Kristen’s Chickens and Farming Ventures

Big news! We have the ok to pour from the engineer, so it’s just waiting on the building inspector and the concrete now! Foundation is almost done! And it only took 3 days and 168 photos to get it all good to go

Another bridge crossed. Congratulations!!!!
 
Just sitting down to my morning coffee and figuring out winter housing arrangements for everyone... there was a raccoon trying to get into the farm run on Thursday so the older hens with the improvised shelter (the one even my mother looked at and said “do you want to have the raccoons eat the chickens?”) are about to get a car ride up here on the way back from recycling.

Surprisingly Zeta, my new rehab girl is fitting in just fine with the rest of Sammy’s ladies. Last night I popped her into the meat tractor that formerly housed the cockerels (from free ranging) until full dark at 7:30 pm then I set her to bed for the night right next to Hoppy, who I’ve been trying to get someone to befriend as she’s often left out from the other three younger girls. Well, this morning when I went to let everyone out Sammy jumped Zeta to do his Rooster thing, and I’ll be darned if Hoppy wasn’t pecking him on the head saying “hey, don’t you be rough with my new friend!”. When I tried to let Croppy return to ChickieHawk and her former flock, as he jumped her the other hens were pecking at her quite roughly (she’s now decided she does like Sammy after all). Even though Sammy is fairly gentle to the ladies, Zeta is only about 8 months old and has never had a Rooster around before. Her wound is actually healing up very nicely, and now that it looks like she has a friend who knows the free ranging routine, I plan on letting her integrate as naturally as possible.

Building inspector is coming on Thursday.

My 17 week old Cockerels from Chickie hawk Dressed out between 3.5-4lbs. They could definitely improve on Breast size, but the thighs and drumsticks were fairly respectable. We had one of Goose’s breasts for dinner last night, and it was more than the three of us could eat. Unfortunately at 5 months old, she wasn’t as tender as we prefer, but still had great flavor, and I would rather eat her than waste her.

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Still waiting on work at the Vineyard, but I did manage to get in 6 hours at the Saltspring Abbatoir, which covers the cost of the processing of the 14 birds.
 
What an odd looking rooster too! Is that little proof of feathers what you mean when you say bow tie when referring to the NN’s?

Yes, and the one's that are bibbed have a bigger batch of feather's that go further down the neck. I'm hoping to eventually get some chick's to hatch out clean necked with no neck feather's at all. The ladies like Roger, and he's breeding them already.
 
So I think I’ve got our winter housing arrangements sorted. Hopefully Mr Maran will forgive me for splitting up his ladies.
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Sammy, Chickie Hawk, and Roostie will all keep their girls and housing as is. Mr Eyebrows and Bob are going to break up their little Bromance and get some Girl Friends. Mr Marans is going to keep his Mrs, her sister, and Tiny the Isbar; he will be introduced to the Farms older Barred Rock (now SLM free!) his two 17 week old daughters, and two more of their clutch mates. Princess and her two sapphire Sisters, Precious and Speckles the Isbars, and 3 of the 17 week old pullets (anyone with blue earlobes!) will Join Mr Eyebrows. Bob, the Barnvelder will be Joined by my two Barnvelder Ladies, and the older Hyline from the Farm, and 5 of the 17 week old pullets. They will be in temporary housing (a Meat Tractor) while I raid the lumber piles and build another layer Tractor ASAP. I’ve currently got 74 Chickens, including the 10 new hatchlings over on the other property.
 
So I think I’ve got our winter housing arrangements sorted. Hopefully Mr Maran will forgive me for splitting up his ladies. View attachment 1926418

Sammy, Chickie Hawk, and Roostie will all keep their girls and housing as is. Mr Eyebrows and Bob are going to break up their little Bromance and get some Girl Friends. Mr Marans is going to keep his Mrs, her sister, and Tiny the Isbar; he will be introduced to the Farms older Barred Rock (now SLM free!) his two 17 week old daughters, and two more of their clutch mates. Princess and her two sapphire Sisters, Precious and Speckles the Isbars, and 3 of the 17 week old pullets (anyone with blue earlobes!) will Join Mr Eyebrows. Bob, the Barnvelder will be Joined by my two Barnvelder Ladies, and the older Hyline from the Farm, and 5 of the 17 week old pullets. They will be in temporary housing (a Meat Tractor) while I raid the lumber piles and build another layer Tractor ASAP. I’ve currently got 74 Chickens, including the 10 new hatchlings over on the other property.

oh man, I have to scramble to make winter arrangements in about 2 months. Not looking forward to it.
 

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