplant well, they are all limp and laying on the ground.... gonna leave them though in the hopes that next year they will come back. Hubs built me another raised garden bed so I am going to attempt corn again (the cat ate the stuff I had started earlier) and put in the tomato plants that I started but, seem to to growth stunted. Hopefully when I plant them in the ground they will spring up. I think I am going to attempt to plant some pumpkins too. Wish me luck on that. One of these day's, maybe we won't have so much going on and I can actually make it to one of the two local farmer's markets.
Farming, even the small scale we do here at Ridge Top, really agrees with me. I love looking out over the farm... seeing all our hard work in action, the pens for the turkey's and chickens. The orchard full of little apple tree's with the start of little apple's on them. Butterfly's, grasshoppers, and bee's buzzing around all the wildflowers and tree's. The evening lightning bug show is truly fab! Makes all the fields look like they are on fire. It makes this gal smile.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Chickens and Apples
Saturday night, we moved the chickens from their brooder pens to their new coop and yard outside. A little timid at first, they mostly stayed huddled together near the door to the coop, but after a few hours they seemed to be enjoying all that space to run around and flap their wings. The first night in the coop went well and they all came running down the ramp Sunday morning, all was good with the chickens..... Sunday evening rolls around and we discover poor little chicken had been eaten (not sure by what), we found her in the silo. We filled in some holes around our barn with concrete and set a trap for whatever animal it was. We have not lost another chicken, so I am hoping that it has moved on.
I have some exciting news for you all.... our baby apple tree's have baby apples on them!!!!!! Here at the farm we are so excited. We were told that most likely we wouldn't get any apples till next year at the earliest. Not sure if they will get big enough to eat or anything. Guess we'll find out in the fall.
I got some more pea's off my vines, but the strawberries are not bouncing back from their transplant and two extremely hot day's out of the ground.... I'll have to find a u-pick place around here so I can try my hand at canning jam. Hubbs is going to make another raised bed for me on Sunday, so I will tray again with the corn, beans and watermelon, hopefully Romeo won't eat them this time.
I have some exciting news for you all.... our baby apple tree's have baby apples on them!!!!!! Here at the farm we are so excited. We were told that most likely we wouldn't get any apples till next year at the earliest. Not sure if they will get big enough to eat or anything. Guess we'll find out in the fall.
I got some more pea's off my vines, but the strawberries are not bouncing back from their transplant and two extremely hot day's out of the ground.... I'll have to find a u-pick place around here so I can try my hand at canning jam. Hubbs is going to make another raised bed for me on Sunday, so I will tray again with the corn, beans and watermelon, hopefully Romeo won't eat them this time.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Thursday night, was a perfect ending to an early summer evening. The air was starting to turn chilly after a warm day, and the hubbs, DJ and I had a bonfire and a S'more. After DJ had gone into bed, The hubbs and I were sitting in the twilight watching the fire when we saw 2 deer in the field behind us we watched them for a bit and those little buggers crept right up to our apple tree's.... I scared them off when I got up and walked toward the orchard for a closer look at the deer. Oh well it's better for the tree's that way. That was the first time we had actually seen deer on or around our property, though we see their tracks all the time, along with raccoon's, cats and other assorted critters.
Our new arrival that I mentioned in an earlier post, is a 6 week old, English Springer Spaniel puppy who the hubbs has named Rasputin. We picked him up last Saturday from a breeder on the west side of the state, we drove 2 hours each way to pick up the little guy. Napoleon is being a good "big brother" to Rasputin, playing with him and allowing him to cuddle up with him. Romeo, in true cat fashion is spitting mad that we have brought home another wee beastie, and I admit that I was not the happiest person when he dug up my mini rose bush, and tried to bite one of my chicken's heads off. (the chicken is fine however). I'm sad to report that George and Martha Washington do not like him, no they do not like him at all, however I believe that has everything to do with Rasputin chasing them around and grabbing ahold of their tail feathers.
Let's see, what else has been going on, OH!! I finally have pea's on my snap pea vines, and they are super super tasty. but, I have a question (please, leave a comment if you know the answer) will the pea's continue to produce all summer or will they die off?? do they come back in the spring or will I need to replant??? Now, strawberries I know come back every year, and I was lucky enough to acquire some from my aunt's front yard (with her permisson of course). They even have some green berries starting and 1 that is turning red. I am super excited that my garden has produced actual food, when prior years, I have managed to kill everything I tried to grow. Unfortunaltey the cat is eating the corn and green beans I had started and keeps tearing up my sunflower sprout. I am hoping to save the corn and green beans I think the sunflower is a wash.
The weather this week is awesome in the mid 70's and cool at night. hopefully more bonfire nights soon.
Our new arrival that I mentioned in an earlier post, is a 6 week old, English Springer Spaniel puppy who the hubbs has named Rasputin. We picked him up last Saturday from a breeder on the west side of the state, we drove 2 hours each way to pick up the little guy. Napoleon is being a good "big brother" to Rasputin, playing with him and allowing him to cuddle up with him. Romeo, in true cat fashion is spitting mad that we have brought home another wee beastie, and I admit that I was not the happiest person when he dug up my mini rose bush, and tried to bite one of my chicken's heads off. (the chicken is fine however). I'm sad to report that George and Martha Washington do not like him, no they do not like him at all, however I believe that has everything to do with Rasputin chasing them around and grabbing ahold of their tail feathers.
Let's see, what else has been going on, OH!! I finally have pea's on my snap pea vines, and they are super super tasty. but, I have a question (please, leave a comment if you know the answer) will the pea's continue to produce all summer or will they die off?? do they come back in the spring or will I need to replant??? Now, strawberries I know come back every year, and I was lucky enough to acquire some from my aunt's front yard (with her permisson of course). They even have some green berries starting and 1 that is turning red. I am super excited that my garden has produced actual food, when prior years, I have managed to kill everything I tried to grow. Unfortunaltey the cat is eating the corn and green beans I had started and keeps tearing up my sunflower sprout. I am hoping to save the corn and green beans I think the sunflower is a wash.
The weather this week is awesome in the mid 70's and cool at night. hopefully more bonfire nights soon.
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