Baby Chicks!

From the left is Stoney (our Welsummer), Marley (our Black Australorp), and Mooney (our Cuckoo Maran)

 

After only a week of having the chickens, I decided to call the feed store to see when they were getting chicks. They said they had just got them in. So, within 2 days we were off to pick out our chicks and get our supplies. We got them at 3 days old and they are now 9 days. The growth rate is amazing! There are visible changes every day. We love these little guys. 

 We have been doing a lot of experimentation. The staff at the feed store told us to use pellets as their bedding, but we found that they were pecking at them. So I switched around some feeders and they were doing pretty well with those this first week. However, Daniel and I were reading not to use pellets alone. So we eventually switched to newspaper and then paper towels, which work great for absorption, cleanup, and the chicks' grip. Eventually we will use shavings.

They love to cuddle together! Mooney starts chirping super loudly if any of it's buddies are being held by one of us: "Hey, where is my friend!?" Actually, Lukey's theory is that Mooney will be a rooster. Probably true, because Mooney is kind of a spazzy loud one. The reason the boys picked this one out was because it was the prettiest, also perhaps a sign of a cockerel. We will find out within a couple weeks, I guess. 

 Stoney in the middle is Jared's baby. We are assuming she will be a hen. She is seemingly wise and all-knowing. She is also the biggest chick of the 3. Marley, on the left, is Lukey's bird. She was named after Bob Marley because she is the mellow, peaceful one.

 

You can tell they are a few days older here and there feathers are noticeably growing, as well as their bodies.  

 After a week, we changed to a different feeder and the paper towel bedding.

 Nighty night, babies.

Look at those tails! It's so much fun watching them develop and flourish. I can 't wait til they become layers, because Stoney and Mooney (that is if she isn't a he), will be giving us chocolate colored eggs! So awesome!

Have a great day everyone. 

Peep, Peep!!

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From Just a Dream To Raising Chickens

We have finally got our chickens!! Last fall I was discussing with a fellow mom at Jared's school about how we wanted to start our homestead by raising chickens once Daniel was back to work. I told her I didn't feel we could afford it at that time, so she held on to 4 of her 20 chickens for me. Well, she stuck to her word because just this last Saturday we went and picked the girls up. Thanks, Katie.

We wanted to be as frugal as possible, so I went to the library and grabbed several references on chickens. Self-Education = $0

Then, Daniel picked up some old fencing from his mom's house. We also had some boards laying around. Lumber = $0

Chicken wire, hardware cloth, and screws and nails were all things we had laying around sorta speak, as well. Other Needed Building Materials = $0

Wheels were taken from a rolling gardener seat that was not being utilized. Wheels That Turn the Coop Into a Chicken Tractor = $0

Chickens = $0

Hay, Feeder, Waterer, and a 50 Lb Bag of Pellets = $30

$30 Total (Not including gas)? Not too bad.

Chicken tractor in the making....

 

Here, we have it parked in the garden to get it tilled (from scratching) and fertilized (nitrogen-rich poop...Yummy). They love to roam!!

Daniel still has to complete the roofing. But, for now, it is sufficient. We plan on making a larger run and expanding the coop as we expand our flock in the future. 

This is Goldie. She is our Araucana. She is special because she is the only one of our 4 that gives us light green eggs.

Rhody and Brownie (aka Brown Head, according to Jared), are our Rhode Island Reds. They are the friendliest of the 3 breeds, I have noticed. Rocky, our Plymouth Rock, is behind them.

Dust baths. They love it!

Here is a better shot of Rocky.

 Goldie wedged her way in Brownie's dust bath hole. Heeheehee...

They really are quite amusing to watch and have very distinct personalities. 

And in the first 3 days, this is what the girls gave us. :) 

Chickens are awesome!! We totally want more now, but we will take it day by day.

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What's New?

Life has been crazy, as usual. Between looking ravenously for employment, vigorously catching up on home school, preparing for the long winter ahead, and consistently trying to work on items for my shop, among tons of other daily pileups, we are constantly busy around here. It is funny to think about a family farm right now. Where does one find the time? Actually, a friend of mine grew up on a family farm and she is going to teach me first hand much of what she knows (that is if I have time to go and visit with her!!). Currently, she has twenty chickens of all different breeds. She has four sons, but feels that twenty hens are too many. So, she said she wanted to give me four of them, in addition to the materials to build a chicken tractor. She said she will keep them through the winter for us. Awesome! That way, in the spring, they are more self-sustaining with their free-range abilities when there is no more snow on the ground. Thank you, Katie. Anyway, I would like to share a few things with you, aside from the above thoughts.

I have noticed there aren't too many photos of the children and I together, so, on a whim, I decided to take one of those delayed photos because there were some perfectly flat rocks on which to perch the camera at the beginning of one of our many hiking trails. I am just happy we have been making more time for hiking lately. It is good for one's soul to be in nature. :)

I had to share this photo because it is just too dang cute! In the dress-up basket, I just added Jared's old 4T formal suit worn at my best friend's wedding, knowing that Dylan can easily fit in it. The vest, the galoshes, the casual look beneath, and the priceless body language, all comes together in a fantastic look. Very Dylan, might I add. ;)

Another thing I have noticed lately is that I have very few photos of all 3 brothers together. This one is quite lovely, as they are in their element, enjoying an activity in unison, despite the age gap from 3 to 12. I love it!!! 

The other thing I will share with you briefly is our Christmas Quilt....only a sneak peek, though. Perhaps I will show the entire quilt top tomorrow, when there is daylight. It has inspired me to get going on the 5 baby quilts I am currently working on, though progress has already been made. Four quilt tops have been completed, one in progress still. Two backings and bindings are complete. All I need is a bunch of batting to complete the two and to soon complete the others. Fun!

 

I started this quilt last night and I already finished it this evening. It is better than I visualized prior to patching it together. Beautiful fabric from Connecting Threads, among the first I have ever bought new (most of my stash was from the thrift store previously).

 

Soon, I will share some of the other finished baby quilt tops and, perhaps, I will buy some batting tomorrow so I can finish some of the quilts yearning to be completed. Until then, good night. It is getting a bit late. More soon........

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Building a Table With the Boys

The boys and I decided we would make and paint a table yesterday. So, I gathered a few materials laying around and built one, having had no prior woodworking experience or knowledge. I think it turned out pretty decent, considering I didn't really know what I was doing. Best part of it was that it was such an enjoyable process.

I assumed this would be enough support because the table is fairly small, but afterwards I added 2 more boards across the depth of the table.

....My little helper....

....Jared's photo of Mommy painting a picture to be colored in.....

Lukey did most of it, with a little help from Jared.

Dylan's job was to paint the legs...Luke and I helped a bit, though.

My contribution was the farm property around the edges.... I am no painter, but it was fun just the same...

Jared wanted to paint his own scene.

Our colors were limited because we did not have blue on hand. We had a really light blue which works for the sky, but not for making purple in the rainbow and the lupine. Maybe we can go over that at a later point.

Jared decided he wanted to make a spring cloudy night scene with a fox and his Daddy's "Big Jeep."

And there you have it. Not too shabby for someone who can barely figure out how to use a darn drill.

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Around the Garden

The garden is still slow-going due to our extremely late start and lack of full sun, but it is growing and progressing, slowly but surely.

After I took this photo yesterday morning, we weeded and watered and it was looking fantastic! Oh how I would love more open spaces for corn and pumpkin patches and garlic and....... For now, I will try and nurture the teeny piece of land we are using right now. I should be grateful to be at this home we are given the gift to live in, and I am. Have a great weekend and I hope you too are creating new life in your garden.

Classic Cookbook

The Little House Cookbook

Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories

This fantastic farm on the prairie style cookbook is a cute mixture of Little House on the Prairie literature and authentic culinary delight from the pioneer days. I found this gem at the thrift store in my town. I went without the children this time, which makes meticulous searches far easier. You can check it out here or on my left sidebar. Between the wonderful illustrations, the storyline, and the historical recipe variety, this will be an enjoyable and functional read for the entire family.

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