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

[ruth]

Hi all - time for a quick update. For those who haven't seen it, here's a link to my latest thread where I performed crop surgery on one of my hens. Every time I think I've done it all, God laughs.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=229796&p=1

Today we had a little rain and some cool weather for a change. We are just coming out of three months of 100+ temps and two months of no rain. Our pond dried up and all of our fish died. It was sad to see the huge catfish skulls all over the banks where the buzzards ate them. We had been having such a great time going down to the dock each evening and feeding our fish. By next year, we must have a well in place in order to keep the pond going through these long hot droughts of summer and to keep the garden watered. I pretty much gave up on my garden also. We couldn't keep it watered enough (water bill went from $30 to $260 per month) so I just stopped tending to it.

In order to get my fall garden in place, I had to spend a few days this week trying to "reclaim" my overgrown garden. Weeds as tall as I am. Today, to my surprise, I picked enough things that somehow managed to survive on their own, to make dinner:

We had grilled peppers and chicken breast (the only thing I didn't grow here. I should have used our own chicken from the freezer) over spaghetti squash. Fried okra (funny thing is I've been picking and throwing the okra away because it was so huge. I bought an heirloom variety called Red Hill Okra and it goes from flower to huge overnight. I finally got the information out from the catalog and it says it gets really large but stays tender so tonight I thought I would try frying some and it was delicious. Now I feel like an idiot but I thought no way okra the size of small cucumbers could be tender.) Also had sliced cucumbers. And, we had a garden bean medley. There were limas, rattlesnake beans, crowder peas, and chinese red noodle beans still growing so I picked them and cooked them all together. Now I'm ready to start planting the next crops.

New grandbaby Khloe is growing and doing well. Her mother is trying to adjust to being home all day long with a baby.

My "Olive Eggers" are laying:

All other animals are hanging in there and I'll say goodnight for now.

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Ruth,

This is a long-overdue thank-you. Late last May/early June, I had little baby chicks (my first!) that felt I needed to let outside, at least for a bit, at the warmest time of day. All sources I read and professional farmers I asked warned against it.

I was a bit discouraged, until I read your post in the thread on early chick mortality. You said what I had been feeling, based on observation and instinct, that fresh air and exercise were good for chicks from a young age. That gave me the confidence to do what I strongly felt I needed to do. My chickens remain healthy, and I think, happy, to this day.

So I want to thank-you - your words helped a lot when I needed it most.

Best,

Katherine

PS I quoted you on my own blog - hope you don't mind!

Wisconsin Garden Chick
http://backyardnestegg.blogspot.com/

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Thank you Katherine. I read your blog. It is wonderful.

It's funny, we had a couple here today to pick up some chicks and she saw all the little chicks, two weeks old, running all over the farm like little crazed fiends and she turned to me and her husband and told us how much she wanted to be able to do that - to let hers run loose - and that by visiting my farm she sees how much more active and happy they seem to be - IF she could only get over her fears, she said, she would do it. Of course it helps that we have six big dogs who roam the farm and keep predators away.

The little chicks were everywhere today - I've been releasing a new batch every week, at two weeks old, and they all run everywhere all day long and all return to the coop at night. There must be 50 or more running around right now. My DH told her, the only downside is you have to watch where you walk cause they were scurring around like cockroaches.

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Thanks so much, Ruth.
Quote:
Oh, I would love to see that! They must be adorable. Our grandchildren would have a great time with that. (BTW, congrats on your grandbaby - I hope she and your daughter are still thriving.)

Can I get some advice from you about my chickens? Do they become less active as they get older (mine are about 15 weeks) or is my guess that they're less active now because they're bigger and have less room correct?

I may test out using a roll of 4 ft high fencing I have in the garage to make a temporary, but larger area on the grass for them to run around in tomorrow. I'm thinking to unroll it, prop it open and up with large overturned flower pots, and maybe use clothes pins to put some netting over the top.

My husband is dead against it, says I'm on my own with this one. Maybe I am a little crazy on this point - everyone who sees our coop, run, and tractor say it's more than adequate. But I can't help feeling that they'd really like a bigger space to run around...

Thanks in advance.

Katherine
aka Wisconsin Garden Chick
http://backyardnestegg.blogspot.com/

 

[ruth]

Quote:
Oh, I would love to see that! They must be adorable.

Well here's a few pics I took this evening about feeding time when they all return to the yard.

This is our compost pile and a feeding area. The only thing that gets dumped in there are the coop and goat stall cleanouts so lots of hay, pineshavings and chicken/goat manure. By also tossing feed in there, the chickens love to scratch around and they keep it turned over and stirred up and add their own fertilizer. Then when I'm ready to fill one of my raised garden beds, I just shovel out the rich, deep black dirt and add to my garden. I never have to use fertilizer. And I never have to worry about turning a compost pile.

This is the side pasture and if you could see there are little chick heads all out there in that tall grass. They love to make a run for that area.

And totally unrelated - I've been working on restoring the old fountain. The two tiers of the fountain were broken and the fountain base had been filled in with dirt and water plants. We dug it out and I've been laying a new layer of cement to seal the cracks. We tried filling it and turning it on for a test run to check for leaks. Guess who discovered it? I guess we could be like the Peabody Hotel and have the marching of the ducks.

So to answer your question - yes they will take as much room as you give them - the more the better. I hear roosters crowing way out in the woods. If you have to have them confined just give them as large a pen as possible and lots of distractions. Personally I don't like to use feeders. I just toss the food on the ground so they can scratch and peck for it like they do naturally.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Hey girl been waiting for a pic of that fountain restored nice job.

Beautiful birds as always thanks for those pics, how are the pry pups doing are they leaving their puppy stage behind.

Hope the Grandbaby and your daughter are having fun getting to know each other, I sure don't envy her those wake up calls at night LOL.

How is your crop surgery bird doing, I haven't seen an update on her this week.

Katherine I am going to check out your blog today. If you are in WI then you might just be close to me. I am in the UP of MI 10 miles from Escanaba (no it is nothing like the movie Escanaba in the moonlight). Welcome to BYC.

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

So, where is that exactly, Ruth? Chicken heaven??

The photos are terrific - that is probably about the closest to ideal setup for chickens one could want. Looks like you're doing a fantastic job with them. I'll have to keep thinking about how to give my city peeps a little more freedom.

The fountain is beautiful, too. Esp with the ducks... Thanks for sharing...

K

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Quote:
Thanks, Jean! I think you are even farther north than I am - we're in Madison, WI. How do your chickens handle the winter? This is my first year keeping chickens and I'm already getting a little nervous about taking proper care of them in the winter. Been reading and asking all I can about it...

Katherine

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Mine handled the cold really well. In fact even in the worst weather they would come out for a little bit. Last year was my first year with chickens so I am learning as I go as well.

Enjoyed your blog, I am about 2 1/2 hours from Green Bay.

 

[beefy]

my spider lilies are up. you know what that means...