Tag Archives: backyard chickens

More Littles

“There is a trend at Bernecho. Add more, have more fun. We acquired new chickens this week. We have a bad habit of taking things “sight unseen”.  Thought they would be older. Not little terrorists!

IMG_9753

We call everything that is a baby “a little” Well the morning after they arrived I was up at 5:00 am trying to catch them in the large front yard. Got through the fence. Back to re-fencing for two tiny chickens. But God they are cute. We have named them Muppet and Goldie. Muppet because she is a Frizzle and looks like Animal on the Muppets. Goldie because she is a gold Wyandotte as opposed to Lacey and Ŧilly our silver Wyandotte from last year. We also added two nondescript brown chickens who look like our Betty so we named then VeRONNIEica and Midge.

IMG_9771

IMG_9760

So much fun, and fresh, organic,  free range (not vegetarian) eggs. Why would anyone want vegetarian eggs? The best chicken food is barnyard scratch: bugs and worms, YUM

 

Duck For Hire

aflacWho would have thought that Aflac was famous before she came to our house? What a great picture and what a great memory for this family.

Aflac was left…abandoned…inadvertently misplaced  in a large park in town. As any well socialized duck, left to her own devices, she waddled in to join the party; placing herself in the picture. This was a family professional photo shoot. Lasting memories for a little boy.

A note to whoever lost Aflac. I don’t know your reasons. It could be that your neighbors disliked her quacking  at meal times, or the duck poop or maybe she just outgrew her cuteness.

Backyard Chickens says this about Pekin Ducks

Pros:
“Friendly, forage well, stay close to house, easy to tame”
“Grows fast for meat, extremely efficient layers, adorable, entertaining, friendly, Good watch ducks”
Cons:
“Eat a lot, poop a lot”
“Can be overly noisy, very messy, poop machines”

Yes, she is all of those things. Now that we know she is so photogenic I am going to hire her out to professional photographers to add to those really cute baby and toddler photoshoots. At least she can pay for all the food she eats!
pekin duck

Spread Your Wings

IMG_6484
“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.
                                     William Blake
And so it goes. Last  spring we lost the last two of our rescue animals who were with us for over 10 years. Cinderella a Muscovy duck had come to us after the fires of 2003. Our barn yard seems eerily empty. Well from previous posts you know I am doing my best to fill it up again.
Friday we picked up another rescue animal from the SPCA, abandoned  in a local park in town. “Of course she can come and live here”
So meet Aflac.
IMG_6565The first day was precarious. The chickens were not sure and quickly formed a band together to investigate the intruder. Aflac, being tame was a little worse for the encounter.
IMG_6534
Satchmo and his gang of juvenile thugs attacked her. Holy pterodactyl feet.
IMG_6522We quickly had to re-think the living arrangements. Aflac was given an outdoor nesting box surrounded by a dog x-pen.
Sunday was much better. Aflac had a swim and learned some confidence and preservation skills. So far everything is harmonious.
It helped that our neighbors are cleaning their gardens for fall and the barn yard is a daily recipient of their compost. Mmmm… pea vines with peas still on them, zucchini, corn, carrots: delicious and meant to be shared.
IMG_6554
Coming together in community to share a meal is a thousands year old tradition to build understanding and harmony.
After a long day of eating and really getting to know each other, bed and nighttime are a welcome reprieve.
IMG_6582 IMG_6574The chickens are learning to roost in the barn and the goats love sneaking into the hay room for their nightly hand fed goat mash treat and a chance to steal some hay.
Scarlett the pheasant still looks longingly at the big world outside the barn yard. I won’t clip her wings again and I know that the call of her nature will come. I just hope that she will know that she is always welcome back, just like any other child who has outgrown the nest and spread its wings to fly.
IMG_6550

Hey! Are You Looking At Me?

Black Bear

I have been feeling guilty. It has been over a month since I have written a blog post. I have thought of many things to write. The thoughts haven’t made it to the desk to compose themselves. What have I been doing? Were people judging me for being lapse or lazy. Really? In the big scheme of things I think that everyone has enough on their own plate.

Mostly I have been looking at my world around me and revelling in my fortuitousness!! This is what I have been looking at and what has been looking back at me!

Our little friend “Baer”. He is a cub from last spring or so and has taken up residence in our back property. The buffet here is great when you are getting ready for a big sleep..

black bear yearling

“Diana”, a mom with two fawns has also taken up residence in our back yard.

deer doe

deer doe

 

 

The new additions to our front yard have been growing in leaps and bounds.

The Nigerian Dwarf goats Mocha and Latte have now grown big enough to run and forage in the big fields. Don’t you love their turquoise eyes?

 

IMG_6209IMG_6204IMG_6203

 

 

 

The baby chicks that came home at two-day’s old  in June are now safely ensconced in the barn, with nesting boxes and a big run with access to a chicken run outside with a door that gives them the barn yard to run free. We are lucky because out of the six chicks, we only acquired one rooster. He is a Black Copper Maran and his name is Satchmo. The girls are Mukluk, a Cochin, Lavender and Flower, Orpingtons, Brown Betty a Breda and Mumbo a Maran hen. They are all addicted to watermelon. The brown stain on Mukluk’s breast is watermelon juice!

Satchmo

Let’s not forget Scarlet, our ringneck pheasant. I had to clip her wings: harder on me than on her, I cried.

ringneck pheasant

I haven’t been the only one looking either. Grommet is very attached to his girls.

bernese mountain dog and goatnigerian dwarf goat

I have been looking at bees and butterflies. All the work I put into building a garden for them really paid off this year.

IMG_6269IMG_6346IMG_6270IMG_6390

I have been admiring our new garage. What a handy man my husband is, right down to the hand-built sliding barn door with a deer antler handle!

Can’t you just picture my new horse with his head peeking out the top of the Dutch door next year?

IMG_6392
IMG_6077

 

 

 

We have been busy!]

It’s September 1st  and the first hint of fall is in the morning chill. I have had an amazing summer creating Mimi’s little farm. I only have gratitude, not guilt.