Chickens, chickens, chickens

Last night we were in a panic. We lost 2 of the chicks and this morning another one was missing. The weird thing was, I personally saw them all go into the coop. But they didn't come back out. No evidence of them in the coop, no feathers or odd chicken body parts around, and no unsealed exits.....So, this afternoon I made it my mission to find them.

Find them I did. I walked just about every inch of 40 acres and when I got back up to the coop, I heard them. I went into the coop and they were not there. I went outside again, and heard them inside....You would never believe where I found the 3 missing half grown chickens. They were in between the inner and outer wall of the coop. There was a small hole between 2 studs, that was maybe the size of a juice can behind the nesting boxes. There I saw a pair of moving legs.

We had to move the nesting boxes and open the hole bigger and out came 3 chickens, acting every bit as if that were a normal place for a chicken to be.

Since we had to move the nesting boxes, I decided this was a good time to clean out the coop, so we spent the next several hours doing that. And, yes, we did seal the hole back up.

I also called dig rite this morning to have the electric and water located around the coop. If the weather holds, this weekend we plan on moving my new coop onto the concrete pad, scooting the old coop over a little and setting the fence post to give the chickens a fenced in yard. This will help keep them out of the garden during harvest time. Last year they ate more squash and watermelon than we did. Their fenced in area will be around 25 ft by 50 ft. It does have a low spot in it, so either this evening or tomorrow I will bring in some dirt and fill that in.

Once all the coops are moved to their proper place on the concrete, I have siding to recover the old coop with, then I will paint it to match the barn. The new coop is already painted to match. My old coop was a freebie off of craigslist.org. The new one was a last years demo model from Lowe's in St Jo that I got for 75% off the original price. We already have the posts for their fence, but I will need to get some more fencing. I also think that we may also end up with room inside the fenced area to move the girls rabbit hutches to as well. That will get them out of barn during the summer, and during the winter we can maybe put them in the new rabbit hutch. I also need to keep my eye open for some more nesting boxes, or else make another 12.

Drama on the farm

Yesterday I came home to a mess. When I left, it seemed simple enough--the girls were going to catch 2 of our horses and load them up to take to 4H for their yearly coggins and shots. Then when I got home, we would jump in the truck and go.

NOT

First, I called Emily to let her know I was almost home. Her reply was "can't talk now mom". click. That should have been my first hint....

I pulled into the driveway to discover nothing loaded up and COWS IN MY GARDEN. Why, why, why when stock gets out do they have to go to my garden????? JD and the girls are standing out there, and JD is looking at me shaking his head. At least, no one headed down the driveway and out the entrance.

Rebecca handed me a bucket of grain and I got the cows back in. Ariel (a charlois cow) was easy. She and I have been through this routine before. Too many times before. I pulled her around my her ear tag (she really hates that, but it is effective) and headed her to the gate, while yelling at her to get home where she belongs or she will be in the deepfreeze with her brother....

Elizabeth's Angus heifer was another story. She had different things on her mind and for some reason didn't think she needed back into the pasture, but we finally got her there as well. (You know, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence).

Then I am told we also had a horse that had been out as well, but they did get the horse back in already. (Whew)

Now I think we are ready for the easy part. The horses are already caught, have on halters and lead ropes, so we only need to walk them to the trailer. Well, evidently Bandit was an easy catch, but Double ran them all over the pasture to the extent that they had to use the truck to go back to the very back and get him. (Doubles new nickname name may become "Glue".) We start to take the 2 horses out when horse #3 throws a temper tantrum that far outweighs any that a 2 or 3 year old child could have done. She runs, whinnies, stops her feet, digs a hole (yes horses can dig with their front feed) and carries on. Now I see the problem. Apparently horse #3, Beauty, is in love with Bandit and doesn't want him to leave the farm. Beauty is not broke to the halter or the trailer, so she can't go with us (which would have easily solved this whole mess).

Now I find out that is how the cows got out--she kicked the gate open in an attempt to get out and follow Bandit and her brother Double.

Finally we get them loaded. During the entire process she is pacing the entire front fence whinnying and kicking and he is carrying on from the trailer.

I hope this is just a fast and furious crush that will burn out quickly, and not be a long summers love affair. I don't think we can do this for every 4H practice and show........

And the chickens are mad because the compost/kitchen scraps we are now giving to the hogs instead of to them....

At least the rabbits still love us.

Oh--and when we brought the horses back? Beauty was still at the gate throwing her fit and waiting for her man, or gelding rather.

Elizabeth and Rebecca impressed me at the 4H vet day by drawing their horses blood themselves and giving some of the vaccinations. They both plan on being vets when they are older.

Is it really spring?

According to the calendar, it is spring. But is sure is cold outside. Tonight it is supposed to be in the mid to low 30's. I am waiting for the 60-70 degree weather. It has rained yesterday, today and supposed to tomorrow.

Yet, it is spring and we have babies here on the farm to prove it. To date, 6 pigs, 9 baby Peking ducks and 4 chicks. The baby chickens and ducks are in a rabbit hutch in the basement under a heat lamp. They are directly under my desk, so even now I hear peeping.

Heat wave on the farm.

Yes, it is up to 22 degrees. Yesterday was not a good day. The night before one of stock tank heaters caught on fire. The yesterday it was so bitterly cold that the remaining heaters could not keep up and the one tank froze despite 2 heaters being in it.

Then the hydrant handle broke. JD got that fixed, but while he was working on that, the hose froze, so we had 1 frozen tank and one empty tank. Hopefully today we are back in business. The hose is now thawed out from being in the basement all night, the hydrant handle has been repaired, and Oreschleons replaced the heater that burst into flames the first time it was used.

We woke to about an inch of snow this morning, and a fine snow is still falling. It is very fine, you almost have to squint to see it.

I like winter, but not the cold. I think at least part of our animals agree with me. The rabbits have hay in their hutches, and are buried deep in it. During the winter we put their hutches in the barn to block the wind. Our old black Lab is mainly hanging around the barn in the haypile. Elizabeths calf likes to stay in a stall. Last night Elizabeth found our little beagle pup hiding in the basement. She is a outdoor dog, but she managed to sneak in at some point. Usually she sleeps in the barn in the hay where it is warm. But during the day she likes to dig in the snow. Some of the chickens stay in the coup and never leave, others go out like it is summer and a few even try to dust in the snow as if it were dirt.

At least it is nice and sunny out.

Maybe later the girls will make some snow candy.

I worked some in our downstairs pantry yesterday, and will hit it again. About another hour of work and I will be done.