Hellllloooooooo Ladies.....!

Say hello to Henry and Zepplin:

 Henry is a rental buck. Charming, gentle and oh-so-handsome! The girls reached the end of their milking cycles and we decided to get a decent buck to breed them to. Gabby and Champagne already adore him!
Zepplin is a half grown rooster given to us by a neighbor that got him from a friend who received him in an order of female chicks she ordered from a hatchery...sometimes it happens!

I think my girls and Henry will make lovely kids!

Zepplin is our *Rooster-in-Waiting* in case Cab can't fulfill all his duties. I also plan to catch Nuggets free range half grown chicks (that are now hens) and tuck them into Zepplins little coop.
So...working on the future here!

Nina Update

Nina is still pregnant...and whining about it.

She has bagged up a wee bit more, but nothing spectacular.

The newest kids were out and about and playing:

And Pender was escorting his ladies around the back patio:

Nice warm day here and all the critters were out and enjoying it!

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!

Gender Bender on Frippery Farm?

Remember Penelope?

Our chicken that preferred the company of goats?
Penelope was purchased at our local feed store, along with Phoebe. Phoebe settled in well and proceeded to make friends with the other chickens, etc. Penelope got in constant fights and was attacked not only by the other chickens but by the rooster, Red the Psycho, as well.
I let Penelope stay with the goats and she soon learned how to get out of the goat pen and wander the yard contentedly. No eggs, but we bought her and Phoebe young and didn't expect eggs for a few weeks.
Penelope would sit on my lap as I milked the goats and followed me around the yard as I fed the goats and did other chores. She had become a fixture in the yard and was benignly ignored for the most part.

Yesterday I let all the chickens out in the yard...and Penelope made a bee-line for them.
Uh-Oh. There's going to be a fight!
Uhmmm...what's Penelope doing...she's not fighting...she's...HOLY CRAP!

(I had to edit in a new surprised face as the old link went bad)

Penelope...is not a girl chicken, she's a BOY chicken.
That's right...Penelope is a rooster!
Observe what I finally took notice of:

See the spurs growing?

Except for the tail feathers, he is a handsome bird! No crowing yet, but he gave it a bit of a try this morning.

S-o-o-o-o-o-o...name change is in order.
We are calling him Pender.

Chicken Coop Adventures

This morning it was nice and cool at 6 am. I had finished feeding and milking, so I decided to take on the task of cleaning the chicken coop....AND *dusting* the chickens. I dust the chickens with diatomaceous earth, which prevents lice, mites and other such nasties from getting a toehold on them. I like cleaning the coop actually, and I figured dusting the chickens would be no big deal and I could handle it myself...
Cleaning the coop was not too bad. I shooed all the chickens out and they happily pecked and scratched around the yard as I hosed down the roost, refilled their water, raked out the coop and put in a fresh layer of hay for them. I love how the coop looks when it's all clean and fresh for my hens...and I think they like it, too!
Then the hard part....
I had to catch each chicken, stick them in a pillow case with their little head sticking out and dump in about 1/2 cup of DE. I sorta shook each chicken around and then turned them loose in the coop.
All went passably well until it was time for....Red, the psychotic rooster. (Yes, that IS his official title here!)

This is Red BEFORE I cleaned the coop or dusted him....and he looks pretty annoyed already, doesn't he?
Well, after several tries at catching Red, I realized I only have so much blood and I need it!
So, instead of putting him in the pillow case, I just waited until he had his back turned to me and sprinkled some of the DE on his back, in the hopes that through his preening and such, he'd work it through the rest of his feathers.
Red, not appreciating that I was actually trying to protect his health and well-being, misconstrued the sprinkling of the DE as a sneak attack and retaliated.
He charged, talons out for blood and screeching what I can only assume was a rooster battle cry.
I admit it, I ran. I had no weapon to protect myself at that point, except for the small plastic cup I was using to sprinkle the DE with. I mean, I threw it at him, but I missed and Red didn't pay attention to it anyway!
I made it back into the house with only one injury from his spurs.
I cleaned myself up, saw that Red had returned to the coop and I snuck out and shut the coop door.
I have 4 band-aids on my hands from him pecking me so hard he drew blood when I tried to catch him, and one gauze pad on my left calf where he raked me with his spurs.
If any of my neighbors saw me racing in fear away from an outraged rooster, I think my dignity took a solid hit as well!.
Next time the dusting needs to be done...the Darling Man and my son are gonna do it!

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...

Making plans for Christmas

I know, I know...it isn't even Halloween yet and I am already making plans for the Christmas season.
But, as any prepper type will tell you, planning is vitally important!
I am making most of the gifts I am giving.
One duvet cover and four quilts. A couple of tote bags and other small things.
Today, however, I am perusing recipes.
When my kids were younger, I tried to make the Yule meal more festive by making a traditional holiday meal of another country or era.
Sweden, Mexico, Germany, France, even Argentina and Korea found their way to my table---with varying degrees of success.
I haven't  done this for several years, but since I will have my Darlin' Man and his kids...plus possibly one of my kids visiting AND my fella's mother here, I think I will try it again!

I am thinking about a few different "themes":
A Charles Dickens Christmas
An Irish Country Christmas
An American Pioneer Christmas (circa 1800)

Menus and decorations go with the theme.

Now, I have not decided which one to go with here. I am open to suggestions of different themes as well.
So, dear readers, put on your thinking caps and help me come up with an idea or two or three!

Other things.....
Red, our cantankerous rooster, is currently in the *bachelor quarters* . He had lorded it over the four hens to their detriment. He shoved them out of the way and ate the majority of the food, and spent his non meal time humping the poor girls until they were hiding under the little henhouse in fear. They went two days without laying eggs!
So, yesterday, the Darlin' Man decided the hens needed a rest from Reds attentions.
Red did NOT want to leave! The battle ensued across the back yard...the Darlin' Man armed with a broom and Red, armed with beak and talon, duking it out for supremacy. First, Red had to be persuaded to leave the chicken coop WITHOUT his entourage of hens. Not an easy task!  Red was swept out of the coop, but he took Matilda and Miss Priscilla with him. I herded the girls back into the coop as my fella chased Red around the yard with the broom.
Red, seeing the battle was not in his favor, suddenly decided to opt for the "ostrich maneuver" and dove into the fence, burying his head under the fence and getting stuck--with his head in the sand.
It took a few minutes, but the Darlin' Man emerged triumphant, carrying a rather sedate Red into the pen built for the billy goat (for when the does give birth).
He gently lay Red down, thinking the rooster had no fight left in him.
NOT SO!
As the fella headed for the gate, Red roused his self and attacked! A quick dash out the gate while fending off the outraged bird with the broom and the Darlin' Man escaped.
Red spent the rest of the evening muttering to himself and scratching furiously at the dirt. He eyed any one who came close to the pen with fowl fury.
This morning, Red was still eyeing me with suspicion when I fed him. The hens seemed calm and content.
And there were 2 eggs...

Big Red vs Me: Round One

Big Red is our rooster.
A magnificent fowl, he is the epitome of the barnyard rooster found in childrens books. Beautiful feathers, a crow that can be heard blocks away and totally protective of his *girls*.
One problem...Red was bred to be a fighting rooster. Yes, cock-fighting is illegal, but not in Mexico and we are so close to the border that those sort of things drift across with the immigrants.
So, Red was bred to be aggressive. Now, since his chances at being a champion in the fighting ring were stymied by a neighbor that rescued him from that fate, and then gifted the rogue rooster to us, he is understandably frustrated. He dreams, no doubt, of championship belts slung around his feathered mid-section.

Apparently, he feels that my Darling Man and I are the guilty parties that derailed his fighting career.
Any foray into Red's domain is greeted by feather fluffing, charges, upraised talons and pecking beak!
The Darling Man began carrying a broom with him and Red soon learned "Big Man carries Big Stick and WILL whap me"!
I assumed that Red and I could reach a kinder, gentler understanding. After all, I came into his kingdom to deliver food and rake out manure! Surely Red would LIKE me!
Uh...no.
He attacked me with a ferocity that should have been reserved to fight off hordes of rabid hyenas.
I retreated and plotted strategy. I didn't want to be seen as "Big Woman with Big Stick". I just don't see myself as a mean person with a stick!
Well, I had to go refill the water for the chickens and the goats. Maybe I was just distracted, I don't know. Anyway, I just went ahead and tromped into Red's domain without any stick or any back-up.
I did, however, have the water hose!
Red saw me and started his charge.
Instinctively, I sprayed the damn bird with the water hose.
Red stopped in mid charge. I swear his beaky little mouth dropped open in amazement.
He back-pedaled rapidly and conferred in a corner of the pen with his ladies; Miss Priscilla and Gertrude.
All three chickens took turns peeking over at me as they chattered and clucked away in the corner.
I serenely filled the water trough for the goats and the chickens.
I am now "Big Woman Brings Water" to Red.
When I enter into his kingdom, he retires to a corner and studiously ignores me.
I have won Round One.