Peep portrait

Good morning, peeps!

So far no additional pipping.  Full story below.

Blessed Event

I walked into the barn this afternoon to pick up eggs and see what was up, and look what I saw!  Two peeps -- and one is a blond!

I'd known they were a possibility, but thought I had a few more days.  So I quickly mucked out the privacy stall, filled it with clean wood shavings, and put straw in the little dog crate.  Then I grabbed Mama who acted like I was burning her alive.  Stuck her under my arm and scooped up the two babes in my other hand, then thrust them all into their new habitat.

There were three eggs still in the nest.  I know that one was layed this past week, but the other two were the same age as the eggs that hatched, so I put them all into the crate with the others.

No sooner did I put a little jar of chick feed in with them, than Mama started the wonderful, motherly clucking that says "come here, baby, I want to teach you about something good!"  First the dark one came to investigate.

Then the new Blondie peeked out.

She came over while Mama clucked away...

Then started pecking food along with Mom!

I had the other hens and the duck locked out while we got settled in here, but now they are greeting the babies.  I'll get a picture of the isolation room later.  It's about 5x8' framed, with chicken wire all over it and a door that latches.  The crate is turned away from where the "general population" is so that the family can have privacy if they want it.  It's nice because the babies grow up aware of the rest of the flock, and integration is no problem.

Now, do I dare go to the farm store tomorrow and get a couple of Silver Laced Wyandotte chicks to slip under Mama when she's asleep?! 

The end.  Until later!

Garden Walk-Around

The peas I sprouted in the house are pushing up out of the ground!  Take a look -- this is my best pea crop in three years!!!  It's going to be a great spring!

All the daffodils are bursting after our string of 70 degree days.  Wish the blue behind them here was grape hyacinth, but alas it's the evil Creeping Charlie!

Luke joined me for a walk around the yard.  It's my hope to rehabilitate this fence this year, but it may need to wait for another year. The gate no longer closes, the far side leans precariously towards the street. 

We strolled past the perennials, where lots of daffodils and tulips are coming up.

Luke paused for a snack!

White daffodils are not my favorite, but these are quite cheery!

These, I believe, are the Poet's Narcissus that I, uh, borrowed from an abandoned farm down the road.  Looks like they settled in well and will give plenty of first-year blossoms soon.

I am always surprised and delighted when the bleeding hearts reappear.  They're quite small at the moment -- only been up a couple of days -- but they'll cover the tulips in this bed in short order.  Every year I think "plant more bleeding hearts!"  Maybe this year I'll remember!

Oskar enjoyed a fresh marrow bone in the yard while I made my walk-around.  Just look at him smiling!

And look who's still around, now near the gate to the veggie garden!

The mystery digger!  Such clean excavation -- obviously an artist.  Maybe some day we'll figure out just exactly who does this!

Today, thunderstorms.  A quick pause for the garden tour.  But we'll be back soon!

Morning has Broken

 Easter Sunday, 7:34 am

Hens Get to Work!

Every day I remind the hens "people need eggs to eat!  Please get to work!"  And I get home and find a few dirty eggs in the nest that I have to take inside, scrub, and put into our Busy Solitude Farm cartons for your enjoyment.

Then this morning when I went into the barn I saw this:

The nest boxes were full.  Well, in fact they were over full--

See the extra tail behind this hen?  Two on a box!!!

And much to my surprise, when this Ameraucana hen left her nest, what did I find?

 Egglebert hopped up to look, too, and when we peered into the nest box we found---

A neatly packaged half-dozen eggs, all clean and shiny!!!

Egglebert gave them his stamp of approval, and you should, too!