The Old Folks Home

[ronott1]

Just stopping by to say hello!

I have enjoyed seeing the pictures of flowers. Blooming is going on here too and hopefully I will get some Apricots and Plums this year. Hopefully the Bees will be buzzing enough to pollinate the buds.

Have a safe trip Oz!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

My chickens must have appreciated the new table because they laid me 14 eggs today!

Went months with just 1-2 eggs a day, now EGGS! If only the duck would start laying. I want my custard (made with a duck egg) style ice cream.

 

[pickitfarm]

Greetings earthlings.

We are wrapping up another quick trip to cocobeach . Eggs are set, piggery foundation is laid out and trees are planted.

50 hours on the farm is just not enough.

In five hours I start the journey back to los Angeles.

Have a safe trip back to LA. I don't know how you can do that quick of turn around. It sounds exhausting. Something i would have been up for in my 30s. Now in late 40's...no way.

 

[CanuckBock]

Okay, SCG, here're your pics of the flowerbed by my backdoor.

Now those ARE classy flowerbed ornaments...very CLASSY!

Unfortunately, although I have not gone over to the DARK SIDE and gone to Smurfs/Gnomes or pink Flamingos (I DO like the ones people hire to be stuck on lawns to celebrate hatch days for old geezers--BIRDdays...might one day acquire some tacky pink Flamingos...stick them by the Mandarin to really louse up the décor!), I do have some concrete lawn ornaments that are tacky, shabby whatever you call it where it makes family want to hide their heads in paper bags in utter shame. Sorry, I love concrete ornaments that hail can't smash to smitherines.

My son bought me this concrete roo and chick...he made a trip to the States and on the border of Alberta and the US, is this quaintest place where it was a couple; he cast the lawn ornaments and she painted them. A team effort...unfortunately, she passed away, leaving him alone and his heart was no longer in it. Long story short...my son picks up a roo and chick for my birthday present. I am thrilled with the present but ponder to myself...the Dad and the kid...will they forever be without Mom and siblings since this fellow that makes them is going to sell the biz and completely retire.

Then a good friend I know, calls me outta the blue this summer...."Hey, I remember you had an odd set of those concrete chickens...I am standing IN the yard where he sells them...call me back in ten minutes and I'll haul you home whatever you want!"

Well I wanted alright, called him back tout sweet and asked him to get a hen and two chicks, amongst a few other things like a set of bronze painted Foo Dogs but we shall keep this ramble short. HA!

So finally, the set was completed...I was SO happy. Chicken family...low maintenance chicken family!

​

Other happenings...Pewter (F1 bantam Chantecler project hen) hatched out two more bantam chicks; MDF Booted and a Partridge Brahma. I set a full clutch under her but my bad, I set eggs that were obviously chilled, so I removed the clears, leaving her two. I did think about two eggs being kinda a strange and wimpy hatch but sure glad I figured, oh what the heck, let her continue to set and hatch them. She already hatched out four in October for me, so her being setty again and happy to have another few kids, fine by me.

Pewter does a great job raising them...even in the cold we are having.

​

Now ain't it cute when the chicks play peek a boo...warm and toasty...toasty and warm.

Sweet...tis time for them to sleep...rock a bye babes...​

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

 

[drumstick diva]

That is one BIG concrete rooster

 

[ronott1]

Now those ARE classy flowerbed ornaments...very CLASSY!

Unfortunately, although I have not gone over to the DARK SIDE and gone to Smurfs/Gnomes or pink Flamingos (I DO like the ones people hire to be stuck on lawns to celebrate hatch days for old geezers--BIRDdays...might one day acquire some tacky pink Flamingos...stick them by the Mandarin to really louse up the décor!), I do have some concrete lawn ornaments that are tacky, shabby whatever you call it where it makes family want to hide their heads in paper bags in utter shame. Sorry, I love concrete ornaments that hail can't smash to smitherines.

My son bought me this concrete roo and chick...he made a trip to the States and on the border of Alberta and the US, is this quaintest place where it was a couple; he cast the lawn ornaments and she painted them. A team effort...unfortunately, she passed away, leaving him alone and his heart was no longer in it. Long story short...my son picks up a roo and chick for my birthday present. I am thrilled with the present but ponder to myself...the Dad and the kid...will they forever be without Mom and siblings since this fellow that makes them is going to sell the biz and completely retire.

Then a good friend I know, calls me outta the blue this summer...."Hey, I remember you had an odd set of those concrete chickens...I am standing IN the yard where he sells them...call me back in ten minutes and I'll haul you home whatever you want!"

Well I wanted alright, called him back tout sweet and asked him to get a hen and two chicks, amongst a few other things like a set of bronze painted Foo Dogs but we shall keep this ramble short. HA!

So finally, the set was completed...I was SO happy. Chicken family...low maintenance chicken family!

​

Other happenings...Pewter (F1 bantam Chantecler project hen) hatched out two more bantam chicks; MDF Booted and a Partridge Brahma. I set a full clutch under her but my bad, I set eggs that were obviously chilled, so I removed the clears, leaving her two. I did think about two eggs being kinda a strange and wimpy hatch but sure glad I figured, oh what the heck, let her continue to set and hatch them. She already hatched out four in October for me, so her being setty again and happy to have another few kids, fine by me.

Pewter does a great job raising them...even in the cold we are having.

​

Now ain't it cute when the chicks play peek a boo...warm and toasty...toasty and warm.

Sweet...tis time for them to sleep...rock a bye babes...​

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

That is one great Broody!

 

[chickadoodles]

Those are some very large lawn ornaments. Love your momma hen and chicks.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:

Maybe someday we will figure out what the name is . . .

Quote: THe sound is eerie and haunting . . no thanks. We have a beautiful pen and ink drawing done by a UMO grad student years ago hanging on a wall: mom with baby on the back and one in the water. A loon looks just as lovely in BW as in color.

Heel low:

Quote:
Tara Lee-- worth posting these striking birds AGAIN!!

Yah-- my DH tries to keep us in line on the proper names but with 2 kids just learning, he often gives up! lol

 

[Arielle]

Who saw the bunny?

haahaa-- FOund it!!!! TOo many EYe SPy books with my kids!

IT looks like a rock!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Oh I laughed at this. Do you KNOW how much razzing I got once when I referred to a wild bird as having a "bug beak" as opposed to a "seed beak!" Rick will remember that to the day he dies...

BUG beak

SEED beak

I often wonder what kinda raz I woulda got over referring to a raptor's beak as in MEAT beak?

He once came in while I was recouping from a long stint of chores, looking not just (re)TIRED but that my get up and go had just up and LEFT...

He says to me with that husbandy smirky voice, "Ah, does Tara need a COMFORT ROAST?" I notice he only says those kinda things when I am dead tired and can't reach up to box his ears...

Yessiree Bob...I believe my sig file says we do...so we must?

Kidding...we have had the Aussie Blacks since 2009.

This is Fire Ember and Black Pearl, the pens.​

This is Smoke Stack and Stove Pipe, the cobs.​

​

Rick and I have always wanted swans and we like Australian critters; got the Australian Cattle Dogs (I headed the petition to have the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club in Miscellaneous classification--saw my first coupla dogs shown fully recognized at a local dog show, a few years back), had a Rosy Burke for a looong time (really kewl cage birds!), these swans are wild Down Under, and friends of ours have an Australian Cockatoo, Corky that really, really LUVs eggs...brought some of our excess winter eggs and Corky, he immediately took them over as HIS...

Pretty cute, eh?​

For our 15 year anniversary of owning this property, we imported two unrelated pens up from the Southern States.


I spent the most fabulous summer this year with the two in quarantine for 8 weeks...Fixins and loved our special times with the swans.

​

Pearl would follow the dogs and I everywhere, so if I forgot to shut a gate like when I was fencing this summer, there the two would be...hilarious how close they wanted to stay...like puppy dogs...very LOOONG necked puppers...

​

Spent a lot of time pool side...took thousands of photos and I did DNA gendering tests (blood on the boys and feathers on the girls) for the first time on birds. I also did fecals since there is hardly any winter kill down South. So when there was no signs of parasites and after the eight week quarantine wait, we breathed a huge sigh of relief. We run a biosecure Conservation Farm, so follow many strict protocols about adding new beings to what we have here.

Quarantine setup (sleeping quarters--otherwise they were out and about in a quarantine area where no other birds were kept) for the two swans for eight weeks.​

Swans are certainly not for everyone...if geese or a tom turkey scare you...I would recommend you not get swans.

​

The cobs can be very aggressive in the Blacks; not the best breed for parks as they love to chase and attack small children. I am a very strong tempered person that loves taming the wild ones like Heelers and Shelduck/geese (known to kill others of their own kind and even domestic geese), so I just laugh when Smoke (the oldest cob) puts on a big show...wing slams and bill bites...he's after MEAT, eh? Well so am I...roast swan tongues anyone....I hear it is a Victorian delicacy or was that peafowl tongues?? I forget! I'm allowed, I'm OLD!

Ember is younger than Pearl and not as forward as she is. Pearla Girla does tricks for me...no end to the amusements...



She balances romaine lettuce leaves on her nose...

She shines up my black chore boots...​

Pearl will even head bop and count 1 + 1, 2 + 2, ...​

Very useful creatures these Black Swans...

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

Nice story. I've always wanted swans, especially mutes. I don't have the space here and they'd probably take over the neighbor's pond. They'll have to wait.

Just stopping by to say hello!

I have enjoyed seeing the pictures of flowers. Blooming is going on here too and hopefully I will get some Apricots and Plums this year. Hopefully the Bees will be buzzing enough to pollinate the buds.

Have a safe trip Oz!

I got some good apricots last year, nectarines were a little small, good peaches, apple tree took a year off. Haven't planted plums or pears yet. I have a couple small limes in pots I bring in each fall.
There's a lot of mulberry trees and persimmon. I've had goji berries for a couple years and they flower but don't set fruit for some reason. I have to figure that out.

My chickens must have appreciated the new table because they laid me 14 eggs today!

Went months with just 1-2 eggs a day, now EGGS! If only the duck would start laying. I want my custard (made with a duck egg) style ice cream.

I was getting 1-2 in the dead of winter, now I'm up to about 10. A couple new pullets have started and some old hens have kicked in too. We're up to almost 12 hours of light so I expect a lot more soon. The 18 NYD kids will be laying by the end of may.

... Sorry, I love concrete ornaments that hail can't smash to smitherines.

My son bought me this concrete roo and chick...he made a trip to the States and on the border of Alberta and the US, is this quaintest place where it was a couple; he cast the lawn ornaments and she painted them. A team effort...unfortunately, she passed away, leaving him alone and his heart was no longer in it. Long story short...my son picks up a roo and chick for my birthday present. I am thrilled with the present but ponder to myself...the Dad and the kid...will they forever be without Mom and siblings since this fellow that makes them is going to sell the biz and completely retire.

Then a good friend I know, calls me outta the blue this summer...."Hey, I remember you had an odd set of those concrete chickens...I am standing IN the yard where he sells them...call me back in ten minutes and I'll haul you home whatever you want!"

Well I wanted alright, called him back tout sweet and asked him to get a hen and two chicks, amongst a few other things like a set of bronze painted Foo Dogs but we shall keep this ramble short. HA!

So finally, the set was completed...I was SO happy. Chicken family...low maintenance chicken family!

​

Pewter does a great job raising them...even in the cold we are having.

Sweet...tis time for them to sleep...rock a bye babes...​

Doggone & Chicken UP!

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

I thought I had a broody last night. A Pene hen was in the nest right at dusk. I was surprised because it was near zero the night before and close to that last night but wasn't too worried since a warmup is coming. Went back after dark and she was on the roost.


I got these after the monumental hailstorm. They were at an antique shop during the hailstorm but that area didn't get hit as hard. The concrete keeps getting harder so I'm sure they would have made it.
They were a gift after I did a big landscaping job for the shop and for some reason, she hated them.
They're Paris and Artemis, the archers.
Sorry about the quality, I'll get more pictures on a clear day without snow.





I saw one of those shows a couple years ago where convicted/reformed burglars evaluate security for homeowners. One of them said, "art on the outside, art on the inside". Indicating people with garden art are targets for burglary. No break-ins yet. They'd be disappointed, no valuable art on the inside.