Good Golly Miss Molly

This is Miss Molly. Miss Molly loved to fly the coop everyday. It didn't bother me but the neighbors dog as well as a few coon were enjoying my chicken for dinner far to often. The Farmer added Cattle panels to the fencing to make it taller in an effort to keep the chickens in. They all stayed in the run after this, all of them except Miss Molly.

Everyday, I would see her strutting around the yard, pecking and scratching for her dinner and every night I would see her back in the coop roosting with the rest of the chickens. I couldn't figure out how she got out or back in. I tryed to find and plug the holes but the next day, she would be out again. And then one night I noticed that Molly wasn't in the coop with the other birds. That was almost a month ago and I hadn't seen her since. I wrote her off as dinner for some predator.

Then this morning I was on my way back into the house when I passed by a fir tree out in the yard and heard some clucking noise and there she was, Miss Molly, coming out from under the tree with a brood of seven chicks.
I was dumb struck.

It didn't take long for the cats to find the chicks and we had to rescue two of them from being coming lunch. As much fun as they were to watch parading around we decided to move them into this little hutch.

 The family seems happy in their new home.

 I noticed that Miss Molly had left behind several eggs- when we picked them up we could hear chirping inside and one of the eggs was beginning to crack.

 This little guy makes the 8th chick.

Miss Molly made my morning, heck she made my week. We are all enjoying her new babies and marvel out how she managed to survive underneath that tree.

Once again, I can't help but marvel at God's creations.

~ Kathy

Scaredy Catsssss

Yummy Breakfast!

 

"Who's Chicken Now?"

Avoiding chicken math

This year I have successfully avoided something my friend at crosswind farms likes to call chicken math. I was able to find some lovely young pullets for sale just a few miles from home, thus avoiding packing peanuts, brooding and expensive chick starter. The girls I picked up make a lovely display of all colors and sizes. I'm not a big fan of leghorns but I didn't know they came in colors other then white and so I had to bring a couple of these cuties home with me. There is the Light Brown Leghorn as well as the Exchequer Leghorn.

These little girls are excellent foragers. I also picked up this little cutie. She is a Blue Andalusian.

She is smaller like the leghorns and lays a large white egg. I also picked up some Barred Rock, a Golden Comet and a couple of White Rock.

The ducks are full grown now and laying like crazy! We get almost a dozen fresh duck eggs everyday. The eggs in my opinion are very rich and really put baked goods over the top in taste.

"Danny Boy" is keeping watch over his flock. A gentle fellow but keeps his eye on things.









Chickens - not just for laying eggs

The weather here in Illinois has been unseasonably warm. The high was about 58 degrees today and we were cruising around the farm today with out a coat. The chickens too, have been enjoying the weather and they are still free ranging which works great for me. I started a flower garden right outside their run this fall.(Yes, I did say outside the run- they fly the coop on a daily basis, cause the grass is always greener on the other side, you know. In this case it really is!) Instead of removing the sod I laid cardboard down and have since been piling on the leaves, manure, and used straw bedding. The chickens have been doing a great job of turning it all over for me.

Trio of Americanas purchased from County Line Hatchery
She has the prettiest birds

This guy needs a name- any ideas?

Easter Egger

Easter Egger

Guess its time to brace myself, looks like by the end of the week our nice weather is going to disappear and winter will finally rear its ugly head. I know all of you with animals outside are feeling the same as me, but with any luck spring will arrive on time.

The princess makes a request for a

Tire Swing

Well, she originally asked for a pony, but when she asked for a tire swing too- I think Dad figured the tire swing would be easier. (I would have got her the pony! HA!)

The "prince" is enjoying it too! Although at 10, he probably would prefer I not refer to him as the prince.

92 degrees already at 9am but there is a nice breeze and its bearable in the shade.

I lost a chicken yesterday due to the heat so I turned the hens out to have the run of the yard. They managed to find their way back to their favorite hang out from last year. Hopefully they will be able to seek out cooler shelter then their coop to survive this heat.

The garden continues to thrive. We haven't had rain in weeks. We did get a quick shower last night but it didn't amount to anything substantial.

Zucchini is taking over.

Thanking God for his many blessings!

Praying for a bountiful harvest.

~Kathy

Farm Friday

Happy Farm Friday

New Khaki Campbells

Delilah & her lamb Stratus

 

Busy Beavers

 camera shy?

 Rhode Island Reds looking for lunch

Knock Out Rose Bush

 Garden Angel



Breaking and Entering!!!

I've been building fence, rearranging the pasture. Up till now,we have had the pasture by the barn split so the chickens and sheep were kept seperate. I decided to open it up and see how they got along together.

"hello? anybody home?"

"Come on, coast is clear"

This could be a problem!

"I'll keep look-out!"

"caught! no where to hide"

A pitiful look if I've ever seen one

 "get out and don't come back"

"quiet down in there, can't a girl lay an egg in peace?"

Yeah- I don't think your suppose to be in THE BARN either!

~counting my blessings and thanking God for each day ~
life is such a gift

~enjoy~

Kathy