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

[rooster-red]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[farm_mom]

So sorry to hear about your broody, Ruth. But you are right, you're giving your chickens the best possible life.

 

[WillsMama93]

ok, so I have totally decided that you need to come to my house, Ruth, and help me get my backyard all set up and going!! You describing all that you did yesterday made me tired!! I am just hoping to get these babies grown and thriving this season, and hopefully be able to plant a small garden next season. The good Lord knows at this rate, I will have PLENTY of fantastic compost to put out!!

 

[Parson's Wife]

I'm sorry for your loss. I enjoy your post. I love the pictures. Great driveway!

 

[ruth]

Hi Parsonswife - thanks - glad to hear you enjoy the posts. I also enjoy yours and check in from time to time to see how things are going at the parsonage.

By the way there's no driveway in any pics. You may be seeing the brick walkways that are all over the property - all lined with hedges - even have them going to the old outhouse. Someone got really brick happy and hedge happy and picket fence gate happy is all I can say. But since the place hasn't been lived in in 10 years the gardens, walkways and hedges are a real mess and I'm wearing myself out trying to get them restored.

Initially I wasn't closing all the picket gates that join all the yards and walkways but after I planted my kitchen garden and vegetables and herb garden and started restoring flower beds the chickens were scratching up everything so I started closing gates till they were in bed and then opening them at night so Rex and Lucy could get out.

Thanks all for your condolences - it really helps to have someone who understands that I can talk to.

 

[ruth]

For those who are new or missed my initial thread of how we came to live on the farm - here's a link full of information.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24540&p=1

At our last home the coop was never closed or locked so the chickens got to roam at will. The EE that was killed "Ms. Broody" got to live out her life being wild and never knowing the confines of a cage. It's only been since we moved here in December that I started closing their coop at night. While I feel bad about how her life ended - I feel great about how her life was lived.

 

[ruth]

Well the day started tragically but ended in fun pandamonium. It was dusk and I was trying to let some of the Big Girls in gate to The Yard when the ducks made a break for it and took off. While trying to herd them back in gate the Itty Bitties made a break for it. The Big Girls decided way too many babies running around and "If they don't have to go in we are not going in" so they took off.

At first I'm thinking "On no, I'm too tired for this" but then I decided to just go with it and opened the gate and let everyone out. I pulled up a chair and sat out there and watched everyone have a ball. I think they had all been eyeing the green grass and just had to get out in it. The ducks are 1 and 2 weeks. The Itty Bitties are 3 weeks. The Tweenies are 7 weeks. All had a great time and put themselves back in coop just as it got dark. Well I had to herd the ducks in but I do that every night anyway and they go straight into coop and into their pen.

Big Girls said "See ya".

One of the only ones left in The Yard was Guard Cat

 

[beefy]

i think you need some cows. what are you going to do with all those chickens? lol

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Let's see Forrest - there's fried chicken; stewed chicken; chicken gumbo; sauteed chicken; baked chicken; chicken fingers; chicken fried steak; chicken cordon bleu; chicken stew; chicken pot pie........

Just kidding. I could never kill and eat one of them. Guess I'll go into egg business.

Hubby is talking about getting cows for front pasture - I want horses (better use and more fun). Besides I know I'm the one who will have to take care of any livestock.

Already talked to a woman locally who needs to sell her herd of Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats so will be getting a few of those as well.

There is a Childrens Home (Orphanage) in Natchez about 30 miles away and we thought we could start as sort of petting zoo, small farm that kids from the home or kids on school field trips could come and learn about raising animals the natural way and take home some eggs they gathered themselves.

 

[Cetawin]

Oh Ruth that is an excellent idea. I believe that doing somehing like that for children will bring you great rewards. Maybe not monetarily but in every other sense.

So sorry to hear about Ms. Broody. **hug**