When is time to take away the nuk?

November 9, 2010

When is the proper age to take away the nuk?

My cousin for what ever reason had a nuk that she had left over at our house one day. The puppy discovered it and it has been a favorite toy ever since. She really does suck on  it like a toddler would. If I let her keep it for too long will she get bucked teeth?

Speaking of teeth, do any of you brush your dog’s teeth? I’ve only for sure known one person that brushed her dogs teeth. I can not imagine getting Zoe to set still for two seconds to do it. She would just try to bite me like she normally does. My hands are riddled with scratches from sharp nails and teeth. She is getting better about not biting so much but when I play with her toys with her I inevitably get torn up.

To squeek or not to squeek… is that really the question? I personally love the sound of her working on her squeaky toys. There is absolute joy in the sound; I know it is pure happiness for her in that moment and I am not annoyed one little bit! Paul has asked why I insist on continuing to buy toys that squeek but honestly, every time she plays with it I smile so much and everyone needs something in their day that makes them smile.

The day is fast approaching when I will have to deliver the mail in Mount Nebo all by myself. I am beginning to panic because I am only now realizing how short my arms are. This is not something I have ever given a great deal of thought on. I just accepted my short extremities “in stride” so to speak. (pardon the pun) and have spent a small fortune getting clothes adjusted for me over the years.

But on November 22^nd I will have to reach across my center console and open the mail boxes on the opposite side of the Jeep with my 24 inch arms and pray for a miracle.  All this so that my local postman (John) can have the deer season opener off. How on earth did I get conned into this? I have spent 3-4 mornings every week in the post office learning to sort mail for the good people of Mount Nebo. I feel I now know the actual rural mail route and the big day approaches.

Do you think it would be too awful for me to hope for some very contagious disease? Nothing too awful … maybe something like mono? It’s just a thought.  

While I am at it… do your postal carrier a favor. Make sure your address is correct from everyone that you get mail from. They had a big 911 change of address out here and you wouldn’t believe the amount of mail that still comes to the old addresses. Keep in mind that this happened ages and ages ago! It’s sorta like “be kind and rewind”. Practice good karma for your postal carrier! P.S. cookies and other goodies are normally a welcome site too! J

To save money because I am a cheap azz I have decided to build a chicken coop instead of buying one coz they really do cost a fortune. What a freaking racket that is!!!  Any suggestions on what works, doesn’t work and on rodent/predator proofing is greatly welcome!!!

Anyway… enjoy the pic of Zoe while I go outside and rake the leaves and hunt for eggs.

Tut! Tut! Looks like sleet!

November 5, 2010

First sleet of the season and I am not ready! You heard it here first. I am not ready and I’m not afraid to admit it! I received an invitation to go on a Fiji familiarization trip at a steal of a price. I did go to Fiji about two years ago but part of the trip was ruined by Cyclone Gene. It is very tempting to skip out of here right as it is turning cold and run away to the South Pacific for some beach and sun… but it is for November 28^th and that is not enough time to plan. Plus… it is over hunting season and this is my second year and I don’t want to miss it. Excuses, excuses. (I must be loosing my mind!)

I was a bit late getting to the pen to let the chickens out this morning and somebody laid an egg and it wasn’t Jenny’s usual teaspoon size eggs. This one was a regular sized egg. This means that one of the Red Devils is layin’ but nobody claimed it. As a matter of fact… one of the chickens actually pecked it and broke it open! But then again, one of the younger ones may have just been curious about the egg. Could be something more sinister happening… Maybe one of the other hens was jealous and wanted to kill the egg. 

I still have no chicken coop and this weekend is going to be our first cold snap. I am probably over worried about my chickens but they are a bit like pets to me. At least the banties are! This week I did buy an infrared heating lamp for them but that sucker draws a lot of power. I have bought compact fluorescents for most of the house helping it will compensate for the extra energy used. Note to self… would love to get some solar panels one day!

This week also marked another growing up moment for me. Years ago I had a Rolling Stone subscription that I had paid for. It was before I met John. Way back when Kalin and I were roommates. Since then I have not wanted any other magazines other than T3 during the brief time it was in print here in the States.

Sharing a blanket on a chilly night.

Yesterday I ordered two subscriptions. Back Yard Poultry; which makes sense as I’m very into this whole back yard poultry movement. The other magazine was something I remember seeing Tom Littlejohn have; Mother Earth News. He really liked it and I had a very deep respect for him while growing up that has never changed. I’m glad he was a big part of my life even though there were times that I rebelled against it! I miss you Tom and there are many days that I wish I could ask your advice about things.

I don’t want to sound too sad but doesn’t everyone get like this during the changing of the seasons? It is a time to reflect back on the past year and get ready for winter. I am not ready… but I am working on it. Sunday I am going to pick up more wood for the stove which is our primary source of heat. And next week I’m meeting with some friends who are carpenters who will help me with my chicken coop. I’ve got over a month before the official start of winter so no need to panic yet. Then sometime over the next couple of weeks I need to break up the soil for the garden we will have next year. So much to do on this cold, wet fall day. I think I will curl up with Zoe and have a nap!

Black Magic And Chicken Sacrifice

October 27, 2010

Halloween Episode

My cousin who gave me 6 of her 21 Rhode Island Reds has had all of her chickens but one killed over the past couple of weeks. Her theory is a fox climbing over the 6 foot fence, killing the chickens and leaving the bodies behind uneaten.

Pardon the Hart to Hart moment… but when they met, it was myyyrderrrr!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSn9xPnjLps

Tina asked me my thoughts and while I am no Mrs. H, I gave her my best educated theory…

I may be going out on a limb (or perch) but I believe it is the black arts or magic if you will. A predator is using magic to levitate itself up over the 6 ft. fence to practice sacrifice to some evil being then levitating back out.

I like my theory sooooo much better especially since it’s nearly Halloween! It’s much more interesting that the boring old fox climbing over a fence.

But then I had to ask myself the question… what could the sacrifice be for? I’m guessing it is to the Great Chicken God, you know the one… he’s the one who brings chickens and deposits flocks of them for the fox to enjoy in neighborhoods and rural settings all around the world!

You see, I knew something like this would happen last night. I knew because a “bad wind” (feel free to giggle here) was blowing. The past few days were so lovely and warm and there was the full moon. Then out of nowhere after 6pm the sky turned dark as midnight with no moon to be seen. The wind picked up and the sky turned dark so fast I got that funny feeling in my tummy and I found myself looking up at the sky to see if I could spot any of those little tails drifting down. (where was I?)

Oh yeah, the ill wind was boding trouble alright… not for my little flock, but for Tina’s.  duhhhh… daaaa…..duhhhhh (“plot thickens” sound effects) So now we have motive; chicken sacrifice. But was it really Mr. Fox? Could the fox be the too obvious bad guy that everyone suspects in the beginning?

I am not ruling anything out but I suggested bringing in the weasel in for questioning. The weasel is one tough cookie to crack, he wouldn’t talk no matter how much they leaned on him and threatened to throw a book at him.

As he was being dragged out of the interrogation room he glanced back one last time and said… “Ever wonder why the raccoon wears a mask, he has something to hide I’m telling you!”

Join us next week when Mystery Chicken Theater Presents: Will Fiona start laying before she is put in the slow cooker?

I'm so EGG-cited!

October 17, 2010

It was the oddest thing. Really. It had me panicked. One of the Red Devils didn’t come home Thursday night. I thought for sure some predator had gotten her. Which then took me down the path of… did that same predator take Edgar?

I walked around the house looking for her and even that night when I let Zoe out for the last time around 10pm she was nowhere to be seen.

I’ve never had a problem with my chickens not wanting to come to the front porch to roost for the night. Even if I am away from the house till late… I know that when I get back home they will be all up on the porch waiting for me to give them their little bed time snack and tuck them to bed. Clearly she is nothing but a “loose hen”.

For the life of me I’ve no idea where she was all night but she showed up Friday morning.

Saturday evening I learned that chickens can fly a lot more than I gave them credit for. In the evening before they go into their pens the chickens like to sit on the stack of wood on the porch. Paul must have really disturbed one of the hens because when I went out to put them to bed Paul said… how are you going to get that one out of the tree?

Oh for crying out loud! One of the white hens was up on a tree branch that was easily 10-15 feet up off the ground! Grrrr I had to take a long pole and hit the branch enough times to force her to fly back to the porch. I had no idea they could fly that high!

Jenny, one of the white hens started laying eggs! She laid her first one yesterday in a planter on the front porch and sure enough… she came back again today and laid another one!

They are teeeeney weeeney! Her first egg fits perfect inside a teaspoon.  

Tomorrow is mine and Paul’s 5 year wedding anniversary and sadly he will be out on the road. However, we’ve had a really nice weekend. Yesterday we went on a hay ride out in the country with people from The Tractor Bar. It was so beautiful and sunny and we took a bottle of wine. What more could you ask for?

I'd like another 105 years :)

If puppies could speak...

October 9, 2010

Right now she is circling my computer chair whining at me. I know what she wants and I’m trying to ignore her but she is becoming more instant. I don’t have any food or treats. Even though she can’t speak I know exactly what she wants.

She wants to sit in my lap to take a nap. How can I deny that? It’s so sweet and when I’m feeling a little lonesome today it’s nice to know someone needs me.

Excuse me while I bend down and pull her up. By the way… she growls at me the whole time I pull her up. She is getting too big for this but she is trying to work around that by laying across one arm. She is very put out by my moving my arm to type and she turns to look up to me just so I can see her displeasure and lays her head back down; this time on the keyboard.

I finally think I have it figured out so I disturb her minimally. I tried to take a couple of pictures on my phone. No comments please about the state of my “desk”. I’m using a fold up table I bought at Walmart for a desk at the moment.

We shouldn’t be inside at all today. It’s amazing outside, a perfect sunny and warm fall day. However Paul isn’t home yet and I can’t stir myself to do much when he’s not here.

I’ve said it now, confessed to all. When he’s not here there is a pattern I fall into. The first few days are busy picking up after the tornado that is Paul. Then I start slowly to retreat. 

The reality is that I just come alive when he’s around. I wouldn’t fade away to nothing if he were gone for a long period of time but there is this weird cycle that I need to break. I’m not sad but more like I’m uninspired. That is something that I will work on in the coming months.

Having said that, I have made a new contact with one of the Chicken Whisperer group. She and her husband are a great inspiration and just looking at what they have accomplished is getting my blood pumping and the ideas flowing.

I’ve been saying that I wanted to get a couple of goats and learn how to make goats cheese. I haven’t the faintest clue about goats or making cheese of any sort. It’s great to be able to learn from others who have paved the way and will hopefully make things just a little bit easier for me and the goats!

She and her husband have a fantastic website which I would love to share:  http://www.backtobasicliving.com/index.html

  

Do you need some Pecker Recker?

I know I hate it when it feels like the girls in the office are constantly pecking at your back. Give ‘em a block of Pecker Recker and have them keep their beaks to themselves! Guaranteed to help with the workplace pecking order!

The other thing I've come across lately is saddles for chickens.  

Did you stop for a moment and create a mental image of a chicken wearing a saddle or apron? If not, I encourage you to do so now.

Take that moment and embrace it.

If you can’t wrap your head around it I’ve got a pic below.

Chicken saddles or hen aprons are used when roosters get too affectionate or rough with his ladies or if a chicken is being pecked on for other reasons.

While I did not know I may one day need either product I am completely rollin’ with it.  

Fergus (my rooster) can be a bit aggressive when he’s in the mood for love but I have not noticed if he pulls out feathers when he’s “on the job”. Ruffled them yes, pulled them out, no.

So far I don’t think he has “jumped” any of the 6 Rhode Island Red hens that I acquired in September. He needs to get over this because I need them to breed next season so that I can have a nice supply of broilers/fryers.

At first the hens clearly didn’t like Fergus. He was the first rooster they have been exposed to and well… they quickly showed him that he was not wanted or needed. (and who hasn’t felt that way at one time or another?) They weren’t mean to him but they did run away. The other two white banties that he was raised with don’t do that. I’m sure he confused by their odd behavior.

If he’s not man enough to do the job I’ll be forced to get someone else who is. Do you think he should show up with some flowers? Or, is it possible that he doesn’t find them attractive?

Anyway, he is safe from the frying pan even if he never takes a shine to the RIR’s. I became very attached to the 3 feather footed bantams that I have. Fergus is content to sit in my lap or on my shoulder and have a nice cuddle. (the pic above was taken August 1st and the one below in September)

I dare say that becoming attached to your food source was probably not the smartest thing I could have done. No need to worry about that with the Red Devils though… they could wind up in the oven and I would be quite happy.

That does mean however that I will need to learn how to process. And when I do I'm sure the Chicken Whisperer will give me some great tips! But that is for another day…

The bottom of the food chain or… it’s a puppy eat kitty world.

September 28, 2010

The goose picked on the puppy and the cat because they were smaller. Lucky who is normally very patient will put the puppy in her place if she gets too close to his bone. Zoe attacks the cat nonstop until the cat swats at her and then she will still bark and bark at the cat. Zoe will chase the chickens because they are smaller. (and I dare say a lot of fun with all those feathers flying about and the squawking!) The cat attacks mice & moles.

It’s a puppy eat kitty world. And some days you feel like you are at the bottom of the food chain.

And in between all of this is the constant picking up of puppy pee, rare puppy poop (she likes to do that outside now) and this afternoon puppy puke, bits of paper, sticks… Honestly, I’ve no idea where she seems to find all the paper to shred but it has saved me from having to run things through a paper shredder.

I am not complaining but I am starting to come face to face with the circle of the food chain. Literally.

Last night Klink let me know that I was missed. He went outside then within a half hour he brought me a present. He actually brought me a full meal if you look at the photo. A balanced diet is very important so along with the “mole steak” he brought me some salad greens. Thank you, Klink!