Our Country Chronicles

Chicken Wisdom. . .

2013-05-21T10:58:00.000-04:00

All I Need To Know In Life, I Learned From My Hens

Wake up early, stay busy, rest when you need to, but always stay alert.

Visit your favorite places each day.

Scratch out a living.

Routine is good.

Plump is good.

Don't ponder your purpose in life - your brain is too small.

Accept the pecking order and know your enemies.

Weed your garden.

Protect your children fiercely - sit on them if you need to.

Take them for walks, show them the little things and talk constantly.

Make a nice nest. Share it with friends.

Brag on your accomplishments.

Don't count your chicks before they hatch.

Protect your nest egg.

Test your wings once in awhile.

Squawk when necessary.

As you age, demand respect.

Leave a little something for those who care about you.

Chase butterflies.

Precious Poem By Michaele Oleson

Amazing Artwork by Julene Ewert

Dixie's Reign Of Fame. . .

2013-05-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

I want to thank everyone who left us such nice comments when we were helping and then losing our sweet chicken, Dixie. It meant so much to us. We really do miss her. Daisy has taken Dixie's place at the top of the pecking order, and so far, she runs a VERY tight ship! I think she's a bit "power hungry" at the moment. She gets the girls to bed earlier at night than Dixie ever did, and she has been asserting herself even more than usual over the cats. I'm sure she'll settle down to be a more relaxed leader with a little time.

When I wrote the post about losing her, I had someone leave me this comment:
"Hello! I'm an art student and I just stumbled on your wonderful blog while searching for the source of a reference photo I recently drew of your daughter playing saxophone for some hens. I saw it on a forum somewhere, and it was such a great picture, I had to draw it. I thought you might want to see the drawing, I posted it on my portfolio, www.flamingoboots.com. It's the first post.

Wonderful blog, I'll definitely keep following it :)
Sincerely,
Marianne M"

This is the picture that she saw from the post about Tara being in band:

And this is the picture that Marianne drew of Tara and DIXIE!!

Tara was delighted to be the subject of her work. We think she did a phenomenal job! Thank you Marianne!! We are happy to have join our adventures in the big woods!

Fresh Eggs. . .

2013-05-06T13:05:00.001-04:00

I have been eyeballing this Egg Skelter for some time. I don't put our chickens eggs in the fridge. We eat them often and if they are not washed, the bloom on the outside of the eggs will keep them fresh for up to 12 weeks un-refrigerated We have never gone that long, as we eat our eggs almost every morning for breakfast. What this handy dandy toy does, is keep the eggs in order freshness with the older eggs at the bottom and the newer eggs at the top. If you keep backyard chickens, this is a great thing to have!!

Goodbye Dixie. . .

2013-05-03T18:41:00.001-04:00

You were an amazing pet. We never knew that we could ever fall in love with chickens, but soon after bringing you and your sisters into our home, we did. You had an amazing life for a chicken. You got to go swimming, sledding, and played with the kids so often. You were allowed to free range from dawn until dusk and gave our family so much joy. You had the important job of being at the top of the pecking order and did a good job of eating weeds for me. You rewarded us not only with your love, but also with your wonderful eggs. You were a friend to Tara and Madeline and always made us smile. You will be missed Dixie. We will always love you.

Dixie died yesterday afternoon. I finally found a vet an hour away that would see a chicken. In my heart, I knew that I was taking her to him to be put to sleep. She was no longer eating and barely drinking. She was such a sweet amazing patient. She always made the sweetest cooing noises whenever we were in eye shot of her. She really loved when when the girls would sit and pet her while she was sick. Dixie had a very large blockage in her crop and also in her abdominal region. She is out of pain and I feel blessed that God allowed us to look after this precious chicken all of her life. She was pampered and very loved. Tara and Madeline took the news very, very well. They had been preparing for that moment as they saw her getting weaker and weaker. They are both happy that Dixie is no longer suffering. We were very sad when she was suffering, but now that her suffering has ended, we are at peace. We hope that one day we'll see all the pets that we loved and cared for again in heaven. So today, we are so happy to have all the wonderful memories that Dixie gave us.

A Girl With Her Sick Chicken. . .

2013-05-01T18:46:00.001-04:00

Last night, the girls brought Dixie outside to spend some time with her in the fresh air. Last night, It was really difficult for Tara and Madeline to go to bed. They were both crying and not wanting to leave Dixie's side (afraid that she might die in the night). They love their pets so much. I think these photos speak for themselves.

Dixie is not really showing any improvement. We are so very sad. I just pray that God heal her, or take her soon so she doesn't suffer. Poor Tara and Madeline. One thing is certain, this hen as with all of our hens are very pampered and live very happy free range lives! Please everyone, please pray that Dixie heals.

I Hope Dixie Doesn't Die. . .

2013-04-30T10:07:00.000-04:00

My poor sweet Dixie. I feel just awful. Dixie is very sick and I didn't realize it. I'm hoping it's not too late. I brought her in the house on Sunday to give her a bath to see if I could find out what was wrong. Her symptoms:

She is very bloated in her abdominal region.
She had diarrhea (consisting of clear liquid, green and white)
She waddles like a penguin. I didn't know that it was because of being so bloated. This has been going on for several weeks (the wattling).
She began to get a droopy tail on Friday.
Saturday, she was unable to go up the ramp to the coop and had to be helped. Sunday morning she needed help getting down the ramp in the morning.
Her chest seem emaciated, but she does not seem underweight, in fact is very heavy when I hold her.
She is not laying eggs, but I'm sure she's not egg bound, because she'd surely be dead by now.

What I've done, and am currently doing:

Sunday I gave her a bath and made the discovery that she was so incredibly bloated. I also let her soak for a very long time in the warm water.

Blow dried her as she struggled to stay awake during her relaxing spa treatment.

Monday morning, I set up a brooder box for her and brought her into the house so I could nurse and monitor her.

Yesterday, I fed her scrambled eggs made with oatmeal, organic whole milk, coconut oil, and garlic for breakfast. She is eating and drinking. The rest of the day yesterday, I was feeding her a mash consisting of Organic Chicken feed, mixed with organic plain yogurt. This morning I fed her the yogurt mash thinking that the yogurt will help heal her gut. Her water has Duramycin 10 (a broad spectrum antibiotic), I also gave her de-worming drops yesterday thinking that perhaps she may have a horrible case of worms?

Is there anything else that I can do for her? Is there some insight that you may have for me? Any guidance would be so greatly appreciated.

Recycle Project For School

2013-04-15T18:34:00.000-04:00

Madeline has to create a recycle project for school. She needed to take something that you might normally throw away and make a new use for it. She wanted to use her chickens. So we started to save the Henny Penny's beautiful eggshell. Last week, Madeline took the shells outside and filled them with top soil. While she did this, ALL of the Henny Penny's were EXTREMELY interested in what was going on. It was hilarious! I ran in to grab my camera.

Just look at all those fuzzy fluffy butts!!

We had already sprouted some sunflower seeds, so Madeline planted them in the eggs shells. When it's time to plant them outside, she will just knock the shells on the ground to crackle them. The dirt filled eggs get planted directly into the ground, and the roots of the sunflowers will use the shells for added nutrients! A good idea implementing her pet chickens!

So What's Up With The Chickens?

2013-04-12T12:15:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been a bit of a roller coaster. Sadly, we lost all of our baby chicks that we got last year. Rosie died the second day we had her. She was really weak, but while the girlies were at school, I made her very short life comfortable as I fed her with an eye dropper and kept her well hydrated and warm. Unfortunately, she just was not meant to survive. Though her life was short, she was treated with love and tenderness every minute. It was very painful for Madeline since Rosie was her's. I told Madeline that I knew she was hurting and that God was right by her side and feeling her pain. I said that it was times like this that we need to lean on Him for comfort because He knows our hurts better than anybody else. Madeline got a really soft blankie to wrap Rosie up in and we put her in box. We were in the process of burying her when I got a call from the feed store where we got our chicks. A lady had ordered 4 chicks and wanted to know if she could change her order to 3. God, in the midst of us burying Rosie, gave us a new baby. Her name is Blossom. We finished making a special place in our flower garden for Rosie and headed to the feed store to get "Blossom". Lexie and Buttercup lost their lives to a raccoon (or raccoons). It was a night that I had locked up the big girls and Ron didn't realize that I had. We had not fully integrated the original chickens with the new younger pullets. The babies were sleeping in the run, and the hens were in the coop. He was making a roost for them and I figured he'd just lock the gate when he was done. The babies were inside where they belonged but he didn't realize that the original hens were already in the coop so he left the run door open. Alas we lost Lexie and Buttercup that night. When Tara went out that morning to let the chickens out for the day, the evidence of the raccoon's was undeniable. They had taken the bodies of Lexie and Buttercup and left a ton of feathers everywhere. Tara came in the house in a total panic as you can imagine. I bolted out of the house followed by both my girlies and we began calling to our babies and discovered that Blossom had survived, completely unhurt and hiding in the garage! It was clear that she was traumatized though. She was so exhausted. I picked her up and hugged and held her and she immediately closed her eyes and began to fall asleep. While the kids swam and played that day, I spent a lot of time with Blossom. The older hens had not yet accepted the younger ones into their flock, so Blossom was alone. She kept jumping onto my lap and falling asleep. On that very same day, I jumped onto Craigs List and found a guy who had a ton of Rhode Island Reds. He had a photo posted with his ad, and in that sad looking, over crowded mob of chickens, there were about 5 Buff Orpingtons. They were the same age as Blossom (about 6 weeks). The next day, we drove one hour to pick up (and "rescue") 2 little pullets who we named Diamond and Ruby. He kept his hens in a small penned area with little wiggle room since there were so many in such a small area. When we got the 2 new girls home, I was wondering what Blossom would do when introduced to them. I knew the new girls would have no problem with her since they were raised in such a large mob, but the three of them accepted each other immediately without any problems. The poor Craigs List hens didn't even seem to know what grass was, but they quickly learned how to find 'real' food while free ranging. The big hens and the pullets would free range everyday from dawn till dusk. The hens established a pecking order over the babies and for many months, the babies would free range away from the big girls. Eventually, they all became a united flock (at their own rate and in their own time). I love seeing all six of them together.

They get to spend all day from dawn until dusk free ranging. They are such happy animals. This is Jasmine. She is friendly to anyone and everyone who gives her attention....except me. Jasmine has decided that I am NOT above her on the pecking order and if I get too close to her, she'll puff up and posture sideways in a warning. If I try to pet her, she'll promptly peck and bite me. She's a brat, but since she's nice to everybody else in the world, she can stay.

Here's Ruby and Blossom. Ruby is one of our rescue hens. Ruby took a long time to warm up to us. She was afraid. We were very patient with her, and when she felt comfortable enough, she started to get closer and eventually, she became less afraid. She would come near when we called her name, and began to eat treats from our hands. Now, she lets us hold, snuggle and pet her. She and Diamond (who we also rescued along with her) are very special. Blossom, on the right, is a very sweet chicken as well. As I write this, I think to myself...these are chickens! I never knew that chickens could have so much personality and bring so much joy and entertainment, but they really, really do. Each one has a very distinct personality which is delightful!

My Daisy. Daisy is such a precious girl. She loves me. She will gently tug on my clothes and is always waiting to be picked up. She is also known as Daisy The Cat Dominator! The cats cower under the stare of Daisy, and she enjoys chasing them down. When she does this, the cats will sometimes roll onto their back in submission while Daisy cocks her head moves in very close to their face to stare them down...beak poised and ready to peck. If they stay still, she'll lose interest and relent. If they make a move, a good peck is guaranteed! Yes. . .this is Daisy the Dominator!

Hello Dixie! Now this little girl is at the top of the pecking order. She is also our biggest hen. Her walk is absolutely hilarious. It's more of a penguin waddle than a chicken walk. It makes me laugh when I see her. She has been top hen ever since she was in the brooder. AND, she is one who lays our magical eggs! She does it consistently too!! If only they were golden eggs.

And finally, we have Diamond. She is one of the girls that we rescued from that over crowded flock of chickens and she is at the bottom of the pecking order, This chicken is the sweetest of all. She loves to be petted, held and is always the first one to come running when we call the girls. All of our hens know their individual names and will come when we call them. I swear...I really never knew that chickens would be so fun!! I love our chickens.

Our girls, when nobody is molting, consistently give us 5 eggs a day. Unfortunately, as you can see, several of our girls are currently in "some" stage of molt so we are getting inconsistent amounts of eggs. Boy are their eggs ever WONDERFUL!!! These are 6 extremely pampered, and happy hens. If I was a chicken, I'd want to live at our house where you get to free range all day every day, and get so much attention from the human family! I don't think that every chicken owner would want to say that.....but I would. They are an integral part of my children's lives as well. They are always included in their outdoor play.

Here, Tara and Madeline were having a play date with Tara's friends Madison (far left) and Carley (far right). Carley had never been around a chicken in her life. This child was so incredibly enamored with the our chickens. Whenever they were outside (which was pretty much the whole day), a chicken was in her arms. And Madison is Tara's best friend in the whole world. They have been best friends for 4 years. They are like a well oiled machine. They are truly "kindred spirits'. Madison, got her first flock of chickens last year (I helped to convince her parents into it). Her dad had raised chickens as a kid, but on a huge scale. We're talking 500! Thoughts of life with that many chickens kept turning him off. I convinced him that a small backyard flock is nothing at all like that and now they have a happy flock of 7, to which they just added 10 more to it this year. . .

But Carley....she couldn't get enough of our sweet Henny Pennys!

And this is Abby. She's Madeline's bestest friend and she's also Madison's little sister. She's such a sweet little girl. She and Madeline always have so much fun together. What a cute couple of peanuts they are!!

Having kids growing up in the country is good! Especially when they get to spend most of their time out of doors playing, and not being shuffled to tons of after school activities, or spending time in front of a T.V., gaming system, or computer. My kids have very rich imaginations, and creative minds. It is because they play outside so much, and are not burdened with the hectic schedules that so many parents put upon their children that this is true. Life is good in our humble house in the big woods.

Woodland Friends. . .

2013-03-26T14:33:00.000-04:00

I really love where we live. We are surrounded by acres of woods and there is never a shortage of wildlife to enjoy. Yesterday, I felt like I was literally surrounded by deer all morning. It was so wonderful. They are such sweet, graceful and beautiful animals. I was literally standing 10 feet away while I took this picture. Just look at his beautiful face. . .

He was looking directly at me as I stood motionless with my camera to my eye in front of my window. Even though he could see me, my lack of movement likely made him view me as an inanimate object. Soon he'll be regrowing the antlers he shed this winter. I so badly wanted to pet his beautiful face and scratch him between the ears.

I never get tired of seeing the beautiful deer. . .

Even Caspian got in on the wildlife watching. She poses no threat to them.

Aren't they pretty? I especially love when I see our precious Henny Penny's free ranging with them.

Today, I saw some turkeys. They are very cool as well.

And the Henny Penny's have even been known to hang out with them!

It's so fun living in the country!!

You know, I couldn't help but think that if I had quietly stepped outside with the deer or the turkeys, they would have fled in a heartbeat at the moment they saw me, but our pets will mingle harmoniously with them. And then I remembered what God said said to Noah after the ark had settled and God made his Covenant with Noah. Genesis 9:2 says "The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. " I love when I can see God's word in my everyday life. Don't you?

************************UPDATE************************

I just had to add these photos that I took today 3/28/13. She's so pretty!

Sheltered By Gods Loving Arms. . .

2013-03-24T12:03:00.000-04:00

People who live on a farm, or simply raise backyard chickens like us, know that danger is always lurking. When a threat does actually strike, a mother hen spreads her wings and covers her little chicks with her feathers. Then she pulls her chicks in close - right underneath her wings where she hides them from danger and protects them until it has passed.

I love this psalm because it reminds me that God is my Shelter in stormy times. I can rest beneath His wings until the storm has passed knowing that He is close and unwavering. He is with me through every moment of every trial. It assures me that when we go through trials, not if, but when we go through them, those who know the Lord, not those who just know "of" Him, but those who have a personal relationship with Him, will receive His comfort. Even in the worst of circumstances, God will use every situation for my good. . .

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

What's in an eggshell??

2013-03-15T18:44:00.000-04:00

Well apparently a LOT! While making breakfast for Tara and Madeline earlier this week, something, well, different caught my eye. One of our Henny Penny's lays very light colored eggs. I never really thought much about it, that was until this week. Here is what her "cracked" shell looks like next to one of her sisters eggs.

See how pale her egg is? It has little brown speckles on the bottom as you can see. Sometimes they aren't speckled, but this one was. Now look here at the inside of her sister egg. . .

See how it's white in there? Well, all brown egg laying chickens have white eggs, and the color is applied in the very last stage of egg travel before it's laid. Which means that all brown eggs have white insides. This is not true however for blue egg layers which lay eggs blue inside and out. There is an actual science behind this, which is clearly explained here. The article says " It takes about 26 hours for an egg to go from the ovary until it is laid. First the yolk is encircled with whites and membranes. Then this jelly-like mass goes into the shell gland, where it will spend about 20 hours while the shell is formed.

The shell is made up almost entirely of calcium carbonate, which is a white mineral. White eggs are white, through and through. But, during the last four to six hours in the shell gland, a brown egg-laying hen adds pigment to the mix. This is why the insides of brown eggs are white – the egg starts out white, and gradually becomes more colorful. In the last 90 minutes, the rate of shell formation slows, and the cuticle, a viscous, protein-rich fluid (also called the bloom) is added. (The cuticle is the first line of protection against bacterial infection in the egg.) This is also when the hen secretes most of the pigments into the shell."

So what do you think happened here??

How on earth did she get the color on the INSIDE??!!

And which of you girls is the amazing magician who performed this magic trick??!!

Tara's Amazing Gift. . .

2013-03-13T14:30:00.000-04:00

. . .is the ability to learn easily. She is an academically gifted child. She is very humble about this and knows that it is truly a gift from God.

I need to give the back story here. Back in December, we received a letter from Tara's school stating that she had been invited into an accelerated math program. In this program, she would leave her school campus to be instructed in math by Professors from Michigan State University. We went to an informational meeting, and found out more about it. It's called CHAMP (The Cooperative Highly Accelerated Mathematics Program). It's designed to allow mathematically gifted students to master the standard high school mathematics curriculum within a two year period--consisting of 2 years of algebra, a year of geometry and a 4th course including trigonometry and college algebra as major components (all while in middle school). CHAMP covers the equivalent of one year of high school mathematics in one semester: the 2 algebra courses are covered during the first year and the geometry and trigonometry/college algebra are covered in the second year of the program. Students who successfully complete the two years of CHAMP are ready to begin calculus. This program will replace her schools math curriculum and she will be taught by MSU professors. Only a few children in her school were invited into this program. What an honor!!!

In order to qualify for the program, the students needed to take the ACT and she needed to score at least a 21 in the mathematics section and have a composite score of at least 23. There were approximately 40 children vying for one of 21 openings into this amazing program and life opportunity.

I immediately hired a tutor who could help her prepare for the test which was given February 9th, as I knew there was no way that I could effectively prepare her! Tara met with her tutor 2 times per week. She did very well on her practice tests, but in math, lack of speed was catching her up. Tara is very thorough with her work and at the tender age of 11, she just wasn't fast enough. When testing day came, I tried to calm her nerves as we drove there. Along with praying together, one of the things I told her, was to do all of the easy math problems first, and then go back and do the difficult ones. When she came out of the test, she said "I did terrible! I forgot to do the easy problems first and I ran out of time. I had to randomly guess on like 20 of them!!". I asked her how she felt she did on the math problems which she completed, and she said she felt like she did well on those. I asked her how she did on the rest of the test (English, Reading, and Science) and all she said was "It was hard". I told Tara that I was so proud of her for even getting invited into the program, and for working so hard with her tutor. I said "If it is God's will, you will be in it. If not, then He has another plan for you at the moment." Hearing that gave her a sense of peace. I told her that just having the opportunity to take the test was a great experience and not many little girls get to experience that. Knowing that ultimately it was in God's hands made the waiting period for the test results very easy for Tara. On Friday, we got the results. She was at school and was not coming home that night. She and Madeline were having a sleep over at a friends house. Alone in the house, I opened the envelop and started reading her results, and I began shaking. I could not believe what I was seeing. Here are her results. Notice where she ranked against all of the other testers in the entire U.S., and remember, eleven years old!!

I contacted the coordinator of the CHAMP program, because I wanted to explain to her that Tara's math score did not effectively rate her ability. I wanted to explain that her score (which is VERY, VERY good!!!) would have been better if she had more time. I wanted her to know that I felt strongly that Tara would be a great candidate for the program and that her school was rallying behind her and the teachers were going to support and help her with the math. When I told her what her scores were, she was floored. She said that they will be making the decision in May, and that she sits on the panel who decides. She told me that she is almost positive that Tara is in. YAY!!!!!! God is truly blessing this child and I love her so very much!

Pink Eye. . .

2013-03-06T11:32:00.001-05:00

Madeline woke up this morning with both of her eyes crusted shut from pink eye. It took several trips back and forth to the sink to warm a washcloth and gently soften the gunk before she was able to open them. It is so expensive to go to the Doctor. We have a $3,500 out of pocket max that we must meet before we have any coverage. So in a nut shell, we pay "in full" for all doctor visits and prescriptions every year. If something catastrophic were to happen, we'd pay the $3,500 and then the rest would be covered in full. Suffice it to say, I have been using natural remedies for just about everything, and we RARELY visit the doctor. So what to do for pink eye?

Head on over to a health/vitamin store and buy this for $14.99. Be sure to ask for an eye dropper for it.

Put one drop in each eye 3 times a day. It will clear up over night! Once the symptoms are gone, it's gone. It's an amazing treatment and works WAY better than the over the counter drug store drops or the Vigamox Rx (which costs $45!).

I first tried it this earlier in the winter with Madeline. I gave her one does before bed, and by morning, her eye had completely cleared up. I promise you that this treatment WORKS. It does sting however when you put it in the eyes while the infection is present. Once the symptoms are gone however, it does not hurt. Today, she has pink eye in both of her eyes. Even if you only have symptoms in one eye, you must treat both eyes because of the highly contagious nature of the bacteria. Also, lots of hand washing is necessary and don't forget to wash the bedding! This is way better than going to the doctor and far less expensive!! The great thing is, Silver Sol has so MANY other great uses! Click here to see what else it can be utilized for.

Happy healing!!

********************UPDATE*********************

Because Madeline's eyes were SO bad when I began this treatment, It took a little longer to see results. She stayed home the first and 2nd day of the infection. By the third day, she was symptom free. It really does work. Even on a bad case of pink eye.

God is such an amazing artist!!

2013-02-22T11:54:00.001-05:00

I've been seeing this picture of a rooster floating around on Facebook, to which I was certain just had to be photoshopped.

I have a lot of experience with digital artistry and know how easily this could be done. But I really wanted to know if God would really create a fowl that looked as beautiful as this, and I was stunned to find that He did indeed create a bird to look like this! I found several more photos of this gorgeous bird.

It's called the Green Junglefowl, and It's found in Indonesia, Java and the neighboring islands of Lesser Sundas E to Flores, Sumba, and Alor.

Green Junglefowl are of only a handful of species of gallinaceous birds (heavy-bodied largely ground-feeding domestic or game birds) capable of sustained flight over open water. There are many documented cases of the species flying over the sea between islets. The male has a unique and unusual call. I like it! You can click here, and it will take you to a page where if you scroll down below the map, you'll see a bunch of sound bytes that you can click on.

My research of the breed found that in the wild, pairs remain together indefinitely and there is an extended relationship with both parents and their chicks of successive years. I did find another source however which stated that they live in small flocks with one male providing for a flock of 5 females or so, to which his position can be challenged by other males. The latter makes more sense to me.

They are in the pheasant family, and can be kept as pets! They do great in hot temperatures, and require specialized diets. They do not fare well in cold climates.

The female Green Junglefowl are much more subdued in appearance, but they have very sweet faces with big eyes!

Just beautiful, beautiful birds! If you have any desire to buy a pair, you are looking at $500 on up!! That's quite a leap from my $2.50 per bird with our Buff Orpingtons, and VERY much out of my range (and climate)!!

Tara said that if we had one of these, she'd name it "Rainbow".

Clash Your Clothes....

2013-02-20T20:04:00.000-05:00

Yep! It's "Clash Your Clothes" night at Awana. Tara opted out from dressing up, but Madeline went ALL OUT!!

Adorable Valentine Chickens!!

2013-02-15T11:49:00.000-05:00

Tara and Madeline both have friends who either are chicken owners, or just plain love chickens. For these "special" friends, Tara and Madeline made these Valentines...

Are these not just the CUTEST things?

Just look at all of those hearts! Heart shaped crown, waddle, wings and of course the adorable 2 sided heart velum paper for the bodies. The beak is simply a little paper cone. For the crown, I made a slit with an exacto knife so the girls could slip the heart down in and then secure it with a bead of glue along each side on the underside. Simple and cute!! I "gently" secured it like this so things could dry, and added the google eyes last.

And here's a picture of the girles. They have grown a lot in this past year, and continue to keep their sweet innocence! Here's Tara:

And here's my baby Madeline after almost a year of no blogging!

I must admit, I was sad to see the flock go this morning when the girlies took them to school (Madeline's Valentine party is celebrated today). Tara, now that she's in middle school (Ughh!! Did I just say Tara is in middle school? I'm still not used to it.), anyway, she doesn't get to celebrate Valentines Day, but she made the cards for her special friends just the same. Madeline used the typical store bought Valentine's for the rest of her class.

God and Chickens...

2013-02-14T06:58:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. It has been nearly a year since I have blogged. I'm sorry. I am going to start up again and hopefully slowly catch everyone up. But for now, I just wondered something and I'll share with you my results!

Are you aware of how many times chickens are referenced in the Bible? I was wondering this, so I did a little study yesterday. Not that God doesn't love all of His creation, but He certainly gives our feathered critters a lot of attention/reference in The Scriptures!

Here are all of the references to "Rooster" in the bible:

Proverbs 30:31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.

Matthew 26:34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

Matthew 26:74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed.

Matthew 26:75And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Mark 13:35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—

Mark 14:30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

Mark 14:68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed.

Mark 14:72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Luke 22:34 Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Luke 22:60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

Luke 22:61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”

John 13:38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

John 18:27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

Here are all the references to "Hen" In the bible:

Matthew 23:37 [ Lament over Jerusalem ] “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

And finally, here are all the references of "Fowl" in the bible:

Leviticus 7:26 Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places.

1 Kings 4:23 ten fat oxen, and twenty pasture-fed cattle, a hundred sheep, besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl.

That equates to 17 references in 7 books of the bible.

Now doesn't that just make you smile?

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Kelly

And Here We Go Again. . .

2012-04-11T19:50:00.005-04:00

The newly hatched baby Buff Orpingtons have arrived! They are only one day old. Please meet, from left to right. . .

Buttercup, Rosie, and Lexie

They are so incredibly sweet!!!

As you can see, the love has already begun!!

Tara named Lexie. Her real name is Alexis, but it's Lexie for short.

Madeline named Rosie. . .

. . .and I named Buttercup much to the dismay of the girls. You see, we now have Dixie, Daisy, Jazzy (which is what we call Jasmine), Rosie, Lexie and "Buttercup". They think I should have picked a name that ends in an "ee" sound. I told them I named her Buttercup so I could say "Whats up Buttercup!". So there they are. I really don't think there is anything cuter than brand new baby chicks. God did a great job in making them cute as can be!!

I mean really!. . .

. . .How cute are they!!!

I Love My Chickens!!

2012-03-26T08:58:00.014-04:00

I mean I really, really LOVE my chickens!

They have so much personality and are so fun to watch. They love their human family and give us the most delicious eggs! I am really having the hardest time waiting for our new babies to arrive. They'll be here on or around April 10th. We're getting 3 more day old baby Buff Orpingtons. The excitement is growing in our household. I'll soon be getting the brooder ready for some new little peeps. Spring is so fun for chicken fanciers!!

Guess who my photographer was. It was Tara, and she's not bad behind the lens! I added the texture though.

The Dust Bath. . .

2012-03-19T20:58:00.007-04:00

Dust baths are absolutely essential for chickens. They prevent parasites such as lice, mites and ticks from making homes in chickens feathers and on their legs. Dirt naturally clogs the respiratory pores of parasites, like lice, ticks and mites. When the respiratory pores of these parasites are clogged, they can no longer breathe and will die. I'd say that chickens are pretty darned smart! It's something that they all do, but aside from the benefits of a dust bath as explained above, I tend to think that it is also a great source of joy for chickens. If you've never seen a chicken have a dust bath, I swear you would think they were having convulsions and getting ready to up and die right there on the spot!

I know, I know. Look how "Dirty they're getting"! But when they have completed their dust bath, they will give themselves a good shake (like a dog), all the dirt will fly out of their feathers and then they'll preen until they're all beautiful again.

Here's some pictures of them enjoying their wonderful dust bath as they kick, flail and throw dirt everywhere, including but not limited to in each other's faces.

Last summer, I even caught a picture of Caspian enjoying a dust bath with the hens. They taught her how to do it!

And here they all are after they've had their shake and preen.

Dixie. . .

Daisy. . .

. . .and Jasmine. She's not molting like her sisters, and is so beautiful and fluffy!

Dust baths are good clean chicken fun!

St. Patrick's Day Surprise!

2012-03-17T20:58:00.012-04:00

It actually started this morning. You see, not everyone knows this, but if you leave your shoes outside on the eve of St. Patrick's day, the next morning you will find gold in them!

You have to be very careful to find a GOOD hiding spot. Leprechauns are extremely crafty and they don't "really" give their gold away. When you least expect it, if it's not hidden well, they will steal it back and replace it with rocks! Madeline's did ultimately get snatched by the leprechauns today. Tara is with her cousins today enjoying a sleep over, so I'm not sure if hers were switched or not. Poor Madeline had to go to the Dr. with me today to discover that she is contagious with Strep throat and couldn't go with Tara. Well, on the way home from the Dr., Madeline got the most wonderful "lucky" surprise!! When I went in to pay for my gas, we got a very rare dollar bill.

It is a dollar bill that is to be tracked!

So when we got home, we went to the website to see what we could find out about this particular "George".

By typing in the serial number, we learned is that our dollar originally started it's journey in Rochester New York. It has traveled 301 miles in 1 year, 163 days, 16 hours, 9 mins. at an average of .57 miles per day. It is now 301 miles from it's starting location! The site asked us to journal where it was found and in what condition it was. We had the option to give our email so we can be sent updates whenever it is tracked on the website, which we did. When we got the bill, the yellow "1's" were colored on each side. Madeline decided to color the "pink" 1's that you can see in the above photos. We are so excited to be the first one's to log him! It took a long time for this bill to get any action, so be sure to look closely at your currency before you use it. You may just get lucky like us one day!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

I have a ton of Irish blood running through my veins, so this is always a fun holiday to celebrate!

May you have:

A world of wishes at your command.

God and his angels close to hand.

Friends and family their love impart,

and Irish blessings in your heart!

I also wanted to take the time to thank EVERYONE who left such wonderful comments for Tara on my previous post. She, Madeline and I so enjoyed reading them all. It was so cool how most everyone told us where they were from! Tara was so excited to get words of encouragement, and congratulations from Hawaii, Poland, Scotland and everything in between! Thank you so much for that.

Can I Share My Proud Moment??

2012-03-12T04:58:00.007-04:00

It starts with her.

My Amazing firstborn child. She LOVES her chickens. . .and her cats. . .

She loves any living animal. She is a very kind soul. Daddy was hoping at least one of his girls would show some interest in hunting. No such luck. They love animals way too much.

She knows and loves her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She is an amazing daughter and the BEST big sister ever.

This child is so smart!! This year, she was lucky enough to participate in a special program in her school called Math Olympiad. Only the top math kids can qualify to participate. They meet once a week and work to solve extremely difficult math problems. Once a month, they had a contest and the results were used to compete with other schools nationwide. The teacher who runs the Math Olympiad program stopped me last week at the science fair. She wanted to tell me how much she has enjoyed getting to know Tara and having her in the program. She then went on to tell me that she didn't want the rest of the kids to feel bad but she wanted me to know that Tara was the highest scorer in her group this year. I was so proud of her. Then she went on to tell me that she went back through 15 years of records, and in the 15 years that her school has been participating in the program, only 3 other children scored as high as her!!!! It was all I could do not to cry. I am soooooooooo proud of this amazing child. She has blessed my life in so many incredible ways.

The Sledding Chickens On Video!. . .

2012-02-26T12:54:00.005-05:00

I had fun taking pictures of the girls in my previous "Snow Day" post, but my mom, who is visiting with my sister in Texas right now told me that I should have video taped it. She wanted to see. So yesterday, I had the girls show everyone via video how their Henny Penny's like to go sledding.

Here's part one:

And this is part 2:

Now isn't that so much more fun than sitting in front of a gaming system or a T.V.? My children just love to play outside. They do like their new XBox Kinect that they got for Christmas, but they really like playing outside more. And they get plenty of fresh clean air living in the country. We also made home made Maple Sugar Snow Candy yesterday. It was delicious!

You know what I hope that everyone will take away from my blog (where chickens are concerned)? It's simple, Buff Orpingtons are an amazing breed of chicken. They are so sweet and friendly. They love children and people in general. They are extremely patient and absolutely full of personality. They thrive on human contact and make it simply impossible not to love them! I have 2 hens molting (since January), yet my 3 girls consistently give us 14 eggs per week. If you don't have any chickens but are planning to start the wonderful chicken experience this spring, then I highly recommend the amazing Buff Orpingtons. If you already have chickens and don't have any Orpingtons, then you need to add them to your flock. We are going to add 2 more to our happy little flock this spring. I can't wait!

Snow Day!!!

2012-02-24T18:58:00.012-05:00

Today was a snow day. And even better, it was a Friday snow day. Really now, is there anything more fun than a snow day when you're a kid? I don't think so!!

Our neighbor Riley came over in the morning, and the girls started sledding first thing. Before long, the Henny Penny's were sledding along with them!

Here's how country girls spend a snow day!!

Then it was on to snowman making. . .

I love the snow hat!

They had lunch, and afterwards the chickens had some more fun with the girls:

And then they all made Snow Ice Cream.

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

4 cereal bowls of clean snow

Warm the milk, vanilla and sugar (so sugar will melt) on the stove top.

Put that into a container in the fridge or out in the snow to cool. When cool, it's time for Snow Ice Cream!

Put 4 cereal bowls full of clean snow into a big mixing bowl:

Add the cream, sugar and vanilla.

Stir, stir, stir. . .

Smile for your crazy camera mommy. . .

. . .and come in the house for the first taste. All three girls had a pajama day. That's always cozy fun!

Yummy!!!!

Snow days are so much fun, and I always try to make them really special. Don't you wish you could come over to play too?!

Chicken Wire Isn't Just For Chickens!

2012-02-23T10:41:00.002-05:00

First off, I want to apologize. I should have taken a before picture. I am constantly taking pictures and for the life of me, I can't believe I forgot to take a before picture. Anyway. . .here's the after photo:

The before photo "would have" revealed a hideous picture frame with an old ugly oil painting in it. The frame was really dirty and had that gold gilded finish. After I cleaned it up, I spray painted the frame and then washed over it with a very diluted brown tempera paint so the carved wood could be highlighted and it's beauty revealed. The frame is big. . .35"x29". I have been keeping an eye out for a large ornate frame especially for this project. I used a staple gun to attach the chicken wire and it was not an easy task. It was hard to get it to lay flat. In fact, I didn't get the chicken wire to lay perfectly flat, but I just kept pulling hard on the wire as I stapled away, first on opposite ends, and then on the sides. Trust me, if you plan to do this for yourself, and you're using a large frame, that is how you need to do it. I did it wrong the first time and had to start all over. I backed all the photos with cereal box cardboard to prevent curling over time. I then attached them to the chicken wire with a few dots of hot glue. The little clothes pins are just for looks. They aren't really the main mode of securing the photos.

So there we have it. How fitting to have a chicken collage with a chicken wire backing! See? . . . .chicken wire isn't just for chickens!