It all started years before the first de Blueberry was officially Christened. Many of the farms, ranches, large properties here are named for what they do, or have... and my property was called "Brooky" when I acquired it 12 years ago. Frankly, it was not a "good" name, there is no brook. Underground springs, yes, but no brook or stream... It's the top of the mountain, what I have is Rock. I also have a Pug. Her name is Ruby Begonia de Blueberry, and at the time this is written, she is 6.5 years old. She is a very charming little Pug, Mama to all creatures, kittens and chicks especially, so my friends whose property is one of the Hacienda de la....renamed my land Hacienda de la Blueberry, and so we had a great new name! (... there aren't any real blueberries growing here either, but I do have tons of raspberries
)
This year, we added to our family of 1 dog and 5 cats when we rescued 26 chicks that took a wrong turn somehow and ended up hundreds of miles from "home", and there simply was no way to get them there alive. We called the folks at Murray Mac and the expecting family (their # was on the box...) and explained the situation and it all worked out perfectly, the hatchery sent a new batch of chicks and we took to caring for the little ones and calling friends to see if we could find forever homes for most of them. Sadly, I lost one of my cats 2 days after the chicks came home. We're not sure what happened, but my Better Half found her tucked in the tall grass next to the house. Rest in Peace my little Pearl.
I kept 9 of the 26 and found the most perfect homes for groups of; 6, 6, 3 and 2.
This is Betty, a Barred Rock, she loves to fly up and get a snuggle under my Better Half's chin. Her favorite treat is watermelon and yogurt.
This is Wilma. This most personable little darling is the first, always, to spot me in the yard and leads the flock to greet me. Her favorite treat is anything, she's such a sweet little pig,
Lilly, an Easter Egger, has recently discovered that she has a lusciously feathered head. She holds it even puffier since this picture was taken a few days ago... She is Barney, the cockerel's #1. Her favorite treat, YOGURT!
Blu B'ree, another EE, is best chums with Wilma. She has beautiful rose colored feathers scattered throughout. She has been my favorite from day one, but please don't tell Wilma... Her favorite treat is peaches.
The Birthday Party! Last Friday, my flock turned 12 weeks old! The cockerel is Barney, an EE. My Reds, whether they are RIR, or Red Sex Link... are Rose and Violet. Violet has iridescent green feathers around her neck and black feathers in her tail, whereas Rose is as you see her here, lighter red all over. Yogurt Beak Anyone?
Ahem, Mother... I am far too special to lump in with a bunch of hens... fine and dandy for Rose and Violet... they don't stand still long enough for a decent picture even if you dangle a meal worm in front of their beaks!
you were saying...? His favorite treat is definitely meal worms.
I told you not to provoke Mother....now she's gone and put that picture of you on the internet...
I should add... Barney has an extremely loud and shrill crow, and he comes to the window and shrieks for me regularly, When he succeeds in making me appear outside, he struts around me, dropping his wing, and brings me pine cones, bits of straw and pretty leaves, perp-perping all the while very cheerfully. If I accept his gifts, he will allow me to stroke a wing briefly.
This is Isis. She has the same lovely green legs as her fellow EE's. I think she is the most beautiful, with her contrasting colors. She is very close with my other EE cockerel, Royce, and loves to have gentle scratches under her wings (so does Wilma...) Isis loves chilled tomato.
My EE cockerel, Royce, on the run... He is very mellow, has a lovely smooth tenor crow, and has (IMHO) the best of the hens in his harem. His girls are Isis, Blu, Wilma and Betty. I do have better photos of him, but he's significantly younger in those... his favorite treat is definitely peanut hearts!
...he's somewhere around 8-9 weeks old here...
"Hangin' Out", or as BYC'ers would say "Chillin' With My Peeps"
This year, we added to our family of 1 dog and 5 cats when we rescued 26 chicks that took a wrong turn somehow and ended up hundreds of miles from "home", and there simply was no way to get them there alive. We called the folks at Murray Mac and the expecting family (their # was on the box...) and explained the situation and it all worked out perfectly, the hatchery sent a new batch of chicks and we took to caring for the little ones and calling friends to see if we could find forever homes for most of them. Sadly, I lost one of my cats 2 days after the chicks came home. We're not sure what happened, but my Better Half found her tucked in the tall grass next to the house. Rest in Peace my little Pearl.
I kept 9 of the 26 and found the most perfect homes for groups of; 6, 6, 3 and 2.
This is Betty, a Barred Rock, she loves to fly up and get a snuggle under my Better Half's chin. Her favorite treat is watermelon and yogurt.
This is Wilma. This most personable little darling is the first, always, to spot me in the yard and leads the flock to greet me. Her favorite treat is anything, she's such a sweet little pig,
Lilly, an Easter Egger, has recently discovered that she has a lusciously feathered head. She holds it even puffier since this picture was taken a few days ago... She is Barney, the cockerel's #1. Her favorite treat, YOGURT!
Blu B'ree, another EE, is best chums with Wilma. She has beautiful rose colored feathers scattered throughout. She has been my favorite from day one, but please don't tell Wilma... Her favorite treat is peaches.
The Birthday Party! Last Friday, my flock turned 12 weeks old! The cockerel is Barney, an EE. My Reds, whether they are RIR, or Red Sex Link... are Rose and Violet. Violet has iridescent green feathers around her neck and black feathers in her tail, whereas Rose is as you see her here, lighter red all over. Yogurt Beak Anyone?
Ahem, Mother... I am far too special to lump in with a bunch of hens... fine and dandy for Rose and Violet... they don't stand still long enough for a decent picture even if you dangle a meal worm in front of their beaks!
you were saying...? His favorite treat is definitely meal worms.
I told you not to provoke Mother....now she's gone and put that picture of you on the internet...
I should add... Barney has an extremely loud and shrill crow, and he comes to the window and shrieks for me regularly, When he succeeds in making me appear outside, he struts around me, dropping his wing, and brings me pine cones, bits of straw and pretty leaves, perp-perping all the while very cheerfully. If I accept his gifts, he will allow me to stroke a wing briefly.
This is Isis. She has the same lovely green legs as her fellow EE's. I think she is the most beautiful, with her contrasting colors. She is very close with my other EE cockerel, Royce, and loves to have gentle scratches under her wings (so does Wilma...) Isis loves chilled tomato.
My EE cockerel, Royce, on the run... He is very mellow, has a lovely smooth tenor crow, and has (IMHO) the best of the hens in his harem. His girls are Isis, Blu, Wilma and Betty. I do have better photos of him, but he's significantly younger in those... his favorite treat is definitely peanut hearts!
...he's somewhere around 8-9 weeks old here...
"Hangin' Out", or as BYC'ers would say "Chillin' With My Peeps"
