Finally Fall, garden woes, garden plans, oh my aching back and the good news

The year is coming into my favorite season.  i love the fall; probably because i dislike the heat of summer so much.  i don't mean to sound complaining, i'm not, but i prefer the cooler temperatures of spring and fall.  The hot of summer is necessary for my garden to grow so i don't complain especially after this summer.

Spring rains came late and were heavy.  None of my plants had good starts and everything is about a month behind.  i am glad i don't have to rely on my garden to eat.

Next year.... i am excited about next year.  i will have a whole new garden plot to use.  i will be spending some time this winter planning and plotting it.  my remaining garden box will become the sunflower and pumpkin patch.  i have a small greenhouse to use for starting seeds so i may go back to starting my plants from seeds.  We shall see...

When the weather finally dried out my son and i built a new coop inside my shed.  It turned out brilliantly.  i can heat it this winter when the temps drop and i can light it to better regulate the number of hours of light.  i learned that some chickenkeepers use light to keep the chickens laying eggs during the short days of winter.  So i am going to  try that.

i reached into my fridge for an ear of corn, my back went ZOING and i was bent over for days.  i missed a few days of work and i had spasms that you would not believe. At one point, i was stuck down on the floor for about an hour.  i had been trying to do my back exercises but the spasms started in and there i was, unable to move.  All good now!  But i have chores to catch up on.

There is some really good news... my son got his old job back!  It is so great.  i have been carrying the load for almost two years now.

And, my grandson starts school in just a couple weeks.  i hope he loves it.  It is so important to love school but for him it is also a chance make friends and have playmates.  He spends way too much time with adults.

One last note.  In my quest to find ways to be environmentally sound and ways to save money i have learned to make a bunch of different cleaning products.  i will post about that next... with recipes.  i'm talking laundry detergent, shampoo, hair conditioner etc. This is stuff you use everyday and you will save soooo much money.

Before my battery goes, i better sign off.  Love to all you chickies and roos.  i'm off to pick raspberries (finally ripe, about a month late).

C

Check out the new coop

28 Photos

Click on the link and see photos of the new coop before and after.  Paul actually got it done in early July but i am just now getting pictures posted.

i decided to take out the garden box that used to be on the left to make the pen bigger.  i still let the girls out everyday (out into the bigger fenced yard).
The duck and ducklings are plastic garden ornaments which i would normally not put in my yard but they belonged to my ex-boyfriend's grandmother. i was with her when she died, just me and her and i honor that with my kichy ducks.
My Japanese maple tree (not pictured) is from that same boyfriend's father, William, whom i was also with when he passed (i think William and i have a past life connection, btw).

An update on the chickens: i lost Carmen last month and adopted Ruby Berlin a few days ago, making our flock five now, and will probably remain that way for awhile.  Best laid plans, mi amigos, best laid plans... just saying.

There are three other flocks in my neighborhood and one more in the works (they are building a coop and pen so i assume). i have an idea that i would like to go to each home and ask to take pictures of their flocks and coops.  Then i would create a blog for all of us 'Fairview Chickenkeepers'.  Stay tuned.

Back to my girls; they are Budda (white leghorn), Precious (Barred Plymouth Rock - named after Mmr Romotswe, No. 1 Ladie's Detective Agency), Blessings (Golden Laced Wyandotte), Licorice (Black Sex Link but similar to Blessings in coloring), and Ruby Berlin (i don't know her breed but she looks like Budda except she is black).

i brooded one other chick this spring but she turned out to be a he.  Aggie had to be sent to a farm (Hi! Shawn -  what did you name our rooster? i heard you got him a hen to bother and boss.).

With the new coop, the area of yard that was the old coop is now vacant. But i have plans.  i will have a huge garden plot next year and believe me when i say, i am very excited about it.  i want to start planning now but i am holding back, saving the plotting for January or February, when i will need to indulge my gardening urges.

i am a blessed woman and want all you chickies and roos to know i love you.

Ruby Berlin

We have a new chicken. Her name is Ruby Berlin. She came from the Humane Society so i don't know exactly how old she is; i think she's young though. They said she had not laid any eggs so...

She is beautiful and this picture does her no justice. i will endeavor to get a better picture soon. She is a black version of Budda.

Check these out!

Trouble in paradise

my two flocks are not getting along. Budda and Precious are especially aggressive with the chicklettes. The old aunties do not want the chicklettes in the coop at night and actively chase them out. Actually, sweet Carmen does not seem hostile with the chicks at all; it is the other two only. Last night i set up a corner in my newly cleaned out shed and put the chicklettes in there. You can see the shed through the window in this picture. This is my kitchen window and i found the chicklettes peeking through.

Every night they come to my kitchen door and want to go to sleep but are afraid of the coop and remember coming in the house at night (up until a couple weeks ago). So they are confused and every night we go through this horrible routine of getting them into the coop. And once they are in the coop, they huddle up together in a corner, not on a roost. Chickens like to sleep on a roost and i finally decided to put a stop to the nightly drama and trauma. my son Paul and i are working on designing and building a new coop that will give each flock an entrance and each will have their own area. We are hoping that will help the two flocks feel as though they each have their own space. We also like the idea of two openings/exits in the case of a predator.

It was so easy to get the older chicks to go into the coop at night when they were little pullets. It took one try. We showed them the entrance and they went in at dusk. i used to put their food in there as well and that helped. There is plenty of room in the coop for all six chickens but obviously there are territorial issues.

So, while i was setting up the shed for the chicklettes they decided to go into the house. i bet i could train them to come into the house and into the spare room and into their old brooder with little trouble. That would be funny but not pleasant for me and my house.

The pics above are such a mess. Uploading pics to this blog is messy so i apologize for the lack of aesthetic appeal.

Chicklette update

Check out the pics at the link.

The first day out for the new chicks

We McGuyered a bigger brooder - take a look

The babies are 5 weeks old and spunky. Cross fingers, next weekend the weather should be warm enough for the girls to have a day outside. i will supply pics!