The chicks at 3.5 weeks. Growing fast, going strong!
(Don't worry, there will be something besides chicken content here someday, but they're just peeping for attention right now!)
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Bird-tween
Sometimes it's just so hard being a pre-teen. Those big feet, the awkward growing bodies...
The chicks at 3.5 weeks. Growing fast, going strong!
(Don't worry, there will be something besides chicken content here someday, but they're just peeping for attention right now!)
The chicks at 3.5 weeks. Growing fast, going strong!
(Don't worry, there will be something besides chicken content here someday, but they're just peeping for attention right now!)
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Still here: 3.5 weeks!
We've experienced an internet lull lately due to the very fun visit of WF's sister, parents and sister's family, including 5 and 7 yr old nieces!
Trust kids to remind you how exciting simple chores like egg gathering can be! We kept a very close watch, gathering the eggs one by one as they were laid. They definitely appreciated the chicks, too... it was a highlight of the trip. Glad our poultry can be such a draw, all the way from the East Coast! They didn't hold the chicks, though, because the Momma hens said NO to that. WF was trying to sneak up on a chick when the hens were out of sight. Just as he went to grab it, out shot Momma hen from the mini-coop and nabbed him, fast! The girls understood, and we all decided their mom would do the same thing for them if they were in trouble.
It was great to have everyone here. We did a huge basement clean-up before the visit, and I now feel much better about this place. Great to see former messy storage areas being used by enthusiastic kids...I think the house is giving off better vibes somehow, too!
The chicks are still doing well, with a more "communal" situation, now; no divider between the two families. The chicks kept finding their way to the other side of the little fence. One hen would end up with all the chicks, then fussing would begin when the chicks couldn't figure out how to get back to the right Momma hen. The hens are tolerating each other pretty well, and we've giving up trying to figure out which chicks go with which hen... they just all scurry around and sleep a few to a nest each night. Glad they are all easygoing about this!
We've continued the "pampering" of this batch, and below is one of the hens enjoying some clover, sharing it with the young-uns. Next time people tell you chickens are stupid, remember the determination of the Momma hens!
Trust kids to remind you how exciting simple chores like egg gathering can be! We kept a very close watch, gathering the eggs one by one as they were laid. They definitely appreciated the chicks, too... it was a highlight of the trip. Glad our poultry can be such a draw, all the way from the East Coast! They didn't hold the chicks, though, because the Momma hens said NO to that. WF was trying to sneak up on a chick when the hens were out of sight. Just as he went to grab it, out shot Momma hen from the mini-coop and nabbed him, fast! The girls understood, and we all decided their mom would do the same thing for them if they were in trouble.
It was great to have everyone here. We did a huge basement clean-up before the visit, and I now feel much better about this place. Great to see former messy storage areas being used by enthusiastic kids...I think the house is giving off better vibes somehow, too!
The chicks are still doing well, with a more "communal" situation, now; no divider between the two families. The chicks kept finding their way to the other side of the little fence. One hen would end up with all the chicks, then fussing would begin when the chicks couldn't figure out how to get back to the right Momma hen. The hens are tolerating each other pretty well, and we've giving up trying to figure out which chicks go with which hen... they just all scurry around and sleep a few to a nest each night. Glad they are all easygoing about this!
We've continued the "pampering" of this batch, and below is one of the hens enjoying some clover, sharing it with the young-uns. Next time people tell you chickens are stupid, remember the determination of the Momma hens!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Peep Show
Ha! Take that, googlers! A different kind of peep, showing off in their box this evening. Momma hen isn't too patient with the paparazzi, but my persistence paid off. Adorable, eh? Check out those feathers!
C'mon, kids, let's get away from this crazy camera lady...
Doing well
Chick update: They are all doing well, now at about age 2 weeks. Most have nearly fully-feathered wings, and they're popping out tail feathers, now, too!
Keeping our fingers crossed for continued chick success. More soon!
Berry Competition
We’re getting to the time of berry ripening around here, a bit earlier than usual. WF We’ve planted a few berries ourselves, but will depend on wild berries for the next few years.
There are a few hints of wild raspberries, a sprinkling of dewberries and it’s finally about time for the Juneberries (also known as Service or Saskatoon Berries) to come on full force (so why are they not called Julyberries?)
We have some competition for these berries. The raspberries thrive on disturbance, and the “main” patch is a product of the driveway building about 8 years ago. In my three summers here, I’ve already noticed a decrease in productivity as other plants grow back in; succession in action.
The wild strawberries always look promising, but leaves and flowers don’t often produce berries; not sure why. The juneberries are impressive for their sheer volume, and are pretty tasty. I got optimistic and headed out last night to our back 20 with a container.
It appears it has been a good year already, but someone got to them first! Someone larger and quite a bit furrier- a bear! Black bears! It looked like a bear tornado had gone through the juneberry patch (about 400 ft from our house)- broken limbs, entire bushes pushed down, bits of fern thrown up into the branches. Not very “sustainable” with their resources, those bears.
I still salvaged a few berries and headed closer to home, happy to know the woods are alive with Ursus americanus. We’ve never had troubles with them in the yard (knock on wood)- but there are a couple berry bushes closer in that I’ll try to claim for our use. We’ll probably someday hunt the deer which abound in the area, but the bears stay protected. Just leave me some berry bushes for next year, ok, bears?
There are a few hints of wild raspberries, a sprinkling of dewberries and it’s finally about time for the Juneberries (also known as Service or Saskatoon Berries) to come on full force (so why are they not called Julyberries?)
We have some competition for these berries. The raspberries thrive on disturbance, and the “main” patch is a product of the driveway building about 8 years ago. In my three summers here, I’ve already noticed a decrease in productivity as other plants grow back in; succession in action.
The wild strawberries always look promising, but leaves and flowers don’t often produce berries; not sure why. The juneberries are impressive for their sheer volume, and are pretty tasty. I got optimistic and headed out last night to our back 20 with a container.
It appears it has been a good year already, but someone got to them first! Someone larger and quite a bit furrier- a bear! Black bears! It looked like a bear tornado had gone through the juneberry patch (about 400 ft from our house)- broken limbs, entire bushes pushed down, bits of fern thrown up into the branches. Not very “sustainable” with their resources, those bears.
I still salvaged a few berries and headed closer to home, happy to know the woods are alive with Ursus americanus. We’ve never had troubles with them in the yard (knock on wood)- but there are a couple berry bushes closer in that I’ll try to claim for our use. We’ll probably someday hunt the deer which abound in the area, but the bears stay protected. Just leave me some berry bushes for next year, ok, bears?
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Glowing Eyes
Eyes. Glowing eyes. That’s all we could see last night of our possibly resident predator, staring down at us from a tall windbreak pine.
We awoke about 12:30 am to deathly shrieking. WF was out the door before I was even really awake. I put on boots and a headlamp and went out to find him staring up into the tree, ready to climb after this thing! All was quiet by now, but WF had thought he’d heard hissing. I looked up into the tree and first saw the pair of green, glowing eyes, quite far apart, indicating something fairly big. Our brains cleared a bit and WF decided that maybe climbing a big tree in the dark towards something with a clear tree-climbing advantage (and claws) was not wise.
We checked all 3 chicken housing areas, and thankfully all seemed well. The shrieking must have been the death call of a rabbit or chipmunk, maybe? All stayed quiet- the chickens were not even riled up.
We went back and looked into the tree with headlamps, and the two green eyes stayed put high in the tree, calmly looking back at us. We told it in no uncertain terms it was not welcome and that it should leave, but couldn’t think of anything else to do at the moment. I suppose some people would immediately think of hunting, but we have no guns or traps, and what if it is a protected species?
The tall tree is part of our farm windbreak and marks the edge of the yard and chicken housing; beyond is an old shed and two of our garden plots. A robin had been nesting in the old shed; WF saw the three blue eggs and a concerned mama robin a few times. The one day about a month ago all was quiet and he found only a few remnants of an adult bird, and later a predator-type poop on the outer compost pile.
Hmmm. That was all outside the windbreak and we’d seen no sign of trouble inside the yard area. But then yesterday morning WF saw some suspicious tracks in the dew on top of the Chicken Tractor… possibly Fisher, Marten or maybe Raccoon, we’re not sure. They were pretty vague tracks. I think last night’s performance narrows it down to possibly Marten or Fisher? We know people who have lost cats to Fishers in our general area, which is why we don’t allow the cats out after dark.
So what to do now? We just left it in the tree and went to bed (after telling it again to GO AWAY- can’t hurt to ask, right?). We’ll keep checking the chicken housing to make sure it’s as strong as possible and definitely enforce the more-indoor cat rules. WF feels it will only strike at night, but I’m more of a worrywart. A friend over in WI had a marten come right into their yard and grab a chicken in front of them one evening last month. She says: no more free ranging chickens for them. Should we also do that? It seems a shame, but I certainly don’t want to hear that death-shriek coming from one of our own critters…
We awoke about 12:30 am to deathly shrieking. WF was out the door before I was even really awake. I put on boots and a headlamp and went out to find him staring up into the tree, ready to climb after this thing! All was quiet by now, but WF had thought he’d heard hissing. I looked up into the tree and first saw the pair of green, glowing eyes, quite far apart, indicating something fairly big. Our brains cleared a bit and WF decided that maybe climbing a big tree in the dark towards something with a clear tree-climbing advantage (and claws) was not wise.
We checked all 3 chicken housing areas, and thankfully all seemed well. The shrieking must have been the death call of a rabbit or chipmunk, maybe? All stayed quiet- the chickens were not even riled up.
We went back and looked into the tree with headlamps, and the two green eyes stayed put high in the tree, calmly looking back at us. We told it in no uncertain terms it was not welcome and that it should leave, but couldn’t think of anything else to do at the moment. I suppose some people would immediately think of hunting, but we have no guns or traps, and what if it is a protected species?
The tall tree is part of our farm windbreak and marks the edge of the yard and chicken housing; beyond is an old shed and two of our garden plots. A robin had been nesting in the old shed; WF saw the three blue eggs and a concerned mama robin a few times. The one day about a month ago all was quiet and he found only a few remnants of an adult bird, and later a predator-type poop on the outer compost pile.
Hmmm. That was all outside the windbreak and we’d seen no sign of trouble inside the yard area. But then yesterday morning WF saw some suspicious tracks in the dew on top of the Chicken Tractor… possibly Fisher, Marten or maybe Raccoon, we’re not sure. They were pretty vague tracks. I think last night’s performance narrows it down to possibly Marten or Fisher? We know people who have lost cats to Fishers in our general area, which is why we don’t allow the cats out after dark.
So what to do now? We just left it in the tree and went to bed (after telling it again to GO AWAY- can’t hurt to ask, right?). We’ll keep checking the chicken housing to make sure it’s as strong as possible and definitely enforce the more-indoor cat rules. WF feels it will only strike at night, but I’m more of a worrywart. A friend over in WI had a marten come right into their yard and grab a chicken in front of them one evening last month. She says: no more free ranging chickens for them. Should we also do that? It seems a shame, but I certainly don’t want to hear that death-shriek coming from one of our own critters…
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