Winter

Winter

Monday, January 13, 2014

Monday, Monday!!

First thank you for all of your lovely comments. They give me such joy and comfort. I was walking through my dirty house on my way to write this post and that old song was going through my head, Monday, Monday. It was by the Mama's and the Papa's Here is a link for them in 1966 I was eight years old, so I don't think I listened to that stuff then. This weekend was a nice weekend.

Man, I am just blast from the past today on this blog post. When I was a kid, my favorite movies and shows were  ones with dogs or horses. My  favorite of all time was Disney"s "The Horse in The Gray Flannel Suit." My dream was that someday I would have white split rail fences around my property and a stable to clean and muck out. It wasn't until I watched that movie again  I was reminded of the fencing. Even the house looks kind of like ours. I was cleaning my hen house and putting in new shavings and I thought, " Wow, I am living that long ago dream of having a barn to muck out. It made me happy. For one thing to be married to a man who has given me my dreams. Okay, enough mush

. Here are my chickens. I have two flocks. The bantams and the big hens. The roosters only like the Silkies and are down right rude and ill mannered to my big girls. I am getting a bit fed up with the roosters. I don't do well with favoritism. The little white Silkie hens really flaunt it too. So about half the time I wonder why I thought they were so cute. 


Then the big hens who are over in the shade where it is cold because the roosters think they need to be segregated.  Did you know that happens? It happens in my hen house. It drives me nuts. You would think that all chickens are the same because they are chickens. Not according to the roosters. Big hens belong  on one place and Silkies in another. If the rooster finds a tid bit and does his call of good, good, good, and a big hen runs over, that rooster will have a mean look cross his face and he will power peck her in the face and then make the call again for a Silkie and the big hen walks off dejected.



  I have been trying to improve the big hens self esteem by giving them extra treats. Well except for my Silkie hen who I named Barbara Streisand. Barbara for short. That hen looks just like Miss Streisand. Same nose/beak. The roosters hate her for some reason. So she gets special treats too. 


It was a plowing day this weekend. This will be the future garden. A bit bigger than last year but not as big as the year before. I am starting to think of seeds I want to start soon. One of the places I buy seeds from had sugar beet seeds this year so I hope to put in quite a big plot of sugar beets.


Ron had just started disking on the pasture when I  took this. In previous years we have had enough rain for this to be nice and brown and damp looking. Not this year, there is no moisture to speak of  I don't remember it ever being this dry. Going into the third year of drought is worrisome. Water is always precious out here but it is going to be more so I think. 


This was this morning, with a touch of frost. My path is all nice and smooth. I walked on it yesterday morning and because it was all nice and smooth I couldn't believe what a freeway it must be in the night. It was filled with all kinds of animal tracks. Skunks, foxes, cats, and I thought possum. Oh not to mention bird and mouse. Lots of things going on out here at night.

 On my way back into the house I stopped by my chickens. This weekend I had a hen, I thought would be dead this morning. She was having labored breathing and couldn't stand like she was paralyzed. I went out last night to see if she was able to make it in the hen house. There she was sitting on the roost pretty as you please. When I walked out there this morning she was up looking all bright eyed and bushy tailed. Pecking around like she was starving and no paralysis. No labored breathing and her eyes were interested in her surroundings. So I was so relieved.


Time to get the day underway, get that vacuum going. I hope you have a wonderful week. I hope you have a bit of warm up instead of more cold. 

Monday, Monday,
~Kim~

22 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

i'd have to 'farm' out those roosters, stat. :)

M.E. Masterson said...

I so love chickens and cannot wait to have some here. But it will be a bit before that happens yet. And yes I think chickens are cute! And their behaviors are fun to watch.....especially if you get a "card" for a rooster! Have a great day and by the by the garden spot looks fabulous!!

Pom Pom said...

I agree with TexWis. I'd find another home for those shallow roosters! Lol!
Everything is looking very pretty, Kim!

Jacque. said...

First of all, I would never have chickens. Second of all, if I did have chickens, I think I would spend a lot of time watching them...their behavior, the 'pecking' order, their moods, etc.

Debbie said...

First of all I LOVED that song...now it's in my head, haha. And I LOVE your chicken stories, Yes, I too would quite annoyed with those roosters...shallow little things! Garden spot looks good. Enjoy your MONDAY MONDAY!

Mary Ann said...

Kim, I'm way behind with reading. Bet that hen had an egg stuck! I bet it finally passed and she is fine again, thank heavens.

Empty Nester said...

I don't like favoritism either. Even when it's in the animal kingdom.It makes me feel bad for those who are being shunned. I just love these posts about your farm. What a lovely life you have!

Susan Kane said...

Saucy fowl! Such segregation, even in their world!!

Miss Debbie said...

Glad the hen is better. Hope you get some rain. I know it will be hard having a garden without rain. We had an abundance of rain last year. Wondering what this summer will be like.

Nancy said...

I love it when you give the low down on all your chickens....I am learning so much about poultry....I love it that your childhood dreams have come true....What a blessing.....

Nellie said...

The earth looks wonderful there! We are quite annoyed with the red clay here.:-) So sorry that the roosters are playing favorites. We have had rain here from about mid-morning and are already above our normal January rainfall with the month not half over!

Julia said...

Those roosters seems to be more trouble for the poor hens. The hens work so hard laying those eggs. It must hurt passing large eggs. It's a good thing that you keep an eye on them.

I hate the pecking order with calves and cows too. The bossy one push the shy one aside and eat their grain if I let them. I watch them like hawk and everyone get their fair shares while I'm around.

I wonder if you could find some straw to conserve water in your garden. I used to have straw mulch to keep moisture and weeds down once the soil had warmed up. I would lay straw right up to plants and it kept the garden clean also. I might have to use that method again. My daughter uses old carpets with jute backing to lay in her vegetable garden. It create a clean path to walk on also.

Hugs,
JB

Meg said...

I love how the pasture looks when it's freshly plowed. Your girls look so pretty and happy. I bet they are loving their new digs. :)

camp and cottage living said...

Male chauvinist roosters! Off with their heads-ha!
I always learn the most interesting things about chickens here.
I may decide I don't want them after all...

Three Sheep Studio said...

You have a beautiful spread Kim. It seems your chickens and roosters are quite entertaining. We have a neighbor that has several. We love to watch their different personalities !
Rose

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

The size of your garden always amazes me. Have you seen the beets that look like candy canes. When you cut them open they are white and red striped. The more I read about the pecking order of hens the sadder it gets. I know it is how nature intended it all to be but like you I would feel sad. I had to laugh about your silkie named Barbra,,,,,too funny. Have a great day!

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

I'm curious ... how are sugar beets different than regular beets? I'm not a fan of beets, so I'm clueless when it comes to beets. ;-) It would make me crazy to see favoritism amongst my animals ... I'm glad you take care of those who are "bullied".

Christine said...

I am sure another year of drought is a big problem.
Glad your hen has made a recovery though!

cards4ubylouise and other treasures said...

When we lived up in Northern WI we had a little mini farm. Cows, chickens, ducks and rabbits, dogs and cats. I would sit for hours watching my animals, you can learn alot about humans by watching the animals.

I had Aracana chickens. (small eggs) But those darn roosters really ruled the roost for sure. And such pround birds. They would jump on those poor hens and peck the back of their heads till the feathers were gone....geez they were mean. Just like a man...hahahahah....loved playing with the ducks, they were so entertaining too. I really missed that life style, wish we had stayed longer. Husband was itching to do something different so we left for greener pastures???

cards4ubylouise and other treasures said...

*** Proud birds

Debbie said...

it's so pretty in your neck of the woods kim!!

and they are cute but no one likes a bully!!

you need to do a rain dance ;)

GretchenJoanna said...

I think we only had one rooster ever that we thought was a really good one in every way, and he was killed by a varmint.