Happy Harvest Blog
Cold hiatus
We had snow and cold for several days - -10C cold, and it seems like that's here a little early. It's the kind of cold that you're not ready for: don't have the right coats or sweaters at hand, can't find the good socks, and it feels horribly bitter and assaulting, even though I know I've laughed at much much colder numbers. You get used to the cold, preferably incrementally, when winter eases in its arrival. Two years ago today I was pulling carrots.
Cheeks eats
I set her on her Tupperware with a view, and she stood there looking like she's one-legged. She demolished her food - chicken food and long grain brown rice- a big hit. She even sampled the potted plant mix. She ate so much rice she passed over her seeds. Outside, the grosbeaks are congregating in the snow. She made an unholy mess of the windowsill, but I was just so happy she was eating. Nothing that won't clean up in seconds.
Cheeks is thinking out of the box.
Cheeks is making a comeback. I got her antibiotics and baby aspirin last week and started the daily regime of shoving them down her beak.I was hoping I wouldn't have to force feed her, so I tried everything to entice her to eat on her own, hoping her appetite would improve when the infection in her foot was controlled - kale, spinach, quinoa, beef fat, oatmeal, rice, coconut oil, raw egg, cooked almonds, cheese, cream - all things a well chicken would go crazy over.
Escapee
One of the guineas escaped from my carefully constructed bird shield. It flapped and scramble-ran up the plastic, therefore slipping under the edge of the mesh and out into the clear air.I actually saw it in progress, yet was unable to stop it from happening. It had just enough foot friction, I supposeI'm up here. Now what? Looked neat from inside. I left her up there to figure it out.Later... how's that guinea doing? Well, it's on the wrong side of the mesh, and now suspended, like it's in a mesh bag.
Roof sitting
Apparently the coop roof is the place for the guineas to camp out. It's nice to work in the greenhouse for some time, enough to see them relax into completely ignoring me and resume their chicken activities. Dozing on the roof. Grooming...Chilin' This is the gang that hangs out on the other roof. Too bad the roofs don't get washed by the rain when in the greenhouse.
Afternoon lounge
I took down the cross members that allowed the birds to hang out (and poop) over the Silkies. That wasn't working for anyone but the poopers. But now the birds are teetering around on the perimeter like it's a long way to tightrope walk. Hens beefing through the fence. Someday, we'll settle this. The little chickens are adorable, hanging out together in little friend groups. Someone is showing their (Puff)cheeks lineage. Do you see it?
Accidental lanterns
I was having fun with the partially frozen linings of 5-gallon buckets. They made lanterns! The ice cylinders looked so cool I had to put candles in them. I got four came out of the bucket intact. Cheeks is doing well, although all she wants to eat are sunflower seeds. The guineas have stayed inside, and none succumbed to exposure. There were more than 70 grosbeaks here this morning - that's as far as I got before they went airborne - they're very touchy.
I won't forget to close the doors again
Forecast: Snow changing to ice pellets then developing to rain later in the afternoon. In other words, gross. This morning at dawn already there were a couple of inches of snow accumulated, and it was eerily dark in the greenhouse, but also very warm, with the blanket of snow. To my horror, only one guinea was walking around. What the? I started closing up the drafty holes in the wall for the chickens to access their yard. I could see by the snow that there were no footprints using them.
House chicken 2018
Cheeks is in "intensive" box care in the house. At the end of October, she somehow got the end of one of her toes torn or bitten off, pretty cleanly. I was horrified but it can't be reattached, so what can you do? She's been spending her days in a chickery safe from harassment but still with the other hens in the GH. I figured she needed safe time to heal and the wound would close and she'd make a recovery. Appetite, check, using the foot, check, lots of time resting but normal behaviour.
Friends
It's so interesting and touching to see chickens form alliances and bonds. Sometimes it makes sense when birds hang out together (birds of a feather), sometimes I forced the issue, but most of the time it's organic, and often odd. I would never have called this one. Sidewinder and Apples' chick. This is so unlikely. Sidewinder is a VERY low chicken. I can say with certainty that she's the lowest. She's kind of a mess, with a butchered beak, therefore wicked underbite-not good for self-defense or settling arguments, bad feet,
Everyone out!
Everyone found the chicken doors yesterday. I finished tying down the mesh around the fence, so it should be guinea tight.It's kind of dead and slim pickin's, but it's outdoors. They also noticed right away that it's quite cold outside, so most of them had a look around, and then went back in to warm up. Spoiled bunch. They seem to much prefer being in the corn stalk strip. In the open they act nervous, exposed. Heard some of the most pathetic, unsure, low-volume crowing out of the roosters, too.
Hen yard
Another afternoon spent in service of chicken comfort.I created the chicken yard, finally. The fence was already there, keeping chickens out of my garden all summer, but now they are to be kept in, and I strung up the bird netting to keep the pro-flying guineas in and raptors out. I imagined that the chickens would come out and enjoy it this sunny afternoon, but instead it was a tedious, cold, frustrating task that I clued up right around the usual guinea grass hour before dusk,
Garlic and grass
Planted the garlic today. On paper that’s half a month late, but by the weather, it’s just the right time. The beds covered with hay look exactly the same after planting as before. So many worms under the mulch! I started some wheatgrass for the guineas. I couldn’t remember if wheatgrass required soil or not, and I’m still not sure, so I’ll start trying it soil free. I will also find out soon how many days it takes to become edible, and cycle trays through the windowsills.
I also have worms
Worms are among the lifeforms that depend on me to feed them around here, and to fluff up their bedding. This bin is very full, and has just been fluffed with new absorbent paper shreddings. I think it looks like a pasta salad. Of course, that's where vermicelli comes from (the word, not the pasta). Lots of food, good moisture levels; these worms are happy. HW: "What exactly does an unhappy worm look like?"Funny you should ask. I know the answer to that now.
What do I do when I haven't taken any pictures all day?
Take pictures in the fading light at guinea hour. There's the guineas grazing in colour-coded groups. There's the chicks that slipped out today, quite proud of themselves. Nosey on the left. They're pretty good about following the guineas back in, when they call it a night. The little barred rock again. I'm with you, right? I'm the right colour! Oooh, can I come out?! The small chickens are so cute. They're cute right up until they're suddenly big burly roosters swaggering around.
The guinea graze
The guineas haven't had their evening graze for a couple of days due to rain, and I let them out a touch early. (Time change! What time is it? Old time or new time?)Perchick shot out along with the guineas. That's a Cheeks move, to get in the middle of the guinea crowd and run where they're going. Can't see me! Guinea speed is a dead run for a chicken. I wouldn't mind some grass too. Then a few other chickens squeezed out. What's going on out here?
#LocktheClock, please!
I HATE time changes!! I don't really care for regular time or savings time, for God's sake let's pick one and stick to it! More people agree time changes are garbage than any other issue, so let's dispense with "War Time".Each time change means a week of having half the clocks on the "old time", to remember when the animals get fed, and doing math, like it or not, all times of day.
No more pigs
The pigs have ceased to be. As always, they had a good, lazy, romping life, with mud up to their eyes most days and loads of naps. I'm not going to miss this pair, though. They were extra sneaky and cunning, and developed a taste for illicit exploring. Now I'll be able to leave home again.
Just standin' around
The old girls have decisively claimed the roof of Chris & Cream Puff's coop. They pile up there all day. An alliance is forming. Sidewinder, the molter in a jacket (again! She molted last year), and Apples' chick. She was raised with the six other Silkies, but she doesn't hang out with them anymore. They're babies. The full Silkies are a third of her size. This one could be a full leghorn. Cute. There seems to be a bond.
Sun day
The sun came out and dried up all the rain. Not all - there was a lot of rain. And more wind. This morning, the pig house was upside down. No pigs. That's never happened before (the pig house flipped, certainly not absent pigs). I can picture them bolting out of there as their house lifted off of them. Pigs are easygoing, pleasant, optimistic creatures though, so they had no worries about settling back in after breakfast. I had a good time in the greenhouse, cleaning up, untying strings.
Instagram.
I may not make a blog post every day, but at least I Insta.
Bite size.
