Hen?

Blue Wheaton rooster, just like in the pictures.  Check!

Blue Wheaton Hen, just like in the pictures?  Check? 

Seems this "hen" spends a lot of her (its?) time crowing!  It looks like a hen, doesn't have rooster tail feathers, yet crows?  Have you ever seen anything like that before?

Sheep Rustlers?

The Commander cut down a dead Pine tree and it tore a branch from a nearby Birch, that meant it was an unexpected snack time for the sheep and goats!  Just toss it in, call the girls, and let them have at it.

Between the goats and the sheep the branches were stripped bare in not time, no foliage goes to waste around her.

On an odd note the Commander was walking the fence line today and he found a portion of the the back fence that had been cut through and placed in such a way as to allow the sheep to escape without having to climb over the downed portion.  The cut fence was pulled away and set against a tree to allow free passage.  This was on the back fence line, behind it is more of our property so whoever did it didn't do it by accident.  Do we have to worry about rustlers?  I see no reason why a hunter would do this as the sheep have cleaned this area of the woods out so deer would have no reason to forage there.  Very strange and worrisome.

Garden Store - Closed!

We harvested the last of the potatoes this weekend so the garden is now closed for the year.  All that is left is to restock it with sheep and goat poo, till the soil, and let if set for the Winter.

All in all it was a great year!  We got more squash than we could possibly eat, many many days worth of tomatoes, an equally huge haul of cucumbers, and well over 20 lbs of potatoes.  Of course next year we will try to do better!

More Fall Foul

Juliette has somehow managed to survive a second year of trying to hatch out a clutch of eggs.  She failed on two attempts this year and was almost killed at least three times that I know of.  Her last nest was destroyed by who knows what and Molly got really sick from eating at least a few abandoned eggs.  I am very greatful that she has begun sleeping in the coop again at night.

Momma chicken has done a great job of raising her five keets and two chickens.  I will need the keets this year because I only have three adult guineas left (eight killed by various predators this year).

Momma takes her younglings everywhere, including the goat barn.  Can you spot the perching animal that doesn't belong?

Momma like to use the goat barn as a doorway to get from the backyard area into the woods.  I think it is hilarious to see goats run screaming from their barn having been scared by little chicks.

Momma's babies are getting too big for their mini-coop so we have been moving it slowly, a few feet every day, towards the main coop area. 

Here is a shot of the coop half way there!  The mini-coop is actually in the main coop area tonight.  After a few days I plan on closing up the mini-coop to see if momma will bring them into the main coop.  I hope so because the mini-coop won't make it this Winter.

Hopes and Prayers

My son is in Afghanistan.  I am very proud of him.  He sent me this picture today.  Hopefully he will be coming home soon.  You can't see him but he is in the front row holding the flag.

Ruffles have ridges...Do eggs?

Click on the picture above and take a close look at the egg.  It is full of ridges and wrinkles.  Do older chickens lay older looking eggs?  Ha!

Seriously, that is one odd looking egg.

Freeze Warning

We had a "freeze" warning early last week so I had to go out and harvest the rest of the garden, ready or not.

There were a few large cucumbers and squash hiding out under the leaves....

...plus a few squash that looked to be frost damaged.  On a whim I decided to try and harvest a few potatoes for stew, they looked great!.  I have a LOT more out there waiting, tucked away safe from the cold in a blanket of dirt.

Many of the tomatoes are still green, I'm hoping they will ripen while sitting on the kitchen counter. 

Looks like I will have to eat a few BLT's this week!