The Old Folks Home

[superchemicalgirl]

Have to get the chickens taken care of early. I'm teaching an advanced chicken class at a community college about an hour away and it starts at 9.
Doing a lot of planting in the afternoon and car work. Then a friend's surprise retirement party.
I'll probably have chicks hatching Sunday. In-laws wanted my son and I to come down for easter, but I have too much work to do around here and he has too much school work to take a 6 hour chunk out of our day. It's well over an hour each way.

A college level chicken class? Wow. That's awesome.

Is the retirement a surprise? Or just the party?

 

[Wisher1000]

Quote: Now that's funny.......

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Now that's funny.......

As a manager there's a couple people I'd like to give surprise retirement parties to.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A college level chicken class? Wow. That's awesome.

Is the retirement a surprise? Or just the party?

The party's a surprise. He retired a couple weeks ago.

It's a follow up to my beginner class and is for people that have had chickens a while or had the first class and are looking for more in-depth information. It's more of an open forum where we discuss diseases, parasites, injuries and treatments; chicken anatomy and egg development; incubation and broody hatching; culling and processing; breed characteristics, showing, and judging for SOP, supporting heritage breeds; and changing ordinances.

 

[Wisher1000]

I'd like to throw my secretary a surprise retirement...............

 

[Hangtown Farms]

Have to get the chickens taken care of early. I'm teaching an advanced chicken class at a community college about an hour away and it starts at 9.
Doing a lot of planting in the afternoon and car work. Then a friend's surprise retirement party.
I'll probably have chicks hatching Sunday. In-laws wanted my son and I to come down for easter, but I have too much work to do around here and he has too much school work to take a 6 hour chunk out of our day. It's well over an hour each way.

Good plans

how many black Penedesenca you have hatching Guy?

My other crele rooster is limping bad. nothing looks wrong with him foot so not sure whats up but I better find someone to incubate the eggs I have from that pen since my two incubators are full

 

[dsqard]

This weekend I have turkeys and chickens hatching although so far only turkeys have hatched. We are also smoking one of our turkeys for Easter. Processed one of the hens yesterday, today she is brining.

 

[chickadoodles]

dsqard
The turkey poults are adorable

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Pop in and post pics. Lots of pics...

Got up yesterday to get ready to make the trip to retrieve the new waterfowl and Rick tells me...we don't have ONE bun bun any more...we have TWO. Two snowshoe hares (no photos yet but we know the predictions on that SOON I shall); the one that showed up last fall and made this their "lobster clown squirrel footed" stomping grounds and a new much more timid friend (but that one will be fat and sassy and just as brazen as the current one quite quickly).

What timing...I wonder if the new one is a CHOCOLATE RABBIT...I am wagering bets I don't break down and try the beans to see what flavour they are...bwa ha ha. Thought the resident top squirrel had a fit when it saw this tail impaired, over juiced footed rodent...it's gonna have a literal coronary when it sees there is a pair!

Now we all know the theory...where you have TWO bunnies, there is never going to be any peaceful rest for the patrolling dogs no more...thought Fixins had fits smelling just Krusty. She's gonna be so torn when she realizes the multiple is two soon to be ....

one wabbit + one wabbit = ???????????????

​

Oh well, always found rabbits intriguing but never intriguing enough wanna to sign up to feed, water and care for caged ones. This nature thing lets us enjoy enough of them from afar... widdle wabbit Froo Froos, hopping thru the Forest beating on Field Meese.



Snow...ha ha ha...don't anyone feel like the weather is picking on them in particular...har har.

Few shots of the weather this week...can we say BLIZZARD anyone? Icrumba...it keeps falling...falling, falling...dee dee dee???

Fixins and her playing in the Ram Pasture.​

Recall that re-hung new flag...sure glad I did it when I did. Never know how much is gonna replace what melted, eh?

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And gardening...har har...this is my honest to goodness gardening plot...all set up for ICE worm FARMING...

COME ONE, COME ALL...BUY YER BAIT HERE--ice fishing bait supplier! ​

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Got friends on the Coast e-mailing me to say they have mud and are planting...yeh, get right on that...that's a good 1.5 to 2 feet of snow in thars...plant the worms, planting the ice worms...anyone got some seed stocks to share up here in the Great White North??

A friend's father would play this tune on his accordion...in tribute to Sunshine Woman's father's gumption...

When the Ice Worms Nest Again:

Written probably by Robert Service;
An Alaskan tradition in the 20s and 30s.
Recorded by Wilf Carter ---Montana Slim --- sometime in the 1940s.



So Rick always laughs at me packing for a trip--day trips sure...but as all good men...when it comes to "Got a toothpick Honey...Got a bandaid (I've got me a small nick as in the threat of complete arterial spray spatter all over the truck cab interior!)...Got an aspirin Sweets (I yap too much...his head hurts from listening to me chatter!)?"

I don't give a flying fig...if we go down the street to the next quarter or across the whole dang country...entails the same packing scheme...loaded for bear...ha ha ha! The time I don't have the oldtimers bag (and we are not talking diaper--maybe Depends-nfi)...that will be the time I let us all down...agh.

So I been running about like the proverbial chicken with head cut off the past week...between snow squalls and regular spring like mayhem...getting my future for the ducks (and gooseys) all in a row.

Because we are hauling home ducklings hatched April 9 and last Sunday...I then load up the emergency cooler which runs off a vehicle's cigarette lighter - 12 volt adapter off the vehicle OR Rick has rigged it out with an adapter off a battery too if needed.

This is a cooler and heater combined...simple switch of the button and it goes from cold to heat. I so love these technological things...work it for birds and see me grin ear to ear...so useful--so wonderful...now back in the day...no way to have this kinda nifty crapola, eh! Called hedging your bets for the birds to prosper and thrive on the drive home.

This contraption is used to warm up the babes should the heat inside the cab of the truck not be enough. Bought it back in 2008 when we made our first trip to the US/Canuck border to retrieve bird birds. Never know the conditions the birds have endured and under our care, never EVER gonna let them down. No sirree...chose to take on the responsibility, chose to step up and do the very best that I am able.

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Lined the bottom with cut piece (big chunk) of rubberized cupboard liner...NO slippy on webbers or any sorta baby toes. The round hole on the right is an opening for getting cans/bottles when used as a cooler....to me, awesome peaky hole and big enough for hand to go in if someone needs assistance. Note the compartments too, can segregate for three areas...how luxurious!


The Crates; 2 for each pair of geese, one for adult Crested ducks, and one for baby Cresteds. All stacked, tarped in case of snow, and ready to be loaded up in the truck. Feed, water containers...want them to have a relaxing trip home and SNACKS.

Yup...everybody EAT, DRINK and make not too much merry till we get you home to your new homes.

The Quarantine for the adults...my two sided Hay and Straw barn...don't feed square hay bales, rounds now with the tractor...so lots of room in there for whatever! Far enough away from the rest of the poultry...quiet, calm, good digs to integrate them into the fold.

DEAD serious about being ready...we even like to plan our disasters....

Yeh, I want to go get the creatures, return home and plunk everything in their prepared spot...no surprise, no oopses...just release them into total readiness so they can get thru quarantine and then join the other dependents in frolicking and enjoying the joys here.


So here are the torment photos...six white crested and a black crested (older one)...in the ducklings. Watch out about making eye contact...dangerous to do...watch looking them in the eye...oh my eye!

FTD - Gotta LOVE a duck!!!!



Lookit those pompoms....hee hee hee! Early Easter Bonnets!​

While I was out doing chores and running about yesterday...inside was Rick...taking care of the widdle ones...he boiled me up some hard boiled egg yolks (is he a HERO or what?) and I came in and found to my delight...a pot full of cooled eggs ready to be peeled and yolks harvested for the little blighters. I was concerned about one white one...a little bit off, nothing real worrisome but sorta off...but holy hannah...like piggies to the trough...they found the yolks and like all good duckies...soon made their water dispenser yellow with the yolky residues.

See the one giving me the stinky frowny eye..."You can leave now, we are fine....bugger off already!"​

Went in later that day (between pop-ins to see them---so like it's such a vortex...ducklings...where does the time go mesmorized by their very duckiness-- FTD indeed!) to see them all napping. Spread out in the oat straw and contented...warm and happy. I changed out their dirty water and each time, new chow down happens. Love that about them sweeties. Cutesters!

Lookit the bulging bumpy polly wog bellers...bristling full of goodness...grow me pretties!

So here are the kewl ones...two pairs of Buff Tufted geese--can't complete with FTDucklings but holding their own.

More early Easter Bonnets...LMBO​

I was all set up for two crates for quarantine and got told, NOPE...the fella housed the two pairs together...well blighme...OK...that makes it WAY simpler. Never done that here...it is in pairs or a trio...but never ever two pairs that shared. Course who knows if that will last...get talking to the rest of the gaggle here and well...could have to segregate them. We shall see.

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Let them out, see how they all get along. Fine and dandy.
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So tie a pork chop to me...I know how to make new friends with strangers...

Does it look like she wants to...she really really wants to come closer...that romaine yah know...the enticing greens...personifies that thought of SILLY GOOSE!

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"Is that GREENS? Do I see GREENS??"​

"Oh nummy...gobble gobble."​

All hesitations and cautions thrown to the winds...be it man or beast...FOOD breaks and tames them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah the safety stops I have destroyed and the fast friends I have made...sharing a plate. Bwa ha ha....

EAT EAT EAT!

And I know many wanna see it...so here yah go...not a cranial defect like in Crested Ducks...not lethal in a double dose...but a kinda feathered helmet...a tear shaped funny feathering on the top of the head.

Tufted goose head gear.​

Purdy kewl, eh?

Remember where you saw it...on the Old Folks Home thread...we old guys ROCK...we are out there, we are happening Mun...oh my yes. Us old folks know how to rock and roll--good times.

Coffee break is done like the turkey dinner we shall feast upon tomorrows when Number One Son comes on by to make Rick and I's holiday a wonderful event.

So off I go...got water to run, got bathing waters to draw for my new adult ones...see how much trouble I can stir up for the waterfowl by doing that...time to draw dem all a bubbley bath and see how much joy & happiness that causes...later peoples...

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada

 

[scottcaddy]

Quote:

Scott