O-M-G What a day
This past weekend we had a hay wagon catch fire from a spark from the tractor and our neighbor, who we crop share with, lost $500 dollars worth of hay PLUS the wagon. Our hay is all fine but I feel guilty about it since they were the ones who did all the work (our land, their machinery) Ugh.. I lost another hatch on Saturday due to incubator malfunction (3 different times totaling near 150 eggs in 2 months). I thought my 4 year old was doing it so... when it happened again with a lock on the door.. we realized the little button that the wafer is supposed to swell and push to turn off.. was not pushing in... Anyway... so I realized I was punishing my little boy for nothing
Im sure he deserved it for something else though
Then, while on the phone with a coop order I saw my 18 month old run in holding an MFC chick... by it's head
It had passed on to chicken heaven already but I tried to maintain composure because I was on the phone... "Yes m'am... yes, we do" all the while Im grabbing the poor thing out of Roen's hand while Wyatt is screaming, "It's dead!! Mommy, Mommy" We didn't get the coop order
Monday wasn't much better... can't remember exactly but still nightmare. Yesterday, I rode a half an hour to pick up ivermectin pour on to treat my flock in order to prevent a reoccurring infestation. I got there... and realized I forgot my wallet. .. maybe it was the fight of a lifetime just to get the two boys dressed and out the door that drove me insane.. the whole time the little one is screaming because he saw a lollipop wrapper and I didn't have another **note to self.. STOCK UP** So, I drove back to get my wallet.. then back again
and was so happy to be home with my goodies including 10 bags of layer mash for only $9.50 ea. for 50lbs. (nevermind the wasted $8 in gas) As I was unloading, Roen was playing in the car and ... locked himself in... with the keys. I was trying to teach him to open the door when I saw him scrounging around in the bag from the feed store... NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
He poured it out all over my seat. ..ALL OF IT. I ran and got the spare key and called my poor poor husband to unload some steam... so, when he came home, he said he'd watch the boys and I could just relax. ahhhhh... good.
A few minutes later, I went outside and asked, "where's Roen?" So.. we went to where he was supposedly playing innocently with his older brother and I saw a delaware hen run across the yard with what looked like a peep in its mouth
I ran over and found Roen in the coop and tossing out eggs that were under a broody and were supposed to hatch today
Are you kidding? Is this really my life?
So... today.
that's my insane laugh... I went to Wyatt's swimming lesson exhausted after bathing all of my bantams (wasn't woman enough to hit the LF today) and I put Roen down to shake hands with the instructor and what does he do? He runs straight for my purse while Im not paying attention, snatches my cell and I hear a "Kurplunk" Someone said, ... "I think that was a cell phone" Oh yes.. it was THE NEW ONE I JUST GOT ON FRIDAY
I was standing right next to him! AHHH!!! sorry for the rant.. just wanted y'all to get a glimpse into Msbearland
So, yeah... what I accomplished today was a minor miracle
K.. anyway. Here's some pics from earlier today
I started with two large containers filled with water and let them bake in the sun for a couple of hours. I had oil (any kind will do) to treat scaley leg, flea and tick shampoo and dog nail clippers for nails and beak.. (If I was going through all of this, they were going to have a very spa day)
I washed them in the first container and let them sit all sidsy for a few minutes in a crate while I did more birds. I did the first rinse in tub 1 and did the final rinse in the good water then put them in crates in the yard to sun dry. I even did the broodies (They're always the worst anyway because they sit in the nest all day) I figured if the outside temps were 98 degrees.. then the eggies should probably be ok
and, if the bath unbroodied any girls, I had 6 more to replace her.
wet babies
first dry baby .. he stopped combing himself when he saw the camera.. boy, they all felt great once they dried off
My rosecombs had northern fowl mites pretty bad and had virtually no lice. My cochins were covered with lice and had very little evidence of northern fowl mite
some were pretty bad and some had almost none. I wish I had enough breeding stock to cull out birds that were more susceptible to parasites.
After a good 3 hours of drying, Rus and I cleaned all the coops, sprayed with permertherin (sp?) solution, let dry and added new bedding. I had some of last year's hay that is dry and looked nice and cozy. .. won't last as long as shavings but, it's free.
here's some pics
Broody Broody everywhere. The one on the bottom has some chicks. I kept them in a box while momma had bath time and they RAN to her when they saw her.. so sweet.
Broody battle in Coop #2
AND... the winner i-i-i-i-i-s
My chick yard.. mostly meaties
some spring girls
Barn kitties
and I think Elmer is really going to eat something goatie... at least he's thinking about it.
We've had him for a couple of weeks and I've seen him eat a nerf dart, paper feed bags, my mother's pant leg and half my garden
We love goatie but, he's just too much. He really needs a buddy and a pen and I just don't think I have the mental capability to take on anything else right now. He came from a situation where he needed a home fast and we came through but, Im in the process of rehoming him.
