A Sunny Sunday before the Weather Falls

Today was like a breath of fresh air... it WAS a breath of fresh air! 

Big Bird, Little Bird, and their nine girls got to come out of their hardpan pen with no grass left, into the nirvana of the pasture.  One hen had been flying over the fence daily... I finally took mercy on all of them. 

I had left their front door open several times so they could get out with all the other birds in the fenced area, but they never came out. 

Big Bird kept an eye on everyone, and I checked frequently.  I am aware there are eagles in the neighborhood. 

This one was on the comm tower across from my driveway on Wednesday morning.

She was looking the other way, into the wild area. 

For years, our big pen on the back of the old hen house had a gate to allow access into the pasture.  

I opened it every morning when I did chores. 

After Keith died, and I started keeping birds again,  I started finding dead hens in the pasture.  

Finally, one day, I saw a coyote waiting under a tree, watching the pen!  I stopped letting them out, and had the yard fenced in two, and the birds began to free range in the fenced area. 

Yes, I was a little worried this morning but because of the eagles, not coyotes. 

I have kept an eye on them all afternoon, and I won't let them out unless I am home. 

Mr. Floofy Ears has been under the weather again.  He has a narrowed trachea, and he is having some breathing troubles.  He has been prescribed meds, which I will pick up tomorrow. His collar is off permanently, and when he needs to be on the leash, it will be with a little harness.  He is pretty happy curled up in my lap.  That's a heated blanket, on top of it. 

I have been getting some beautiful eggs... but I should be getting closer to thirty a day. I suspect some are hidden. 

I am giving them away as fast as they are laid. 

I know there are about a dozen out there now, but... I let everyone out very early today, around noon, and I suspect I'll pay for it. 

Igor may not be as showy as Hekyll and Jekyll were, but he is a gorgeous, steady boy who takes good care of his little group of six hens. 

This is one of the two La Fleche hens, they are beauties. 

The two Putih  Ayam Cemani hens are laying daily... they are never going to be friendly, but they are good little hens. 

The Bielefelders are beautiful, but only one is laying, and they are both big girls. 

Flopsy was sunbathing just now by one of the planters. 

It is 65 out right now, on Sunday the 24th.  This is our last good day for a while... it is all downwards from here.  Lows will be in the twenties and teens by the end of the week, and "possible snow" keeps going in and out of the forecast.  The plants that have been trying to grow again in this mild fall have begun giving up the ghost.  

Here is Dave, our board president, and Judy, the stalwart Jill of all Trades of the National Agricultural Center, when we were decorating for Santa's Express that will be  December 7th. 

If you are local in the Kansas City area, it will be a lot of fun for kids to make crafts, see Santa, and ride a hay ride wagon down to the train (weather permitting, of course).  Cocoa and cookies will be available, too. 

Thanksgiving will be upon us in a few days... I hope everyone has a good holiday this year, however you choose to spend it. 

 

Almost a Month

I cannot believe I have done it again... almost a month since the last post! 

Let's catch up. 

I'm starting to get eggs from the new birds. 

 

One of these beautiful little Wyandotte girls is laying now.  I found four pullet eggs hidden behind a box in the big henhouse this morning. 

Hallelujah! 

I was  getting only one egg every two days from the old girls, and have not been able to give away any eggs for a month or so. 

 

Like Sammy, the Salmon Faverolle.  I don't think she has laid in months. 

I also had to move her and the last little red hen out of the old coop, the one with the Rhode Island Reds and the Indio Gigantes, the babies were just too hard on the old girls. 

These are the birds from the old hen house, where I had the pen built this spring. 

That bird in the forefront is Little Bird, only the Indios and a couple of others have names. 

Big Bird and Little Bird look much the same, only Little Bird is an inch or so smaller.  The snake attacked Little Bird, who does not walk right, but gets around okay. 

Imagine my surprise when BOTH of these birds started crowing last week... I was sure they were pullets. 

I now have FIVE Indio Gigante cockerels and two pullets.  As these birds don't fight amongst themselves and there are six other pullets with them, I am not going to do anything about it right now. 

This is what happens when you buy straight run, folks. 

This is the problem pen, the Brooder House. 

Those are two Bielefelder and one LaFleche pullets hiding in the covered pen because the roosters in there are HORRIBLE. 

That's a LaFleche rooster behind them. 

Yes, they are beauties... but... psychotic.  Out of five LaFleche chicks, I got three cockerels and two pullets. 

Out of four Putih Ayam Cemanis, I got two cockerels and two pullets. 

I am not breeding friends, I was in this for the eggs and just wanted some exotics. 

I love the little LaFleche pullets. 

This pen is still too young to start laying. 

Someone in the little hen house is laying.  The Lavender Orps and the Cuckoo Marans are the same age, and I have to say something here.  I got a rooster with the Orps... that is Buster, in the middle on the fence.  He is shaping up to be the best rooster EVER.... he takes care of his girls well and is not combative with the other birds or me.  I really like him. 

Our first rooster when we moved here was a Buff Orpington, and we loved him. 

Yes, Buddy is still here and still taking care of the big girls. 

Doug the Silkie rooster is still in the little hen house. 

We also have Sammy in there, and a red hen who lived in the old hen house. 

And Flopsy, the red hen on the right in the picture above this, is back in there after defecting to Buddy for a while. 

Rocket, the Mille Fleur rooster, is still with me... but ten days ago, I came home from doing errands one afternoon, and went out to check on everyone.  In the pen (I made with exercise pens) in the big hen house yard, were Rocket, Mary, the little Mille Fleur hen, and the young four month old Cochin pullet with the deformed foot.  As I walked into the yard, a Coopers Hawk flew up from the pen.  It had killed and eaten both Mary and the pullet, and Rocket was in the dog house screaming (the dog house in the pen was for shelter).  These birds were all carried in at night. 

My heart broke, but that is life. 

Both hens were beheaded and I carried what was left of them down to the pasture. 

Rocket is now no longer kept in the pen... he is free to roam with everyone else, so he has a chance to hide with them, and I am happy to say he is getting along very well.  He and Mary had always roosted in the big hen house anyway, I carried them in and out. 

Mr. Floofy Ears comin' at ya! 

I made a decision about Archie... and this hurt my heart, too. 

He was the gentlest of goats. 

 He now lives at Shy 38 Farm Sanctuary at the other end of the county.  

I hope to go see him this week. 

We were not there long when another goat wandered up to say hello to him. 

He was due to be neutered that week.  

There is no cell phone coverage on my phone there, so I was texted directions, and I am going to follow those directions backwards to get back there. 

I am so grateful to them for taking him in... with a donation, but still... I am just grateful that he will have a good home. 

My little Wanda is still here and still healthy.  We had such a battle last year keeping her in good health... she spent the winter inside and then went feral on me again. 

She lets me pet her and play with her, but it would be hard to get her back in a carrier. 

Lest you think I don't do ANYTHING but take care of the animals, I love progressive rock and Jon Anderson (from YES) was here last week with The Band Geeks, and the opening act was another favorite, Carl Palmer with ELP Legacy, and I was in the fourth row center.  I had such a good time, and I am so glad I heard my favorite songs again... because Jon (and I) are getting on in years and you just never know.  It was a magical night for me. 

Time Flies!

It's been a while, friends. 

I have good intentions, I do, but ... life. 

The last time I posted, Big Red, one of my favorite chickens had just died. 

I have lost four more old ones, including this girl. 

I wanted to show you something with this old girl.  She was an anonymous 

black hen, of the kind designated by hatcheries as 

"Black Stars", or some other all-encompassing word to indicate a hybrid egg layer. 

Her days of laying were LONG past.  She was five, maybe more, because she may 

have been one I bought from a local flock owner when I moved back here four 

years ago. 

See how washed out her face is?  She was aged.  If she were a younger girl, 

she would still have healthy color in her face and comb and wattles. 

Having said all that, everyday when I let them into the house side of the yard, 

she would make her way onto the porch and stand at the front door, staring at it. 

Like this. 

Like this. 

I would see her and put some treats out for just her, and she would 

grab them fast and eat before anyone else noticed. 

I'll miss that. 

I think I took this picture Wednesday or Thursday. 

She faded, and died Friday night, and I found her body under the nest box of the 

big hen house. 

RIP, Little Black Hen. 

There are only nine big hens left in there, and one does not sound well. 

The oldest rooster, Ferdy, is not roosting, but making a little place on the floor. I hate to say it, but 

he may be next. 

This is sweet little Zoe, a ten year old Shih Tzu I have had 

for two weeks from Bonner Animal Rescue as a foster. 

She is a doll. 

However... she will eat anything she can find on the floor except for dry cat food. 

Consequently, today she has diarrhea. 

Jester is a shy eater, and will wait all day to eat if he feels intimidated.  It's easy to say 

"feed them separately" but he will not eat a bite if he is locked in the bathroom and feels like 

he is being punished.  So... she will probably go on to an owner as a single pet. 

She is a really cute little girl with good recall... walks pretty well on a leash. 

Anyone local, she would make a wonderful pet. 

This is my view looking down the pasture towards my neighbor's ponds. 

See the little red tree? 

There is a huge tree that always turns red this time of year, and I am 

afraid I have missed it.  When I walk out to get the mail shortly, I'll look for it. 

We have had some glorious fall weather, but we also had snow flurries on Saturday!

Molly looks so innocent.  In truth, she lays UNDER that swinging planter, the 

last one I will ever use.... (because of all the waste last year) and grab birds as they land to eat.  I caught her as she did it yesterday, and the bird was able to get loose and fly away. 

So... the feeder is going to go on a shepherds hook.  I like this arrangement better, because it cannot swing wildly and spill.  You see, those sunflower hearts are THE most expensive of the feeds I buy. 

I am being very careful this year to not overfill any feeders, especially my flat feeder.... I just cannot continue to buy as much feed as I have in the past, it has gone sky-high.  I don't want the birds as dependent on it as they were in the last few years... so I put out a double scoop in the morning, and that's it. 

 

Meet Bullseye!

This kitten was a wilding down at the lake where my oldest son and family have a trailer. They spend weekends there for half the year.  This kitten came up to them repeatedly, and they began feeding it... and finally, one Sunday, Jim called and asked if I could take it. 

I said yes. 

He has had all shots and been neutered.  My vet's office fell in love with him. 

Here he is in action... and yes, I was warned about the Peace Lily and it is being removed. 

He is a stinker.... he and Jester LOVE each other and play together often. 

He and Molly play together after a standoff of a couple of weeks. 

He has sure livened up the place. 

The vet and I both think he is 4 to 5 months old. 

He may be a little attached to me. 

This is Cleo, one of the Kitty Cat Connection beauties. 

She was one of the wildest. 

She comes every morning and evening (well, most) and watches for me.

When I see her, I stop and go in and get her a can of food.  She has me well-trained. 

I also put the food dish out very early, so that all the ferals can come on deck and have some. 

This is Coal, one of the two newest ferals from KCC. 

She and Diamond Lil spent ten days in a big cage in my shop. 

They are both still around and eating regularly.  They know where the outside and the inside food is. 

Diamond Lil is a tortie, and here she is coming out of the cage on her day of Liberation. 

They are both still around, let's face it, they have it made here. 

My beautiful Rusty, the cat in my header, has disappeared. 

Wanda and Yeller are still here. 

Dawn this morning was beautiful. 

I am one of those weird people, I LOVE early nights. 

I love that the chickens are in by five, and I have the whole evening to relax. 

I found these eggs yesterday.  Let me say here that 

my old girls are almost finished laying, I get an egg from one of them once in a while.  

I am getting NO green eggs any more. 

The seven pullets I got this year are coming through, and three of the silkies. 

One pullet, however, is hiding her eggs, and not in the planter.  Someday I am going to find a huge stash. 

I will have enough for Christmas baking, though. 

Outtake of my helper. 

Wanda waiting on the big hen house porch for me last week one morning. 

Wanda was the spitfire who tired to nail me every time I stuck my hand in the Little Red Hen House to feed her.  Now she meows as soon as she sees me. 

Almost time to get Christmas out, but I am loving fall this year. 

I am going very, very spare with Christmas this year. 

Honestly, I will TRY to post more often so people don't think I fell off the ends of the earth. 

 

Big Red

I've never written a post about a chicken before. 

Oh, about chickens... but not just one, I don't think. 

As I type this, Big Red is living out her final hours.  She does not appear to be in any pain, and is comfortable in the big hen house, where she has lived the last three years. 

I don't name many chickens... I read (or used to read) blogs where chicken keepers named every single girl, and wrote about them individually.  I have had pets here before, but I rarely name them.  They are, after all, chickens. 

But first, background. 

Five years ago, a wonderful hatchery donated fifty mixed chicks to the National Agricultural Center, where I volunteer.  There was a day camp there then, and an education director, and he and the children took most of the care of the chickens.  I went in on Saturday and Sunday to feed and water, at least the Saturdays he was not scheduled to work.  The following season, the same hatchery donated 24 cochin chicks in all colors... to join the first.  Yes, it was quite the flock. 

Again, the kids and the education director had primary care of them. 

At the end of the season, the ed director had resigned for a different job, the day camp had ended.  I took over caring for the birds.  When we closed for the year, we dispersed the flock so that someone did not have to care for them through the winter, as the remaining two employees were not chicken lovers. 

We parceled them out to friends of the Ag Hall, and I brought some home here.  I still have a few of them five years later.  

The subsequent two years, I took a group of birds to the Ag with which visitors interacted. They lived in the big chicken coop, but part of the problem was that they had to be shut up every day around four, because there were again, only two employees.  I took care of them on weekends and holidays. 

Last year and this year, because of the pandemic, we had no birds at the Ag, and because of the re-construction of a new ice house, their yard was actually taken down and will have to be reconfigured if the decision is made to have them again. 

Back to Big Red. 

She is a Buckeye. 

They are not prolific layers, and can be used for meat. She never laid very much. 

She is a handsome bird, though. 

I had numerous red hens, but Big Red, with her small comb, Medium Red and Little Red were all distinctive.  Little Red died earlier this summer, she had caught something in her crop or throat, and I had asked a neighbor to put her down, she could not eat or drink.  When he did it, something flew out of her neck, he thought she had had an obstruction. 

I am digressing. 

Here is Big Red the morning of the 27th.  Her comb is faded, her eye not clear. 

You can see how pale her face is, and I knew something was wrong there. 

She had always been one of the first out of the coop in the morning, and one of the last back in at night. 

I started watching her that day. 

Over the next week, she faded even more. 

Yesterday, she actually came out with the others from the big coop. 

 

I looked out the kitchen window about five PM to see this. 

I knew she would not be able to get back to the coop, across the yard, on her own. 

She is laying near the dish I use to feed the squirrels. 

I put my phone in my pocket and went out to pick her up, and was stunned to feel 

that she weighed hardly anything.  She used to be a big, heavy bird, but was 

clearly skin and bones. 

I set her inside the coop, but a few minutes later, I realized she had come out on the porch. 

She did not eat anything, or drink... I stayed out there a while. You can see how sad her feathers look, 

something sticky got on them and they look awful. 

Now, you ask, is she suffering? 

I don't think so, I think she is just shutting down.  She has stopped eating or drinking. 

She is not struggling to breathe, or anything. 

I took her in and sat her down near the water. 

See how her wing is drooping down?  She can't hold it up. 

Today, I was going to shovel out that coop, since my straw came Friday, but I am 

waiting.  For Big Red. 

I thought surely she had lived her last day. 

This morning, I found her here, under the nest boxes.  She is unable to get on the roost.    She is not eating or drinking at all; I put some scratch in front of her, and I actually wet her beak down three or four times, and put water near her... she does not want it. 

They know.  

I have been out three times to check on her, it's now 12:25, and she was still alive thirty minutes ago. 

If Keith were still alive, I would  have had him put her down three days ago, but I am a coward. 

It is my biggest failing as a chicken keeper. 

Again, I don't believe she is suffering... I think her body is just shutting down. 

As of today, there will only be eleven hens and two roosters in that coop. 

(I don't count the two silkie hens and chick that live in the brooder pen at night and go out to their pen during the day).  There are very few of the Ag hens still alive.  My chicks I raised this year are 

the main egg layers, and none is laying a big egg. 

In the old coop, there are only three hens and a rooster. 

In the little hen house, there are two silkie roosters, 7 pullets that have now come into lay, and of course, the two tiny silkie hens. 

On Thursday, I went outside to walk across the yard to the shop, and found a three year old hen dead in the middle of the yard.  NO clue... she appeared to be a healthy bird.  No warning, and this is how it is with chickens, they are prey animals and hide anything that is bothering them. 

Big Red, though... will be a loss. 

On the seventh, at 6:30 in the evening, I started out to lock up the birds. 

I saw this: 

My beautiful old girl, warming herself in the sunlight. 

She wasn't eating, she was just.... sunning. 

She made it back in under her own power.

You were a good bird, Big Red. 

 

Enjoying Spring

Yes, the virus is still here. 

I am scared, I admit it... but I am determined to go on with life. 

We all need to remember this. 

Here is the tan and white cat and Rusty in the pasture, eating from the 

feeder. 

I'm glad to know the cats are still using it... because so are the raccoons. 

The cats have been getting first dibs. 

I'm going to have to stop feeding on the porch, unless I find a way to keep the raccoons 

from getting the food.  I do pull it when I go to bed now. 

Here is the tan and white cat and Stubby, the raccoon.  The tan cat 

comes at dusk almost every day, and watches me as he eats. 

I have not seen "Spot", the black and white cat, in a week now. 

Rusty watched me from the then-empty sheep yard the other night. 

I was glad he was getting to sleep inside, but the cats all have 

access to the little red hen house, too. 

Yesterday morning, Saturday, May 2nd, Samuel, the young man who 

took my sheep, called me.  He asked if I would still let him use the pasture 

for a few months, and I said yes.  He brought over five ewes and a doe. 

Something happened during the day to one of the ewes... he thinks a reaction to a shot... 

and he came back this morning and "swapped her out".  He is taking care of them, 

I am enjoying them.  

There are three Suffolk ewes, and a Southdown ewe, and I am not sure of the fifth.  And....  their goat protector, a doe. 

The Southdown ewe. 

He did invite me again this morning to come see "mine"... who are still in quarantine... but I am afraid it would make me so sad. 

Fritzi and I are doing okay with her shots.  I have ordered a special 

meter that draws up a blood spot painlessly, so I can check her 

blood glucose off and on, and it should be here this week.  I also 

bought and got a pet testing meter.  She has had two nights where I was 

very worried.  The ER is many miles away, and a route I am afraid to drive at 

night, but we are learning. 

Some will remember that Keith and I lost Abby, one of our pugs, to diabetes about five years ago. 

We were given NO training with Abby, other then "here is the medicine, give her shots".  I have much more support this time, but the sad truth is, most dogs go blind with diabetes. 

I wonder now if that is what happened to Abby, before her death.  Fritzi is such a good girl, 

when I tell her

"It's time for your shot"... she knows she will get a treat, and goes to her bed in the kitchen and lays down.  Giving the shot is fairly easily, tho she has yipped twice.  I am going to learn to do the blood testing, too. 

This girl. 

If I don't keep an eye on her, she disappears into thin air.  For Pete's sake, 

she will be seventeen in less than a month! 

We don't go out after dark without her on the leash, because she would take on ANY raccoon.

She is a true terrier. 

Oh, I had such a good time watching the birds today. 

This rose-breasted grosbeak is the first one I've seen here. 

I had an indigo bunting earlier this week, but he has not come back.

I have a Baltimore Oriole on my phone, I'll try to get a picture tomorrow with my camera of him on the deck.

I sat on the patio yesterday taking pictures, and caught Ferdinand, the oldest rooster (and father of the other two) laying quietly in the grass at the fenceline.  All three are getting along okay.... but Ferdie is picked on. 

There was a spat going on in the feeder. 

'

But in the distance, happy hens were sunbathing and eating. 

I can guarantee the compost spot is pure mud this afternoon, we had over an

inch of rain in a big storm this morning.