::sunday funday and chick days::

We loaded up Rosie, Poppy and the kiddos and headed to Rural King to buy too many chickens.  Rosie thought the snow was awesome. 

Free popcorn, chicken feed, and 18 baby chicks.  

We got three Polish chicken hens!!!  

I've wanted some for years.  They are ridiculously hilarious looking.  

SERIOUSLY!!!  Look what they grow up to look like!!!!  HILARIOUS.  

We got these 3 straight run silkie babies.  They may be roosters or hens.  Time will tell but their little fluff butts will be sure to please.

We got six Midnight Marans.  I love Marans because they lay super dark brown chocolate colored eggs.  We will see how these little guys work out.  

This is what they grow up to look like.   They even have a little feet fluff, which is always cute.  

We also got six Americana chickens.  These guys are not the prettiest ladies BUT they lay blue eggs, which is the greatest.  

And they cameo into a rabbit.  

They also get placed in empty succulent planters.  

::guinea pigs can swim::

NO GUINEA PIGS WERE HARMED!!!

We have been letting the pigs out in a pen in the shady spots of the yard to graze.  They love it.  Today we where letting the baby ducks swim in a tote of water and one of the boys was playing near by with the pigs.  We had seen a video years ago about swimming guinea pigs, and they asked me if they could let the pigs try to swim.  I very carefully held my hands around the pigs and let them try one at a time.  I was so careful with them.  You know I love these little guys and would not hurt them.  They swam like them were pros!  Later that same day we decided to let them try again in the tub.  

I promise we will not make them do this very often, but it was just so fun and cute. 

::flowers, naps, theater, pigs::

My zinnia patch is starting to bloom.  I adore zinnia, really who would not?   There is a part of my personality that sees the zinnias in this little patch and feels critical for not planting them in more places.  We still have way too much blank space around the house.  My landscape dreams for this year have not been what I was dreaming of.  Of course my expectation is to surround the house in lush half edible/flower beds, but I have the next 40 years to get it just right.  At least I hope so.  

This dog is such an asshole and a snuggle bug at the same time.  She keeps chewing the corners of the trim, which may result in her death.  But then she snuggles in for nap time and I decide not to take her to the pound.  

Listen - I need you to understand that Josh is 44 now.  The man is getting a little silver in his beard.  But holy hotness, look at him carrying out two 50lb bags of chicken feed.  No, thanks we don't need a cart.  My hot husband will just carrying them out.  He is seriously everything that is attractive about a man.  I respect that everyone who is attracted to men has different things that they find attractive, but I've got a double take in my heart for tall strong men.  Beards are bonus points.  

Lily had her theater summer camp.  Of course she made her candy bag rainbow.  She has loved rainbows her whole life, good thing it suits her teenage years so well.  

Lily killed it as Miss Hannigen in Annie.  The little boys say she acts like Miss Hannigen whenever they are home alone with her.  There may be some truth in that.    

These fat pigs are living their best lives.  I think they have the cutest little faces.  

The deck continues to move along.  Next week we pick up our hot tub.  I've got some ideas for decor and furniture.  

Two more little ducks hatched from our second bath of babies.  They are so cute!  Maybe not in the picture because they are still wet from hatching.  Once they fluff up they are adorable to the highest degrees.  

This is summer breakfast to the max.  Crazy hair.  Relaxing with screens.  Straight chilling.  

::small chicken tractor::

2018 chicks 

I've had chickens off and on since 2010.  Here is my very first post about our very first babies.  I can't believe it has been 8 years since I got my first chickens.  I've learned so much since them.  In all fairness I still have no idea what I'm doing.  I've read a lot and I investigate information I find, but still I wonder if I'm doing anything right.   

Here are a few things I have learned.  Bad layers and good layers eat the same amount of food and take the same amount of time.  So why not just keep the good layers?  Keeping something over the winter when you know it isn't laying anymore does not make it start laying in the spring.  With that said - sometimes you just fall in love with a hen that has a great personality and you don't have to justify why she gets to live out her life with you when others do not.  

One of the big things I have learned is that chickens are happier when they get plenty of fresh grass and sunshine.  They don't like being indoors only.  They want to live in a fairly natural way.  Bugs, grass, sun, rain, fresh water.  They need a place to perch and a place to lay.  Every bit of wildlife in the world wants to eat them.  We've lost ducks and chickens to dogs, foxes, hawks, raccoons, even my wonderful Great Pyrenees killed a few when he was a puppy by running up to them and smacking them with his paw trying to get them to play with him.  

Taking all I have learned in to account, I know that the concept of a chicken tractor is the best way to house chickens for 9 months of the year.  We live in gardening zone 5.  We have hot summers and very cold winters.  Central Indiana has lots of different kinds of weather.  From late November to early March I feel like most livestock needs to come into some kind of barn structure when they want to.  We need heated water buckets and having lights helps for the ease of the care givers.  Most animals, like my Babydoll Southdown Sheep, can take the cold just fine.  But as the person that had to water in the dead of winter, I need some kind of structure to help me be able to help them.   

Last year while we were in a state of moving and renovating our cottage, I was having a homestead withdrawal problem.  It was so sad and disconnecting for me to have no farm animals with me.  Josh gave in and let me buy some new poultry and hatch some ducks.  He quickly and cheaply took supplies from around our new farm and built me a chicken tractor that I have made a video about below.  Of all the different ways we have kept chickens over the years I have grown to love this chicken tractor the best.  It's light and I can move it myself.  It has kept the girls safe from overly loving dogs (Gus was so sorry!) and predators.  The eggs are easy to find and utilize.  The girls have plenty of shade from heat and good cover from rain.  My layers  are the happiest my girls have ever been and still been safe.

Disclaimer - I have two adult ducks right now.  A lovely breeding pair.  I do let them free range.  They seem hardy enough to escape from wildlife.  We don't have much wildlife pressure now days, but that can change.  I am working on ideas on how to keep the ducks safer.   

 

::farm animal update::

Donkey
This creature remains the single kindest animal I have ever owned.  We have done some serious planting this year and are happy that everything is coming in, but it's not time to bring him home yet.  He is down the road at my brother inlaws house about 3.5 miles away.  He has no purpose but to make me happy.  Technically, I could say that he is a livestock guardian animal, but he's never had the opportunity to prove that.   

Ozzy
I hand sheered him this year since he got sun burnt last year when we clipped him to his skin with electric clipper.  He looks rough, but has good bug and sun protection.  He also gave me lots of kisses.  It was a ridiculous amount of work, and I would sure hate to do this for more than one sheep.  Every year I swear I am going to clean his wool and send it to be spun into yarn.  Eventually, I would like to take up spinning as a winter hobby.  That will come.   

Gus
Oh Gus Gus.  My best boy.  He has the most loving calm heart.  I adore him and he is so good.  But if you turn your back for one second he will very slowly run away.  He can not ever be left out.  This dog brings mental stability to my heart.  He smiles and me and I just want to sing.  I adore him.   

Rosie
Rosie is just turning one year.  She still has a decent amount of puppy silliness in her heart.  Gus is so happy to have a wrestle buddy and they adore each other.  I am learning that not all giant breed dogs are built the same.  She gets over heated WAY faster than Gus.  I keep a close watch on her. 

Poppy
This silly little house dog has been the perfect little snuggle bug addition to our family.  We needed an indoor dog and this little lady is the one.  I groom her myself and I actually really enjoy it.  She is not he brightest, but she is so sweet. 

Guinea Pigs
Two male pigs, named Abner and Maui.  They are so laid back and sweet.  My kids play with these little nut jars.  I'm sure they wish they were ignored more, but they tolerate the love we give them.  

Broccoli
This fat cat has really grown on my heart.  She's always around and begs at the back door for snacks all day long.  She adores Poppy and they play with each other almost constantly. 


Two feral barn cats - Patricia and Voldermort
These two are completely feral, but they adore each other.  And they do a good job keeping mice away.  I have no pictures of them because they are no joke feral.   

5 mature laying hens
The Mama's as I call them are such good girls.  I have them in a small chicken tractor and they graze all around the yard making the world a more beautiful place.  I first started them in the tractor to help clear some beds around they house and for their manure to add nutrients to the soil.  Right now I am moving them around our farm and letting them eat lots of bugs.  Their favorite treat is cat food and I throw them some every day.  Having them in a small mobile chicken tractor has made them happy and controlled their destructive nature. 

Look at the blue eggs I get from the Americana hens!  

   

See Rosie in the background?

1 Silky rooster
This may be the least intelligent animal I have ever owned.  He is very kind but he will stand right next to a perch and let Poppy tackle him.  He just cant figure out that high ground is a good idea when under threat.  He annoys Josh to no end.  Poor guy. 

1 Silky hen
This pretty little girl has found her way into my heart.  She has three gorgeous little babies that she just hatched out.  Be my previous posts for some video of them learning about chicken life. 

Not all pictured.  

Juvenile hens: 4 Black Australop, 2 Barred Rock, 2 Isa Reds, 4 possible Marans (some signage at the feed store is making me second guess that they are what the feed store said), and 4 light Brahma (my favorite)
These babies have grown so strong.  I'm pretty excited to see what they end up like.  This should be way more chickens than I need, but I figure a few will be roosters and join all the rooster of my past in rooster heaven. 

The adult ducks
Right now we have a breeding pair that are very fun.  A nice adult drake and a adult female.  They are gorgeous and I love letting them graze around the world, wild and free.  I just find them to be so cute with their little waddling.  The female leaves me nest of eggs that we have been trying to hatch in our incubator or giving away to people with broody hens.   


The baby ducks
We have two baby ducks we hatched out from our mama's eggs.  They are so sweet and fun.  I love playing with them and watching them swim.  It's amazing to be how quickly they jump right into water.  They really are born knowing exactly what to do.  

::Little Mama the silkie with her babies::

I love living on a farm so much.  Seeing new babies makes my heart sing.  I got a pair of silkies chickens from a friend this winter.  I had heard that silkies can get broody but I hadn't had the chance to see it in action before.  My rooster had been locked in with my hen for a few weeks and she laid her nest of eggs and carefully sat on them.  She's such a great girl and so sweet with her babies.  She hatched out her three little babies and has been taking such good care of them.    

On day two I went out to make sure she had fresh food and water.  After I gave it to her she got out of her nest and clucked at the babies to follow her lead.  Here is a video of her showing them the ropes.  Prepare to die from the cute.  

::spring fever::

This winter was a busy one.  We worked on lots of stuff around this new place of ours.  I really got very absorbed in the fun of starting my Etsy shop and making Disney Ears.  I have a summer goal of participating in some art fairs in our area.  It's been growing for me get to make some art.  Selling it is not about the money, so much as sharing my art.  It has been so much fun.  I want to keep going with my ears business, but I want to get very focused on my farm spring/summer lists.   

Outside

Link

-KICK ASS DECK - Josh has this planned out.  It is going to be amazing.  It should run the full length of the back of the house and have space for a hot tub, dining, and lounging.  It's really going to be a wonderful part of our lives.  We spray for mosquito's and it is just so pleasant here in the summer.  

Link

-It's important to me to absorb myself in landscaping around our house this year.  I have LOTS of ideas, but the basic plan is that at least 75% of all our landscaping will be edible.  When I look at a food garden I think it is so beautiful and makes me so happy.  Why would I hide that prettiest part on my landscaping behind my house?  I want those gorgeous tomatoes in my front yard.  We will see how this all works out, but I envision this all coming together to be soothing.  It's going to be very detailed and I will post about it more later. 

Link

Big Barn
Set up middle barn room into a tool room that is organized and under control.
Deep clean the party barn area.
Blow out the loft and let kids work with me on how to keep making it cool.

link

Metal Barn
Sunflower bed.  Staggered with different height plants.  Harvest seeds for chicken feed.  

Greenhouse and Shed
Clean out dog area
Start meal worm pins to feed the chickens and ducks.  

Inside
Lily's desk - Use our old metal cabinets cleaned and painted with a counter top to be her desk.  
Max desk - built into his closet with wall ladder to loft area.  
Boys bathroom mirror up.  
Master bedroom - headboard and wall art
Living room - new couch and chairs or love seat  




  

::princess popsicle petunia jingles consuela banana hammock::

She surprised the kids with the most adorable tiny puppy of all time.  

I have been begging for a house dog for years and finally talked Josh into it.  

I had to get her a cat collar because she is SO tiny.  

She is the most snugly creature of all time.  

She is the same size as our one year old guinea pig.  He hates her in case you can't tell.  

Sweet little face.