greenclogs

RIP Doris

Our sweet Doris died an unexpected and mysterious death late last week. She was our favorite chicken - sweet and friendly and a daily layer of beautiful blue eggs. We miss hr greatly, even if she was "just" a chicken. We hope she's finding all sorts of great things to eat in the great chicken yard in the sky.

 

compassion

Yesterday afternoon, one of our girls woke up from a nap and couldn't get up. Over the course of the day she kept trying to get up and eat, but her little legs wouldn't hold her. While the others were out playing in the sun, we moved her to a separate box and heating pad, and tried nursing her back to health. It was clear last night that she wasn't going to make it. Gunnar went into the craft room and came out with some small fabric squares and wool batting. 

"Mom, can you please help me make a pillow for her? I cut out the fabric, I just need to sew it." Together, we stitched up a pillow that he brought to her with a tiny sheet and blanket. 

Sadly, the wee one didn't make it and the mommy and daddy were out last night in the dark, digging a hole in the flowerbed for her along with her pillow and blankets, per Gunnar's request. 

While we know from past experience that mortality is a part of chick raising, we're finding that the loss of an innocent little life doesn't get easier. I don't know that I want it to be easier. I love that my 11 year old will take the time to make a chick comfortable in her last hours and that he will grieve for her. I love that my kids told me this morning that she is buried in their hearts. I hope that they always carry forward their compassion and move through the world with grace and concern for others. I'll take the tears that are shed, and the pain that we all feel at these losses, so that we always remember that every life matters. Even the life of a little sickly chick. 

a new leaf

A leaf hat, that is. There are two of them. One for our peanut and one for a friend. The yarn is Sundara sport merino in grass over lime, which is a sadly discontinued yarn. I'm using up the last of mine on these hats and some baby legwarmers. 

I'm going to participate in NaBloPoMo again this year, in order to try and get my blogging mojo back. You know how it is to not blog, and get in the habit of not blogging? Yeah. That. It needs to stop, because I miss being here.

In other news, we've added on to our little chicken flock. We lost a bird over the summer, so we are down to three, which doesn't provide enough eggs to our egg-loving family. Especially when one of them (ahem, Daisy. I'm talking about you) decides to not lay for a while. So, these girls arrived in the mail on Friday. 

arrival day

Today out in the grass for the first time. I'm amazed at how much they've grown in 2 days. We ordered Welsummers and Barnevelders, both of which are heritage breeds that lay dark brown eggs. We are keeping four of the chicks, and our neighbors are taking the others that we ordered to meet the minimum. Right now, one of the girls is feeling under the weather, so we're keeping a close eye on her and hoping she pulls through. Be prepared for plenty of chick photos this month. 

I have lots more to tell, but with a post a day coming up, I'd better save some for tomorrow. Happy November!

view from my kitchen windows

ahem. my very dirty kitchen windows. Here's Bailey, waiting to be invited in for some iced tea. She waited for a long time without any luck. The iced tea is mine. 

Annika on chicken duty, which apparently includes carrying a chicken around. That cobra snakey "personal mister" has made our chickens so much happier. Too bad we didn't get it sooner - we'd probably still have poor Vera. It keeps the whole area around the coop cool, and the crappy threading means that it leaks at the joint, making a nice pool of water for them to soak their feet in. Much better. 

So much affection. I really need to move that tub and the pool toy. Yikes. 

All three girls are laying eggs most days - we nearly always get two and sometimes we get three. We need to bump our flock to six girls to have the production we want. Also, it'll be way better once it cools off. Heat stress is not good for laying. 

In other news, I have been sewing. I made a dress that I should probably photograph. It's the third in my Trapeze Dress series (none of which have been shown - shame on me). The pattern is from Weekend Sewing and I highly recommend it if you live in a hot climate where you don't want things like waistbands touching you. It's easy to make, other than the very fiddly bodice facing attachment, and a quick project. 

School starts next week for Gunnar, which we are not ready for at all. Lindsay moves into her apartment in Tucson this weekend, which we are more ready for. She's taking her bedroom furniture and really moving out, unlike dorm living, which is kind of strange. Now we have to decide what to do with that room. I'm thinking sleeper couch because I really don't want to buy another bed. We're seeing music room/library/guest room. Thoughts? Am I being cruel in taking over her bedroom? She's only here for about 3 weeks a year anymore, so I think it's a waste of space. How did you feel when your parents did something else with your room? 

Okay. I think I'm really back now. Off to clean the studio so I can produce pretty things in a room that makes sense. Happy Wednesday!

chicken chronicles

We're in week 17 of chicken ownership, and I have to say that it's going just swimmingly. They're happy and healthy and funny as heck. And, since most birds start laying between 18 and 20 weeks old, eggs could be imminent. In fact, I'm fairly certain they're going to start laying next weekend - right after I leave for my long summer vacation. 

Sarah was asking for a photo update, so here are the girls as they near womanhood. 

We think Daisy must be a few days older than Bailey. Either that, or she's maturing early, poor thing (maturing early is so difficult for a girl). But she's definitely a girl. Whew!

Doris is developing a very stately look. But you should see her when she drops that veneer of gentility and chest bumps the other girls in the coop. Goodness!

Unfortunately for the girls, they were not smart enough to open the gate and head in for a dip. Besides, there is a strict "wear a suit" policy in the pool, and they didn't bring theirs along. 

Still longing for the pool. Except Bailey - she found a bug. 

Like most girls, they love the flowers. I think I've found my new lantana control solution. 

Don't ask. I didn't. (and the coop is getting a paint job this weekend. for reals.)

We're so proud of the fine young hens our little chicks are becoming. Now bring on the eggs. 

cooping it up

Okay, that was a long weekend. When we weren't taking care of fun social obligations, we were all about getting the coop done. The girls are currently living in Lindsay's room, which I'm sure she would not appreciate when she comes home this weekend. Not at all. So, the big push took us to here on Saturday morning. 

Lifting the assembled house up on those legs took 3 of us to do. We designed it so that it's easily broken down into 3 pieces, plus the run (you know, for when we finally get that farm Annika is planning). 

By Sunday at noon we had gotten to here.

 

I know that doesn't look like a lot of progress, but drilling holes in that metal framing took a LONG time. 1/4" thick steel + inadequate drill bit = lack of progress. However, we still did make a lot of headway. 

Yesterday morning, I wised up and got a good drill bit, since the bad one broke. While Jeff was at work, Gunnar and I did this.

The run is now fully enclosed and butted up next to the house. It's secure enough for the girls to go out and play all day (with dogs under heavy supervision), but isn't quite dog proof yet. It needs an access door under the house where we're going to hang the feeder, and then it should be a chicken fortress. Once that's done, we'll throw a piece of bacon in there and see if they can find a way in to get it. After a successful bacon test, the girls will be outside. The roof pieces need to be better secured and covered with roofing material, and the house needs a paint job, but it will be habitable before then. Besides, I'm so loving the stenciled words on the run roof that I am sad about covering it up. I'll enjoy it in raw form while I can. 

More photos and a full tour will come after roof and paint are complete, but that's your chicken update for today. This afternoon, I will sew. And go to the post office. And sew some more while kids play (hooray for spring break and a house full of kids!).

One more look at the happy and rapidly growing girls. I can't believe they're this big after only a month. Backyard eggs, here we come. 

chicken update

I disappeared for the last few days - sorry about that. We went to Tucson on Friday to see Lindsay and explore a bit and I forgot my camera. So much good stuff. No photos. I was bummed. 

We spent much of the weekend working on the chicken coop and playing with the chickens. They're getting bigger so fast - both the coop and the chickens. 

One side of the coop is on its side for measurement. The other side now has hardware cloth over the side windows and window trim (cut on the compound miter saw by Annika). The metal frame in the front is the run framework. The box will be raised 18" off the ground, and the run will fit into it so they can use the area under the house as run space as well. Hardware cloth will cover the entire run area so that the chickens are protected from the dogs (clearly very necessary for now). There will be a slanted roof over the hen house and the run will be roofed as well. It should provide plenty of space for our babies. 

Here are the babies, outside for their afternoon recess in the kids' playhouse. The kids take them out and play with them every day, which they all love - both chicks and kids. 

They've gotten so big! Doris and Vera are the larger chicks. They're both Ameraucanas. The smaller two are Daisy and Bailey, the replacement Buff Orpingtons. We have our phone calls out for two more chicks - probably Rhode Island Reds or Barnevelders if we can find them. These girls will be ready to go outside in another 2 weeks if the weather holds and the coop will be ready to go by then. I think they'll be very happy in their new space. 

yellow week - day one

For Erin's yellow week

lemons (I'm sorry, you expected anything else from me?)

squeezed for lemonade

for the lemonade stand (oops - the lemande stand)

served by the well-dressed little lady. Want some?

We also must interrupt yellow week to let you know that chicken disaster struck at the Jackson chicken house. Extra children + lemonade stand excitement = craft room doors left partially cracked and unattended = dog finally getting to "love" the chickens. The sweet yellow babies met an untimely demise due to squashing. The bigger ones flew to an escape and are just fine, but scared. Children are devastated. Mom is spent. Dog is contrite due to everyone she loves screaming at her. New yellow chicks come home with us. Chicks are moved to safer, but less warm location (warm being the reason for the original location). Children warm up to new yellow chicks. Other chicks assume that they are the same yellow chicks, since they are not very smart. Boy swears off ever eating chicken again.  

Rest in peace, Hazel and Mabel. You were loved in your sweet brief lives. Welcome to Daisy and Bailey. We're glad you look just like the other two, even though it doesn't erase the pain.

And I made it until now without crying. Sigh. Onward and upward tomorrow, friends, but tonight we raise a beer to Hazel and Mabel and we mourn.