The Horse Barn - the Arena and a 15 egg day!

The horse barn is shaping up. It was a Spring Cleaning day taking advantage of the high 60 temperatures. The arena wall got a face lift with some minor repairs and a new coat of white paint.

After a hard days work, looks like the hens were busy too! A new record, 15 fresh eggs were discovered.




Finally a little fence work rounded out the weekend!

Reina the Two Year Philly

We went to see Reina, the two year old American Saddlebred, philly who has been with the Amish now for almost a week. We just missed seeing her in the round pen. She was stalled and behaving well for only five days into training. The trainer has been riding her already and she is getting use to being hitched with the saddle on her.

The trainer, John, indicated she is coming along as expected and she is smart. The next scheduled visit is in two weeks. Then we'll be picking her up right around Thanksgiving.

While visiting, the farrier, Toby, was re-shoeing a horse. We chatted with the couple who owns the horse.  They are from Tyler County, WV and have had numerous farriers out to their farm.  They said they will continue to drive the distance to have the Amish shoe their horse, Toby is that good.

They said when they got there John was on Reina in the round pen and they could tell she was a young horse.  They were a bit surprised when they were told she had only been with him for five days.  That's our girl!

While Reina is away, there are preparations being made for her when she returns to continue her training as well as mine.

Moving Day; Its Golden

Goldie, my first Golden Pheasant and his harem of three hens were moved into the outdoor pen this morning. It has been a long time coming. He feathered out nicely after the molt this year with an attractive long tail. This arrangement will be much better for them.

Goldie and two of the three hens

 A few more perches need to be installed for them and some landscaping - I'll be on the hunt for some interesting rocks and fallen limbs to give them places to check out and explore.









Autumn's brilliance is spent.  However there is this one lone tree on the farm that stands out from the crowd of now barren trees.  It is stunning against the drab background of the greys & rust tones which mark the impending dormancy of Winter.  

Yellow Tree

Perseverance prevails! Reina will be starting training this week!  She'll will be on an Amish farm for a month.  We finally found the Amish man who trains horses.  The Amish are not plugged into the rat race and all its complications.  After repeated visits to various farms during the Summer, finally the time was right and the communications began to make this happen. 

Reina the 2 yr American Saddlebred

Looking forward to getting her back and riding during the colder months. 

The chickens are enjoying the cooler weather and are usually by the chicken house door chopping at the bit to get out and forage around, unless of course they are in the nesting boxes laying eggs. 

A Reunion

It was a blissful colorful Autumn day with a warm breeze and sunshine.  A wonderful day to get the chicken house cleaned out and refreshed before the weather gets too cool.  A benefit of free ranging the chickens is having them out and not inside, while getting their space spiffy.  Plus the addition of all natural lawn fertilizer.  The grass should really be green in the Spring. 

After some target shooting, two on lookers showed up and then there was; "What's that up in the woods?"  At first glance my eyes caught the movement of black fur, (bear? . . .) and then the animal came into full sight.  What the heck!  It is a rather young calf that looked very hungry.  My job was to get around it and drive it back to where all the Moms were.  Yesterday the cattle were moved and this little one was inadvertently left behind.  This calf was swift on its feet and in no time it raced its way to the fence where there was help to open the gate.  (It was more like me catching up, hee) But it ran into the barbed wire and with a little help successfully made it through the fence.  It came upon a black cow and asked;  "Are you my Mother?"  Nope with a rather sharp nudge received it continued to hang with her.  After some encouragement the cow and this little one, joined the larger group of cows and in no time Mamma Ghost made a bee line to the calf, sniffing and licking.  The calf was quick at getting to some nourishment.  It was quite a sight to see.

Mulching Hens

I found a neat blogger up in Massachusetts who has chickens and a classy and informative blog.  One of the posts she wrote mentioned how her chickens love to get into mulch.  Well, my hens found it yesterday.  Now it looks like a professional landscaper was here to refresh and weed the mulch bed.  Ha, Ha. Ha.  Thankfully there weren't any noteworthy flowers or plants in the bed.  Will definitely make a note of this.

I put on my IT hat over the weekend and managed to figure out some networking &  remote viewing capabilities.  So what's your IP, gateway mask and port, blah, blah, blah.  It took some time to figure  it all out.  I must say the data/voice tech did an amazing job specially in light of being told it was his first assignment.  The manual was absolutely useless.  The hardware being set up is pretty nice but the manual definitely wasn't written or printed here.  Has anyone noticed the smallness of fonts used these days, with prescription glasses it still took getting the magnifying glass out to catch bits and pieces of set up detail. Thankfully it all came together with everything working properly. 

Harvest Time

Yesterday morning was pleasantly cool. The hens were eager to get out and roam on the dew covered grass. I picked what might be the last of the various hot peppers and green peppers. Yesterday's yield of eleven eggs inspired me to consider making an egg baked dish suitable for microwaving at the office. Here's the pre-baked picture.

It is basically a crust-less quiche. It was made with breakfast sausage crumbles that were fried up in advanced, green pepper, onion, fresh crushed garlic, shredded sharp cheddar cheese and Hungarian hot peppers for a mild kick. My taste tester gave it the thumbs up.  Hee!  This turned out to be a nice warm breakfast treat. 

Here's what was found under the floor of the front door. It is an old plastic ad sign for Massey Ferguson.  What can I say, except this is an old farmhouse.  Apparently they were making use of what they had.

Free Ranging Chickens

The hens are out!  What a surprise to come home and see the hens scattered around the backyard.  I have to remember the Buffs are younger than the Barreds by two months.  Apparently Monkey and Jewels, the cats thought the hens were something to go after.  They were over that when I got home, hee!  The Hens managed to take care of themselves and the younger cats have respect now for them. 

The Barreds and the Buffs interact well with one another but they still tend to stick with their own.  Last night after everyone went into the chicken house, all the Barreds were roosting together with the exception of one who was roosting with the majority of the Buffs.  Two Buffs were with the Barreds.  It is funny to see how they arrange themselves.

The egg production is still up, even though the days are getting shorter.  The shortage of light might affect the younger Buffs more than the Barreds who have been laying for three months now.

Frost in the Valley

There was 'frost on the pumpkin' yesterday morning and then again today. The drop in evening temperature has been earlier this year.   The hens have found the hen 'condo' as suitable nesting boxes to lay their prized eggs.  The move hasn't disrupted the hens from laying at all. All of them seem to feel right at home in their new space. The nearby pheasants have been curious about their new neighbors, specially the rooster.

The nipple waterer is slowly catching on.  In a given day these gals go through every bit of 2 gallons of water.  Every day I typically rinse out the fountains with a mixture of bleach and good old water, and then refill them.  That hasn't been too bad since I have been doing it during warm weather over the last five months.  But with the temperatures on the decline that won't work as well.  I'll use the open heated water bowls for the pheasants and doves, like I have done in the past.  But the hens go through so much more water.  Plus open water with chickens isn't the best.  Hopefully everyone catches on to the nipple waterer.  Look for pictures if indeed this works.  It seems like it will and it might take me weening the hens off the water fountains to encourage the results.  From my observations chickens seem to be pretty quick to adapt to change.

Autumn has become my favorite time of the year.  The contrasts in light increase as the angle of the sun is lower in the sky.  The shortening of days seems more noticeable to me, than the lengthening of days in the Spring.  The Autumn air gets crisp and the warm colors bring cheer to the soul before the chill of Winter. 

Early Autumn

Here it is early Autumn.  Where did the Summer go?  The mixed flock of Barred and Buffs are doing well.  Today all 17 hens were moved into the block hen house.  It offers larger accommodations with more protection from the elements.  After they are allowed to identify their new digs as home, they will be allowed to free range.  At least one of the Buffs has started to lay.  The egg being much smaller than what the Barreds are now laying.  It is amazing to see how these hens have grown.  They have such gentle personalities making them even more enjoyable.  I never seem to tire watching them scratch around and how they interact with each other and me.

 Here is one of the Barreds figuring out where she wants to lay her egg.  So many choices . . . what is a girl to do?

The Barreds at six months are laying consistently.  We have been getting anywhere from 5-8 eggs a day.  Some of the people I work with have been buying eggs.  So there are always fresh eggs with good turn over.  Last weekend was the first batch of deviled eggs I made with them.  Yummy!

Full Chicken Coop & Yard

The Barreds and Buffs are getting along just fine.  The Barreds though have the edge.  The Buffs are sweet and laid back about it.  I can now pick up the Buffs without too much fuss.     I'm thankful to have a mixed flock.  Each breed has its own look about it.  The Buffs are just now starting to get some pinkish red in their combs and wattles.  The Buffs at four months will be laying soon.  We are consistently getting upwards of 8 eggs a day now.  There is a difference in egg shape and color between the hens.  There are variations of color also in the egg shell from a creamy light tan to a medium brownish tan. 

Fresh Brown Eggs

It is now official.  Sold our first six dozen organic brown eggs last week.  I have another delivery scheduled for tomorrow. We aren't at full capacity with the hens yet and we can't keep up with consuming the daily output.  Once the word gets out I look for more people to begin approaching me for their fresh eggs delivered to them at work. 



The weather this Summer has been dry with the day temps staying in the mid to high 80's however this Labor Day Weekend has been wet and humid, some of the remnants of Hurricane Isaac..    The hay fields have been baled twice this year however the second cutting wasn't as abundant as the first.  With the drought everyone's hay will be at a premium this Winter.  The angle of the sun is noticeably lower in the sky making for the sharper contrasts in light and color of late Summer and then into the early Autumn with its brilliance.  I look forward to the crispness in the air removing the hot and humid air of the remnants of Summer.  

The Dog Days of Summer

Wow, it is already August 14, 2012!  Went on vacation for a week to Penobscot Bay area in Maine, two weeks ago. (Big thanks to the neighbors who took care of the animals so we could get away).  Very pretty part of our country!  Never having been to New England before it was a real treat.  Lots of little clean, and sparkling towns along the way.  They are old towns but everything looks freshly painted and like new.  Then of course there is the North Atlantic coast.  Much different than the low land beaches of the Carolinas, Georgia or Florida.  Lots of peninsulas and bays.

Was able to do some kayaking on Megunticook Lake which was a very fun experience!  Went to see the lighthouse at Owls Head.  In this case there were lots of steps to climb to get to the lighthouse itself.

Our time in Maine wrapped up after attending the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland.  On our way out of town it was off to the pier to buy fresh lobstah at Knight Marina. 





 

Finally a Yard Full of Barreds & Buffs!

The day finally arrived when the remaining Buffs could be added to the already established flock of Barreds. This all started the end of February, 2012 and here it is close to six months later and all the chickens are all together. Wow! We have a lot of chickens. 8 Barreds and 9 Buffs.



They seem to all get along as well as a hens can. Pecka, the rather large Barred hen definitely let the newbies know she rules the roost. At two months behind the Barreds, the Buffs are similar in size but still have that juvenile look about them. It appears they are all going to do just fine!

We are getting 7 eggs a day now from the Barreds. One can definitely appreciate the quality of egg they lay. Fresh eggs actually taste like eggs. I didn't realize what I was getting at the store was so tasteless until now.

I like the contrast in coloring between the two breeds and I am very pleased with their development and dispositions.

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3 Eggs a Day

This morning produced a Jumbo egg!

Another visit later in the morning revealed two more eggs. Breakfast was a treat as well when one of the eggs was a double yolker.

Gas line repair and trees were cut off the fence line today and the fallen apple tree was burned up. The larger pieces of the trunk and bigger limbs will be cut up for firewood.

linehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNx1_cF5vZw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Among all of today's blessings, memories of my Aunt Becky would bring a smile to my face. She gently passed away on July 19. Her life was a blessing to me and I celebrate her life here with thanksgiving!

OH Drought and Yet Abundance

Now experiencing 3 eggs a day!  from the Barred Rocks.  They are my happy cackling hens!  Always happy to see me.  The Buffs are still developing.  Patiently waiting until they can be introduced and join the Barred hens.  The Red Golden chicks are living with the Buffs is a peaceful environment. Looks like I have 5 roos and one hen!  Gonna have to go to market with that many roosters.  I'll more than likely keep the hen.  We are still in need of rain.  Might affect the hay this year.  With the drought going on.  Right now the forecast is calling for rain.  Hopefully that will happen.  The garden is doing okay.  The Ambrosia corn is soooooo sweet this year dispute the lack of rain! 

Still having some opportunity lining up an Amish trainer welling to break the 2 year old fillies here.  it might come down to me, a green horn.  Oh my!

Got Gas?

Now that the Seneca deep horizontal well has been tapped, interest has piqued once again in the volume potential of the surrounding area for wet gas. Geothermal testing lines in the neighboring county were laid this week and now are gone. Will be looking to see the wet/dry lines being updated. Meanwhile, the Barred Rock egg production is on the raise on the farm. Two eggs in one day! The Buffs are still growing along with the still Red Golden pheasants. The rooster has been molting. He doesn't look so handsome these days as he sheds his feathers and they are replaced with new ones that will get him through the Winter and the next breeding season in the Spring of '13.

1-2-3 & 4

Wow, our fourth egg from the only 4 month and some Barred Rocks.  It is a delight finding these gems in the nest box.  The eggs are progressively getting bigger.  Still not quite the size of a Grade A Large just yet. Some of the hens seem to have nice size waddles and combs which makes one think they could be roos, but as of yet I haven't heard any crowing making me wonder now if there even is a roo in the flock.

Reina, the Pinto American Saddlebred is coming along on training.  She and I are both novices with no 'formal' training.  Still attempting to line up an Amish person to break Reina and Flirty.  We tooled around the Amish countryside nearby and went to several houses and eventually left a note at one.  This will require more follow up since the Amish do not use electric, etc and it takes driving out there and finding them.  Reina has a halter on, and can take having the lead rope on her.  She really enjoys the grooming treats, and has had the saddle blanket on her.  This weekend, I'll see how she handles the saddle on her.  All the horses take in the grooming.  They will get fly sprayed today.  Ace the gelding who stands at 17+ hands is the only one that doesn't seem to like the sound of the bottle sprayer.  So he gets wiped down with the repellent.

The red golden pheasant chicks are growing nicely and are flying around more.  Last evening while refreshing their water supply and feed, one of the larger pheasant chicks and one of the smaller ones came up missing.  There are overhead roof rafters that have some tin and pipe up on them.  I hoisted myself up on the ledge to discover both of them had flown and hopped up into them and were standing on the rafters.  The rafters are about 7 feet high and for these little ones it is an amazing feat.  The half wall between them and the chickens is no longer a barrier.  One of the smaller pheasants, again negotiated the wall with no problem and joined the Buffs.  Looking like a mouse with wings, the chickens started clucking and carrying on.  Thankfully they didn't go into attack mode.  I'm sure it would have offered an entertaining sight to anyone watching me try to retrieve this little feathery and flighty cutie.

The Buffs are coming along.  (They are a little more skittish than the Barreds).  Once I pick up one of the Buffs up it will calm down but they don't come to me like the Barreds do, every time.  The Barreds still greet me and enjoy perching on me if they can and break into a chorus of louder 'graah-graah' cackling sounds.   They also follow me around in their yard.

Check out the cackling . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZhP5gsVzos&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Outside of their cheerful chorus heard in the link above, they are typically quiet. 

Independence Day

Yes, that is what it is called here in America.

Freedom, was never meant to be taken for granted.  It has been protected in my lifetime by the lives of many whom I have never meant.  They believed in freedom and were willing to give to preserve it.  For this I am thankful!

Today also marks day 5 of no electric.  Amazing isn't it to think we are in the year 2012 and yet we have no electric unless you have made provision for generated power.  So at $40 bucks a day, we can keep the refrig and freezer from thawing out and get out on the internet.  No a/c with 95+ temps and humidity greater than 69 +.  Hey, life is good! So maybe the electric rate you pay isn't so bad cos at this rate we'll be way over what the normal electric bill would be for the farm.

Not succumbing to the elements a group of us hit the zip lines. 

Thanks to Louise who followed through and made some connects to get us private reservations on a holiday to do some zipping in the Appalachian Hills.  At a tactical reserve rather than a 'resort' atmosphere this was right up everyone's alley.  www.ohiovalleytactical.com/

Derecho Storm Event

Here is a link to the weather event that went through here Friday night. The last slide in the article is pretty graphic as to the nature of this type of storm.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx/?n=june_29_derecho


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After the Storm

Today is a more over cast day with high humidity. Got the farm chores done much earlier this morning. Chicken coop is all cleaned out. Thankfully it isn't that big of a job. I haven't been using as much hay so the clean up was just some scraping and sweeping.

Here is Flo checking out the restocked nesting boxes. She was quick to make herself at home and then decided to check out this one.



There is still no electric or phone service since Friday, June 29. The generator has been running enough to keep the refrig & freezer going, satellite Internet does have its advantage although it isn't the fastest.

The baby Red Golden Pheasants are growing and co-habitaing with the Buffs. There are half walls that separate them but on occasion they get in one another's space. The Momma pheasant is protective of her broodlings. She is inclined to fly over the walls and land in with the Buffs who start cackling. It is comical to watch. Momma flys back after I encourage her to do so. In comparison, the pheasants grow at a slower rate then the chickens do. Here are the four week and two week old pheasants who love to use their legs like springs to take off jump flying.



The Buffs at two months.



Friday's rain perked up the garden.

Finally it looks like the Blue Lakes are going to do well! There will be some canning to do.




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First Egg

Though not the biggest chicken egg laid, we had our first organic brown egg! There will be more to come. Neighbor Teresa called last week to let us know she found an egg which alerted us to start looking. She found another one this week. At four months the Barreds seem almost full grown. The Buffs in comparison at 2 months still have a way to go.


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Summer Time

Here it is the end of June already! This Summer has been dry. That's bought me some time with weeding the garden. Thank you to Louise who gave me numerous burlap bags to put between the rows. Clever idea. Last weekend between hay baling, I was able to hoe out the garden. Not too many weeds came up in a week's time so putting the burlap down was easy. The garden looks like it is in Columbia with all the coffee bags. Hee.




Morning inspections allowed for a hornet nest discovery. Definitely had to address that. Thankfully no stings.




I've been really shocked with the hollyhocks that bloomed this year from seed planted last year. To me they are very stunning.



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Time Flys - Happy Fathers Day

The Barreds are now 4 months old and the Buffs are 7 weeks.


It isn't officially Summer yet but the weather has been hot and muggy as if it were.

The pheasants now seem to be at their peak egg laying season. There was the bator hatch two and a half weeks ago prior to the NY visit, one of the hens started sitting just before we left and she hatched out this week AND now the other hen is sitting!

Other activities on the farm - Hay and more Hay. Grandpa, ran the square baler, Mariah and I bundled on the field and then loaded up one trailer load, and with the help of all the others in the family loaded up another full load as well another small load. We were able to put away 195 bales.

There's health activity in the garden. Summer Squash is blooming! Beets are getting close to being harvested. Transplanted two tomato volunteers. They will offset the loss of two plants Louise gave us. The Starlings are notorious for snipping young starting plants. So I was very happy to see the replacements.

Hatch is Complete

Five pheasant peeps hatched.  All are healthy.  The last one just hatched out this morning.  Here are a two more pictures.  

The peeps were put in the small brooder very early this morning.  A couple were still getting their legs so to speak.  These peeps are much smaller than a chicken peep but they will grow fairly quickly.


The picture above doesn't quite show it,  but looks like one of the peeps is slightly lighter in color and could be another golden roo.

The picture above shows the peep just out of the egg.  Still has a little pieces of the shell. 

The female hen in the 'birdhouse' has been sitting for a week now.  Last year that hatch didn't go well.  Hopefully this time is different. Meanwhile, these little ones will need tending to.

The Buff Orps are growing like weeds, at a month old.  They will join the Barreds when they get a little bigger.  Meanwhile the Barreds at three months are filling out and looking more mature these days.

The Hatch is Happening!

Wow, amazing!!!!  Here is #6 who bravely hatched out more than likely only an hour or so ago.  The peep is still wet and is only an inch and half big..  #C is zipping and could actually see its 'chipping' movement through the slightly larger hole now.  #9 is still pipping.

#C

Here a picture of #6's egg after the hatch.

Amazing stuff!

Another Scourger of a Day

The temperature feels more like late Summer. Here's a picture of a future egg layer. She is almost 5 weeks.

# 6 and # 9  and #C Red Golden Pheasant eggs appear to be pipping when the peep works a hole into the shell for it's inevitable emergence. The next step will be zipping which can take upward of 24 hrs after pipping. At a quick glance you wouldn't notice the small tiny crack, but if you look carefully you can see a raised bump or tiny crack.

#6 egg obviously was the first egg to pip. 

I'll be documenting this hatch as I can. #6 and #9 are more oval eggs.  # C is a rounder egg.  Hopefully more of the eggs will begin pipping.  I'd like to get worthy hatch.

Memorial Day Weekend

Honoring our brave heritage of people who sacrificed for the freedom we enjoy today!

The temperatures here have been hot with the accompanying humidity. The Buff Orpington chicks have been moved out of the brooder. We split the 30 between three of us. So now we are down to a manageable amount. At four weeks they are still a little young yet to turn them out with the Barreds.
The Buffs are still cute and a bit shy but that will change now that I can get on their level with them instead of seeing me reaching over the brooder and looking down on them like a flying predator would do. The Barreds are very friendly. Now I can pick them up and hold them without any fuss.
There are 9 red golden eggs in lockdown in the incubator. Hatch day is suppose to be today. Not much going on other than some of the eggs appear to have moved slightly. It is a waiting game at this point to see if there is a hatch. It has been twenty two days since the eggs were placed in the bator. That is the normal hatch time. Every morning those eggs have checked for temperature and humidity, mimicking nature.

Horses on the Farm

Basic training with the Saddlebreds most of Saturday.  Mariah and I are literally learning the ropes.  She will be on Flirty and I'll be on Ace.  Now that's quite a combination given Ace is a large gelding and I am a 'wee lass'.  The horses here have good temperaments on their own.  Some have had mild training.  Jack and Rena are yearlings.  They are just getting comfortable with being touched. 

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all our wonderful Mom's! It is hard to image the Buff chicks are now three weeks old and taking up a lot more room in the brooder! They are growing, and the little combs are now a noticeable development. They will be out of the brooder soon. We are going through the starter feed quicker and I put a gallon fount in with them to make sure they have plenty of fresh water. They continue to feather out.

The Red Golden pheasants have been busy. The hen didn't go broody when I had thought she might. So the eggs are being incubated. I didn't want to run the risk of losing the eggs and I am under some time constraints as well in being around for the hatch. So I gathered up the 15 eggs and began the process last week. Candling thus far shows signs of a potentially good hatch.

Weekends are a time for me to get caught up on the farm.  The Buff Orpington chicks at two weeks are changing . . . feathering out with darker buff color.  Lost one.  What's with that? :(  with the Barreds there was a smaller chick now known as "Pooh".  The same with the Buffs, her name is "Puff".

The Red Golden eggs have been set in the bator.  Unfortunately this picture you can't see the eggs.in the turner.  I'm hopeful but I question this batch.  I candled the eggs, but don't consider my self an expert.  Time will tell.  Will know more in a few days.

I live in two worlds.  I work in a city with all the goings on and then spend my down time in the country by choice.  Life in the country is honest hard work and I enjoy it the most.  It is uncomplicated and the gain and benefit is realized more directly to ones efforts.  So here is a picture on the way to the 'city', I had to brake for the wild turkeys.   The picture isn't a close up but I hope it gives a sense of some of what I get to enjoy way into town.

1st Real Thunderstorm

Got an inch and an half of rain last night.  Creeks are up and really flowing.  Satellite internet of course went out.  No phone this morning.  Know what; Life is still Good!  Everyone is safe and the farm lives on.

Week Old Pullets

Buffs Orp chicks at one week.  Because of their lighter color it is easier to see certain features developing.  You can see the wing feathers starting to grow out and they are getting the start of tails.  These little ones are doing very well.  When the Barreds arrived it was the end of February and though the Winter was mild it was still cold.  So the time in transport was probably more stressful to them.  All 30 are bright eyed and full of energy.  Some are skittering around and doing little wing flaps as though they are on the chase.  There are more of them as well and that gives them a strong sense of security.  They don't mind being handled either probably because of the number of them it doesn't take long to scoop one up like it did when there were only 9 in the huge 100 gallon livestock watering trough. 

Morning Greeters

Here are the nine week old Barred Rocks. They are perched on top of the nesting boxes. A roosting perch was added yesterday morning. When I closed up the coop last evening all but one was perched and definitely putting it to good use. If one pays attention these birds are pretty smart and more alert than people might give them credit.