Stella's Social Club

[The Sheriff]

The mystery of the tiny blue eggs is solved. I had seen Skye my Wheaton Americana sitting in that box several times a day for a few days. But, she quit laying last year! Apparently the oyster shell I have been feeding free choice stimulated her to make little tiny eggs.

This morning.

 

[The Sheriff]

Dear friends of Stella,

Buckle your seat belts. My food photography class starts tomorrow! Get your mouse hovering over the hugs emoticon now. You're going to need it, or let's say I'm going to need it!

I am so excited. The lessons are locked with an actual little lock icon. When that flips open, the lesson can be downloaded. I will be checking all day to see if it unlocks early. Ridiculous!

 

[debs_flock]

I have to fight deer for every plant around here. Last year they actually went up the stairs onto my deck (about five feet up) and ate all the flower plants out of the pots. Even yanked the begonia out of the pot in the middle of the patio table. If they would just trim the leaves it wouldn't be so bad, but everything gets yanked right out of the ground.

I used to garden in raised beds behind an 8 foot fence, unfortunately I ran out of poultry space and that became the turkey yard. You want to talk about decimated greenery?

I have quite a few large fruit trees, plums, cherries, apricots, etc. But about six years ago I put in a few trees into a "specialty" orchard of stuff I just wanted. I planted three varieties of figs, a persimmon and a couple of avocado. The avocado promptly died, they are really only considered an ornamental up here. The other trees have just limped along the entire time. I was SO excited to go out to the trees this spring. The persimmon actually looks like it's getting ready to bloom for the first time and one of the fig trees has EIGHT figs on it for the first time. They are already about half of full sized. I can't wait until I start getting actual crops from them, I LOVE fresh figs.

 

[speckledhen]

She has indeed been the queen. Martha was the sweet one, Stella the rebel, and Judge Judy the boss of all that moves. I am sorry about your sweet girl too. It gives me a lot of satisfaction knowing that they had the best life a chicken could ever hope for. There probably aren't too many hens over the rainbow bridge who can say they were truly loved. Most never get the chance. And some people say "They're just chickens." I beg to differ.

Amen, my friend.

 

[drumstick diva]

Judge Judy was a beautiful youngster, who knew she would grow up to look like the Judge one day.
The present photo of her shows red skin around the base of her neck. If you squint a bit, it looks exactly like a red heart.

I think that is her thank you for treating her so well.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote: I have sweet memories of how my family all worked together on processing day. We had quite a system. My grandparents, parents, aunts, sisters, cousins, ...... each of us had a job to do. Dad and Grandpa did the killing, and the rest was up to all of us. It worked well and we got alot done in a day. I hope, when we process, to have about 10 of us working.

 

[The Sheriff]

So, I have had a Marans broody for about six weeks. She's been run off the nest, had her eggs broken and eaten. I moved her to an empty coop and she abandoned the eggs and paced the fence line to get back in the other coop. Finally she settled in on a few infertile Marans eggs. When I thought it was safe I gave her five Icelandic eggs. Yesterday they were on Day 11 when I found three had been eaten without a trace and the other two were quitters. I checked in on her this morning and she was hunkered down on nothing.

So I called the feed store before they opened and asked if they had any day olds. They told me they just picked up 30 Americana pullets at the post office. They asked how many I wanted, I said two. I also asked about a special order for feeders for my oyster shell that I placed a week ago. They were in so I said I was on my way down for my order and two day-olds.

I got down there and they said, oh sorry, another lady called and wanted all 30 chicks and they were holding them all for her. What? You couldn't call and save me a trip into town? Then I told them I was no longer interested in the feeders and that I had to drive all over town looking for chicks. The owner heard the discussion and came out and told them to go get me two chicks. I still didn't buy the feeders but did order some different ones. Gosh I hate stuff like that!

Then I get home with two cheeping AM's and get them settled in a brooder until I can slip them under the broody tonight. I go outside and she's off the nest, stumbling around outside in the run obviously dehydrated and emaciated. I don't know if she'll go back to brooding, die, or what. I may get stuck brooding two Ams that I didn't even want!

Dang broodies!

 

[kathyinmo]

I have some stupid broodies, too. Some are doing well, and others are being ridiculous. Some are hatching and killing. Some are stealing chicks. Some have abandoned midway. Others want to sit all the time and not leave to raise the babies!

I agree...... crazy broodies!

 

[Eva2012]

Pretty White Rocks. I have two and they are the friendliest girls!

I think we will be losing Judge Judy soon. She has been inactive, which is not like her. She rules the roost in the layer coop. Today she was laying down a lot and holding herself up on the side of the coop. She made it up on the roost in her favorite spot by the open flap window. I'll be sad to see her go. She and Martha were our first chickens. They have moved three times with us. She'll be buried next to Martha when she goes. They are my forever girls. Maybe she'll perk up but I don't think so. When she eats now her neck, comb and wattles turn dark dusky purplish blue.

Makes me cry. Enjoy and bless each day and minute with her. I usually take my old ones (dogs )- carry them around in their yard and home and tell them how much I appreciated their time and presence. And I tell them they will soon be free of their old body and fly with the other animal angels. And then usually, I select a tree, a special young tree where they will get buried. That is my saying good bye routine, and it's never easy.
I buried 3 of my chickens this way, but not old age, accidental dog damage.
Blessings.

 

[1muttsfan]

The more personality they have the harder it is to see them go.

Love all the wonderful garden pictures. As soon as the ground thaws the lettuce goes in. Can I put onion starts in if frost is still a possibility?

Chicks cheeping in the incubators - such a lovely sound! Ron I hope you are right about the Arkansas eggs, no pips yet and I am a little anxious.