Hello my chicken friends.....yes I know I have been so bad as of late to write...seems too many things going on or am just too hot & tired to want to write.
I decided to add Ginger as the picture because that little girl is broody again, so she is sitting on some eggs I need to go mark tomorrow. I think its great since she is such a wonderful mother & right now with all the rain (since April) I really don't mind except I worry she may get too hot on the non-rainy days.....
I do have a fan set up in there so I think she will be alright, as the nights still get into the high 60 degrees & help cool the it down for her & the others.
The 2 newest babies...Laura & Mason are doing well, I got them free from the feedstore as Mason was injured & Laura had a crooked neck so no one would buy them...bad thing though is I am attached & they are broiler babies which means they will not stop growing but thankfully my friend Denny who is a hunter will take them when they get too heavy for their legs & butcher them for his family...I do not want them back nor can I eat them....yes its silly since they will be gone in a sense but to me their my babies.
I finally decided I couldn't take anymore loose chickens, even injured running around the dining room anymore, so set up a 5 man tent attached to the in-house chickens movable pen outside...So as soon as I get up they all are taken out of the playpens & put out there....even on rainy days...yeah for me!!!! Plus they do have a lot more room, fresh air & some fresh grass they haven't eaten all up yet. Plus I am no longer having as many allergy problems that I am sooo thankful for.
Thomas finally made it here for his 2 week leave the 1st of July from Afghanistan & I sent him to his folks in Vegas on the 5th & he will come back here July 12th for a few more days before I have to get him on a plane once again. yes I said in my last blog I was going but.......
One of my friends in Florida was dying so I sent my best friend down there to be with her, unfortunitely she passed away this evening but with little pain & her children have been with her for the last 2 weeks, so she was not alone. My best friend had just returned home so she wasn't there but she did get to be with her while she was still awake. The friend got Hype C back in the 1970's & refused to quit drinking so she over burdened her liver to the point the poisons were leaking out into her system & the doctors could do no more for her, so sent her home as she wanted to die in her home, not the hospital. Very sad, but I am more worried about my best friend because we all knew the other friend was going to die, maybe not this fast but my best friend is hurting really bad right now.
Ok thats part of why I didn't go to Vegas I admit part of me was too worried to leave the 'kids' for a week plus with all the airline tickets I have bought money is tight so I thought since Thomas would be hanging out with his dad & I would see him again before he left that I didn't need to be there. I am also having some minor surgery the 5th of August & my little sister Tamara is flying up to help me with the 'kids' since I will be slow moving...No its nothing serous but I will be in pain a bit for a while, so she wanted to be here to play Nurse Rachet.....hey its her words not mine...lol....I told her as long as we didn't run out of coffee I would be fine...see I am so simple when it comes to help. Plus she has had a time lately if you know what I mean so this will give her some down time to relax & see what she wants to do next with her life.....
After the chow chow attack on the 'kids' I got an infection & blew off taking Macy the cat to get fixed & wouldn't you know it the next door neighbors got a unfixed gray male cat...Yeap my little girl is now huge with babies. Yes I will take responsiblity for this as its my fault for not doing the right thing, so we will have new cats here soon that will get fixed as soon as they can be done as will Macy. though I feel guilt for this I am also excited since I have never had a pregnant cat or dog before, so when I get to hold her I love feeling the babies move around in side her....such a cool feeling knowing soon those little kids will be born....
I am pretty much ready for them...have the medical kit plus have dried farm milk that kittens can have if Macy decides she doesn't want to mother them....have plastic eye droppers & syringes to be able to feed them....plus the bathroom is all cleaned & ready for a box to be set up for them when they arrive. My biggest concern is Macy is less than a year old & I hope she only have at the most 3 babies, but everyday she grows bigger & bigger & she may have a larger litter that could be really hard on her & the babies.
I have started her on a wet canned cat feed once a day to help her physically, she also eats Big Momma's no grain cat feed so hopefully she is getting the vits ect that she needs.
I am still sewing on the rainy days & am still enjoying it. I watch/listen to DVD's while I sew so the time gts away from me easily...lol...I just finished two 1950's dresses, one is a sundress the other is a house dress with a fabric belt that can be worn with it when you are out & about to fancy it up a bit....Must say they are both very roomy & comfortable.
I also decided to learn needle tatting & broke down & got a book on it & so far so good....not as hard as I though as its the same 2 moves over & over again...problem is sometimes I forget which move I just did but am enjoying trying. I also got one of those knitting hoops & just finished a pair of socks on it & am doing another pair that are neon pink & will sew fancy lace around the top for the cuff.....that so far has gone quite well while sitting in the living room...I just wish the tatting went as fast but maybe someday it will so I can actually make something with it. Right now is the learning stage & thankfully I am patient enough to know that I can not be a pro at it without practice.
I have yet to work on the big coop by adding more rooms to it, this year has been weird with the weather & since I am one of those who is affected by weather its sure slowed me down.......but I tell everyone its age...lol...but I am sure that has a bit to do with it also. I was able to save most of the porch ceiling that I tore down to use on the added coop area. The porch roof is being replaces so I though why not try & save as much of the good wood as I could. The ceiling is about 90 yrs old but 90% of it is still in beautiful condition. I do know that part of the paint has to have lead in it so thats why its being used for the coop. The unpainted side will go inside the coop area & the painted area will be on the shop inside where I can seal it. Plus I tarp the inside walls just to be on the safe side since chickens like to peck at anything.....now if I can just get the energy to do it.
My poor garden is doing poorly this season, basil is the size of lettuce & bolted, but I will try & collect the seeds. Tomatoes just stopped growing, they are pretty but no blooms & the same height they were a month ago. My yellow squash & cantiloupe are doing great since they like all this rain, plus the mints I put out are also growing well. Am happy that Kelleys tomatoes are doing well cause I will be over there hitting her up for some soon. since I still give her eggs I am sure a few tomatoes weekly won't be a problem :).
The grass seed I put out 2 years ago in the back has been eating up all the rain & is now waist high, yes it needs to be cut but I can't keep up with the rest of the yard so I have let it go. I do plan to weed eat it so I can take it over to Kelley's goats.....right now when I mow I rake up the grass & lay it out on the sidewalk to th shop to dry then use it in the coops. Cheap free bedding then it goes in the compost. It has too many other things in it that I am afraid to let the goats have so thats why I have been doing this. The grass in the back I know will be safe for the goats this I am unsure of so better to be safe than have 2 sick goats...right?!
Well as you can see not much is going on here, but will get pictures of the new kittens when they come & post them...maybe someone will help me with names for them??? hint,hint....
Until next time have a wonderful chicken day!
Michele'
