Well here's my first of the year update. We've just finished our second full year here and have started what is our third winter. It's been a hard winter thus far for this part of the South. We've been without water in parts of the house, and all of the yard, for a week. Temps have been 20s-30s - rare for here so we are not prepared. This old home just can't get warm so we are freezing. We're heating and hauling water out to the animals and pouring it on frozen troughs of water that within an hour are frozen again.
But.....since this thread started as an introduction into how I raise chicks (i.e. the more "natural" way) - I thought I'd take this opportunity and show you how some of the broodies running around right now raise their chicks.
This little Araucana mama has six little babies and has had them out running around the farm, in this weather, since the day they hatched:
So has this Buff Orpington mama - who originally shared the chicks with a BCM broody (who went broody and hatched chicks at the same time, butt to butt, with her) but the BCM has now given up her duties and the Buff raises the four babies.
What I love about freeranging chickens is that anytime I walk outside, they all come running. All I have to do is toss some scratch down and it's feeding time for one and all. Everyone gets along. At last count, there were over 200 chickens.
The peafowl are growing and sleep in the highest trees. They are always up high and can startle you when they come flying down like pteradactyles. They're sort of like gargoyls the way they are always above your head, peering down:
The quad baby goats are growing. Litte Jack Junior has his little horns. I'm still bottle feeding them to help Confetti keep them full. But they eat anything and everything and are never full.
We do have a new member of the family - the feline type. This is Meow (named for what she's does non-stop):
Simba, our older male, has taken quite an interest in her:
Our Welsummers, from Whitmore Farm, have started laying and they are ever so nice as to lay in our carport, near the back door, so I don't have to go out in freezing weather to gather their nice brown eggs:
Well that about sums up my New Year's update. I can't believe it's been two full years already. The farm and its inhabitants are growing by leaps and bounds and it certainly has been a journey. Thank you all who have read and followed and written asking for updates. It helps to know that there are those out there who are encouraging us and cheering us on - we need it.
Monique
