A glimpse at the third baby Turken chick hatched so far. By next Monday, we should have baby Muscovy ducklings hatching away. As of this afternoon, there is 1 Dr.seuss (americauna) egg and 1 Mrs. Turken egg left in the nest with 13 Muscovy eggs. 3 were rotten and have exploded....Yeah, thats what I said- YUCK! Now I hope I can figure out which of the chicks is from Dr.Suess. She lays the blue eggs and I hope to find an Americauna Roo with the blue dominate in him -to mate to one of her turken offspring. Then I could have a blue egg laying turken breed. Or maybe I should get out more... Sweeter Dreams, ~Tammie
We have 3 chicks so far. All are at least half turken. But which is half silkie roo or half Americauna hen or even full turken- leaves me guessing. Time will tell on all. I let her keep the 3 till no longer wet, but had to put them in the brooder so she would continue to sit on the other 16 of her eggs and 2 or 3 more chicken eggs. The chicken eggs should finish hatching within the next day or two. They too will be placed in the brooder as soon as they are dry. This is very exciting for us. We have never had our own chicken's eggs hatched out. When our much missed white silkie (named Strawberry) went broody a few years back, I had to buy a clutch of mixed eggs from a local. She sat on an empty nest and we had no roosters at the time. Every one of those chicks were pecked off by predators. She passed away that winter- why?- we have no idea. She was only 1 year old. There is a picture mixed into the flickr badge of Lil' Man holding Strawberry if you would like to sort through them. Or click *HERE*. That was his favorite- and the only one he could catch at the time. So here is a peek at the chicks for now: Until next time.... Sweet dreams, ~Tammie
Fidels "lady friends" have arrived and they seem to be very happy to be together again. They never leave each others side. They are not just eye candy here- they have kept those pesky neighborhood cats walking the outlines and not cutting through our property. Plus, I love to hear them hiss and honk at the neighbors.... They have great potential.
On our many recent trips to the hatchery, we pass an old home that speaks to my heart. I do not know why or what makes my heart fill with joy and happiness, each time we round the bend and it appears. I have never been able to explain to The Captain why exactly I love some homes but others I feel nothing. They could be similar in looks, but the ones I love, are the ones that give a special feeling in my chest and puts a smile to my face. This house is one of them. I am starting to recognize a little of what they have in common, but not everything is clear. One big thing is the setting. I believe it is the "grandmothers homestead" look.Not big farm or The cow dairy look. No, I like the small homestead set ups. A handful of fruit trees just out the side door. The Gardens not much farther away. A not too big barn off just a bit past the gardens for all our trusty 4 legged and feathered friends. The inviting front porch- just waiting for visitors to enjoy fresh iced tea. A porch swing with the most perfect view- looking out to see the children chasing lightning bugs and laughing into the night. A place The Captain & I can sit in the evenings, in each others arms listening to the crickets chirp once the children are in bed. Large and spacious but not overpowering big. I like the side view of the home above more then the front. The side is what i see when we go around the bend and that is when the feeling hits. So now I am determined to start photographing the homes that give me that feeling. That way, I can sit down-look them over and determine what I see in them, & what I desire for our home.
Oh, and how could I go without sharing with you our first broken bone. A clean, straight break in her radius & ulnar- just above the wrist. A fall from the deck with a vintage metal chair pulled atop her upper body. From which she was running and playing like nothing happened 5 minutes later! Amazing... First vegetable harvest of the year and its on Summer Solstice! (I do not count the lettuce or herbs). Tonight was to be the night of Dandelion wine tasting. The bottle was saved for this very occasion. To celebrate the solstice and hopefully I will do so without passing out from a very long last few days... Sweetest dreams, ~Tammie
*link update* it appears Fidel's breed is on the critical list over at thepreservation site( ALBC). Click the link & check it out* Monday, we made ANOTHER trip to the hatchery for our broiler chicks. As I was standing in line, I overheard a woman discussing with the cash out lady,she was just going to give away her select tufted Roman geese. She had posted a sign in the Hatchery store back in May, but not a single call was made about them. They are 6-7 years old and will live anywhere from 12- 20 years. Fight the temptation... fight it..... argh!! I just cant do it! I inquired from the clerk if she was giving away her geese and it was confirmed. They informed me this is where they got their breeding stock for the hatchery. Her geese are from(and descend from) a big main breeder in California. They kindly called her to get directions for me and 10 minutes later we herding geese up. It went so quickly and soon I had a mating pair sitting in the back of my trusty Vue. Not to make this into a sad or long story, but the heat hit 98 degrees and the female succumbed to heat exhaustion. They were already pretty hot when I got there which made it hard to keep them cool despite the A/C. I called the Lady and explained what happened-I will be picking up another female later this week for poor Fidel. ( yes, lots of tears were spilled over the unfortunate event.) But here is our new Tufted Roman goose male, Fidel The pictured had to be lightened so his beautiful blue eyes could be seen. I had a hard time capturing him in the shot. The above took 8. And below took 4 shots.He is not aggressive with humans but seems to still be finding his spot amongst the Backyard Barnyard. No fighting, just a lot of hissing. I wish I could capture Lady Chia's face the first time she came upon him. The confusion was hilarious. Bonnie is still sitting on her eggs. All 16 muscovy ( a few look to be about to burst with a duckling soon) and 5 chicken eggs. 1 of Dr.Seuss's eggs apparently hatched 2 days ago, but that carnivore loving Mrs. Turken, got a hold of it. I do not know how, just that the kids found her pecking at a newly hatched chick in the pen yard. The others do not go near Bonnie. Mrs. Turken is a bit- well a lot- Ditzy , with a appetite for all food but meat seems to be her big love. Just thank The Captain for that one. he has been feeding her and the Mr. Turken lots of leftover meats, including can tuna. He finds it entertaining and after all, the 2 of them really are "his" chickens. I'm off to check the eggs for any sign of hatching & feed the masses before the rain pours. Sweetest dreams, ~Tammie.
I picked while the kids played nearby. Its hard to pick from the trees, but my determination did not go unseen. A 10 minute spurt of hard afternoon rain- A gift from the Rain Gods/Goddess in my opinion- helped knock the ripe ones down. As you see above, I used 1 gallon(?) pails- which belong to the kids for the purpose of THEM picking berries. There are so many, I may just pick and freeze a big amount for later uses.The ones above have become yummy snacks and tonight a batch of Mulberry mead will be started.
I will try the below recipe- but use fresh mulberries since that is what I have:
MULBERRY MEAD 2# (pounds)wildflower honey* 12 ozs. frozen mulberries water up to 1 gallon Red Star Montrachet yeast (makes a semi dry so I will try this batch with Lalvin EC-1118 yeast which is a champagne yeast) Pasturize and skim honey at 170F for 1/2 hour. Add frozen mulberries at end of heating. Pitch with rehydrated Red Star Montrachet yeast.(** lalvin EC-1118) Use NO nutriment. Rack to secondary after 9 days, as berries begin to bleach. Bottle when 2 months old. *Author said if you want it sweeter to use 3# of honey instead of 2.
One of Panda's found summer treasures- heart shaped mulberries
I may just try my hand at some Mulberry Lemonade! ( Quoted from its original poster- click the above title for link) "one-third cup of juice to fix yourself a refreshing glass of mulberry lemonade! Fresh lemons are best with this! Just squeeze the juice from half of a lemon and add two teaspoons of sugar to it. Add that mixture to the mulberry juice, and fill the glass with ice cubes. Splash in cold club soda to top it off, and enjoy!" 2 cups of mulberries equal 1 cup of juice.
Its that time of year! (Notice: no fireflys were smooshed, smashed, or smeared in any of the children's " collections") These wonderful early summer like nights, have brought out the fireflies in masses. The children have begged to stay out "just a little more" as the night falls upon them. I love sitting out on the porch as they run around with Mason Jars in hand, yelling out to each other "over here! theres another over here!". To see the flashes twinkle in the yard, hear laughter echoing into the night and children running barefoot through the grass fills my heart with such happiness. Ahhh....The call of summer nights.... Sweetest dreams, ~Tammie
Just cant get that song out of my head! I really loved it when it came out & Loved the video. Push play if you dare...
Meet Willow. The Captains new 5 week old puppy. A pug mommy with a toy fox terrier daddy. Willow has a bit of the pug nose and loose skin. Hopefully more of the pug features will show as she grows.
And the 1 day old white silkie chicks. Custard & Magic.
There is a story to go with how Magic got its name. Wanna hear it? Well it goes something like this...
All 3 kids in the backseat are cranky and screaming from a long day of new puppy pick up, junior golf league (9 holes long) and another Meyer hatchery trip-which is close to the puppy pick-up location. The new chicks are in the backseat with Panda- who lets Frog hold one. BIG mistake. After wrestling the poor thing from her death grip, it sat lifeless in The Captains hand. I, the driver, try to perform the cp of cpr on this chick while commanding the road. No results for 2 whole minutes. The Captain started rubbing the sides after 30 more seconds and PEEEEP! My jaw dropped. The chick came back to life! It took a few minutes before it could move more then its head, but it was ALIVE after being completely lifeless- no breathing- no heart beat indicated for a minimum of 3 to 4 minutes. Panda yelled "Daddy's got magic!". Of course The Captain wanted to name the chick jesus- I said no- I dont think so. Say it with an H- not a J & I would consider it. But Lil Man said he wanted it named Magic." So there ya go. A story about how a chick was born, then died, then lived again all in one day. The captain jokes and said since the chicks peeped alot to each other , the one must be saying "Man, I saw the light! I really did. And there was this voice saying its not your time yet. Dude.... It was trippy". Yep. We think being gone that long may have a long term effect on the brain cells.
On another note, The Captain has a birthday coming up in August. Guess who is throwing him a TOGA party?! Do not think Animal house. Think bonfire, fresh gyros, Greek burgers, lots of grape bunches, snacks and Toga clad adults. (No children permitted of course!!) Enjoying brew of the gods, company of good friends, and bits of entertainment thrown in. Such as a contest for hairiest back, sexiest legs, best in costume, and most comical garb. I am collecting supplies now to make a Faux chariot for a picture opportunity corner.Plus a canopy tent transformed into a Roman room complete with plush pillows and chairs for lounging away from the fire and enjoying some grapes. The above picture shows the materials for my garb. Natural muslin (instead of dirt magnet white) with a sheer red, gold Mediterranean style trimming (sari) fabric for a palla garment. The gold/white ribbon is for The Captains tunic which I hope to make from black fabric or dark royal purple. The beads are for my necklace and earrings. I still need to buy notions for a belt, but I will wait till I finish the tunic portion and decide then what style/type of belt to wear. Can you tell I LOVE costume making? This will be our 4th big costume theme party since buying our home. I do not understand why more adults do not enjoy dressing up. I hear so many say "thats for kids. So immature". If that is what "being grown up" is about, then I am happy to stay "immature". I'll just go to my room now. Sweet dreams, ~Tammie
As you may remember, we made a trip to the Meyer Hatchery a few weeks back. Before the trip, I pre- ordered what was to be picked up. They messed up and did not process my order due to a mistake the operator made- by not putting in a pick-up day and left it as a "hold". No problem, except they had no black silkies left over. So we went with the buff silkies they had extra of. We did get the Delawares we wanted- suppose to be all hens so we will see. I have already called and informed them of the defective turkey & have a credit worth 2 turkeys. But now it seems they did not give me silkies at all. I got some kind of bantam and one is a frizzle! Which I like very much, but that does not help my situation in WHY I ordered silkies in the first place. I want my silkies! It was not to eat them. They are very broody and will hatch out my other chickens eggs. I do not want the bantams and will end up taking them to auction or trading them for something useful on the forums. I have placed an order for cornish X's with the credit they gave for the turkey's, but was told they will not be available till the 18th. I really hope they will credit us for the chicks they gave us since they gave us not what we ordered and I have no use for them. I would gladly take them back if they would have them, but due to the whole Bio security thing, they cannot accept them back. What am I going to do with bantam chickens that I do not want if no one on the boards want to trade something for them. I'm keeping the frizzle. Already named "it" Mrs.Frizzle. After the teacher from the Magic school bus. Rememeber her? She too had red "hair", like the color of the Frizzles feathers. That rare genetic mutation would make for a very interesting offspring mixed with a turken... What a wonderful freaky chicken that would be! The local Bee man brought out an empty hive to try and catch some wild bees. The Bee scouts have been all over our yard and we hope to attract them into this hive:Bee man placed lemon grass oil onto a few of the frames inside to help allure them. Apparently it has something similar to the queens smell- correct me if I am wrong. i cant remember exactly what he said. The man made hive is placed upon the pine tree logs so it sits 6-8 feet high while trying to attract them. So far no action. But hopefully, soon that will change. Sweet Dreams,~Tammie
I have a very strict rule about all toads. On sight you are to gently catch and release immediately INTO the garden's Toad habitat. Why you may ask. Because they eat the insects and bugs silly!
"They're particularly fond of slugs, sow bugs, earwigs, cutworms, and gypsy moths. In fact, nearly 90 per cent of a toad's diet consists of garden pests. In a single growing season, a busy toad can consume more than 10,000 of these uninvited guests. Toads like to hide in cool, dark places during the day and come out a night to hunt."
Picture on right shows the corner of our garden which has been made into a toad habitat. Hosta's planted around water filled shallow plastic tubs.click on pic- Look closely and you may see the 2 toad houses we have hidden under the hosta's.The wood board is also a toad home. There is a small trench dug then the wood placed over it. Always have toads under them too.-ignore the puny tomato plants. I direct seeded in that half just to see if they would produce timely without the indoor start.
We have experimented with various Toad Houses. Like placing wide wood boards over small trench's next to the garden beds, And recently burying terracotta drain pipes half way into the ground. They like to burrow down into the soil, so try to break the pipe as close to in half as possible. And try to have another way out such as a "back door". Snakes can slither in for a snack or a coon could dip their hands in for an amphibious morsel without any escape for the toad. Of course after covering the pipe with dirt, pimp your toads pad out with some rocks, plants, and compost! I assure you, they will Thank you.
This is a sketch to show a "toad den" using an intact pipe like above but angling it into a dirt hole surrounded and covered with rocks.
A simple over turned terracotta pot with a lemon size hole punched out does just as well ( toads come in all sizes and widths). Be sure to provide some shade to keep it cool.I recommend checking out this site. and this site for American toad information, pictures, and sounds. May help you understand a little more about their needs and how you too can attract them into your yard. We had a massive hit in our frog/toad population last year- during egg laying season! When the road department came out to repair the drainage ditch "wash out", they took with it majority of our frog/toad population. So today, we went to a local park to do some frog hunting. We recovered 4 frogs and some kind of frog salamander. We had gone in hopes of bringing home tadpoles. We will just have to keep checking whenever we happen to stop by. Hopefully what effort we have put into recovering the population is successful. Speaking of helpful bug eating populations, I really must get another bat house. Hopefully, we get a few more in the yard and we can have a massive hit on the mosquito population! Sweet dreams, ~Tammie
Panda is officially on summer break. That means it is time forweekend Bonfires!! Which also mean S'MORES!
And just as proof the nice weather is really here, today I harvested 2 -1 gallon ziplock bags from the lettuce garden and about 2 sandwich bags from the spinach! Our gardens are bursting with pride early this year it seems. Not to be out shined by the lettuce, the squash have started growing babies! And its not even a whole week into June! I do not know what it is I did this year so different from the others to make such a huge difference in production. Could it really be from the built up beds, bits of compost pile and used straw bedding? Today, I got halfway through making my first "chicken tractor".(So be kind in its critique.) This is just the run area- (that had to have the top support rebuilt after breaking from certain children trying to "tight rope walk"... that is the reason for the questionable end 2x4's and the white thin sides). The measurements are 5 feet long by 3 feet wide. Height is about 3 1/2 feet...I think... There is some fine tuning to do before I build the house end. Until then, I will be putting the baby chicks in during the day and placed by the big pen. I am trying to get the other chickens use to seeing and hearing them so the transition to being all together will go MUCH smoother.Oh and obviously, it will be painted black. Maybe white trimming. Look what I spotted today while The Captain tore into the big pile of pine! MULBERRIES! Massive amounts of mulberries on the neighbors tree (not very nice grouchy "preacher man" zone happy calling one)- which have big branch's hanging 10-15 feet into our yard. I'm thinking mulberry mead this year!!! Anyone else game? Sweetest Dreams,~Tammie
Horn nubs on Delilah...
The seasons first sunflower.
Organic Apples looking not too bad- this far.
A glimpse at the third baby Turken chick hatched so far.
Horn nubs on Delilah...
The seasons first sunflower.
Organic Apples looking not too bad- this far.
A glimpse at the third baby Turken chick hatched so far.
