A Journey Through a Different Way - Funny Story Pg. 69

[ruth]

Quote:
Looks like a duck - walks like a duck - quacks like a duck - yep, it's a duck. There's 12 ducks in The Yard. 6 mallards bought two weeks ago and 6 rouens hatched a week ago. For pics see page 1. In fact they were swimming in that little bin of water till Rex came along and stuck his big schnoz in there and they all scattered. They haven't quite gotten used to Big Rex coming along and giving each one the sniff.

Yeah, finally got some roos. 2 BR roos from hatch on valentines day and 2 RIR roos that are 3 weeks old. May have an Ameracauna roo also just can't telll yet.

Can't wait till the roos grow up so the girls can lay fertile eggs and stop going broody on a bunch of blanks.

If you've seen my other threads you know I have one broody sitting on fertile peacock eggs.

I got 6 fertile Am. eggs from Dipsey today and put them under Ms. Broody but looks like a Buff Orp just went broody also so tomorrow I'll risk life and limb and try to take 3 eggs from Ms. Broody and move them under Ms. Broody Too.

 

[speckledhen]

That he is Cyn and your babies will have a great home here

I know they will, absolutely. Your girls all look the picture of health.

(BTW, my middle name is Ruth, my grandmother's name. The minister at my wedding even read that famous passage from the Book of Ruth at our wedding 32 years ago, so your screen name has special meaning for me)​

 

[beefy]

are you going to try to segregate breeds in the future or just let them all run amok?

one of my hens hatched out chicks so i have 11 chicks +6 teenagers (4 BR and 2 Australorps) and my 4 aduts and one of those is sitting on eggs but i secretly hope she only hatches one or two. my poor little yard...

 

[beefy]

me too, my grandmother's name was Ruth. she was my very best friend in the whole wide world. i moved home from college to take care of her until she died. then got on here, and guess who started posting all of the sudden? Ruth. lol.


i plan to name a daughter Ruth if i ever have kids (unlikely)

 

[ruth]

At 6 weeks the gate to The Yard is opened and they can run amoke and free range all day. At younger than 6 weeks they have to stay in The Yard but as you can tell it is really two yards joined and is very large.

I've debated that question. When the roos get of age I will probably just let them do whatever with whomever. I raise them for fun and for eggs so it doesn't matter to me if I end up with a bunch of mixed breeds. But I may also separate a few pure breeds temporarily for breeding purposes or if I decide to start selling eggs. I can easily section off parts of The Yard to separate a pure breed pair. I also have a huge 100 year old barn, as well as new horse stables, that I could use separate stalls for that purpose.

 

[beefy]

yeah i have an old tobacco barn i'm thinking of turning into a coop. two other old barns that are fallind down

circa 1890s.

 

[ruth]

Hi Beefy and Cyn - I'm touched by the stories of your grandmothers. Quoting from memory:

"Where you go I will go. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God."

I named my poor little twisted neck baby chick that had been pronounced dead Ruth because I wanted her to have a strong biblical name. She needed strength to fight whatever disease/condition she had. I had to hand feed her, force feeding her initially because she could not move. I would gently stroke her neck and massage it to get it straight before she could swallow food. Each feeding I told her "You will live through this and you will be a beautiful, healthy chicken who lays beautiful green eggs." She is and she does.

I took this one the other day. I can't ever get a pic where she's not eating. Guess she needs to make up for lost time.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, that's the quote. And it's been true for our entire marriage. Been married since I turned 19 years old to the same great man.

Well, I've loved all your beautiful pictures, but it's after midnight here and I'm off to bed, friends. C'ya later!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Ruth, I think you have put a perspective on this that many of us don't think about.

My Great-grandmother had a farm and raised chickens. She didn't have any fancy brooders, special feeders, special feed. She had a coop that was secure to keep critters out at night but the birds ran every where all day long. They got "mash" thrown out on the ground and drank from the troughs for the horses and hogs.

Life on the farm was tough and there were a lot of things to do more than sitting around worrying about the chickens (one who may just become dinner if company was coming) And yes, some of them got picked off by predators. But life went on.

I let my girls run the neighborhood until they were attacked by a neighbors dog. When I'm going to be home all day, I still turn them out. (they are going to have to stay in the run for a few days until I can get a fence up around my garden, dang tomato theives that they are!) And yes, something may get one or more of them again.

But you know what, I'm ok with that. Yeah I'll cry (cried my eyes out when they got Tessie my "headless chicken") and then I'll get angry and take care of what needs to be taken care of. Life goes on

 

[CoyoteMagic]

P.S. I wanna play the "Where's Ruth game" !!!!