A Day in Pictures

Got Eggs?

Smile ☻ 

I Hate Dogs!

I ♥ Sorghum

I guess I took a sabbatical, but it didn’t feel like one...

Things have been pretty hectic around here. My Hubby has been undergoing lots of medical tests and then 4 weeks of physical therapy. Of course just when he was getting steadier on his feet we hit the max on his insurance for physical therapy. Never fails, it sucked seeing my pts. loose PT when I was working as a head injury nurse, and it sucks more when it’s your hubby loosing out. At least the testing is all done till we take the results in to the specialist in late October.

We apparently had that Animal sucker sign hanging on our foreheads again. Courtesy of my DD, we now have a horse dog that takes up more of a king size bed than my hubby and I can. His name is Ukie and how she ever thought that big beast could live in her little apartment with her, the grandkids and a little miniscule yard is beyond me.

Three of the five girls are laying steady now. We now have had a grand total of 61 adorable, tasty, medium brown eggs with the thickest shells I’ve ever cracked. I’m not kidding, I dropped one on the counter and it bounced without a crack.

I won a book! I'm so excited, I never won anything until this week! I love Heather’s Homemaking Blog. Well she had a drawing for a copy of Sharon Astyk’s book A Nation of Farmers that she wrote with Aaron Newton. Yay, I won it and I can’t wait to read it. Thank you so much Heather. Please visit her blog here.

Surviving the Heat Wave

 I looked it up. The hottest temperature on Earth ever recorded most likely occurred in Death Valley, California during 43 consecutive days between July 6 and August 17, 1917. During those days, the temperature was over 48 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit).  120 degrees Fahrenheit is what our Weather man informed us that the heat index would be today in downtown St. Louis. Granted we don't live in the city, but it's still pretty hot down here 30 miles south of that city.

We're just trying to stay cool here. I rigged the barn up with fans to help Jerry and Chili keep cool. And the chickens love just hanging out in the part of the coop run that below the house.

I've got the Name☻

At least my hubby can remember things, His name is (drum roll please)

Jerry

Is it bad when you forget you Goat's name?

Today Chili got a new friend, err, I'd introduce him to you but I forgot his name. Instead I'll show you a picture.

Why I have a goat that I can't remember his name is kinda a long story. Hubby says we should put up a sign that says, Unwanted farm animals, we're your suckers. I'm still trying to convince him that the goat is just visiting, but he's not falling for that.  Hey when we were first married that's how he suckered me into a Mastiff. That horse sized mutt was only staying for the weekend while his owners went out of town. Hubby forgot to mention that they moved out of the state that weekend! Paybacks fun☻

Anyhoo, back to the goat. I really wanted some goats, had a chance of getting 6 goats and hubby and son were big naysayers. We don't have goatproof fencing, son says, so out went that idea. Then son says "So and So if I could remember his name I'd know my goats name because the goat is named after him needs to get rid of his goat can we keep him?" "What about the fences?" I ask him. Oh I'll fix up the fences, he can stay in the barn pen til I get them done. I think I replied something like sure, but if your father asks he's just visiting for the weekend, but don't hold me to that. It was very hot and I was working in the garden at the time, maybe I had heatstroke? Hubby doesn't believe the weekend bit, and doesn't think the barn pen will hold him in. And I have a goat who I can't remember his name and he also seems very skinny to me, so since I know nothing about goats, I'll now have a vet's bill soon to. But he is kinda cute, and I saw Chili giving him a sniff  kiss so I guess he's a keeper.

Coops Done, except for painting

I'm pretty proud of this coop. It's almost entirely made from recycled stuff. I only spent just under $20.00 total for it all. That was for the PVC pipe for the Waterer and Feeder.

Today I made the nesting boxes. I made them from Cat Litter Tubs. I'm planning on getting some of that spray paint made for painting plastic to paint them to match the coop house.

These are the only things I spent money on. It was still cheaper to make them then it would have been to buy a large feeder and waterer. I've got some leftover house trim paint to paint all the wood. Not sure when I'll get to that, but we're all sent up for eggs now. ☻

Pics of the Week

Yay, the car's computer finely reset and it's all legal. I've got another Master Gardener Class in an hour, but I just wanted to post some pics from our week. The Girl's have gotten so big, and Chili's looking especially cute ☻

Time to relax and catch a little sun

I am in shape. Round's a shape!

The Girls First Night Out

Today was very tiring  and productive. My son and I spent the afternoon getting the Girls Coop habitable. So tonight they are all tucked in with the heat lamp keeping them all warm and cozy.

Pics from the Week

Chili Video

This is an awful cell phone video that I took of me feeding Chili while I work with her to allow me to touch and pet her. So sorry for the video quality.

Happenings and the Flu

Sorry not a lot of posts lately, We're getting over the flu. The Chicks got here today and every bodies interested in them, even the cats.

My Son got the garden tilled and as soon as I can walk a straight line it's out side I go to the garden.

My Aunt had a playhouse she gave me for the chicken coop, so we'll start on that soon.

PVC Space Saving Chicken Feeder and Waterer

I love BackYardChickens.Com This link takes you to the coop my son wanted to build. It's a little more pricey than I wanted but I am planning to use his ideas for the space saving PVC water and feeder.

Plans for the Chicken Coop

When you have been out of the raising chickens lifestyle for about 20 years changes happen. Like a Tornado hitting and taking out the old chicken coop. Darling son and I have been hashing over new coop plans. I've come to the conclusion that he has a lot of his grandpa in him. He doesn't mind spending lots of money for a project, especially if it's his parents money. I on the other hand do not want to end up eating eggs that cost me $33.oo's each :( I think I found my new coop design. Here's a picture of it that was posted at BackYardChickens.Com I love the touch of whimsy, plus the fact that I found 3 of the playhouse's listed on craiglist for $30.00. Yep I think this is going to be my new coop.

I ordered our Chickens

Saturday I ordered 5 Light Brahma Pullets from the Cackle Hatchery. They have been family owned and operated for 3 generations and are in Lebanon, MO so my girls wont have to travel far. 20 years ago when we first moved here we kept chickens, ducks, turkeys, rabbits and pigs along with a huge garden. Since were both retired now, I'm slowly working my husband back into this again. Funny how we started back with the garden and Llamas. Hubby was very resistant about getting a Llama. I worked on him for years with no luck. Then a friend offered us 2 and he's says go for it. Well the chickens are ordered for mid March and it will probably be a surprise for hubby. ☺
That's why I'm starting out with only 5 layers. And boy did I have to pay more to get only 5. I ordered the City-Town Pullet Special 5 - Order any 5 pullet chicks of one breed of offered pullets in our catalog for $41.00. I could of ordered 25 of them for $43.00, but hubby would have a heart attack. They say that the higher cost for these 5 are because special shipping requirements are needed to ship small amount of birds. There is a higher cost associated with properly shipping/packing handling a SMALL amount of chicks to arrive safely to your post office. A number of measures may be used such as a heating pad, extra nesting or padding, special box or boxes, or any special shipping arrangements. It also includes the Mareks Vaccination. Marek's Disease is caused by a virus in the Herpes family, and as such..cannot be cured. Recovery is not impossible, but not likely.

I could of just bought 5 chicks from our farm store this spring. But I really wanted the light brahmas. They originated in Asia and were brought to this country in mid-1800's. Brahmas are exceptionally quiet, gentle, and easy to handle. Their small pea comb, great size, and heavy plumage make them almost immune to cold weather. The hens are good layers of brown eggs, excellent brood mothers and very children friendly for pets. Hens average 9 1/2 lbs.

Books (Free Downloads) GARDENING, WILD FORAGING AND SELF SUFFICIENCY

I found this great website with lots of free book downloads. So far i've downloaded books on candle and soap making, gardening, Weaving loom plans, spinning, The Homesteader's Handbook To Raising Small Livestock, chicken raising, lots of shortwave radio stuff for my husband, The Formula Manual for making your own recipes for almost everything other than food, Natural Dyeing Of Textiles. You've got to check this out, my Kindle is goingto be filled up with losts of free books to read now.

Click here to go to this amazing collection of downloads.

Our First Pretty Snow

Burrrrrrrr, enough of the photos Mom

The Girls Warm and Snuggy

My Garden in Winter

Doubleduty Cat Garden Boots