Chicnacks

Good afternoon, Chics! We've been busy in the gardens and with the chickens. It looks like we'll have a pretty successful year if things stay on track in the garden. The chickens are causing some headaches but we're working through some troubleshooting and hope to be back on track soon. I told you about our buffer zone garden last time. Y'all, it is getting big fast! We have planted corn, lentils, peas, sunflowers, and sunchokes. I also planted some herbs in cinderblocks but haven't seen any germinate yet so will have to replant them next week. We have several trees in there as well, including: crepe myrtle, apple, bald cypress, and a willow. The chickens follow me up and down the fence line impatiently waiting as I pull weeds or thin crops.  Before I get to the new gardens, let me tell you what is going on with the chickens. I mentioned last time that we had to separate Henrietta from the other chickens after she was attacked. I'm happy to report that Henrietta...

There are not enough hours in the day sometimes. Do y'all ever feel that way? We've had so much going on that I haven't had a moment to even think about this blog. But today it's chilly out and I'm under my electric blanket so I figure it is a good time to catch up.  The babies are now fully integrated with the old flock and everyone is getting along great. We did have a mishap that caused injury to one of our hens though. My daughter was taking snacks into the chicken yard when Henrietta decided it would be a great time to go for a stroll in the yard with four of our dogs. The puppy declined to participate but the other three tore her up pretty well before we could finally save her. The flock was picking on her so now she is recuperating alone in the new chicken coop. I think she's pretty happy and we may just let her live out her life in there. I'm hopeful that she will heal and begin to lay eggs again.  The attack forced us to finish creating a buffer zon...

 Good morning, Chics! How are you handling this weather? Is it cold where you live? Our weather is all over the place and I'm tired of it. Just a few weeks ago I was outside in a tank top for two days in a row. I got an amazing tan. And then we were right back to temperatures that dipped into the 20s at times.  We've got several things in the works for this week. The weather seems to be ready to level out. But first! Yesterday our big puppies turned one year old. They are such great dogs. Here's a picture of the dogs patiently waiting on the birthday cake. Tomorrow I plan to get some things planted including: potatoes, onions, asparagus, and greens. My husband got sand for our coops yesterday so we can hopefully move the babies into their new coop today or tomorrow. This weekend we will do a full cleanout of the big coop. We picked out paint colors and I'm realizing I need to add "paint the new coop" to my to-do list. My husband decided we need to fence off pa...

Good morning, Chics! Are you ready for spring? I am! We're working hard at home to prepare things for the upcoming planting season. Let's talk about what we've been up to.  Over the last few days, we started two big projects: a new chicken coop, and tilling garden spaces. The weather was glorious and I've got a tan to prove it. My favorite time of year is the day I get my first little sunburn. That means that the cold weather is about to go away. Yay! There are also plenty of sore muscles around here. Ouch! Remember back in January when we got those cute baby chicks? Well, they are getting big and it's almost time to move them outside. Chickens are funny creatures that require a little special handling when integrating new members into the flock. Last year whenever we needed to integrate new chickens we simply locked the newcomers in the coop for a week and the older chickens were locked in the run at night. This gave the babies time to learn that the coop was their...

 Good afternoon, Chics! It was an exciting weekend. Our bonus daughter and her little girl came to visit, Bear arrived, we changed things up with the chickens, and we experienced the tornado shelter. Whew! I don't know about y'all, but family means everything to me. Saturday morning, I just about wore holes in the floor while I was waiting on my kid to arrive. A little issue with GPS gave me more gray hair but they finally arrived safe and sound. Oh, that hug I got from the sweet little one that nicknamed me Aunt Winter! And my other kid...I always love to see her. Then the fun began trying to get the shy little bundle of joy out of the backseat. Y'all...he is the sweetest little thing!   Introducing our new little pup to the rest of the crew went pretty well. Mostly. We have a 14-year-old chihuahua/rat terrier mix and she is cranky about puppies. But she set Bear straight and, in the process, reminded the other dogs that she may be small but she's mighty and in charge....