Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

10 Nov

21 days later…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: .

I’ve been waiting for this day…..day 21.

You do remember what this day is don’t you?  This is the day that we are supposed to see if the first egg hatched!

I actually checked yesterday to see if anything was happening…but I couldn’t tell.

Today I anxiously entered the coop.

Sure enough there sat an egg…in front of Maggie Mae….CRACKED!!!!!!

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I was so excited…..

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Until I looked closer…..

Why even Maggie Mae looks as if she doesn’t know what to say.  I think she too was surprised….I almost got tickled at the way she was JUST kept looking at it.  Like…I…I…I don’t know what went wrong……

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I proceeded to put feed out for everybody…..and she came a running.  That gave me a minute to look back into the nest.  I even poked around in the shavings to see if possibly there just might have been a baby around…..but…. NO.

Looks like we still have three to go……

Well, I suppose this week we will see if any of the ones left turn out any better.

I do find it interesting that today marks 21 days exactly for one of the eggs.  So she somehow knew that.  I suppose she pecked the whole in the egg.  Hmmmmm really makes me wonder how in the world she knew it was exactly 21 days.  I could see if the chick hatched in that time span….it would all be on the chick.   You know…the development….like a human baby…it comes when the baby is ready.  But somehow….she knew that it was time for that egg to hatch…..

Very interesting……

I will keep you posted as the week goes on….I sure hope we don’t have all duds…but I think it is leaning that way.

 

30 Oct

You Can’t fool Mother Nature…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: .

I posted the other day about a GREAT idea I had.  My Friend has hens laying plenty of eggs….but she can’t get one of her hens to hatch any eggs for her.  My difficulty has been getting the hens to lay more than 2 or three eggs a day all season long.   Maggie Mae decided to try to hatch one little lonely egg.

My great idea was to sneak eggs from my friends coop up under Maggie Mae and let her hatch eggs for me and my friend.  After all three weeks worth of sitting on an egg should pay bigger dividends.  She should have a bigger batch….make it worthwhile….at least in my opinion.  Of course I am the kind of girl that would have been tickled to have had twins! The more the merrier.

My wheels were turning….I concocted a plan…..and implemented it.

It all worked just as I had hoped….I retrieved nine eggs from my friends coop and took them straight to my coop.  I put feed in the feeder, Maggie Mae got off the nest to eat a bite and grab a drink of water.  Meanwhile, I quickly put my friends eggs along side the three others that Maggie was on.  Maggie started with only one egg, but every few days I would sneak a freshly laid egg from one of my other hens, under her as well.

I was so proud….YES, 12 beautiful eggs….and all she had to do was sit on them.

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She never missed a beat.  She ate and drank and went right back up and sat down on them.

I was most pleased with myself!

She continued to sit on them….

Two days later…..I went to feed everyone.   I noticed Maggie Mae was rearranging things….she was standing over the eggs…. on the board in front of the nesting box.

I was afraid that it was NOT going to have a good ending.

The next morning when I checked on the crew…..this is what I found.

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Maggie Mae… looking sheepish……an egg on the board in front of her nest…..AND

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evidence of an egg throwing party.

There she sat….as if to say…..I’m NOT stupid. I knew those were not mine….where DID you find them anyway?

At least that is what the look in her eyes was expressing….   She didn’t get up….so I had no idea how many eggs she discarded.

The next visit to the coop…she once again got up to eat while I was there.

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That’s when I saw these four eggs.

I know she had three from our coop….so she must have saved one egg from the other hens.  Well…. really I don’t know which eggs came from which coop.  Then again maybe they are all from the other coop….  Who Knows.  Maybe we will be able to tell once they are born.  My friend and I have some of the same type hens…but then… some are different.  I need to make a mental note….I meant to mark the eggs so I could see which came from which coop.

It really doesn’t matter to me, except I was trying to get my friend some chicks since she has been so gracious to share her eggs with us.

From what I read, sneaking eggs under a sitting hen is not unusual…..In other words I didn’t have an original idea by any means.  Many other hen owners have done the same thing.  It is believed that the hens can tell if the eggs are fertile or not.  At least most of the time.  They will often cull out the ones that are not.  Sometimes a mother won’t sit on too many eggs, Although sitting on 12 to 15 happens frequently enough.

The more I read…the more I see that it is all trial and error.  Nobody can say for certain what is going on inside that little bird brain of theirs.  Anymore than they can tell what is going on in ours.

Whatever the reasoning….she has opted to only sit on four….I just hope it stays at that number.  I would hate to see her continue to toss out eggs.

But then again, if they aren’t fertile we might be smelling a rotten egg after three weeks of sitting.

I have to admit….my bubble was busted a little….but her instincts are probably accurate.

Time will tell…….

Meanwhile the countdown continues!!!!!!

WOO HOO

28 Oct

Laverne

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

With a heavy heart, I come to you today, to tell you that little Laverne passed away at 5:53 last night.

She was a twin who started life with odds against her.  She was born with a broken leg….a high break… near the hip.  The vet said her Mama, Cupid, probably stepped on her during delivery.

Laverne and Shirley were born sometime in the wee hours of May 31, 2013.

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I found her all alone in the back pasture near a brush pile.  It looked as if her Mom delivered her and walked on….probably still in labor with the other baby.  Laverne might have been first.  Maybe after she was delivered, her Mama had to continue pushing for the second baby girl, Shirley.

I posted about this back in June 2013, if you want to read the whole story, you can look back and read it.

I had to give her a chance, she didn’t cry or groan like she was ever in pain, so I opted to let her live out the best life she could.

As soon as she was found, her life turned around.  She was immediately taken care of.

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Billy and I fed her and tried to treat her leg.  She worked with us….allowing us to mess with her and not resisting.

We had the vet out to see her, but there wasn’t a lot that could be done.  It was possible that as long as she could eat, drink and get around she might heal.  She might always hobble or limp…but time would tell.

And so, we just loved her.  She seemed to have a great disposition, even with her disability.

She always greeted us when we came into the pasture.

She was a little beauty.

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She melted everybody’s heart.

She may not have had a cow mother to take care of her…

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but she had many surrogate mothers.

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All summer….people came to see her….feed her…love her….morning and night.

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There were many others that fed her as well…but I didn’t always have a camera handy.

Whenever we went out of town….people came….they warmed milk and fed her….twice a day.

The cows would graze around her and occasionally she would stand long enough to hang out with them….but eventually they would move on to another area.  She would be left alone in the pasture for hours.  I feared that a coyote or something would get after her and she would not be able to run away….so we decided to bring her closer to the house.

She came to live in the fenced area with the chickens, where she would have more company.  Eventually the small goats joined her.  She seemed to like her new home and all her new friends.

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In August….she was getting around much better.  She had managed to get up and down in spite of that broken leg.  Meanwhile she developed a big hernia….probably because of the strain of getting up and down with only three good legs.  The vet suggested we wait on doing anything surgery wise for that.  She wasn’t in good enough shape to undergo that.

Still she managed….

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And still would greet me and others when anyone came through the gate.

One September day, Billy and I were working on the coop, when some of the grand kids came by.  Once again Laverne was showered with affection.  We all gathered around her and got this shot….I am so glad we did.

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I have the greatest neighbors anybody could ever want.  They have helped me look after Laverne all the months, grown ups and children.  If they were passing by, the would came in and love on her….as well as the goats and chickens.

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Just 2 weeks ago….she was giving rides to the chickens.

Friday night was a really cold night.  She couldn’t get up on her own Saturday morning.  One of the neighbors noticed, helped her and contacted me.

I warmed a bottle or milk…..by then she was sitting again….I sat beside her.  It was time just to sit and love on her.  She welcomed that bottle and took her time drinking it…..as we gazed into each others eyes.

She always could melt my heart with those big beautiful brown eyes.

She seemed a little better as the day went on, it warmed up and she walked around a little.

Sunday morning she was sitting up which is always a good sign, but by afternoon she was laying on her side.  She was so weak she couldn’t even hold her head up.  I tried to give her some electrolytes…but she showed no interest and I found she couldn’t even swallow.

I have played her life over and over in my head all night long.  I should have done this….or I should have done that.  I suppose that happens when we try to make sense of things.  Especially when they don’t turn out as we had hoped.

I do know that she was loved…..and I know she gave a lot of love too.  Yesterday, while I was sitting in the grass with her.  I can’t begin to tell you how many people came by to check on her.  Several people of all ages literally came and sat with us….in the grass, lovingly holding her little head in their hands, petting her.  We all comforted her the best way we knew how.    This sweet little calf made tears sneak out of our eyes and roll down our faces.

It was hours… some neighbors even stayed with her when I couldn’t be right beside her.  She had someone with her at all times….until she drew her last breath.  I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the compassion that was shown.

Our farm life stories are put on this blog….probably more for me than anyone else.  Several years ago I felt the need to share what I was learning as I experience life and death with these wonderful creatures.   I don’t know how to describe it other than….I just feel God teaching me things.  Things that touch me in a much different way than ever before.

Last night it was as if God was whispering to my heart…I know you love her Sonya….so do I.

As I reflected that yes, she is just a cow…..I know….but God made her too.

I feel as if I am to take this memory of love and compassion and show this to others.    God gently reminded me to be this concerned for lost souls, for children who like Laverne were abandoned and would love to have a surrogate mother and friends show them love.   Do I show this kind of compassion to the people around me?

It is a lot to think about.

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I am grateful for the time we got to spend with Laverne…..and thankful for the lessons she continues to teach me.

25 Oct

Another One Of My Great Ideas!!!!

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: .

Alright, so my girls have NOT been productive this whole year.  I have been very disappointed.  I have given them every excuse, for their lack of production.  I know they have been extremely stressed this year from predators.  After thinking about it….that didn’t even happen to these hens.  These are a whole new bunch except for Maggie Mae.  She is the only one who SAW the horror or the attacks on the other girls.  I would give her a pass for NEVER having to lay another egg….but she is a trooper….she at least still tries.

All of these other have just been loved too much.  I have come to the conclusion that they are just spoiled.  They eat all the time.  They have access to a nice yard full of green grass and I still give them cracked corn and laying pellets.  They have all the fresh clean water they could want.  They have reinforced fences and a coop with an automatic door.   Yet, even with all that….I might…if I’m lucky…get two eggs a day.  And I have 14 hens!

Now, I have a friend who has 12 hens and she gets 10 to 12 eggs a day.  WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?!?!?!?!?!?!

I am happy for my friend…don’t get me wrong….but I am NOT happy that I have to beg MY hens to lay an egg for me.

I asked my friend what it is that she is doing differently.  She only feeds them laying pellets… a certain amount a day.  She lets them free range some…but not everyday because she doesn’t live at the place she keeps them.  When she is going to be on her land working for a few hours, she lets them out to free range.  And they still go to their coop and lay her 10 to 12 eggs a day.

Amazing….just amazing.

Well anyway, she has eggs coming out of her ears needless to say….so she had mercy on me and said I could gather hers if I wanted them.  Stating that she had more than she knows what to do with at the moment.   She said she had one or two hundred in her fridge!!!!

Needless to say…….I took her up on her offer and started gathering her eggs each day.  It is amazing how quick they can accumulate.

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No wonder she had so many in her fridge.   These are just some of the ones I have gathered in the last few weeks.

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I have been sharing them with our friends that I know love farm eggs too.  To me….that is the neat part……..being able to share them with others.

Goodness…Billy and I can only use so many….but sharing them makes it fun for everyone.  People’s eyes actually light up when you give them farm fresh eggs!

I mentioned the other day that Maggie Mae has been sitting on an egg since last Sunday.  Today, she got up to eat and I noticed that it is just that….one egg….one single little egg. Well, one of my other girls had laid an egg today in the box next to her….so I quickly put it beside the egg she is sitting on.   I’m hoping she won’t boot it out of the nest.

Tomorrow, after I collect eggs at my friends coop, and any eggs I might happen to have from my coop, I am going to sneak them into Maggie Mae’s nest!

Sometimes the grass does seem greener on the other side.  I mean I wish my girls would lay more eggs, but my friend wishes that at least one of her girls would sit on her eggs so she could have some baby chicks.   She is even thinking about buying an incubator.

I figure that If I can get Maggie Mae to sit on all of them, possibly we will have lots of babies in a few weeks.  Maggie Mae would be one proud Mama if she could hatch all those babies!  Golly, if she is going to go to all that trouble sitting for three weeks….she might as well have more than one baby out of it.  Then my friend will get the baby chicks she wants.

Now….there is one problem…….we really won’t know if ANY of the eggs are fertile…..but I sure am hoping so!!!!

I just love it when I get a good idea…..Hee Hee….I’m so excited….I can hardly wait until tomorrow.

 

22 Oct

We have a Silkie…..

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

 

I have been thinking about getting a few Silkie hens.  They are very interesting looking.   Sporting feathers that have a pouf to them….kind of downy like, fluffy… I guess is what you would call it.

A friend had this Silkie.  They named her Sophia, but several months later, she went cock-a-doodle-do.  YEP….so, the owners had to move her/him to another home.  They already had a rooster and the two boys started to not get along.  One barnyard is just not big enough for two roosters!

So, just like that….Sophia…..became Sylvester!

 

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Sexing a chicken is tricky business when they are young.  A lot of times you don’t know what you have until it lays an egg or crows!

I received a text message the other day, asking if I would like a rooster.

I have turned down several rooster offers in the last few months.  If you remember our old rooster, started backing me up on the front porch of the coop.  He really began to scare me.  I don’t know if you have ever been around roosters or not, but they have BIG ole spurs on their feet, unlike the hens.  They will not hesitate to use them when they feel threatened.

Little did he know…..I had a really big stick…and I would have used  it, if I had gotten attacked.   Just kidding..(I think)…I NEVER had to use it…..but I did carry one to let him know who was boss.

Another friend of mine has had a few encounters with her rooster and has ended up with bloody scratches on her arms.

I don’t want any animal I have to fear.  I like things to be nice and calm….everybody happy, happy, happy.

Anyway….the thing that intrigued me about this rooster offer was the fact that he was a Silkie.  They seem to be small built birds and have a great disposition.  However, a rooster is a rooster, protecting the girls is what they do.  So we will see how it goes.

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Their fluffy feathers are even on their little legs and feet.   Silkies are also known to have five toes instead of four, and they have black/blue like skin.

They usually like to be held, so they easily become pets for a lot of people.

The owners brought him to his new home.  My hens were a little bossy…showing their pecking order.  But, it didn’t take long before they left him alone and decided that it was kinda nice to have a man around the house.

Last night I saw Sylvester and two of the hens all nestled together in one corner of the coop.  He was making a little purring sound when he slept.  The three of them were really cute.  Until I got hens a couple years ago, I had know idea that they cooed, and sometimes even down right snore, when they sleep.  If you ever get a chance to go in a coop after they all settle down for bedtime…I encourage you to do that.  They sound so sweet, I know….crazy…right?!?!?  Billy and I have just stood quietly in the coop, watching and listening to them on several occasions.

Sylvester just came to live with the girls a week ago…..BUT…..

Maggie Mae which is one of our surviving Buff Orphington’s, has decided to go broody.  She was acting weird two days ago….but I just thought she wanted extra food, so while she was eating, I took her egg.  Yesterday, she was in her box sitting on another egg.  She got up to eat…and went right back to sit on it again.  I guess Sylvester just might be a daddy in three weeks.  I’m very surprised….but she hatched two during the early summer…so maybe she will have us some more chicks.

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Sometimes, they just want to be a Mama and the eggs they are sitting on aren’t fertile.  Of course that means that the eggs will not hatch and she will just be grouchy for three weeks…with no good ending!  I imagine she will lay more eggs with this one and sit on all of them…I’m not sure….but it will be fun to watch the process.

When Maggie Mae went broody last time it was after the rooster had been attacked and died.  I was surprised to read that she could lay fertile eggs up to 10 days after being with a rooster.  She started laying about 2 days after he died…and ended up with two eggs that hatched.

Well….. I just did what we call chasing rabbits….back to Sylvester.  The previous owner said she would help me find a Silkie hen for him.  You know…cause birds of a feather flock together.  I think he would like at least one hen to be from his own breed.

The morning after we got Sylvester, Billy and I were outside when he heard a noise.  He said…do you hear that?  Is it a cat…up in a tree?  Once I heard it again, I knew what it was.  It was SYLVESTER!  He crows a little differently.  We laughed…it is unique and very different from what we have heard in the past.

All in all….it worked out that Sophia….was really SYLVESTER……

He is cock-a-doodle-doing, or something that sounds similar, and protecting the girls.  He seems to like his new surroundings, and is letting me hold him.  I’m hoping that will help him to trust me and not feel threatened.

Meanwhile…..I think he fits in VERY nicely.

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Welcome to your new home Sylvester.

19 Oct

You’ve Got Mail….

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: .

Ever since I was a little girl, getting mail has been a real treat.  There were four of us kids and we would all run to the mail box.   When our Birthday’s rolled around, that was OUR day.   Possibly we did it for the week of the birthday…..goodness it’s been so long now…I can’t be certain.  Anyway, the birthday girl or boy was able to get the mail, without having to race the other siblings to the box.  We could ALWAYS be sure that our Grandma and Grandpa from out of town, would have a card in the mail to us!  What a treat.  There would be other cards from other relatives and friends as that would vary year to year, but Grandma and Grandpa’s was ALWAYS there.

When I grew up and had my own mailbox…I was just as excited to see the mailman stop and fill it up.  Of course there were times that it had bills in it….and that wasn’t so great, but I still liked opening the box and finding MAIL.  For some reason it was and still is like getting a gift….silly… I know.

Through the years things have changed…well…kinda.  I still LOVE to check the mailbox outside, but I also LOVE to check the mailbox on my computer.  It is just as exciting to see who has written something to ME.

My mother used to send me cute little cards and notes.  I was always thrilled to get them from her….she would write something sweet, thanking me for doing something for her.   Sometimes it was just a note of encouragement, when she knew I was struggling with something.  Most of the time it was just a note telling me that she loved me….and was thinking of me.

I really miss getting those notes from her.

I have kept a lot of those letters and when I sit down and read one, it is almost like reading it for the first time.  I often have to think back on what was going on in my life to put the letter in context.   But when I do….it is comforting, encouraging and was always said with love.  It warms my heart and lifts my spirits even today.  Interesting something written so many years ago….can still touch my heart today….no matter how many times I read it.  It made me want to do things to please her then and now.  It made me want to be a better person.  It encouraged me to love and encourage others just as I saw her do in her daily living.

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I believe it was Mom that gave me this little mailbox years ago.  I know for sure she gave me the little frogs that I keep with it.  I have used it for decoration here and there throughout the house.  I have it in the den now, and a little tradition has started.  I put a few treats in the box and whenever any of the grand kids come over, they check it.  It usually has Scooby Doo gummies, miniature packs of M&M’s, Hershey’s Kisses or something along those lines inside.  It NEVER fails to bring a smile to their faces!!!  Sometimes they will check it…smile and say….I will take it home and eat it later….which is rare…but it happens. They just like the fact that they know it is there.  I’m sure they reflect on where it came from when they are ready to eat the snack.  They seem to never forget things….well, except things you tell them to do…like chores.

I do hope that this little tradition we do will always bring fond memories to their hearts and minds when they old one day.  That they will know they were loved beyond measure. That they were special enough in their grandmother’s heart, that she took time to make sure their was something special waiting for them.  However….if they don’t look in our special place…they will miss a treat.  A treat meant just for them.

Today…I STILL love getting mail.  I don’t receive as much through the snail mail as I used to, but I have electronic mail to check too!!!!   You can be sure that I still look forward to my birthday week!  I don’t get those cards from my grandma and grandpa any more, or cards from my Mama…..but I do still get cards and letters from other loved ones.  It reminds me of people that love me, some I see often, some that I don’t…..but each one still holds a special part of my heart.   Each and every time I see personal mail….not bulk junk mail….it thrills me.

I have also found that when I read the Bible….it is God’s letter of love to me.  It encourages me, it directs me, it tells me how much He loves me.  It means more to me now than it ever has.  Each and every year that goes by I find that it contains sweet treasures in it.  Sometimes I can read something I have read many times before….but I see something new from that same writing on that particular day.   Something that speaks to me and the situation I am encountering at the time. Other times it is hard to read….I have to see what the history was behind the reading to understand what was going on when it was written.  Then….it makes more sense and oddly enough, I find that it still speaks to me today….as if it were written just for me.  It is THAT personal.  Just as my Mom would write personal notes to me….expressing her love….she could write that to my sisters and brother as well….and it would be true and personal….to each of us.  Because  she knew us and had a personal relationship with each of us.  We knew her, meaning….we knew her character, we knew she meant what she said.  We knew we could take what she said as truth.  She could be trusted, that when she said she loved us or was proud of us, she really meant it.  So it is with GOD.  I have a personal relationship with him and with Jesus Christ….I KNOW the word of God…is truth.   I can trust HIM and HIS WORD.

I look forward to reading HIS word each day…..it is like getting mail!

When I don’t take time, I’m the one who misses the treat.

Memorizing scripture is a lot like what I see the grandkids do.   It brings a smile…knowing that it is there…just for me…and when I hide the words in my heart, I can bring them to memory when I need that special treat from God.  Treats of encouragement and love…… they remind me of HIM.

I hope you will check your mail often…..your mail from God that is.  You will always find a love letter their waiting for you.

PSALM 119:11   I have hidden your word in my heart ….that I might not sin against you.

28 Sep

BREAKFAST!!!!!

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized.

Our neighbor bought some little baby ducks back in the Spring.  The were so cute, small enough to fit in your hand.  You could cuddle them close and pet their soft, yellow downy feathers.  Sadly enough one or two died as babes…..but the others have grown beautifully. They have become our friends.  Billy loves to feed them every morning.  They know when the front door opens, breakfast will be served.  However, sometimes we hear them quacking in the front yard, before we even get up,  which makes them our new alarm clock these days.

There used to be four adult ducks….but now there are three.  Predators are everywhere, we have been surprised they have lived this long.

A Canadian goose or gander not sure which….hangs out with the ducks since it lost its mate when it was small.

It’s been fun to watch them grow up together.

This is when the goose was still a good bit younger, joining in with the others as if it was one of them.

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Enjoying the days together.

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Often gravitating to a puddle in the middle of the road after a rain, or taking a dip in our goldfish pond.

It has been fun to watch the downy feathers change over to mature ones.

Throughout the day, when we are outside….the whole crew come across the lawn to greet us.  I’m sure they are hoping there might be a little snack in tow.

All our left over bread is saved for our sweeties.  We learned that the ducks love cheese puffs, but the goose doesn’t care for those.  Funny how they will turn up their nose to the things they don’t like, and gobble down the things they do.  Reminds me of myself a little too much.

The goose has started to move ahead of the group, with a slight lift here and there with its wings.   Each day advancing a little farther, strengthening its wings…by fluttering a few feet ahead of the ducks several times a day.

One morning recently, I went out on the front porch.  Suddenly, I heard a rush of wind.  Looking up, I saw something coming straight towards me….eye level and at full speed.

As it got closer, it gave a honk….and I realized it was the goose.  It had learned to fly!!!!

I suppose he greeted Billy the same way that morning, because we both had the same story to tell each other that afternoon.

This morning there was enough daylight to capture it on video.

Needless to say…. it beat the ducks to breakfast!

We are so blessed to be able to experience God’s beautiful creation each and everyday.

God must have had fun when he created this world, with all the different creatures. I’m so glad HE did!

King James Bible Genesis 1:21
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 Sep

Mad As An Old Wet Hen!

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

You may remember that we put the four baby goats in the chicken coop a couple weeks ago.  The animals seem to get along just fine, most of the time.   I have noticed the goats being a little bossy with the hens every now and then.   Laverne, our baby calf, just minds her own business…well, she will occasionally try to nurse on the goats ears if they hang around her too long.  But all in all everyone does well.

Goats have a mind of their own.  They are real sweeties…but, from my experience, they are very determined animals.  When I come to the gate…they are quick to greet me.  Matter of fact they will announce my coming to the world LONG before I ever enter.   They ALWAYS beat me to the gate and make it near impossible to get in without someone slipping out.   We go through this same scenario each and every time.   I have tried to feed them treats over the fence…away from the entrance..then run to the gate and slip in….but to no avail.

I’ve learned shower and put on clean clothes after I make my morning runs.  All because these precious little angels jump up and leave pretty little dirt prints on my pants each and every morning.  Goats with their love for climbing, have left those same cute prints on my back while I squat to talk to a hen.  I am in the process of teaching them the word …NO..    But that isn’t going over very well.  All that to say that I love them….but they can absolutely drive me insane some days.  I suppose that is why parents called their offspring…kids.  A new parent saw that their child climbing around like a goat, jumping on everything, screaming at the top of its lungs all the time.  Kind of like the chicken or the egg….which came first??  Who knows….but kids are kids…if they are goat kids or human kids….they are very similar.

This morning once again, as I approached the gate,  my arrival was announced with loud voices that sound as if they are saying MAAAAAH….MAAAAAAH.  I noticed that I heard three at one time…then there was a slight delay of another MAAAAAH like a backup singer.   I looked closely as they continued the serenade….and saw that there were only three goats greeting me.  Laverne greets me too with her own little call which is a deep sounding MOOOOOOO.   MOOOOOO.  Usually two or three and she is done.  That indeed lets me know that she is ready for breakfast.  It is however, about the only time she makes any noise during the day.

I saw that the girls were not out either.  The automatic door should have already let them out at this point.  Once again….I hear the MAAAAAH sound in the distance…and she was repeating it OVER and OVER…..VERY LOUDLY!!!!   I could hear clambering around inside the hen house.  I knew right off where Mary Jane was.  She must have gone in through the hen door last night after the hens went in.  The door closed…and she was shut up in the hen house for the night.

I approached the hen house and opened the main door.

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Yep….there she was….looking all innocent.

The hens….well…

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They just wanted out of there!

I can only imagine how loud it was, inside the coop, while she was sounding her vocal alarm.

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She had knocked the automatic door opener off the wall.

Needless to say….I was NOT happy with her this morning.  Poor Billy…now he has to take time to fix this and make sure the timer is up and running at the proper time again.  I proceeded to send her on her way, back into the great outdoors.

The girls scooted out the door as well….happy as larks.  It was as if the were screaming “FREEEEEDDDDDOOOOOMMMMM!”

Except for these three girls…..they were being “the fly on the wall”.  Two of them watching the craziness..while the other looked as if she was saying…I just can’t deal with this anymore.

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They didn’t even work their way down…instead they quickly flew past me and out the door, once all the wild women had exited.

Since the main door was open…..the goats kept coming inside.  I would tell them NO and make them go back out.  I found myself getting mad.  I was trying to survey all the damage.  The more I thought about the turn of events…. the more aggravated I became.  From fighting my way into the fence, having prints all over my jeans, finding the opener all messed up and now… goat pellets everywhere.  ARGH…. I just cleaned the coop Saturday.

It dawned on me that I was just as the saying goes…..mad as an old wet hen.   I have grown up hearing expressions like these all my life.  I’ll have to say….I still haven’t seen a wet hen… mad…but I have seen mad hens…and it isn’t a pretty sight.

With that in mind I decided that I needed an attitude adjustment.

I closed the door and stayed inside the hen house by myself for a minute and gathered my thoughts.  I can choose to stay mad and add more things to my list of aggravations, OR I can do as another saying goes.  I can get glad in the same pants I got mad in!

So, as I proceeded to leave all the excitement….goats on my heels….announcing my departure….I chose to smile.

After all kids will be kids…..and animals will be animals…

Often, just like human kids, animals seem to know when to do something so bizarre that it makes you laugh.

Lavern….my quiet child (calf)….left her artwork hanging on the fence.

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Now….how can you not laugh after that!

I hope you can find humor somewhere in your day today too.

Choose to smile….and pass it on.

 

 

 

5 Sep

More Scoop on the Coop….

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: .

Things have been going pretty good at the hen house lately.  I have been keeping my eye out for some new hens…and I found some!

Sometimes I think people probably think I am like a crazy woman ….or just a little off my rocker when I talk about our animals.  I suppose we have all been around some people that too the animal “love” to a whole new level.  For example women that seem obsessed with cats….are often referred to as crazy cat ladies.

So it may be that I am looking more that way with our animals…than I used to.  BUT, I find that there are a lot of people that see the same interesting things that I see in animals and so if I am a little crazy….there are a lot of us out there.

Billy told me about some hens for sale, so we immediately contacted the man about them.  The very next morning we set up a time to pick them up.  As soon as we arrived at the mans house he met us on the sidewalk.  The very first thing he said was….”I think these hens have a sixth sense about them”.  I thought right off that they must have run away before we arrived.  But no, he said “I went to gather their eggs this morning under one of the hens that was sitting….and all of a sudden all the others came and sat on the roost as if they were telling me goodbye.”  He continued….they have NEVER done that before.  They usually just stay out in the yard.

Billy and I looked at each other and smiled.  I told him that I understood what he was talking about.  I said that I too have been amazed at the personality that animals have….even hens.

Now, before I ever started being around all these animals I wouldn’t have related to that story at all.  Matter of fact, I might have just raised my eyebrows and smiled…..not knowing what to think.

So, I was rather glad to know that they had not run away as I had first thought.  As he led us to the coop he explained that he had raised them from chicks and was only selling them as an attempt to save their lives.  Apparently one had been attacked and killed and he couldn’t bear to see that happen again.

Wow….I know how that feels.  I told him I had experienced that myself several times this year.

We reached the coop, the three of us gathered the hens.  Billy and I were really excited to bring them to their new home.

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They are beautiful hens.  From what I understand they are Red Sex Link or also know as Red Stars….at least that is what I have read.  I’m still learning…..

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These are extremely docile….and friendly.  They are supposed to be great layers.  Which is wonderful because there hasn’t been much of that going on this summer.

Billy took part of his Labor Day holiday to install a new device in the hen house.

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It is a handy dandy automatic door opener!  He is so smart…he had to get creative and tweak it because we do not have electricity at the hen house.

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So….with all the chickens and goats help…..

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he installed a solar panel on the roof.

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He worked hard on that door for a while…..

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He even had to read instructions for the timer…..ugh….who likes doing that.

I thought it was cute though that all the new girls were gathered right around him…picking in the straw….while he sat among them.  The hen to the left of the picture here by herself is Maggie Mae.  She is one of our buff hens that we had early on.  The mother of the chick that was hatched this summer.  She seems to be glad to see the arrival of these girls.  They look a lot like the buff orphingtons….and seem to act more like them too.

Billy and I both noticed how they are just sweeter hens than the others.  I’m not sure if it is because they were handled a lot growing up or if it is more their nature.

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They are mingling with the others well.  The others are actually starting to warm up to Billy and I more.  Those are the ones we bought in the Spring and they still keep their distance.  They are starting to run to the fence when I come in….and follow behind me to the hen house.  Curious to see what I am doing.

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The new hens are more trusting and seem to enjoy human interaction.  They coo and talk a lot like the buff orphingtons did too.

We have put the goats back over in the chicken pen this week for several reasons.  Buster Brown got out of the back yard fence and we have not been able to find him.  We have asked everyone and searched the woods several times.  The back yard area is pretty barren.  They continue to eat the greenery quicker than it can replenish.  So we figured they could help keep the predators away from the hens, be company for Laverne and have plenty to eat for a while.

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Everyone seems really happy…and I love all the activity.

Billy was successful and the door works beautifully.  We had to adjust the timer again…due to one chick not getting in before the door automatically shut.  We did find her roosting on the front porch flower box, and placed her inside.

Last night we were gone…but when we arrived home…after dark…everyone was in the coop safe and secure!  With the days getting shorter and daylight saving around the corner…I’m glad Billy read up on the timer stuff.  I’m sure we will or HE will be tweeking it in the upcoming weeks.

I really appreciate my hubby for going the extra mile, he amazes me with his talents.  And his desire to please me.

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There is one hen in particular that likes for us to hold her.  I know it is the same girl because she has one “ruffled”  feather so I can tell her apart from the others.

I can’t tell you how much fun it is to interact with all these critters.  I never would have thought that I would like this kind of thing.

If you have the chance to own a few hens…or goats…or cows…for that matter…..I encourage you to give it a try.

Meanwhile, please excuse me if I don’t  “hide my crazy” and just enjoy them….and their cute personalities!

2 Sep

Labor Day

Posted by ivegonecountry in Uncategorized. Tagged: , .

It’s Labor Day weekend….

Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September.  It was dedicated to the achievements of American workers.

I always thought that was funny….. that we take the day off, to celebrate working.  All kidding aside, I think it is great to have time with family and friends. I am truly thankful to live in a country where there is still tremendous opportunity.

As a kid we always started school after Labor Day, in my mind that was kinda like the last hoorah.  It represented that fun was ending…and work was about to begin.

Now, all these years later..I still seem to look at this time of the year….the same way.

School has already started for the kids this year.  They do have today off, as well as a lot of their parents.  It is a great time to get out enjoy the last of the warm weather.  There will be boats of the river and the smell of hamburgers cooking on the grill.

Man, I LOVE that smell!

So far today is a rain day here….but I hope it will clear off soon.  Meanwhile, I will share some of the things that have made me smile recently.

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The cattails by the goldfish pond….

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This spiders web shimmering in the light of the sun, just before it retired for the evening.

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Mary Jane giving me some undivided attention yesterday…..

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The colorful plumes from the fountain grass, flowing to and fro, with the gentle summer breeze…..

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Witnessing love at first sight for Gumby and Pinto……

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Seeing Cupid feed Tug who isn’t her’s, as well as Shirley who is.

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The mist hovering around the mountain…..

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Mushrooms that popped up overnight in a bale of straw…..

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A yellow rose from our knock out rose bush….

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The hummingbirds enjoying the feeder….

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The crew as they visit back and forth several times a day……

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The beauty of all the green trees, the mountains and the grass….set off with a perfect country fence…..stunning…..

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And …OUR FLAG……and all that it represents.  Including the colors that make it up.  Along with the stars and the amount of stripes, the colors are symbolic too.

Red…Hardiness and Valor

White….Purity and Innocence

Blue…Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.

Today, I thank God for the beauty of his creation displayed in front of me…everywhere I look.  But, not just in plants and animals…but in the lives of people that cross my path everyday, through work or play.

It reminds me of a song…..

Count your many blessings….name them one by one…….

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