Goodbye and Good Luck!

Yesterday, the Darlin' Man got a call from a farmer friend. This guy has chickens and goats as well, but had run into a problem.
His old rooster had died and he wanted another rooster "right damn quick".
Would we happen to have an extra rooster hanging around?
Why yes, yes we do!
The farmer was so happy, he PAID for Red, the psychotic rooster!
We warned him about Reds' *ahem* personality quirks.
The farmer didn't care. He even offered to go in the coop and catch Red himself! The Darlin' Man went ahead and did because Red was kinda scared of him.
Today, Pender is "King of the Roost". He is a bit tired this afternoon, due to chasing all of Reds' Harem of Hens around the yard all day, but he seems happy.
This farmer also had another issue looming before him...he raises goats and his buck is old. He didn't expect his buck to make it another year.
We have 3 baby bucks!
He checked them out and was much impressed by all three, but little Cornelius caught his eye the most.
Yes, we sold him Cornelius.
Champagne had almost weaned him...barely let him suckle at all and kicked him away when he tried.
Cornie was eating alfalfa and sweet feed well. I hadn't banded him because I had hopes that someone would want the sweet wee buck for a breeding goat instead of us putting him in the freezer.
So, we said goodbye to Cornelius as well.
The farmer has a few milking does, so he said he could give Cornelius a bottle or two a day, if need be.
While he was here, he called some other farmer friends and we ended contracting to sell Maximus and Morpheus as well! They will be herd bucks, so I don't have to band them. They won't be leaving until end of March, early April, though.
All in all, a good night!

Lets Get Ready To Rumble!

As you can see by the header picture, Red and Pendar are NOT getting along well these days!
I let the chickens out every morning to wander about the yard while I tend to the goats.
Pendar and his lady love Ugly Betty live in a coop with the peafowl.
Red, of course, has his harem in the bigger chicken coop.
Red and his ladies:

Forgive the bad quality of the pics...a little hazy!

Well, Pendar and Ugly Betty get out of their coop at the same time...and Red feels since he has the rest of the hens,he should have Betty as well! Pendar does not agree with Red on this point, and as is common among males of many species....this leads to chest beating, challenges and, finally, they come to blows.

No one has been hurt, as what they mostly do is fluff their ruffs out, flap their wings and then fly at each other while the hens scamper for cover.
As you can see, Red, our psycho rooster, is larger than Pendar. This does not matter to Pendar! He will defend Ugly Betty to his last breath!
I do find it funny that after a fight, Pendar runs over to Betty and checks her over as if making sure she is okay....and Betty clucks softly while preening herself. Pendar then crows his darnedest, proclaiming to the world that he has defended his lady successfully again.
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Speaking of chickens...we have a new one!
A friend had five chickens, but because they had a dog that wanted chicken dinners, they quickly ended up with one.
They didn't want the fifth one to end up like the rest, so they gave her to us!
We named her Bess and figured we would put her in with Pendar and Betty as we thought putting her in with the big flock might end up with her being pecked.
WRONG idea!
Betty, who is tiny, proceeded to go absolutely crazy on the new hen! Pecking her, flapping her wings at her, jumping on her and just generally harassing the crap out of her!
"Stay away from MY rooster! I KNOW you weren't looking at him like that! "
So, I tried putting her in with Reds flock.
It worked! The hens accepted her in, shared their food and water and even Red was calm about it.
We named her Bess.

I know...she looks like every other chicken we have here...except she has these black under-feathers, so I can pick her out of the crowd easily!

News Flash from Frippery Farm

Persephone escapes...again and again, finally put in chicken coop until we can build the peafowl pen.
Red the Psychotic Rooster gets his comeuppance! He is terrified of Persephone!
We put her in the coop and after examining the exotic creature in his domain, Red decided to start up with her...he pecked. Persephone didn't even flinch under Reds attack.
She was more like

Then she proceeded to smack Red upside the head with her wings until he retreated to the corner and sat there with his head tucked between the fencing. Totally defeated.
I knew peafowl could be a bit aggressive...but Persephone made it VERY clear she is not taking any guff off of Red! Good for her!

Last night, Persephone laid an egg!
Check it out (next to a couple of our regular eggs)

Impressive, yes?!?
So, for breakfast this morning, the Darlin' Man had a large omelet! I tried a bit of it, too...it was delicious!
Persephone's eggs aren't fertilized right now (forced separation from Pericles until pen is built) and she won't feel like hatching out chicks until March/April  anyway.

The Darlin' Man just arrived home with some lumber and then had to hurry back to work. He'll stop on the way home to grab the fencing and the cement and fence posts.
I'll take pictures of the build!

The Best Laid Plans...

So, today was going to be the day I made a new tabletop for the kitchen table. I had it ALL planned out. I had read the instructions on the tile adhesive, the grout, planned out where each tile would be placed and so on.
I was going to start the project at 8 a.m., right after the kids left for school.
Oops.
7:15 a.m. I wake up the kids...Girl dives into the shower and Boy...groans.Huh?
A closer inspection shows Boy to be wheezy, red eyed and running a fever and complaining that his chest felt like it was burning inside.Then wheeze, cough, cough.
I yell at Girl to get out of the shower asap. She runs to her room in her bathrobe to get dressed for school and I shove Boy in the bathroom and turn the shower on high and HOT, steaming up the bathroom. Boy is ordered to sit in there until I come to retrieve him.
Girl leaves for the school bus with a breakfast burrito I quickly made in her hand.
I retrieve Boy from shower. He says he feels a little better, but has a bad headache and feels, in fact, achy all over. I give him some non-aspirin fever reducer/pain reliever (which I hate to use, but I am kinda paranoid about Reyes) and a hot cup of herbal tea and start breakfast for him.
At this point I hear a ruckus in the yard.
The dogs are out for their morning romp around the yard. I look, and one of the chickens is also out in the yard...how the heck did THAT happen?...and the fellas dog is merrily chasing the chicken around the yard while my dog sits on the patio and barks encouragement.
I dive into the fray and finally grab one very flustered and panicked chicken (it was Chloe, one of the Rock Island girls) and open the chicken coop to shove her in. I didn't have my broom with me.
I. DIDN'T. HAVE. MY. BROOM.
This fact registers immediately with Red (the psychotic rooster) and he launches himself at me as I get the coop door open. I fling Chloe in, hoping that will distract Red, but no such luck! Red continues his attack and makes it out of the coop.
Just a bit of an observation here...if you are running from a deranged rooster, it is best to be dressed appropriately.
A nightgown and fuzzy hot pink slippers are NOT appropriate.
But I digress...
I retreated from Red's attack and take off for the patio to get the broom. Red, sensing he had the upper hand, chases me with all the fury his chicken legs can muster. The fella's dog, Andy, decides to chase Red. The rooster seeing a new opponent, is momentarily distracted...but only momentarily, as when he turns to face Andy, he manages to swat Andy across the face with a wing. The dog, startled, yelps and high tails it for the back door...right in my path to the broom!
I managed to NOT trip over the darn dog (for a change) and make it to the patio.
I grabbed the broom and turned to face the rabid rooster...as he had launched himself in the air at me, talons out. I swing...and miss.
However, that swing was enough for Red to flutter to the ground and rethink his strategy. He looks back to the chicken coop (assessing his audience?), but there's no help for him there. Miss Chloe is in a corner of the coop with the other hens gathered around her, clucking in sympathy. Red looks at me again and turns and begins a leisurely strut across the yard, back to the coop.
I finally get Red back in the coop.
I get back in the house and find the bacon a bit charred around the edges. I crumble up the best of it and put it, along with some scrambled eggs, in a tortilla for the Boy.
Breakfast delivered, I sit down and catch my breath.
I finally got to the table, but didn't have a camera as my friend with the camera is visiting friends out of town today.I am waiting for the adhesive to *cure*, and then I can get to the grout.
Patches the goat is still pregnant.
I need to vacuum.
More than that, I need a nap....
And I have to go out in about an hour and gather eggs and feed the chickens...