Chicks No More!

    I realized that I haven't updated about the chicks lately. Well, they're hardly chicks anymore! They have grown so much - it's amazing. The Easter Eggers are just beautiful. There is one that is a blue color with red on the wings, and Speckles is now speckled almost all over. The others are very pretty, also. The Buffs in particular are feathering out nicely, and are so rich in color and soft looking. We did lose one of the Black Australorps, unfortunately. I won't go into detail here, but he/she had to be put down. It was the first time I've had to make the decision that it would be best to put down an animal. It wasn't easy, but I am confident that we did the right thing. Death is something that has to be dealt with when you homestead.
    The other eleven chicks are thriving! They quickly outgrew their box in the bathroom, and have now outgrown their above-ground hutch, their fan, and their heat lamp. We are in the process of building them a portable ground coop. It is an A-frame structure designed to be moved every week or two in order to give them fresh grass and bugs. All that is left for it is to attach wire, tin, and a door. Once they outgrow it, they will be moved to the adult layer's pen. The A-frame will be used later on as a brooder for meat birds. Once the construction is complete and the chicks are moved, I will post pictures! 
    In the mean time, enjoy a few pictures from the Tennessee State Fair! Would you believe we spent four hours there?

-Rach in Wonderland

Picture Time!

The bowl obviously doesn't fit, but hey, I was making do with what I had. 

Hello, September!

    As some of you may know, I celebrated my birthday September 3rd. My birthday is a welcome day for me, not just because it's my birthday, but because it also signals the end of Summer. How fitting for me, the lover of all things Autumn, to be born at the beginning of my favorite season! The air has held a slight chill during the evenings and mornings, and even on a few rainy days lately. The skies have been overcast more often. The temperature and humidity have markedly dropped. The first leaves have also started to turn, as well as soybeans and cotton. It's glorious! 
    Another thing that my birthday comes along with the beginning of is school. Children - both home schooled as I was and the public and private school attenders - are once again turning their minds to their studies. "In fourteen hundred-ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." College kids like myself have also begun the semester. My classes keep me fairly busy, even though one was canceled too late for me to find a replacement for it (Summer classes are in my future...oh, great!). I live in fear this time of year that some emergency on my "farm" will make me miss one of my once-a-week night classes. It's not as big of a problem for the classes that meet more often and longer, but if I missed one of the seven week classes, I could fail if my professor was unforgiving. Here's hoping none of the goats choose one of those nights to kid! Yikes! I should probably rethink seven week courses the next time I have does due to kid, but I do love only have seven - albeit very long - classes. 
    In other news, no one has kidded yet. Clara has been developing an udder for a while now, so I am thinking that she will be going first. Pictures will be posted within 24 hours of any births! I can't wait. I also received a metal milking stand for my birthday - pictures will be posted soon. IT is so helpful with things like trimming hooves! Yesterday my mother and I shucked, blanched, creamed, and froze 5 and 1/2 dozen ears of corn straight from Wisconsin. The ears were beautiful and delicious, and not a single one was skippy! I hope we have an opportunity to buy some Wisconsin corn next year. The South may be known for farming, but I have to admit that the North has us beat as far as Sweet Corn goes. There is one more bit of exciting news. I also received a new buckling for my birthday! I was planning on bringing home an adult, but I fell in love with "Trouble's" dam, and Trouble himself. Introducing Chinook Winds Wild America (name pending). 

    The pictures below are of my birthday dinner and the corn. On my birthday, my grandparents, parents, Sarah, and I had Indian food for the first time. It was SO delicious! Afterwards, we had ice cream cake at my grandmother's.

 -Rach in Wonderland

Boat for Sale

    My dad has decided to sell his fishing boat and motor. It ran great the last time we took it for a spin, but Dad is going to get the motor in a barrel of water just to be sure it's still working prior to sale. He just doesn't use it enough to warrant keeping it - he hasn't used it at all this Summer. I don't know much about it, but email me at themuffinwoman@aol.com and I can give you his number and you can contact him to ask questions. I will try to get better pictures soon! 


    John Boat, Trailer, and Motor - $1,500. 

- Rach in Wonderland

Is it Fall yet?

    I am so sick of summer. I know that sounds horribly pessimistic, but it's true. Granted, when the winter months start getting old, and classes start back and get into full swing, I will probably miss these almost-care free summer days. But I just don't think I take any more of this sweltering heat, and this humidity that you could cut with a butter knife! It's no doubt that summer has it's perks - no freezing water, no college classes, gardens grow, fruit is in season. However, it has a down side for nearly every upside. Standing still sweat pours off my face, animals - like my currently-indoor-but-is-supposed-to-be-outdoor bunny - are at danger of heat stroke, people are at danger of heat stroke, water must be changed more frequently. Not to mention the fact that, with heat indexes up to 120, it's almost impossible to get anything done outside without fearing for your well being. I have a list of outdoor chores that just keeps getting longer, but every time I try to start on them the heat sucks all of the energy right out of me. The heat wouldn't be so bad, really, if it weren't so darn humid. Either way, though, I've got weeds to chop (which, let's face it, won't be), goat blood to draw (tried this once, but couldn't get the hair shaved, which prevented us from being able to see the vein. I'm investing in some battery powered clippers and we're giving it another go this weekend.), shots to give (CD&T), fences to improve, a coop to improve, barns to clean out, and wood to burn. Oh, how I do not want to burn that wood right now - in fact, it will probably be piled up there for a good while. I'll just call it an emergency heat source. Yeah, that's it...emergency heat source. That's a perfectly logical explanation for a pile of scrap barn wood! 
    Honestly, though, I don't feel like doing much of anything outdoors right now. This is the hottest summer that I can remember. Last year was extremely wet, and we only had a few weeks of hellish temperatures. I griped about the rain and it's undoing of our garden last year, but I think I'd like it back now. I am sincerely hoping that neither Clara nor Rumor kid this month. They *could* kid any time between the 14th of this month and November, but my personal guess is September. I don't think I will intentionally breed does who even could be due in this weather again, though. You live and learn, and then get Luvs. Ah, wait, that's only if you have human kids... 
    The good news, though, is that fall is on the horizon! I noticed today that some of the corn crops are already turning. It excited me more than a little. The first sign of fall is here! Soon the leaves will turn, and grass will die, and that beautiful autumn smell will be swirling outside with leaves...I can almost feel the crispness now. Autumn is my favorite time of year, and always has been. I love different things about all the seasons (though I can't remember what it was I liked about summer right now...), but there is just something special about fall. One of my favorite sensations is walking outside on a cool October day, seeing the earth painted in reds, oranges, yellows, and browns, and smelling that smell that only comes on autumn winds. Oh, and the pumpkins! Pumpkins, Indian Corn, corn mazes, candy corn, piles of leaves, apples pies! Halloween, Thanksgiving! I cannot wait! 
    Oops, I'm getting away from myself. I had another reason for posting, other than just to complain about summer and pine after fall! While at Tractor Supply last Friday, Mom and I picked up some chicks. Don't worry, I mean the little fuzz ball kind with wings! We got two White Leghorn sexed chicks (pullets), five Easter Eggers, two Black Australorps, and three Buff Orpingtons. I am hoping that we will have more pullets than cockerels out of the straight-run bunch, especially from the Orpingtons and Easter Eggers. However, any extra roos won't be that big of a deal; they will be sold or sent to freezer camp. I'm actually hoping for maybe one rooster to send to freezer camp. I'm anxious to try homegrown chicken, and to get the daunting task of our first home butcher out of the way. Everyone I have talked to who raises their own meat have said that the first time is the hardest, but after that you realize that it's better tasting, better for you, and that the animal had a better life than the chickens/whatever in the store. 
    Anyways, I only have a couple decent chick pictures. They moved around so much while I was trying to take them that I'm surprised I even got one! I keep meaning to take more now that they're a lot less fuzzy and more feathery, but I haven't gotten around to it. I'll stick the decent pictures I have at the bottom. 
    As for the adult chickens, well, they're spoiled. Yes, I have already managed to spoil my feathered egg laying friends. Every time I come to the barn, they walk up to their fence and watch me, waiting to see if I have more watermelon, cantaloupe, bananas, or what have you. It's really kind of adorable. They also have given us two eggs yesterday and the day before! They hadn't been laying so well because of the heat, despite adequate shade and fresh water. I can't say that I blame them. I still hope they will have layed two more when I go out tonight! There were none as of my mid-day check. Dad ate the first homegrown egg last night, which I attempted to fry for him. It ended up half fried and half scrambled, but he said the taste was far better than any store bought eggs! He said it must be all the bugs they eat. ;)  I could tell how much darker the yolk was, too. I haven't had a chance to taste one for myself yet. 
    Well, that's enough rambling. "See" you later!

-Rach in Wonderland

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words.

The girls out grazing. 

Rhode Island Red hen, though I can't tell which one. They're all doing well. 

Clara Bow's rear view. I'm betting there's babies in there! 

Look how green the grass is! 

The okra is coming up very well. 

I sure hope those are baby bumps, Brownie! 

Lakota has GROWN.   

Ariel wanted attention. 

So did Rumor. Look at those sweet faces! 

-Rach in Wonderland

We now have chickens!

    I am extremely pleased to tell you all that Wonderland now has chickens! I feel like a "real" homesteader now. Obviously I haven't quite reached that point yet, but I'm getting closer every day. I'm not sure what exactly officially makes me a complete homesteader - maybe when at least 50% of my and my families food is homegrown? - but there's no doubt that having the chickens has brought me one step closer. We even got our first egg yesterday!
    Anyways, enough about me. I want to tell you about the chickens! We now have four standard Rhode Island Red hens and one rooster. We did have five hens, but - unfortunately - we lost one to heat stroke. We almost lost another, but thank goodness I was able to save her by bringing her inside and giving her water with a syringe. She was so weak she couldn't stand when I brought her inside, despite being sopping wet from Mom trying to cool her with the hose. I inadvertently named her "Miss Chicken" because that's what I kept calling her, due to her lack of a name. It was hard losing the one, especially so soon after we got them, but saving Miss Chick helped to ease that a bit. We've already put blood, sweat, and tears into the chickens - literally. That's how homesteading (or owning animals at all) can be sometimes, though. I read a quote yesterday that I think really applies to homesteading, particularly with livestock - "Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer great sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract their grief and heals them." - Leo Tolstoy. In any case, I have learned that chickens are very susceptible to heat. I was very relieved when I found online that death from heat is a common problem, and sometimes no matter what precautions you have in place, they will still die. I now know what to watch for, and how to help prevent heat stroke in my birds. 
    Rhode Island Reds, or RIRs, are a very popular brown egg laying breed. They weren't actually the breed I was looking for originally, but I'm very pleased with these calm, beautiful birds. Watching them hunt for bugs is a real hoot, and even the rooster is gentle. He has yet to threaten to use his spurs. I'll admit I was a bit afraid of him at first, but he's proven himself to be a fine roo. The breed was developed in Rhode Island, as the name implies. McMurray hatchery has this to say about the breed -

 "This is one of the most famous and all time popular breeds of truly American chickens. Developed in the early part of this century in the state of the same name, they have maintained their reputation as a dual purpose fowl through the years. Outstanding for production qualities, they have led the contests for brown egg layers time after time. No other heavy breed lays more or better eggs than the Rhode Island Reds."

     I do still hope to add Light Brahmas and Silver Spangled Hamburgs next year, but for now I'm content with my RIRs. I am going to add a few more hens, however, to keep my hen-to-roo ration at a decent number. I don't want my rooster overworking my girls, and causing them to lose feathers and such. They may be more RIRs, or I might end up just finding some mixed breed hens, or maybe Easter Eggers if can find any. I think a few EEs would be fun to have around, for those funky eggs. =] 
   I'm feeding them Purina's Layena Sun Fresh laying crumbles. I trust Purina brand and use it for almost everything, and I also like the fact that this mix is "natural" and contains no animal proteins. Obviously chickens are omnivores and eat bugs, but I do not trust a feed that contains animal fats and proteins for livestock such as cows, goats, chickens, horses, etc. I do not want my animals to be fed brain matter or animals of the same species as them. It's my personal belief that eating brain is wrong, morally and health wise. I feel that eating something's brain is eating it's "essence" so to speak. Living beings personalities come from the brain, and while I know that once something is dead it is no longer inside of it's brain, I still feel it is disrespectful and wrong to eat somethings brain. That is like eating the being rather than just it's body, if that makes sense. I also believe that eating brain matter can lead to diseases such as mad cow. (Read this interesting article - http://www.mad-cow.org/~tom/victim23.html ) I also feel that cannibalism is wrong, even though in the wild animals are sometimes cannibalistic. This isn't the wild, and they don't have to be cannibalistic to survive, so I will not allow them to be cannibalistic by choice.
    Okay, I have obviously been going down bunny trails. Sorry about that. Long story short, I am extremely excited and happy to finally have chickens. I just love them. One of these days I hope to have enough chickens to be able to sell eggs and maybe even chicks. 
    My camera has finally been returned to me repaired, so I can finally give you some decent pictures! 

Miss Chicken. I can tell my hens - Miss Chick, Chloe, Petunia, and Rose - apart by their combs.

They really loved the watermelon. =)

The first egg!

There will be more pictures soon.

-Rach in Wonderland