More on chickens

We moved these guys today. This was taken when they were first born. They are now 1 1/2 weeks old.

So last night Justin went to check on the chickens and found a snake eating one of our Buff Orphingtons (of course cause we paid for them). They are about mid-size, not babies, not full grown. It was quite a shock. He had a hard time with my gun, didn't know it had a safety (it was dark). And had to use a different one that the snake shot wouldn't fit into. He hit it, but it got a way. Hopefully to die.

Something else we did, which I thought was really cool, was take the frame from our trampoline that flew over the chain link fence in AZ, and wrapped chicken wire around it. Justin and I did that one day. Then last Saturday John and I took out the carrier and put a top on. Justin and his friend Hayden helped a little bit before taking off for Vickie's party. Then we stuck the geese and ducks in there with a pool. What a relief to have them out of the hen house - we couldn't keep them supplied in enough water.

Today I went to TSC and bought some wire to make a 3 ft. x 10 ft. enclosed run for the 11 chicks that have been living in Justin's bedroom - boy were they stinky. Justin and I had it put together in 2 hours. And it didn't turn out half bad. These guys are a little smaller and I'm sure a snake can get into the 1x2" wire, but I doubt he could get out stuffed with birds. Hate to use them like bait, but they had to go outside.

FINALLY!

I actually sat down yesterday afternoon to try and post something. Then I got a phone call and one of our cows was in the middle of labor down in the Easter Egg field (thus named for the enormous amount of eggs we hide there every year). So off I went. When we got there my SIL had deduced that she needed help, when I looked I couldn't dispute the fact. So the chase was on. I had no idea how fast a cow could run with a baby hanging out of her privates. AND that she could jump a fence as well. We did this for about a half hour and then let her rest to see if she made any progress on her own. No luck. The teenagers finally devised a plan and we finally got her. Tammy and I pulled with all our might during the contractions while Dad worked on getting the head out. We got him about half way and then decided Steve needed to take over. That was one exhausted calf and cow.

Today they are doing fine except for a slight limp on the babies back leg. He is huge!!! And she was a first time mother.

Anyway, that is how it is around here. Always something going on. Always!!! I like it but you forget how busy you can stay. Since we have been back we have had an Easter Egg hunt, Easter, been boating/water skiing, gotten 20 chickens, 10 turkeys, 4 geese, and 2 ducks. We have lost 1 (lousy) chicken, 5 turkeys (being the most expensive) and a goose. Justin has hatched 11 more chickens. My sister-in-law has had a baby (she is soooo cute), I have helped with her home (this is child #7) and her kids. We had a baby shower. We have gone camping and John was promoted to First Sergeant. John was off for the first 3 weeks of being home and he helped put skirting up, made stairs, put up a shed, planted an enormous about of fruit trees and worked around the farm among other many miscellaneous tasks to numerous to mention. Sam (BIL) killed a coyote in his front yard (next door to us) and has it now on display for all the other coyotes as a warning (I haven't actually seen the display, but he did bring it over to show us : )

Justin turned 16, Jordan (niece) turned 13 and Vickie (niece) turned 20. On our own acre we have killed 2 copperheads and 1 rat snake (actually I think they turned this one loose, but I can't get anybody to actually confess to this or not).

We have only had internet for a week and I've been trying to figure out how to get all of this down. I'm tired just thinking about it. So this will have to do.

Hopefully I will be able to blog more often. At some point I did put pictures in the family file of our boating/water skiing trip. So be sure to check it out.