Pandemonium Monday

Well that was fun…… Just had a “most interesting” couple of hours. I was trying to catch a quiet moment of R&R and check out FaceBook for a few minutes when I saw a family drive up and get out of the car. I go out to see who it is. As usual, it is descendents of the original plantation owners wanting to “look around”.   This has become quite a pattern and usually when I don’t have the spare time to play tour guide but what can you do?  This is the Deep South and hospitality reigns.

While showing them around, they got the full farm tour – as if on queue, or out of a script – we had a dog fight due to a hyper GSD who can’t control herself when there’s company (so I had to break up a large dog fight); goats being born (I stopped to check on my doe who I’ve had in a birthing stall all day and sure enough she’s giving birth so I have to stop and help); I finally get rid of the company and finish tending to the goats, and on my way back inside I see a rooster with an infected eye so I grab him up and am carrying him inside to doctor his eye, as I’ve been doing for the past couple of days. I step inside and my husband is on the phone calling me (we have a phone in the stables) and he looks up and says “oh good you’re back, I was just calling you, we have a peacock in the house slamming into windows”.  I have my hands full with the rooster so I say “no problem, just open the doors and he’ll go out”. So my husband opened the doors only to have the five goats (bucks) and the ram come running inside (looking for something to eat – downside to bottle raising all of your livestock and making them “pets”) and the peacock jumps off the organ (where he left a huge pile of poop) and starts flying/slamming into the window again. So I toss the rooster out, start grabbing bucks and ram and toss them out, grab the peacock, toss him out – and look at the new farmhand that just started an hour earlier and said “if you come back tomorrow you’re either very kind (seeing that I really need your help since this place is total pandemonium) or your crazy.”

 

And the new farmhand, who all this time has been busy helping my husband build out a cabinet in kitchen for new fridge, assures me he will be back tomorrow because I most definitely need his help and the first thing he is going to do is build a pen for goats and fix my fences, then says   “and it’s going to be 40 degrees tonight so you might want to bring those baby goats inside somewhere”.  So, after two months of 90 degree heat and I’ve turned all chicks loose – I turn around and head right back out and catch and pen a bunch of young chicks and bring them inside tack room, rig up a heat lamp for another hutch of chicks, go get mama goat and her two freshly born, still wet baby boys and bring them into tack room, go get hay and pine shavings and set up a bed for them, go get heater and utility cord which had already been stored away and rig them up, put babies by heater, get mama some food and water and then finally came back inside my house wondering…….

Is it still Monday?????

Mother’s Day

For Mother’s Day, I started the day by helping another mother. This mother had 8 children she couldn’t feed. They didn’t have access to food or water because she was hiding them in the barn loft.

Yes, this mother was a hen but a mother all the same. For the past few days I’ve taken them food and water because she wouldn’t get off the nest since there were a couple of eggs still unhatched – but her 8 babies needed to be tended to and to have access to food and water and there was no way they could get down from the storage loft. So, today, while crouching in a 100 year old abandoned barn hay storage loft, I had to catch 8 baby chicks – each one running in a different direction and me trying to catch them, all the while, one mad mama was chasing me and flogging me. She did one of her kung-fu ninja kicks and hit one of her baby chicks and knocked it out for a few seconds, at least it sat there stunned for a bit – made that one easy to catch. Finally got them all caught and on the ground. Mama immediately followed them and they were all soon happily scratching around the barn and eating and drinking and singing – “free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last.”

Bear with Me

I’ve just started this Blog and am in the process of pulling 4 years worth of posts off another “blog” and put them in order here.  I have a lot of work to do and am learning as I go.  Check back often, I’ll get it all worked out eventually.

Post from 3/6/2008 (Raising Baby Chicks)

I’ve started this thread to keep updates on my newest batch of babies in hopes it may help others to “let go” a little bit.  I raise my chicks as close to natural as possible which means getting them outside in fresh air and sunshine, though it may still be cold, as soon as they are about a week old and letting them free range as soon as possible.  I know many of you don’t agree but this is my fourth batch of chicks and not only have I never lost a chick but my hens don’t fight or feather pick/eat one another, have never had an illness/disease, no egg bound or prolapse issues and I’ve never lost one to predators though I know that while free ranging that is a possibility.

I’m posting a photo journal of the newest chicks – hatched Valentines Day from fertile eggs from DipsyDoodle.   Pictures speak a thousand words and chickens were raised in the open from the dawn of time.  They need to be able to scratch and forage and run and flap their wings and learn to adjust to heat and cold.  So before you call the SPCA on me, take a look and follow them along.  I’ll post updates as they grow.

Moved outside to Chick-N-Hutch. Day temps 70s but warm in sun – night temps 40s-50s.  Have heat lamp for night and cover pen with blanket.

Rex takes his place on guard.

By Day:

By Night:

Rigged up simple run in a sunny area where I can watch them from house – later they will be moved to coop/run area.

First hole – they were fasinated with it and dug/ate for hours

Must be doing something right – look at the size of these big boys at 2 weeks old – and feathering beautifully:

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It’s true that mama hens will start taking their babies around the farm, from the very beginning, regardless of weather and that they can get under her when they are cold.  But they only do this for the first week or so – after that they are somewhat feathered and too big to get under mama or they would be carrying her around like a concert mosh-pit.   I keep the heat lamp on at night and check on them constantly initially – at 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. to see how they are doing.  If they are directly under light I lower it a little till they are staying just around light beam and not directly in it.  Once I get the height of light adjusted I keep watch but usually don’t have to do anything more than make sure they have a heat lamp source if they want it at night.  All four batches have survived outside night temps of 40s and up with just a heat lamp in pen and no light in daytime sunshine.  Actually the batch of Buff Orps, hatched in August, never saw a light in their lives – it was August in New Orleans.  I was having to put a fan on them in the daytime and finally decided at one week old to let them out of their pen where they were panting and let them start running around large enclosed run.  They began total free ranging at 3 weeks old running with the big girls.

During the day – they actually stay under the pen, in the shade a lot to nap – after running around scratching and acting wild.  The temps are mid 70s but it’s really warm in the sunshine and they nap in the shade so again, going by what they do, if they were cold they would be huddled together in sunniest spot not spread out in shadiest spot.

Like I said, I try to raise them as close to natural as possible.  I haven’t had a broody hen, or a rooster till now but I’m quite sure there are a number of roos in this batch of big beefies so I’m hoping that by next spring I’ll have mama hens doing the work themselves.

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3/9/2008

Well we had to move the pen inside the garage for the past two days and nights because it decided to snow and ice over here.  I guess winter isn’t going out peacefully.  I kept a heat lamp on the chicks and they were just fine with the garage temp being low 50s. 

Did have a scare the other morning, before moving pen back in garage.  It had stormed the night before so I got up at 1:00 a.m. and went and covered the pen with plastic.  Checked on them again at 3:00 a.m. – heat light still one, chicks running around, blanket and plastic still on pen – rain had stopped.  My husband told me next morning the blanket and plastic had blown off the pen and the pen was sitting there without any cover.  Heat light was still on and guess what….chicks were fine but that scared me so we moved the pen under garage and into laundry room till weather warms up.

Today, however, was pretty and warm again so we hauled the pen back outside and set it up in the little fenced run I had made and let them out.  Boy they catch on fast.  Every one, including my little crippled one, flew out of that pen so fast.  They all spent the day running and scratching the grass in the warm sunshine and napping under the pen in the shade.

At one point today I was sitting out there watching them when Rex suddenly started going crazy and barking and running, while looking up.  I looked up and there were 6 hawks so close to my head, and the pen, that I thought for a moment they were going to swoop down on me.  Rex chased them off and almost ran into a fence because he was so busy barking and looking up and following one as it flew off.

Just before sunset every little chick marched back into hutch and went to sleep – a hard day playing came to an end.

It really is amazing how much instinct they have and how at 3 weeks they act just like the ones that are almost a year old.

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3/12/2008

Today’s update:

All the BRs are getting so big but I think this one is a black Ameracauna – I call him Mr. Longneck.

All are still staying outside in their Chick-N-Hutch and in their run during the day.  Everyone seems to be having a great time.

My little niece came to visit and had fun calling the big girls and gathering eggs.  All of these hens have free ranged all along and the Buffs have never seen a heat lamp.

Finally I must be nuts cause I’ve got a bator full of Aracauna eggs and duck eggs.

But look what came in at the feed store today and I actually left without them and then went back to get them.  A dozen RIR.

Well’s that’s today’s update from the farm.  It’s residents are quickly increasing in number.

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4/7/2008

Today’s updates:

Well Mr. Longneck has become quite the chicken specimen and is now called The Eagle – not sure if it’s a girl or boy but it does this wing thing and everyone, including the adults go running.

Isn’t it amazing – 6 weeks old.

I also have some week old mallards that started free ranging around run today with all the other birds including the three week old RIRs and BRs.

Here are the mallards enjoying the watering bins and the younger chicks coming to check out the show:

Not to be idle – I hatched 6 rouens the other night and here they are eating out of my hands:

The “Yard” has become a busy place these days. We are using both picket fenced yards for the younger birds to free range.  The day old roens and Araucanas just got moved to chick-n-hutch inside coop but everyone else gets to be let out each morning and run till dark.  Everyone, including the three week olds come back at dusk and put themselves to bed.  Here’s the group I called the Itty Bitties coming back home and going to their pen to roost – I don’t close the door anymore:

Everyone in The Yard is just one big happy family:

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4/10/2008

Here are some overall updates.

Pictures of our coop (also 100 years old like the plantation home itself).

The front of coop – we have yet to repair the heavy door that fell off but I use the back door anyway – the one that opens into The Yard. As you can see there is another building right next to it – we aren’t using it for anything yet but I have a suspicion it will soon become a coop as well.  Someone just keeps getting more and more chickens.

Back of Coop opening into The Yard

Inside the coop I set up different hutches, kennels, rabbit cages for any babies that I close up at night.

Here are by “Tweenies” (6 weeks old) coming home from The Yard at sunset.  They’re always reluctant to go in coop till dark so they stop at gate and preen.

And here they are roosting on top of hutch they used to use:

The Big Girls go way up to top rafters.  Last night I watched a few of The Tweenies start to go up there and then change their minds.  Tonight one of them was up there roosting with The Big Girls.

Here’s some of the Big Girls out free ranging (fat, healthy, shiny, happy chickens)

Finally, here’s our security system Rex:

Doing internal perimeter check:

Doing reflection check:

On hawk watch.  He chases and barks at hawks.  Everyone runs for cover when Rex barks.  If you could see his eyes in this pic you would see he’s looking up, on watch.

Well that kind of brings everyone up date on our free ranging, nature’s way system here.  If you have any questions, please ask.

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beefy wrote:

you got any roos yet Ruth? i swear that one chick looks like a duck when Rex was doing the reflection check.

Looks like a duck – walks like a duck – quacks like a duck – yep, it’s a duck.  There’s 12 ducks in The Yard.  6 mallards bought two weeks ago and 6 rouens hatched a week ago.  For pics see page 1.  In fact they were swimming in that little bin of water till Rex came along and stuck his big schnoz in there and they all scattered.  They haven’t quite gotten used to Big Rex coming along and giving each one the sniff.

Yeah, finally got some roos.   2 BR roos from hatch on valentines day and 2 RIR roos that are 3 weeks old.  May have an Ameracauna roo also just can’t telll yet.

Can’t wait till the roos grow up so the girls can lay fertile eggs and stop going broody on a bunch of blanks.

If you’ve seen my other threads you know I have one broody sitting on fertile peacock eggs.

I got 6 fertile Am. eggs from Dipsey today and put them under Ms. Broody but looks like a Buff Orp just went broody also so tomorrow I’ll risk life and limb and try to take 3 eggs from Ms. Broody and move them under Ms. Broody Too.

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Your girls all look the picture of health.

(BTW, my middle name is Ruth, my grandmother’s name. The minister at my wedding even read that famous passage from the Book of Ruth at our wedding 32 years ago, so your screen name has special meaning for me)

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Cynthia

me too, my grandmother’s name was Ruth. she was my very best friend in the whole wide world. i moved home from college to take care of her until she died. then got on here, and guess who started posting all of the sudden? Ruth. lol.

i plan to name a daughter Ruth if i ever have kids (unlikely)

Beefy

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At 6 weeks the gate to The Yard is opened and they can run amoke and free range all day.  At younger than 6 weeks they have to stay in The Yard but as you can tell it is really two yards joined and is very large.

I’ve debated that question.  When the roos get of age I will probably just let them do whatever with whomever.  I raise them for fun and for eggs so it doesn’t matter to me if I end up with a bunch of mixed breeds.  But I may also separate a few pure breeds temporarily for breeding purposes or if I decide to start selling eggs.  I can easily section off parts of The Yard to separate a pure breed pair.  I also have a huge 100 year old barn, as well as new horse stables, that I could use separate stalls for that purpose.

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Hi Beefy and Cyn – I’m touched by the stories of your grandmothers.  Quoting from memory:

“Where you go I will go.  Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.”

I named my poor little twisted neck baby chick that had been pronounced dead Ruth because I wanted her to have a strong biblical name.  She needed strength to fight whatever disease/condition she had.  I had to hand feed her, force feeding her initially because she could not move.  I would gently stroke her neck and massage it to get it straight before she could swallow food.  Each feeding I told her “You will live through this and you will be a beautiful, healthy chicken who lays beautiful green eggs.”  She is and she does.

I took this one the other day.  I can’t ever get a pic where she’s not eating.  Guess she needs to make up for lost time.

Post from 12/17/2008

Thanks guys.  It is a dream but more importantly it is God’s plan for us.  We’re not quite sure what the plan entails but He did lead us here for a reason.  Part of the reason seems to be coming clearer.  We recently joined a local church. It is a small, all black church.  This is a very divided, racist town of “old blue blood/red neck whites” the majority of which own thousands of acres from original Spanish land grants which they lease out to hunters and have made money off the oil and gas rights so it is still owned by descendants of original owners.  In any event, that makes for a huge divide in the welfare/poor/blacks and the land baron whites.  The schools are separate and I swear there are days when I still see the “whites only” signs near drinking fountains.  O.K. you know I’m exaggerating that but you get the idea.  DH and I will never be accepted in this town now.  In fact, the black lady that works p/t for us and also works full time at the gas station said “You know they call you Nig— Lovers now”. Sure, the same three store owners (feed store/hardware store/grocery store) will still take our money but we won’t have to worry about being invited to their Civic Club Christmas Party, in fact weren’t invited.  And I don’t have to worry about being invited to the monthly Ladies’ Club meeting, in fact haven’t been invited since we moved here.

But what’s important is that the Lord told us to go to this church and He had previously told the Pastor we would be coming.  We were greeted more warmly and openly in that church and by it’s members than we have been by any of the whites in town.  The church members have already been calling on us with offers to help and offers to take DH fishing/hunting.  The pastor is rallying the Mens Group to come out and start working and helping us get the fences and barns and stables in shape.  He too feels that the Holy Spirit is blowing through here and that there will be a purpose for this place.  They will be helping us to put in a large garden in Spring.  So maybe God’s plan and purpose is finally starting to take shape.  We can finally use the material things we have been blessed with to help others and to show others that His Love applies to everyone, not just the ones that have the same skin color and belong to the same church.  When Jesus said that the second most important commandment was to “Love Thy Neighbor” He didn’t say “Only the ones that look like you.”

I’ll try and post updates more often as things unfold

Post from 9/9/2008

Well, the Lord filled our pond.  It had been dry all summer but thanks to 5 days of non-stop rain due to Gustav the pond has water again.

And Rex can swim again.

Don’t think I ever posted the original bathroom facilities – complete with light switch and red brick walkway leading to it. Can you even imagine the days when THIS is where you had to go when you had to GO?

The rain also brought out what I call the Fairy Flowers because they just magically appear out of the ground.  They are all over the property and the woods.

Still have the huge old trees and fences down and lots of clean up to do but sometimes I just have to play Scarlett O’Hara and say “I can’t think about that now.  If I do I’ll go crazy.  I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

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Little Miss Scarlett is great now that she has Little Miss Prissy to play with.  Prissy is the stray Min Pin that someone dumped on road in front of our house.  She stayed there two weeks before we could catch her – always would run into woods.  Well the weekend before Gustav hit, Fay hit and we had non-stop storms.  The terrified little pup came up on porch and we caught her. We cleaned her up, took her to vet (she’s the same age as Scarlett, 6 months) and have fallen in love with her.  She sleeps with me and I can’t believe how much I love this little dog.  Her story is on another thread.

Post from 9/2/2008 (Gustav)

Only have time for a quick update and no time to post pics – we’re running off generator right now and probably will be for awhile.  Gustav hit us hard.  See all those huge old Live Oak trees and old pecan orchard trees???? – GONE.  Just demolished.  Sad but we are blessed.  DH’s kids and their spouses and their inlaws all came here for Lafayette to escape the storm and we got hit hardest.  The two closest towns, Natchez and Baton rouge, also have no power so I won’t be able to spend much time on BYC – Got to conserve what gas and generator time we have and try and get our work done (our “real” job).

It’s a mess here.  When the giant trees fell they took out the gardens, camelias, and fences.

I’ll post more later.  All is well – God is good.