New Addition to the Farm

My cousin Emma gifted me with a duckling last weekend. After determining it was a duck, and not a drake, I named her Daphne. Miss Daphne is an Indian Runner duck. This is one of the breeds I particularly wanted for the farm so I am very excited! She was handled so much that rather than run around in the hen house doing duckling stuff she wants to be held. I told my sister Angela it was as though I had a new puppy. She is content to sit on my lap for a very long time just snuggling. I am smitten!

It's an Eggs-cellent Day!

Red Star Egg

I am hanging out at Angela's house sick. Low grade fever, wicked sore throat that is trying to go into my ears, body aches and a headache too. I'm on the computer so I will stay awake until I can go to the pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions. After all of that misery you may be wondering why I think it is such a good day.

This is a day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Yep some days you just need to get up and believe. Otherwise you will end up wallowing in your misery.

Oh the photo of the egg? It is one I found in the nest box this morning. It is bigger than an early pullet egg but not the jumbo size they will eventually become. Another reason to be happy and do a lil rejoicing ... the eggs are coming on so Yay!

Good Grief!

I am such a slacker in so many ways ... blogging has now been added to the list. sigh

I was discouraged after losing my chickens in the "Massacre" but went ahead and purchased 14 chicks from the Tractor Supply and Orschlen's Farm Store in March. I went with a mixed flock because I like the different colors of both feathers and eggs. 

About six weeks ago two of the "New Girls" began crowing. Yes this makes four roosters I have had to deal with in my short time of having a flock. Strangely it wasn't trying to mate with anyone who would stand still long enough that caused the mass hatred but rather none of the girls liked them because they were so crazy mean! They would grab a passing bird by the wing and sling them like a Frisbee. Other times they would grab whoever was going by and bite down on the back of the girl's neck. There was so much shouting and screaming (From the girls and me!) early on that I was already trying to give them away. After the crowing began they definitely had to go. I finally convinced a co-worker to take them home with him. They had been living on organic feed, fresh fruits and veggies since they come to my farm so I told him they should be good eating. Yes, I told John I did not care if he sent them to Freezer Camp I was that over them.

A few of the pullets have begun laying. I love finding those little eggs in the nest box. So far it looks as though a Buff Orpington and two of the Red Stars are leading the way. When I begin getting a dozen a day my customers will be happy. I keep giving reports to interested parties. I need to get a new license from the Health Dept. and also apply for my State egg license. Lots of folks skip the licensing but I want to be on the up and up.

My sister Angela and I now have a Facebook page. Look for "The Sisters" from Bedford, IN. If we can get our sister Debbie to get her craft on maybe the site will carry goods from the three of us. Right now Deb is recovering from a right shoulder break/Rotor Cuff surgery so it will be months before she can be productive but I believe in planting the seed. [wink] She makes great bags with multiple pockets. I have worn most of mine out and would appreciate some replacements. :)

I placed some of my Ruffle Scarves on our page today. The one I call Strawberry Parfait is perfect for little girls who like a bit of bling. I especially like the scarf in two shades of Green with Champagne. It's soft subtle colors are very pretty.

The rain that kept us from being at Market has stopped so I think I will go home and groom bunnies.

Hope you weekend is restful and you will recharged for next week.

A Christmas Egg

Christmas morning one of the buff Orpingtons gifted me with an egg. It was the first one I had received from them in many weeks. I chose the Orpingtons because they were reported to be good winter layers. All I can say about that is .. hah! There was another one in the nest box this morning so maybe after a little egg free vacay they are getting back into the program ... one can always hope.

The Red Stars have been faithful layers of huge brown eggs with very few days of not laying. I plan to get two more Red Star chicks to add to my flock this coming spring. Their eggs are nearly twice the size of the Orpingtons. My Sweet Cicely has the best personality. She trails after me like a cat and loves to be talked to and petted.

I'll also be adding four Ameraucanas. Either pullets from my nurse practitioner or chicks from a local farm store. I think I would prefer to raise the chicks but it would also be nice to have pullets ready to lay eggs in time for the Farmers Market. If I can figure out the lodging logistics I might do both. =)

More Eggs

So I was wrong when I posted all four of the chickens were laying eggs. It turns out only Cicely and Rosemary were getting with the program. I had a discussion with Tansy and Marguerite a week ago and explained that their free ride was about over. They had developed nice drumsticks and becoming a "Snack-Pak" was in their future. They beat the deadline of September 17th this morning. =)

Now if I can convince them to use the nest box and not the floor of the coop. Tansy is a big girl and even after I moved the box around she still squeezed her chubby self behind it. Silly girl.

Angela and I had a very successful Market Day yesterday. I sold two skeins of yarn, one of which is going to New Jersey. Angela sold over two dozen baby hats! It was crazy!! She also sold some felted bags including one she made from my indigo dyed yarn. The lady bought two other bags but kept going back to the ID one until she finally bought it. She loved the idea of the natural dyed yarn. Very cool!

Have a blessed week!

Eggs!

There were four eggs in the nest box Sunday morning. Since then we have two more plus a couple of near-misses. The near-misses include one egg that was perfectly formed except it lacked a shell. Cicely popped out a yolk after much contemplation the other day and after more consideration followed it with the membrane. I have never seen a chicken have a "far away" look in her eyes but Cicely did while passing that egg.

The large light tan egg in the photo was a double yolk. I still do not know who is laying which eggs. I think the brown eggs may belong to the Red Stars and the light tan eggs to the Buffs Orpingtons.

We are still waiting for rain. It has been weeks since we had any kind of helpful showers. The grass/hay is crunchy and many gardeners have lost much of their produce.

The perennials and herbs I planted in early July have done very well. They have only been watered three times since they were planted. When planting we always place the plant in the hole and water well. After back filling the soil I left a depression to form a shallow well and watered again.

This my first time to use landscape fabric with a mulch cover and I highly recommend it. Most of what I planted is invasive so I cut large holes in the fabric to allow for growth. The fabric/mulch combo should keep everything in check but still allow nice full plants.

The small arbor I had been keeping my eye on at the Tractor Supply finally dropped to where I could afford it. While I love the look of traditional white arbors to avoid extra maintenance I'm sealing this one and letting age to gray. After it is assembled and in place I will get my photographer to take a few photos.

Time to head home....