Monday, September 27, 2010

Obsessions: Another Chicken Post

Photobucket

I've been trying to figure out just how many roosters we actually have.
I found this information about observing the differences of sexes in chickens at a young age at The Poultry Site . 

Cockerel at 5 weeks of age


Comb
Medium size, pinkish
Legs
Sturdy, long
Tail
Stumpy, curved
Back
Downy with thin line of stub feathers down centre
Side of neck, crop and flanks
Feathering poorly advanced
Wing bows
Bare, showing wing covert quills
Carriage
Erect and alert



Pullet at 5 weeks of age


Comb
Small, yellowish
Legs
Finer, shorter
Tail
Longer, straight
Back
More advanced feathering along centre & flanks
Side of neck, crop & flanks
Feathering well advanced
Wing bows
Covered with small feathers
Carriage
Lower set

It seems that if my observations are correct, that we may have three roosters out of the five Buff Orpingtons.
If so, we will keep the dominant one and name him Mr. Incredible.
The others will either be sold or given away.

Wanna rooster?

And I've just got to give out some major kudos to my six girls out there in the hen house!

Photobucket

Most day we're getting six eggs and we've had two double yolkers within a three week period.

Photobucket

Anyone got some great egg recipes out there? I'm running out.
Hope your week is off to a great start!
Blessings, Julie

Laminin: It's What Holds Us Together

This is one of the most powerful videos!
It's a bit lengthy, but worth it.
Watch and be amazed at our Lord's mastery!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Anyone Seen My Marbles?

Photobucket

So yesterday we had to drive into town because both girls are in homeschool band and I had about a gazillion errands to get done.
While the middle child, who, by-the-way is in beginner band, wowed everyone with her talent playing the xylophone, our oldest child received knitting lessons from a fellow homeschooling mom. I also made good use of this time by working with my youngest kiddo on his reading skills.
When beginner band was over, my oldest with clarinet in tow joined her fellow intermediate band players and I whisked both middle and younger into the van to go get a fraction of those gazillion errands accomplished.

Photobucket

First, the library. Easy enough as I had all fifty plus books and assorted DVD's, video cassettes, CD's, and books on CD in the front passenger seat so that all I had to do was pull up to the book- drop and slamdunk them as quickly as possible. And I've just gotta ask here...am I the only one that feels some kind of displaced pressure to get this done as quickly as possible?
Just asking.
Both kiddos sat calmly in the back discussing things like who's turn it was to check eggs when we got home and Wipeout, a primetime show they never get to watch unless daddy is supervising them.

Photobucket

Finished that errand and we were off to the Farm Bureau office to deliver our Bucket Calf Program thank you cards for the program sponsors...that are a week overdue. Sigh.
There, we were pleasently surprised that the girls had made more money than originally thought on showing their calves. So what followed was the middle child wanting to know how much she can keep.

Photobucket

The bank was the next stop so that I could withdraw grocery money (cash) for the next two weeks. We're avid Dave Ramsey fans and have budgeted this way for the last seven years. It works for us.

Then back to the church where homeschool band lessons are held to pick up oldest daughter.
En route, I called my husband to see if he would like to meet us for lunch at one of our favorite Chinese buffets. Yes, he would, good...things were clicking right along.
It was during lunch that things started to unravel in a very unsuspecting way.

Cue the Twilight Zone music:

Idle chatter and the normal food eating noises.

Someone (probably me) mentions chickens (we are after all at a Chinese restaurant where chicken is in every dish possible) and quite honestly I still cannot remember how our local farm store came into the conversation and my husband mentioned that they had chicks on sale. But that's all I heard...

CHICKS ON SALE

My mind raced and started to quickly review all the opportunities that adding more chickens to our little flock of six would provide for our family:

More eggs (selling eggs at our local farmers market and to friends)
Meat (We have friends that have butchered their birds and I've wanted to since observing them do it)
Hatching out chicks (I would like to eventually sell baby birds)
Showing chickens at the county fair and winning the big bucks (I hear you laughing, Misty)
And last, but certainly not least, the educational experience (no explanation necessary, right)

My head was spinning with the possibilites...but first, I had to get the go-ahead from my husband, of course.
I had that they were on sale on my side.
I asked and he okayed.
The kids were giddy!
I was giddy.
My husband, not so much giddy...but agreeable to the whole nutty idea of purchasing more livestock that we had not yet made room for. Sigh.
Okay, so after lunch, the kids and I rushed to our local farm store to check out their bargain chicks.
And may I just add here that baby chickens are everything that the word cute was meant to describe!

Photobucket

The kids each wanted one and made hasty promises to pay me back with their county fair earnings.
Oldest picked out two Silver Laced Wyandottes, Middle picked out two Bantams, and Youngest picked out a single Buff Orpington (his fair earnings were a bit measly this year). I went ahead and picked out four more Buff Orpingtons and we called it good.
Total: 9 new chicks to add to our 6 hens at home. Bringing the chicken population to 15.
Can you say, lunacy?

Photobucket

Oh, and I forgot to mention that seven of the new chicks were "straight run." For those that may not know, straight run means that you don't know whether your chicks are male or female. I'm hoping that one of the BOs is a rooster so that we can breed those and I'm okay with one of the Bantams being a rooster, BUT THAT'S IT! Anymore roosters and they'll be a part of that butcherin' I mentioned above.
(Deep Sigh)

Photobucket

So as I sit here typing this and praying (really) that I don't lose this post to cyberspace, I'm accompanied by nine little creatures scratching, pecking, and peeping in a tub with a heatlamp hanging overhead. The kids have been thoroughly entertained with holding them and just observing.
Me? Well, I'm completely taken with their sweetness but still...but still questioning my sanity.

Photobucket

Hope you're having a perfectly sane and productive day,
Blessings, The Chicken Lady

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Cowboy Kids

Cowboy kids are rough and tough, and can be a bit rebellious at times.
They like to wear their hats to the table and hear mom say, "You know you're not supposed to wear that to the table, get it off!" just so they can have the satisfaction of knowing someone recognized they have a cowboy hat on.

Photobucket

Cowboy kids enjoy entering 4H livestock shows so that they can stand out in an arena and pose with their bovine buddy.

Photobucket

Cowboy kids like to answer questions about their bovine buddy and do it with pride and a smile on their face!

Photobucket

Cowboy kids have many friends, but there is usually that special friend that they call their BFF.

Photobucket

Cowboy kids need a faithful steed that will perform to her utmost ability when called upon to do so!

Photobucket

Cowboy kids don't blink an eye when their faithful steed doesn't perform to her utmost ability but laugh and allow Daddy to edit the photo so that the whole family can get a good laugh at their expense.

Photobucket

Cowboy kids can be downright ornery, mischevious, and dirty (requiring multiple baths within a 24 hour period) but on the other hand, for the most part, are precious, loving kiddos that will one day look back upon their cowboy kid days and be thankful that they were allowed to be a cowboy kid.

Have a great day! Julie

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses!



There are times that I desire to write here and cannot due to several factors that seem to always make theirselves, themselves, whatever selves known.

The first one being our computer. Seems the poor thing has seen better days, is old, and has jumped the shark.

We've added more RAM and other expensive technically sounding shtuff that I know absolutely nothing about...but to no avail, because in all of reality it doesn't matter how fine-tuned your PC is if your internet provider is not living up to their end of the bargain ((sigh)).

Their story, "We're updating equipment." Hmmm.

Another factor...my precious mom, bless her heart, has gotten to the point that she MUST be back on medicine (she's mentally ill) in order to keep her car, her house, and most important of all, her independence.
This predicament has kept me hopping now for the last two weeks.
Actually her illness has always been a part of my life, but occassionally, as now, things come to a head and others must step in, namely me, for which she resents me greatly and may I just add that that last statement was a gross understatement and run-on sentence deluxe!

I'm not angry or even being sarcastic...really...I'm being honest.
For those that have had to deal with mentally ill family members you know exactly where I'm coming from.
I've found with age, that I'm caring less and less what others think (thank you, Lord) and just doing what has to be done.
It can be hard...but the prayers of friends and family and the comfort, guidance, and peace that only the Lord can give make it doable.

So with that little grammatically incorrect essay, I feel I have adequately explained my absence from the blog world.

Hoping for an excused absence as your veiwership is valued,

Julie

P.S. The above picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post. It was one of the only photos that I had access to on my hard drive due to photobucket failing to upload numerous and sundry times and besides I thought it was perdy.