Spring 2014

Well it is spring again. I have a ton of blue Orpington baby's ready to go. Big Blue and his girls are quite fertile.. On a totally different note I have Sweet Grass Turkeys getting ready to hatch. They are very large and calm. Moms make great mothers. Toms get to 28 and hens get to 16-18. Big Thanksgiving bird. I have been candling and believe that there are eight (out of 12) viable. We will see how this goes. I am excited and anxious all at the same time. This is my first time hatching Turkeys. Also I am really excited because I have been able to score some of the rarer colored Orpingtons. I will soon be hatching Chocolate, Crere, and Red. I am really excited about these. There are very few farms in the US that have these colors and I am looking forward to offering them next year. There is so much to do on the farm that it is hard to keep up with everything especially in the heat. I do believe that we are going to have an extremely hot summer, it is already hitting 90's and it is not even officially summer. I have planted my straw bale garden again this year. I put in tomato's cukes, garlic, peas, beans (of all kinds) eggplant, squash and I don't know what else. I am trying to grow as much of my own food as possible because of all the junk that is put on food at the grocery stores. Last year I kind of just tested the straw bales and found them pretty good. I still need to hook up a drip hose and I got a timer so they would get watered regularly but it won't work unless I hook it up!!! I will be hatching for about a month more, and will try to keep up better with this blog (I hope).

Spring is in the air

Well it is spring and with spring comes babys. I have been hatching out some beauitful birds this year. It is really exciting. The weather is cool, then hot, then wet and back to cool again. I did not plant a garden last year but decided that this year I would try straw bale gardening because I had no inclination to do all the prep it takes to get the ground ready and then there is the perpetual fight with weeds, I really hate that.So I had read about this type of gardening and it sounded right up my alley. I got the bales that I had put out in the fall and lined them up and preceeded to prepare them according to directions. Finally today I started planting. So I guess we will see how this goes. I will keep the blog updated with photos as I go along.

Yet another reason to buy from local farmers who do not use antibiotics

By Jim Avila
@JimAvilaABC
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Jul 11, 2012 8:27am
REPORT: Superbug Dangers in Chicken Linked to 8 Million At-Risk Women
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A growing number of medical researchers say more than 8 million women are at risk of difficult-to-treat bladder infections because superbugs – resistant to antibiotics and growing in chickens – are being transmitted to humans in the form of E. coli.

“We’re finding the same or related E. coli in human infections and in retail meat sources, specifically chicken,” said Amee Manges, epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal.

If the medical researchers are right, this is compelling new evidence of a direct link between the pervasive, difficult-to-cure human disease and the antibiotic-fed chicken people buy at the grocery store.

“What this new research shows is, we may in fact know where it’s coming from. It may be coming from antibiotics used in agriculture,” said Maryn McKenna, reporter for the Food & Environment Reporting Network, working on a joint investigation with ABC News.

The Food and Drug Administration says 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are fed to livestock and even healthy chicken to protect them from disease in cramped quarters. It also helps the chickens grow bigger and faster.

“We’re particularly interested in chickens. They, in many cases, are getting drugs from the time that they were in an egg all the way up to the time they are slaughtered,” Manges said.

The chicken industry disputes the researchers’ conclusions, and quoted Dr. Randall Singer, associate professor epidemiology at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, who said: “These studies have nothing to do with antibiotics in poultry product and further changes to antibiotic use in poultry will not change the potential human health risks associated with these foodborne E.coli.”

Researchers acknowledge that there is no study showing a definitive link between the E.coli in chicken and infection in women, but point out that a study like that would be unethical because it would require intentionally exposing women to the bacteria.

They say that there is persuasive evidence that chicken carries the same bacteria with the highest levels of resistance to medicine as causes the drug resistant infection in women.

See the National Chicken Council’s full statement on the ABC News report.

Adrienne LaBeouf, 29, is among the women suffering from a constant infection.

“It feels like I have some kind of infection that just won’t go away,” she said.

LaBeouf of Washington, D.C., has visited her doctor about her persistent bladder infection. “It was cured for a little while,” she added, “and then it comes back with a vengeance.”

ABC News’ Brian Hartman contributed to this report.

The long hot summer

Well I took some time off to try to get some things done around the house, and pool, and the time became a disaster. Air conditioner went out...house was 105. Had to buy a whole new unit. Then one of my pretty roosters had a heat stroke because the other boys would not let him out of the house so he over heated and could not get water or air. Pool still down. TV is on its last leg, keeps turning off and on. Then last night the water line to the chicken houses busted,,,,again. Got it fixed though.
I was thinking about buying a horse last week end but don'thave anywhere to keep her. :( I know it sounds nuts but I miss my horses so much, the smell the sound all of it. I know it is not a good idea but oh how I wish the guy next door would rent me a stall.
I am so blessed lately though with all this other stuff going on. I talk to my son almost daily and for the first time last week we skyped!! I saw my boy for the first time in 15 years!!! Doesn't get much better than that.
I bought some new Americuanas from My Pet Chicken and what I got was a real mess. About four roosters, and maybe four Americanas...everything else is a mystery bird. Not happy cuzz I was counting on those pretty eggs.(My older girls are not laying as much). I have told them but so far nothing.
It is a little cooler today thank God. Hope everyone is well and healthy.

what a wild ride!!!

There has been so much happen since Oct I don't know where to start. First I went on a three week transatlantic cruise. It was wonderful.
Then we did not have any winter here :(
There have been babies born and that is where the miracles started.
I had one baby not hatch so I got it out seemed fine.
I had a bunch of eggs in the bator and it spiked to 106 and when I got up in the morning that is what I found. I moved as many eggs as I could to other bator brought temp in line in that bator and decided to just wait. Well low and behold about half of those babies made it.

But this tops everything....
Momma outside who hatched five eggs on sunday left four. When I got home she was off the nest and so I figured that was that. About an hour later I said what the heck I grabbed three of the eggs took them into the house, cleaned my bator got it started and almost to temp and put the eggs in. So now it is Monday at work this is the second day in the bator and when I left I saw nothing that would excite me. I got home last night and YOU GUESSED IT......... a baby had hatched!!!!!! I could not believe it. All the stuff about never opening the bator after lock down ect had no bearing on this little one. Not sure if it is a girl or boy but is either a cross between a black copper maran and either a white or buff orpington. really cute. I got it out this morning put in little container with water and food and heat light. I did not think it would be able to keep up with the others last night but should be ready tonight to join siblings and mom. I am telling you guys those who don't enjoy nature and animals are missing so much. What a blessing.....

Read more: http://poultryclub.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=incubatingandhatchingeggs&action=display&thread=1055#ixzz1te7V7KIX

Chick baby's all over

Well it has been quite a while since I wrote on here but I have been really busy.

My babys are growing and getting feathers. They are in the house and I really want them out but feel like I need to wait until they have all their feathers. I have a wooden box outside but it is not tall enough to put a light in without possibly causing a fire. Boy I will be so happy when they are out!!!!!

Yesterday I had the weirdest thing happen...... I had decided that Tiny needed to be put in a play pen I have so he/she could get her fair share of food and catch up in size to the others. Any way I fixed it all up food water ect and caught her and put her in. I put in two others so she wouldn't be lonely. Even at that she was very unhappy but I figured she would settle down with the others there. Well about two hours later I decided I should check it out and make sure everything was ok. I went in and NO TINY!!!!!! Oh my gosh I looked all over under the desk under the sewing table on top of the sewing table under the paper in the play pen. NO WHERE...... I could not find her anywhere. I was heart sick. So I go over to the other box where the others were and counted, then counted again, then looked at them real close and low and behold THERE WAS TINY!!!!!!  How did that little s--t get over there. I knew I had not put her over there, and I knew I had not been drinking, (maybe I had gone crazy)...... The only thing I can figure out is that she had flown to the top of the play pen, gotten on the sewing table right next to it, and gone over to where her flock was and jumped back in with them. I do not think she could have flown up from the floor but the box was close to the other end of the sewing table and she could have possibly flown/jumped back in.  That is all I can figure but the little stinker was definately back in the box with the others. I did not take her back to the play pen I figured she must have really wanted to be with her mates.

I just contracted to have my last (please let it be my last) chicken house built. It is going to be a duplex so I don't mix my Americunas with Opingtons. I just have to stop this. I also have to find home for three roosters and honestly am thinking of selling my two year olds. Any leads would be appreciated.

I lost one of my last hens from my original flock two Fridays ago. The dogs were barking at her through the fence and I usually make them stop but I was talking to a guy about the yard and spaced it. Before I knew it she had flown over the fence and in the blink of an eye they had her and she was gone. I was sick. I should have been paying more attention.

If any one is reading this I wish you would add a receipe and comment......

Weather here is wonderful, albeit, a little cooler that normal. After last summer this is a very welcome change.

I am getting psyched up for my trip the end of this month. I really need the break. It is hopefully going to turn out great. Rome, Spain, France Morocco......ahhhhhhhh......

Well take care and I wish you peace and love...

The week end is over already !!!!!

I swear it seems like I can never get anything done on the week ends. This week end I spent time running back and forth to where the babys are checking on the temps. in the brooders. I am so worried I will do something wrong and cause them harm that I can hardly think about anything else.

None of my girls are laying many eggs. They look like heck so I believe they are all molting. I get so disappointed when I go into the house and expect to see a lot of eggs, or even a normal amount, and there are only a few. My older, four years, girls hardly lay at all any more.

I still have not gotten to cleaning out those houses but I have to even if I have to take leave to do it.
I feel like I am spinning my wheels and never getting any where. I hate this feeling. I want to quilt but I never have time. I have to clean out the houses, but never have time, however I have to get this done even if I have to take leave to do it. Need to straighten up my house but never have time. So where is time GOING?

While time seems to be flying in one sense I just realized this morning that the babys are only a week old. The way it seems they should be at least three weeks by now. UG

It really rained last night which was such a gift. I still haven't been able to get my poor trees in the ground so the water was very much appreciated.

Got some pears sliced up last night. Going to try some pear perserves. I don't think my pears have much flavor but maybe after cooking they will. How will I find the time? I have to get the jars steralized tonight so I can jar the jam.....

Well that is about it for today. Stay safe and of course peace and love.....

Sort of a sigh of relief

Good morning..Yesterday I worried all day b/c one of the babys, the last to hatch actually, was so very weak!! He/she look a mess and not well at all. I thought and thought and finally it hit me, I am embarrassed to even reveal this, he was not strong enough to navagate in the big brooder with all the other strong healthy chicks!!! I could hardly wait to get home, honestly expecting him/her to be gone. I rushed home ran in the door and there he was so frail and at least looked fearful. All the others were up running and eatting and growing (they sure grow fast).
Immediately I started reading the small clear crate and as soon as the temp got up to 98 I moved him/her in. I put in a couple others with him so he would not be lonely (they do get very stressed at this age when taken away from their buddies) and said a prayer.
Well of course I was up and down all night checking temps watching how he was doing. I had showed him where the waterer was and now that the others weren't knocking him out of the way I noticed he was actually drinking and seemed very thirsty. I tried to get him to eat but never saw that happen. But he was more relaxed and actually layed down. Poor little baby..
Well this moring he was still there. I actually saw him peck a bit and eat a dot. His feathers are fluffed up and he looks like a baby chick. So while I am not ready to proclaim that he will make it, it sure looks better than it did yesterday at this time.
Nothing else of note to pass on. When I have babies the pretty much consume my life until I know they are well....another three week of anxiety....I wish you peace and love    Caio

Garden Daddy: ONE OF THE STANDARD COCHIN PULLETS LAYS HER FIRST EGG

Garden Daddy: ONE OF THE STANDARD COCHIN PULLETS LAYS HER FIRST EGG

A valuable lesson

When I got home yesterday I had about 12 fuzzy little faces looking at me through the incubator!!! The other bator had four more.. Then I looked at the temp. and the frigging temp in one was 102. I grabbed those baby's out put in the brooder tub and when temp went down a little closed them (the bator) back up. I know you aren't supposed to open the tops but I knew they could not live long in 102. Then I noticed one that was in a egg where she had tried to pipe but the membrane was dried out and she couldn't peck through it. She was peeping loudly. My heart ached because I had promised myself I would not mess with the eggs, and let nature take its course, but this was not a nature issue it was a machine caused issue. Soooo I got some tweezers, disinfected them and pulled a little hole for the baby. Soon I realized the shell was dried too and that she was a little stuck to the dried membrane so I pulled off some more shell and membrane, enough that her head and lttle body was visible. Set it down and said a prayer and closed the bator up. I would do no more, she was on her own from here on out. It was her battle to win or lose. When I have helped chicks I learned that part of that struggle they go through twisting and pushing to get out of their shell is really important to straighten them out and strengthen their muscles so they can stand. Low and be hold when I went back about two hours later there she was straight and standing!!!! Praise the LORD.

I have learned a really valuable lesson through this, and that is you can help or you can help too much. I then had an epiphany ....this struggle to live and be strong is a metaphor for life, but especially for those who are raising kids.... watching our kids go through struggles is very hard for a parent to do, giving a little help is okay but when we make it too easy for them they do not learn the lesson, nor do they gain the strength they will get from going through the struggle on their own and being victorious. This just blew me away folks. What a life altering realization for me. Especially since I am a therapist and I watch parents protect their kids to the point that they either can not make it through a struggle or wait for someone else to open the shell (struggle) for them. At this point they truly are crippled and in all our good intentions we really have killed them. It was our anxiety and worring about them that got in the way of them being able to stand tall on their two feet!