Nesting Box curtains

I finished the nesting box curtains this weekend.  The chicks are 14 weeks old, so I'm not expecting eggs until next month, but I want them to get used to it.  I put fake eggs into each of the boxes.  I had two toy food white eggs and one brown potato that was the exact same size and shape.  It just has eyes and wrinkles.  I hope the chickens don't start laying potatoes because I have enough of those from the garden.  The sign was painted by the girls and the neighbor and I.  The fabric size was a perfect fit in front of the boxes.  I took left over fabric samples from upholstery companies and stapled them up, and they are easily changed for free. 

The chickens are getting prettier and bigger.  The Barred Rocks are showing much more white now and the Isa Brown feathers are a pretty red color.  No flare ups of swollen eyes, but the Isa Brown's combs and wattles are turning redder than the Barred Rocks. 

Salamanders and Swollen eyes

Yesterday morning I went out to feed the cluckers, and Coconut had a swollen eye and her face was all sandy and muddy.  It had rained all night and was still drizzling, so she looked a mess.  I barely noticed the other chickens were going nutso and paying no attention to me, they were all gathered in the corner.  I was chasing Coconut around, trying to grab her when I saw something go flying through the air and the flock chasing it across the run.  Imagine my surprise when I saw they were chasing an alligator!  Quickly coming to my senses I realized it must be a salamander, but it was big, about 6" long!  Finally catching Coconut, I brought her in the house (Husband wasn't pleased) and cleaned her up.  I put some antibiotic eye goop from my sister on both eyes and dosed her with some VetRx. 

When I got home from work her eye seemed better, I could tell where her feathers around her ear lobes were still all gunky but her eye wasn't swollen or red anymore.  I caught her and rubbed more eye gel on her, and she went on her way!  She was acting fine the whole time and Oldest thinks she got bit by the salamander.  I don't think they do that, but she insisted she saw a video about it.  Today she seems to be fine too, I hope it was just a fluke thing! 

I didn't take this picture.  I rely on the DNR to photograph dangerous wildlife for me.  

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12145_12201-32988--,00.html

Compost Bin Stages

I checked on the status of my Worm Factory Bins this week, and found none of them ready, but was surprised to see they're all in such different stages. 

The bottom right is the most composted, and the top left is still being added to.   I started emptying my vacuum canister into the compost, and I was surprised to find some sequins, crayon pieces, and lots of hair in the trays.  I thought hair was supposed to be good for compost, but I guess when it's over 20" long it takes a while to break down.  I fed some of the worms to the chickens, but they didn't get too excited.   I don't think they like eating such uncivilized food. 
The compost area in the chicken run is coming along very nicely.  It doesn't smell and the chickens scratch in it all day.  I have been raking it every 3 days or so and piling up what they scatter.  Before we go on vacation I am planning on emptying the most "done" worm bin on top to give them something else to peck at.   They will love sequins. 

Chicken Centric

It's the first day of fall and my garden is winding down.  My chickens are 12 weeks old this week and they have been making lots of big chicken noises and been going outside every night.  They stay much closer to home than the other roosters did.  They wait for me in the garage until I come out and then they stay right by me.   The bad thing about that is there's lots of chicken poop in my garage. 

My shirt says "Dutch."  Not a different word. 

Rosemary is the calmest one.  She stays right by me and lets the girls pet her. 

My manicure lasted 18 days.  Don't let me get a manicure again.  They're so frivolous. 

The final sunflower surviving before they were fed to the chicks. 

Garlic, good for more than repelling vampires.

Yesterday we planted 31 cloves of garlic.  Or as Youngest would count them, twenty eleven.  After we planted them we covered the bulbs with Papa's Poop Organic Fertilizer and straw. 

Last night it rained buckets along with thunderstorms.  The straw got padded down nice and flat, along with the sunflowers.  Speaking of sunflowers, everyone should know that they're chickens favorite.   Along with compost piles. 

 Also, SEEDS!  I harvested Calendula seeds!   It was really fun and easier than expected. 

Baking Day

Yesterday was my day off, it rained all day, I had no commitments or wedding planning to do, and I didn't change my pajamas.  Perfect day for some cooking.   I like to cook, and I LOVE to eat, but I'm not someone who goes off inventing her own things.  I need a recipe.  Yesterday I cooked a spaghetti squash from the garden from lunch with homemade alfredo sauce.   I used too much milk in the sauce and scaled it when I was scooping out the innards of the squash for the chickens, but it still tasted okay.  Edible. 

While the squash was cooking for an hour, I prepped dough for English Muffins.  This is the second time I've made them and they are really yummy.   Oldest requests them often.  I made 25, but only got 14 in the freezer.  The others were enjoyed yesterday and saved for school lunches today.  I always feel so cool when I make them, they are fairly easy and look so fancy and real! 

It was a productive Sunday and made my house feel cozy and smell good. I learned two important things however:  
Chickens LOVE Spaghetti Squash
Chickens will poop all over your garage if you let them out when it rains.  I mean EVERYWHERE. 

Supervised Free Range

Tonight after dinner I let the Cluckers out for the first time.  I was planning on working in the yard and garden, so I thought I would be around to watch them.  They are 9 weeks old this week and really enjoyed chasing crickets.  They got into my garden and tried to get at my tomatoes, and wandered around the front and side yards.  They are such good chickens.  I had to come inside to get Youngest cleaned up and the neighbor ran over to tell me her dog got loose and was chasing the chickens, she couldn't catch her.  I came out to lots of squawking and barking but we finally got the dog cornered and no harm was done.  Peanut was cornered in the garage, but she seemed to be okay too.  By 8:30, all 6 chickens were back in their coop and settled in for the night.  They have started using the higher roosting pole, probably because they're so big now.

In garden news, my sunflowers have all bloomed, my triticale and hairy vetch is sprouting, along with my fall carrots and lettuce.  I left my mini-homestead for 3 days last week for my sister's wedding, and everything survived.  I didn't water, and relied on Oldest to fill the chicks food and water.  I got my first manicure of my life, and so far it's going on 6 days and looks pretty good.  I haven't dug in the dirt much with it though.

Their first taste of freedom

We enticed them to leave the coop with tomatoes and beans

Please ignore the poorly landscaped stairs.  They're a work in process