tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27216139571023763332024-03-05T07:12:49.113-05:00Laughing Chicken FarmA day-to-day look behind the scenes of Laughing Chicken Farm, located in Trenton, Florida.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-88331685955282611452016-10-19T16:39:00.000-04:002016-10-19T16:39:39.266-04:00On The LIne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have moved our laundry line about
three times. I've even hired a local teenager to do the digging up of
the posts. It's been beside the house, behind the shed and now is in
my garden, of all places. It's always been something to hide. A
necessary, utilitarian part of our existence, but also somewhat of an
embarrassment.
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But I'm beginning to think of it
differently. I may even decide to move it again, maybe right back
where it started, next to the house near the back door. Yes, you can
see the clothes waving in the wind when you drive up, but today I
realized that there is a certain tactile, homey feeling about
stepping outside with a heavy basket of wet clothes. Each of those
clothespins are placed by my hands. I get to smell the fresh, wet
fabric, plus the sunshine and breezes to do all the work and it's
totally free! All of these things are good, but the best reason of
all is that the whole process reminds me of my grandmother. She used
to hang all of her clothes, sheets, heavy towels and throw rugs from
the kitchen, even when she had a perfectly good dryer right next to
the washing machine. Hanging my own things gives me a chance to visit
those memories of Gram again. I think she'd be proud of my wash line,
so I can be proud of it too.
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So If you stop by the farm to pick up
an order, you may see some things whipping in the breeze as you drive
up. Don't worry, I'll get them down before it rains, and if I don't,
those sheets never smelled so good.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK80ISrs3Os99jEMF6jvr8HkF2UAjes4KIfEPcwbOjw4BqJnXp7iPU65lXHEkHvy40U-oJzJo6hf5a9jDsIkv7goYurDCWznyPi_5agzW_Zs38Uh3FHaWjKINeYss8iYvZrbyHb2Mnric/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK80ISrs3Os99jEMF6jvr8HkF2UAjes4KIfEPcwbOjw4BqJnXp7iPU65lXHEkHvy40U-oJzJo6hf5a9jDsIkv7goYurDCWznyPi_5agzW_Zs38Uh3FHaWjKINeYss8iYvZrbyHb2Mnric/s320/IMG_1447.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-63248526360658216082016-07-08T17:34:00.001-04:002016-07-08T17:34:14.204-04:00The Sausage is Happening!Bill has found his love. Well, yes, he found me thirty-one years ago, but more recently, he has fallen in love with making sausage. Today it was chicken sausage with Italian seasonings and fresh parsley from our garden. Wow. A whole new way to look at chicken. (and smile)<br />
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Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-256361961637029402015-01-29T17:10:00.000-05:002015-01-29T17:10:07.122-05:00Artists Decend Upon the FarmThis past Saturday afternoon we were excited to host the artists with the Journey Daybook group. They rolled up the driveway and parked their cars in flying geese fashion upon the lawn. Smiling faces gathered around while I explained the beginnings of Laughing Chicken Farm and then they were off with their notebooks, paints, and colored pencils. <br />
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Twelve artists, twelve chairs, twelve different views of the same farm. After about an hour and a half, they gathered in my studio to show and tell what had inspired them. It gave me a whole new appreciation of the beauty that surrounds me every day. <br />
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Thank you Journey Daybook ladies! </div>
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Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-77309623274242579682014-11-10T07:30:00.000-05:002014-11-10T07:30:10.449-05:00Still LaughingHere we are just a few weeks away from Thanksgiving. The farm is a whirl in turkey preparations. Today we will be processing at least 20 turkeys and, hopefully, 75 chickens. It's 7:01am and Bill and I are masterminding our game plan. He is finishing the last few sips of coffee, I'm squeezing in a few lines of typing and watching the blue slate sky out the bedroom window. The sun hasn't come up enough to make anything brighter than the color of a warm grey cat.<br />
I love this part of the day. The time where I get to be quiet, alone, and sitting still. Usually I hide from Bill. He always finds me just to say good morning, but he knows I need this time of solitude, like a medicine and he retreats. We'll be working together soon enough.<br />
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Recently, we had our first class here at the farm to teach other inspiring farmers what we do. At the end of the day, Yasuo, a friend and great photographer, snapped a candid photo of us. I love this picture. As tired as we were, we still could laugh together.<br />
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Just a week later, we celebrated our 29th Anniversary. The farm held us captive this year, and we were too tired to even go out to eat. But after seeing this photo, I am so grateful to have a husband who is willing to share this crazy ride with me and still smile. <br />
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<br />Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-80603379756409437242014-07-04T12:51:00.002-04:002014-07-04T12:51:56.707-04:00It's been five years!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lately I've been reading some info on blogging: why people read blogs, what makes a good blog, and finding your voice. I'm new at this. I get all kinds of ideas to share while I'm in the field doing chores.<br />
Up until now the blog seems to have been more of a record of our journey. After all, in the beginning we did feel like pioneers on this odd patch of needy ground, trying to do something new here that had never been done before. The green stripes across the sad, yellow and brown grass made us giggle with delight over what we knew would happen to the rest of our farm as the chickens fertilized and creeped across the grass in their tractors. Every new animal we brought out here has had a different impact on the soil, insects, and wild birds that call this home too. Not to mention the learning curve we've experienced in animal husbandry. I never knew the heartbreak the death of a baby lamb would bring, or the feeling of triumph in having grass the height of my shoulder after the summer rains. Our marriage has been tested, our bodies have been toughened, and our minds have been stretched. And now here we are on the five year anniversary of packing up everything we owned and moving to Trenton.<br />
I'm starting to feel a shift in the farm. Don't get me wrong, there are always surprises, but I now can say we've learned enough to at least have a routine. Maybe we are ready for phase two. I have no idea what phase two is. It doesn't matter. I didn't know what phase one was either.<br />
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Here are some things I'd like to happen in phase two:<br />
1. More time for art. (After all, I now have a pretty good looking studio somebody should be using out there.)<br />
2. More delegation. (In other words, hiring other people to do a few things we can't get to or just can't.) This one has already begun. Our neighbor has finished a fence project and it looks great!<br />
3. Less clutter in my own life. (Oh, this one's a hard one for me. There are so many projects I love to do. Soap making, Spinning, furniture refinishing, yada yada. I'm trying to purge, I really am.) This one is sorta tied to number one.<br />
4. Come up with a better chicken tractor design and more infrastructure to make our chores easier. (It takes so much more energy to move a heavy tractor and drag hoses.)<br />
5. Begin to offer classes. (This is for both art and farming. We'll keep you posted.)<br />
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That's it. Five goals for the next five years. I'd love to hear what you think. There is wisdom in many counselors. I'd love to also hear what interests you in a blog. Do you like to hear about the funny stuff and the day to day challenges, sort of diary style. Or would it be far more helpful if I gave it more of a "how to" feel. And then on the other side of things, I can always talk about what's going on inside my head. Maybe not.<br />
Thanks for your time. It means so much to me when you tell me you've read my blog post.<br />
Robin <br />
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<br />Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-69137331070996216902014-03-11T21:16:00.002-04:002014-03-11T21:16:57.077-04:00<br />
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Yesterday, in the cool early morning, a visitor arrived at the farm. She had been here before and we greeted each other with a smile and a handshake. Joni's a scientist studying turkey vultures and how they find their quarry. She'd come to collect olfactory tissue samples from the chickens after we had processed them. She explained that the tissue samples needed to be fresh in order to do her experiments, so she came prepared with sterile containers and ice packs. As she got set up, and I finished making the rounds with feed, it occurred to me how many ways our little farm has touched others in our community and beyond. <br />
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The week before last we had another
visitor. This time it was someone who wanted to buy turkey breast to make into a line
of dog treats. We chatted about starting up a new
business and she mentioned her connection with a big cat rescue. Later that afternoon I called her up to see if she wanted to take
some turkey carcasses to the tigers.
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We're almost at the five year mark for our farm and it tickles me to think back on how many different people have come to see what we're up to. Over that time, we've met scientists, vets, entrepreneurs, grandkids, grandparents, cub scouts, homeschoolers, college kids, and of course other farmers. All of them have been interested in one thing - chickens! <br />
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Some very good friends of ours have an orphanage in Haiti. They came to see our farm that very first year and were so excited and full of ideas that they have been growing chicken in Haiti with the kids ever since. There have been at least two other couples who have come out to see how we do our chicken housing and are putting together business models in the islands of the Bahamas and Honduras. Many family flocks in Gainesville have been started on our farm, but one of the most precious is owned by a special needs young lady who is now learning how to care for her new chickens herself.<br />
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When we began Laughing Chicken Farm, we had no idea what we were getting into. We thought we'd grow a few animals and sell what we could for some extra income. Wow! God sure has taken us farther than that. When the phone rings I never know what to expect. From requests for semi-trucks full of chicken "paws" to ship to the Orient, to the people in Montana who were having a "Testicle-Festival" and wanted to know if we could ship them turkey testicles. <br />
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<br /><br />Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-76571249852017177142013-10-16T09:14:00.000-04:002013-10-16T09:14:21.065-04:00Turkey StampedeOkay, so Bill and I get up before dawn on Monday morning, crawl out of bed, and reach for the coffee. Bill looks out the window and says, "Hey, the brooder light is off." It was a cool morning, so we agreed that the youngest ones needed a light. He heads out to turn it on. As Bill is walking to the brooders, he turns his head to the right and sees a flock of large white birds coming his way. There is something familiar about these large white birds. Wait a minute, aren't these the group of juvenile turkeys we just moved into the nets the night before? They aren't supposed to be up here by the house. Yep, you guessed it, the little varmints were out having a great time, probably partying all night long wandering the farm. <br />
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It's Monday, it's butchering day, and everyone needs water and feed before we get started. I could see the frustration as Bill threw his hands in the air. The turkeys on the other hand were happily picking their way through all the new grass by the house and working their way to the bigger, older flock of turkeys who by this time began to notice what was going on. (You can see them in the background of one of the pictures. )<br />
<br />
The young group of turkeys obviously didn't want to be in the housing we put them in last night. They had explored that area and now were bored. We had used a single net around a portable laying house, but one electric net wasn't enough. The only other one we had available was shorter in height and had bigger holes. It was currently around the garden to keep the sheep out.<br />
<br />
"We have to buy more nets," Bill said.<br />
<br />
"Let's try the short one," I said.<br />
<br />
"They'll go right through it," he replied.<br />
<br />
"Let's put them around the RV. Maybe that will give them enough to explore."<br />
<br />
What else was there? We could take a chicken net, but then we'd have chickens everywhere. Bill reluctantly agreed. He and I gathered up the bigger net and the smaller net and walked them over to the RV. There were plenty of weeds and grass and things to look over and under around the RV. This would make a good turkey place.<br />
<br />
The turkeys followed us as we set up the nets, added their food and water, brought up the wiring and hooked it all up the the electric hot wire. We herded the stragglers in and shut the gate. Whew. Done. Then as soon as we walked away, so did they. Electric shmelectric. They didn't feel a thing. Over and under and through the net they came.<br />
(This is a picture of where they're supposed to be. Someone got left behind.)<br />
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<br />
Okay, now we were ready to butcher THEM today. There was nothing else we could do to contain them. The day had to get started with or without them where they were supposed to be. At least they wouldn't leave the farm. (We'd hoped.)<br />
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Evidently, they just wanted to be close to the action. They watched us process 70 chickens and we used the carrying cages as a barricade so they wouldn't come into the actual butchering area. When they started to bed down under the shade tree, Bill decided to try to get them into the netted area again. This time he took off running. They all stood up and started running too. They ran after him and followed right into the enclosure and he shut the gate. Suddenly the food and water we had put there looked enticing. They decided to stay and have lunch. Bill hopped over and carefully walked away. <br />
<br />
What goes on in a turkey brain? I couldn't say. Steve, a friend who helps on processing day, said they had imprinted on us. I guess that must be it. I know turkeys are not as dumb as people say they are. So far, they've decided they like the new home. Let's get those new nets ordered fast. <br />
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<br />Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-30966750995978045862013-08-02T08:02:00.002-04:002013-08-02T08:02:51.883-04:00ProgressThe sun is up, drying up the puddles on the tops of the chicken
tractors. I know the longer I wait to go outside, the hotter it will
become. Bill has gone to the post office to pick up chicks. So I'm
stealing a few moments, still in my pajamas, sipping a cup of green tea
and wishing for just a little longer morning.<br />
<br />
It's a
very satisfying feeling to walk past a small canvas with wet paint on it
from the day before. Evidence that I really did pick up the brush for a
little while. Second week in a row, by the way. I'm feeling pretty
proud of myself.<br />
<br />
All day long yesterday Bill worked on
framing in the windows in the shed. They are going to be HUGE. I'm
feeling a nervous tickle in my stomach about them now. Too late to
change things, but what if there is just too much window and not enough
wall space? What if I'm making a green house instead of a studio? I know
my husband well enough by now that I better not say to much about my
worries. He's on a roll and I'll only frustrate him and the work will
stop. He so wants to please me and sometimes I change my mind too much. I
just have to remember that he's the construction expert here. If he
says it will work, we'll go with that.<br />
<br />
So while he's outside with hammer and nails, I'm inside with the music cranked up.<br />
Here's the painting I did last week:<br />
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I'm
thinking about using it in my next collage piece. I didn't get a
picture of yesterday's beginning, but The pallet is still full of paint
and I'm planning on getting back to the easel when all the day's work is
over. It's going to be a busy day. Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-40503416038774056062013-07-15T17:13:00.001-04:002013-07-15T17:13:20.754-04:00Watermelon SeasonWho knew sheep liked watermelon so much? Since we do live in watermelon country, we brought home a few just as the season started. I had them in the shade under a tree. The same tree that the sheep love to lounge under in the heat of the day. Well, you know what happened. They walked around with pink noses the rest of the day!<br />
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<br />Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-21593391166519087482013-04-25T08:54:00.000-04:002013-04-25T08:54:18.890-04:00ChoicesLast week at the market, standing there freezing, smiling, selling to the wonderful customers that are so faithful even on rainy, unusually cold April days, I had an unexpected moment. A new customer came to the table and purchased eggs. They walked away, then came back. I love the time I get to spend chatting with everyone at the market, so I always welcome people who just want to stand and visit for a while. Part of the fun of the market is just getting to know people. I get all kinds of questions about our products, why they are labeled "Not for human consumption" or how we treat our birds, or what they eat. Then I get the great stories of little chickens that the kids hatched in school that turned out to be roosters they had to find homes for, or the chickens that climb up in your lap and like to eat out of your hand, or the tragedy of losing a favorite hen to the neighbor's dog. But this conversation went in a different direction.<br />
<br />
I had previously introduced them to the fact that we do not wash our eggs, nor do we refrigerate them. I explained that egg shells are porous and naturally come with a coating that protects them and keeps them fresh. After all, the purpose of the egg is to grow a chick inside. Another customer came up to the table ready to buy eggs as well. I thought all was well and they were happy with my explanation, but they leaned in close, pointed at the eggs I had on display and said," Your eggs have poop on them. You need to wash them with bleach."<br />
<br />
Usually I have a great idea of what to say, but for some reason this time I was embarrassed. Suddenly my products were "dirty". I had another customer waiting patiently, so I quickly replied, "Yes, you can take them home and do that." then turned to the next person in line and asked what I could get for them. I wanted to pull away, cover my embarrassment, and move on. Actually, for one split second, I wanted to hide all my dirty eggs, take them home and scrub them down in bleach. Then clarity came. Why is it we can always think of the right thing to say after the person is gone? The rest of the afternoon I muttered intelligent replies and creative comebacks. What it all boiled down to, I finally decided, (and it took me until today to vocalize it) was that our eggs, all our products in fact, give people choices.<br />
<br />
Yes, you can buy a room full of eggs that have been washed pretty with bleach, but where can you find the egg that has not been bleached, or sprayed with a chemical, or been sitting in a warehouse for weeks? Well, at the Laughing Chicken farm stand, of course. What we do every day at this small plot of ground in Gilchist county gives people choices. What they do with those choices is not up to me. I can only put it out there. But thank God I am still allowed to put it out there.<br />
<br />
So I guess I need a slightly thicker skin, and I need to stop trying to please everyone. My choice is tho offer what I believe in. Maybe next time I'll stand a little taller and smile a little wider doing it. <br />
-Robin<br />
<br />
Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-22370543718862878572013-02-14T08:21:00.001-05:002013-02-14T08:21:44.461-05:00Valentine ChocolatesRainy, drippy day. Thank You so much, Lord. The wetness seeps into the grass and the new shoots look like little green elbows pushing through the dirt. Bent and straining against the tight crust until they grow one more millimeter enough to straighten. The sheep are ready for them. Hungry, nibbling lips swinging through the short new stems. I watch them eat and almost want to join them just to taste a hint of spring. <br />
<br />
It's eight o'clock in the morning. Late enough to see the sun and hear the hungry calls outside. Bill is off to get a new batch of chicks at the post office. I need to start making bottles for all the new babies. Calf, sheep and now two goats.<br />
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My sweet, wonderful husband shows his love toward me every time he agrees to another animal baby. Even goats. Especially goats. One of his mantras: "I hate goats." But here we are with a cardboard box in the office containing two chocolate bucklings nestled in cloth and old towels muttering softly awaiting a warm suckle of colostrum. That's love.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-56101251601097715882013-01-03T15:02:00.001-05:002013-01-03T15:02:53.267-05:00Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years! Oh my!What a busy season! I am always so humbled by the people who seek us out and purchase from us during the holidays. Each year we try to do better, and each year we learn what not to do next year.<br />
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We did get to take some time for our family. Our annual family picture on Santa's lap was on Christmas day. Our sweet friends Bill and Kathy Bare are professional Santa and Mrs. Clause. In between appearances around the state, they create a winter wonderland on their property in High Springs from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Lights, reindeer games, and hot coco, plus a visit with the big guy. We make it a tradition every year and this year we were blessed to have my mom and dad with us from Clearwater, and our daughter Cat and her husband Brandon from Alabama. Micah and his girlfriend, Stephanie, rounded out the group. Alas, Ben and Danielle are in Japan this year and not here with us. Thank God for Skype.<br />
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There have been two new additions to the farm to start the year out. A new ram lamb and a new calf. Bill has named them Harry and Mr. Meaty. I'm sure you can guess which one is Harry. <br />
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<br />
The calf is Holstein/Angus, the lamb is a ram and will bring (hopefully) some soft fleeces into our flock of sheep for the fun of spinning. (like I don't have enough to do). Both are bottle babies. Thankfully, we have friends who have milk goats and milk cows and like our chicken! <br />
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I'm looking forward to this coming year. It always feels like a fresh start in January. You look at what you have learned and marvel at the possibilities before you. God always has surprises around the corner.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-87661971444018562742012-11-08T08:24:00.000-05:002012-11-08T08:24:34.263-05:00Never a dull momentWho says living in the country is quiet and peaceful? I guess if you like just empty space around your domain it would be tranquil, but throw a few animals on that space and see what happens!<br />
<br />
This week Bill and I took the plunge and added four more sheep to our little flock of four. Our good friends Janice and Lewis Cox run a successful (and beautiful) flock of sheep in Lake City. We've learned so much from them, and successfully bottle fed two of their orphaned lambs. This past June we added our first ram to be papa to the flock. All we needed were more girls to really get production rolling.<br />
<br />
Janice invited me to come see what she had available from this year's lambing. How do you pick? I wanted them all of course. I picked out four and then took Bill with me on another day to pick them up. Janice was so patient with me. She walked all the sheep into the corral, separated out the lambs from the flock and got them sorted. I looked over all the lambs a second time. Of course I changed my mind, picked out different ones and we loaded them into the dog crates on the back of the truck. Thank God they fit! We got them home, let them out into an electric netting circle connected to the turkeys and I got a phone call. Janice said that in the mixing of the flock again, I had gotten one that was already spoken for. Drat! She said she would come exchange her, no problem.<br />
<br />
Well, on her farm, with gates and corrals, and shoots, it was no problem. But on my farm, only flimsy electric netting held them in. These weren't bottle fed babies like I was used to either. They didn't want to have humans touching them, no way, not one bit.<br />
<br />
When Janice came, getting the lamb off the truck was easy smeasy. Getting one lamb out of five scared lambs flocking and running around was a different story. We tried catching, cornering, diving for a leg, and then shooing them into the cage we had taken off the back of the truck. Not good. They pushed through the netting, and headed toward the other end of the pasture! The other sheep started calling to them. The ram was especially enthusiastic--he knew they were girls. Thankfully there was a fence and a gate between them.<br />
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After locking up the older sheep in their small pen, we herded the crazies into that side of the pasture and then, after many attempts, got them to go into the old garden area that had a fence around it. It took us an hour and a half.<br />
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I learned something. Sheep aren't easy to pick up and move like chickens. Bill and I could barely manage getting them into the truck and driving them over to where they were supposed to be. Of course we locked up Mistake Sheep safe and sound for Janice to take back home. I think our friendship survived. We made a memory for sure. The first thing Bill said when we were huffing and puffing was,"We need to build more fencing." <br />
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The top picture is the four new ones with the one we raised here on our farm. (Ours has the collar.) See all the grass the chickens and turkeys have made for them?Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-62570765472198244942012-06-04T12:39:00.000-04:002012-06-04T14:02:13.141-04:00GoodbyeToday is one of the saddest days we've had on our farm. Today we lost our very first lamb baby. The one we arrived home on Mother's Day to find in the field. The one we waited for with much excitement. Our very first lamb from our very first bottle baby that we raised last year. And the worst part about it is that it was our fault. <br />
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Yes, I saw the cherry tree branch wilting, and yes I knew that they are poisonous, but somehow my brain didn't put the two together when I was out in the field yesterday. I saw where the chickens had pecked the bark all the way around a young cherry tree. They wringed a few plumb trees too before we moved them to a new area. Now the trees are in the process of dying and dropping leaves. Wilting cherry leaves produce arsenic, but healthy leaves are safe for the sheep to eat. <br />
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The baby lambs have just begun to nibble on green things as they walk through the field with their moms. Apparently, our older lamb nibbled on a wilted leaf yesterday morning. By the afternoon she was down with a stomach ache and bloated. I didn't know what was wrong. My friend Margie came with her years of experience and knowledge and helped me give the lamb some baking soda and mineral oil hoping that we could get her to pass any blockage. Early this morning I checked on her and she was worse. Bloated bigger and clearly in pain. I held her and gave her more baking soda and oil, but it didn't help. She was gone in less than an hour.<br />
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Bill and I both cried and cried. Losing birds is sad, losing lambs is torture. I asked him if he wanted to continue raising sheep. The way I feel today makes me wonder if I can go forward. But Bill wants to keep working on it. We've moved the sheep to the other side of the fence where no cherry trees are. That's the only thing I can think of that it could have been. Thank God the other three are okay. Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-88934337802712467702012-04-20T15:53:00.000-04:002012-04-20T15:53:05.313-04:00New PuppiesYesterday we traveled to the panhandle to pick up our new puppies. Just a five hour jaunt to the big city of Holt, FL. The sky was overcast as we went through patches of rain on I10 and we arrived just as the clouds cleared. <br />
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Draggin' Acres Farm is a shady maze of paddocks filled with big goats, tiny goats, one cat and about 5 Great Pyrenees dogs. The puppies met us at the gate along with their mother, and human mother, Brooke. She gave us the "tour" all along introducing us to the new arrivals in the baby goat department. There were a few I could have scooped up and put into the extra dog crate we brought, but I resisted. <br />
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Brooke's puppies are raised with the goats 24/7. All the dogs and the goats act as a herd together and the dogs take on the responsibilities of protectors as they get older. The bond they form is strong enough for the dogs to risk their lives for the animals they protect. There are other guardian breeds of dogs, but we chose the Great Pyrs because of their good temperament with people. At least that has been our experience. Lilly, our first guardian puppy also came from Brooke last year. In fact, these two new fluffy bundles are her half-sister and half-brother. Hopefully Lilly will be interested enough in them to teach them what happens here on our farm. Brooke didn't have any chickens so that will be a new adventure. <br />
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What made the day even better was having Catherine, our daughter, drive over from Alabama and meet us for lunch then travel with us to Brooke's farm. She was the photographer and the one who keeps me on my toes about blogging and all that computer stuff. (thank you sweetheart)<br />
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Ziggy and Cricket are our newest arrivals. I think they've melted Bill's heart already. Now they get to start farm school and the best part is they get to eat all the chicken they can hold.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-82119426926844783552012-02-27T21:06:00.005-05:002012-02-27T22:21:14.368-05:00Goose Adventures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXMIYgQiB7xp81TF8FtVCAOzyhS4OONDYaJcYaLwmOpduL7IvlFv93JgkSGcUpE8GOAXyQ_4M70LOoJlOPllzksnj5WfzGAJS4PBxQSc1DwlgyAhtXOHrhP2J1dBNkID5XnOLtCQhUmg/s1600/100_0056.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXMIYgQiB7xp81TF8FtVCAOzyhS4OONDYaJcYaLwmOpduL7IvlFv93JgkSGcUpE8GOAXyQ_4M70LOoJlOPllzksnj5WfzGAJS4PBxQSc1DwlgyAhtXOHrhP2J1dBNkID5XnOLtCQhUmg/s320/100_0056.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714020027693372178" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoTtBVICGqaFral9eSgT7hPwN5WyODDvjhZ-XIybBd1F3av3qtXbAeeuhndBPVI6aiWlpbizD7413ZSlfb366jSyqFIyQA9Nb7gfsiacBHgdAdaRgjClNjOepwJ17QmiZce2YM_xRdqw/s1600/100_0057.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoTtBVICGqaFral9eSgT7hPwN5WyODDvjhZ-XIybBd1F3av3qtXbAeeuhndBPVI6aiWlpbizD7413ZSlfb366jSyqFIyQA9Nb7gfsiacBHgdAdaRgjClNjOepwJ17QmiZce2YM_xRdqw/s320/100_0057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714020019285381090" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinp9IMhgx6kvq2sVWdry7sbE9mJsH0EyapyCe_kSxIN6Xp2qeNlz5dEmqVDMk3whIVIIvUleyZcqoOA8L8zvj0AM23NRKr9LTNK0IDUOCeuOXGjyEriFvCPzLvxK1VBxcKdWNCFZbeYko/s1600/100_0055.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinp9IMhgx6kvq2sVWdry7sbE9mJsH0EyapyCe_kSxIN6Xp2qeNlz5dEmqVDMk3whIVIIvUleyZcqoOA8L8zvj0AM23NRKr9LTNK0IDUOCeuOXGjyEriFvCPzLvxK1VBxcKdWNCFZbeYko/s320/100_0055.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714020014670657602" /></a><br />My family is always full of surprises. Recently my aunt and uncle came for their first visit to our farm. I was so excited to show them all the things we've been doing. When they arrived, they had a big cage in the back of their pickup truck. <br /><br />"We brought you something," my aunt said with a big smile. I looked in the back of the truck and saw four heads with long necks and big eyes. Four big geese looked back at me. They were just as surprised as I was. <br />Of course I thanked her, I mean, when do you ever get four big geese for a present? My next thought was, "Where am I going to put them?"<br />My aunt seemed to think they would be fine in the corral with the ducks for now. At least until they settled in. Then she said I could just let them roam around the farm and they would be happy. We found a container big enough for them to have a "pond". So far so good. <br />The next day we received a giant goose egg and I thought this was going to be a good relationship after all. Well, that's what I thought until on day three, big goose number one decided to spread his giant wings, glide over the electric netting away from the ducks, and settle on his own in the north end of the property. Geese two, three, and four soon followed. Well, maybe they know where they live now, I thought. My mom and Danielle, my daughter in law, were staying over, Bill was out of town, and I figured the geese could do their own thing. But then we had trouble. The four wild things did NOT want to stay on Laughing Chicken Farm property. In fact they were flying over fences like crazy and I could just barely see them in the neighbors field. <br />"Get in the truck!" I yelled and we three girls drove up the driveway. I parked and jumped out, running through blackberry bushes and cactus. I caught the first goose and handed her to my mom. I asked her to hold on tight and sit in the truck with her. Poor mom's shoes were full of cactus spines and sand spurs. Without complaining, she held the goose on her lap. Danielle and I could only catch one more goose. The more we ran after them, the farther away they flew. We all rode back to the house with the two geese in our arms. I rode on the tailgate while Danielle drove and the goose in Mom's arms pooped all over her lap while uttering deafening honks the whole way home. <br />Danielle took the pictures while I clipped the wing feathers on the two we'd caught so they would stay behind the fencing. We could hear the male calling while the females called back all through the night. I felt so helpless.<br />Thankfully, the next morning the male had made it back. I opened the fence, and he walked in. I was just glad he didn't get eaten during the night. After talking with my aunt, we decided it was best to find them a new home. A friend came and picked them up and off they went down the road again in the back of a pickup truck, necks stretched out and eyes wide with surprise.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-40438675003327238702011-12-26T14:35:00.004-05:002011-12-26T15:23:16.790-05:00A New Year!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B91LV3fxEylK-a3YNXQn4d5G-Kt4pC-UbkMCh8sN3SkGZwQ45h0wT6r3gLuJUKa0FTW3cB9LqIzctBClK9XDD9SjjJp_lmyPyZPalEi8_i6_lIUaKW6jbaWp0GZFTlWygqRQXTJ641E/s1600/vist+with+santa+11+%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B91LV3fxEylK-a3YNXQn4d5G-Kt4pC-UbkMCh8sN3SkGZwQ45h0wT6r3gLuJUKa0FTW3cB9LqIzctBClK9XDD9SjjJp_lmyPyZPalEi8_i6_lIUaKW6jbaWp0GZFTlWygqRQXTJ641E/s320/vist+with+santa+11+%25283%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690534507044982930" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hMDSMO9Kie7jSnm8ylvonmZNsHCtTgNSdRp5b-BXiQdgc6KSzVkkR6gVWOZAI-Kx-qs3HQhZIExY-YYaCP6URQKgJCE6LlmeB32oiWEu3yH5eJgZTYb3ppDeLHK_KXpA-KinuBvvCGE/s1600/vist+with+santa+8+%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hMDSMO9Kie7jSnm8ylvonmZNsHCtTgNSdRp5b-BXiQdgc6KSzVkkR6gVWOZAI-Kx-qs3HQhZIExY-YYaCP6URQKgJCE6LlmeB32oiWEu3yH5eJgZTYb3ppDeLHK_KXpA-KinuBvvCGE/s320/vist+with+santa+8+%25283%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690534497250787666" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVFEGW4wPjWHUGL2dczKwlGXnwYdfBZImuzZzRb_l6w1omrFk5OhVWQWj9HYSpUd8T2x3O13ucNyGajWBbeUnvziSLkiyF_FM7AUB0HeN8WD021UyQrH-QF4u4BU376KAFwEZG_pnbdY/s1600/camera+card+2011+215.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVFEGW4wPjWHUGL2dczKwlGXnwYdfBZImuzZzRb_l6w1omrFk5OhVWQWj9HYSpUd8T2x3O13ucNyGajWBbeUnvziSLkiyF_FM7AUB0HeN8WD021UyQrH-QF4u4BU376KAFwEZG_pnbdY/s320/camera+card+2011+215.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690534492609186610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupy5Ir_H7PTOPBg6y0LlKIBDHPPXyQPHBeP5_7904prP5Y4LI1-0asC09PJLzRZeYM6nOHSWXff2sAVUa3C3aiqB6NFUtyuXriXpaptFq9uoNkAcnKtZm0pGO914pnzW2schEqH3VCOs/s1600/camera+card+2011+122.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupy5Ir_H7PTOPBg6y0LlKIBDHPPXyQPHBeP5_7904prP5Y4LI1-0asC09PJLzRZeYM6nOHSWXff2sAVUa3C3aiqB6NFUtyuXriXpaptFq9uoNkAcnKtZm0pGO914pnzW2schEqH3VCOs/s320/camera+card+2011+122.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690534489750036098" /></a><br />We've got one more week of 2011. The quiet space between the busyness of Christmas and next year's projects has me feeling restful and antsy at the same time. I find myself walking in circles, feeling less than motivated, not sure what could be the best use of my time. I guess I'm putting pressure on myself because I want this next year to have purpose. I want our farm to have purpose. <br /><br />Not that we haven't had purpose already. God has blessed us beyond our imaginations in the last three years. We've learned so much about this land and cooperating with it and the animals. We've made so many wonderful relationships with our customers. I'm so grateful for all of these blessings. But this coming year is beckoning me to explore new ground and think bigger. For one thing, we sent our ewe lambs off to be bred with a friend's ram. As simple as this sounds, it will take us in a whole new direction. Fencing is now Bill's priority project. He's gone from "letting" me keep a few pet lambs to looking at sheep as a future product to sell. This is exciting, yet daunting because we've never raised sheep before. <br /><br />Another direction I want to move the farm in is to include more art activities here on the land. Our first event will be an open studio/outdoor art day the third Thursday of January. I'm inviting anyone who would like to come out and do art, talk art, eat, take a walk, paint, photograph, whatever, for the day. Bring a lunch, meet the animals, draw or paint a picture. (I'll be happy to offer instruction, but only if you want me to.) We'll be open from 10am to sundown/feeding time. <br /><br />These are just two ideas for 2012. I'm looking forward with a thankful heart at what God has done here on this 13 acres in Gilchrist County. I also know that direction and inspiration come from our Heavenly Father. You can bet I'll be spending more time seated at His feet in prayer as we approach the next year. I want to hear His Voice with all my heart.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-31999557167137517452011-12-02T15:57:00.003-05:002011-12-02T16:31:31.574-05:00Embracing my studio<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LBNsZYK5cE_zFambhXsfdob5coeLwOntbMHAPGAxI7pB9VfCS2Llepd_H42FFQaYixvJGke-EPpoATF9nyomWtchNLAOWUttRI3cF2hSfrB9xspyEwr2tJ6PNPhWiwC-ik1PBn3q_xM/s1600/chicken+group.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7LBNsZYK5cE_zFambhXsfdob5coeLwOntbMHAPGAxI7pB9VfCS2Llepd_H42FFQaYixvJGke-EPpoATF9nyomWtchNLAOWUttRI3cF2hSfrB9xspyEwr2tJ6PNPhWiwC-ik1PBn3q_xM/s320/chicken+group.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681645898477653362" /></a><br />I've had a love-hate relationship with my RV studio. The eyesore we call "Bondo Bertha" sits 150ft from our house. It takes me quite a few steps to walk there. Usually when I get there, I've forgotten something or suddenly need to use the bathroom so I have to just turn around and head back to the house. It has LOTS of storage space, cabinets and cubbys. However, even though we had the electricity brought to it, only half the lights and appliances work off that system. The other things like the refrigerator, heater and overhead lights are on a separate system connected to a battery that died long ago. We've found other ways to deal with the broken things, but the lighting has really been a challenge. How do you create art when you can't see? <br /><br />Recently we positioned our new shed closer to the house in hopes of making it into a sales area for chicken and a brighter studio space for me. The reality of it is that it is yet another project on an ever growing list of farm related, more urgent projects. So....yesterday morning, I realized I'll never paint if I wait on the perfect studio space. There are always excuses and reasons to delay squeezing out the paints. Why do I always put the creative time on hold? I feel so guilty when the housework awaits or the husband and son need clean clothes. <br /><br />I sat down yesterday and pulled out the paints and finished this little chicken painting. I didn't get frustrated over the limited light, I just added another lamp. I took the phone with me and answered calls from the studio. It really felt good to finish something. Even something small. I didn't try to fix the world around me, I just used what I had available for the day. And it worked. Hopefully, I can keep this attitude. Hopefully I can turn my attention away from what isn't perfect and focus on what I can do with what I have. <br /><br />So much of our farm runs that way. We've scrounged most of the building materials for all of our equipment. God blesses us time and again with witty ideas of what can be done with a pile of odd things. I'm sure in time I'll have that fancy studio in a more convenient place, but for now. I'm going to join hands with Bondo Bertha and see what we can create together.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-89645051896935587582011-11-21T06:50:00.002-05:002011-11-21T07:39:51.436-05:00Turkey Harvest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcWVll09W8RHh3XuEfDNO_fgUmYK92fcbQVtsWv0uNiTK_uWz_Ue7ATe0Cq-ZnyxsKpcUXE0hR8ppRW1VD-691v-ocUCmvajg04S7HPZza2oRJInkVbkYnSvpRBmi3EwdnmieQagxQjs/s1600/jans+big+turkeys.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcWVll09W8RHh3XuEfDNO_fgUmYK92fcbQVtsWv0uNiTK_uWz_Ue7ATe0Cq-ZnyxsKpcUXE0hR8ppRW1VD-691v-ocUCmvajg04S7HPZza2oRJInkVbkYnSvpRBmi3EwdnmieQagxQjs/s320/jans+big+turkeys.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677427816733166930" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KIzOzM8JDfdxyFRgIrEgbKD5Cg5A6N5AhOox-99mnP5nsfKH3_Vx8uU52ZQ4UJrJv5o_oAhm3zzvQ5BNK76ce4Un0dUyeP7XQkTYX85RiQqUbgsSDWQgy9Z8mPW5z-WbYfseMD4-NVg/s1600/jans+turkeys.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1KIzOzM8JDfdxyFRgIrEgbKD5Cg5A6N5AhOox-99mnP5nsfKH3_Vx8uU52ZQ4UJrJv5o_oAhm3zzvQ5BNK76ce4Un0dUyeP7XQkTYX85RiQqUbgsSDWQgy9Z8mPW5z-WbYfseMD4-NVg/s320/jans+turkeys.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677427809502608162" /></a><br />Today we harvest the final turkeys for our Thanksgiving sales. After extensive emails, phone calls, and lists of lucky customers, we know who these next 35 turkeys belong too. We just have to get them ready. We've never done this many in one day. It should be an adventure. <br /><br />This year has been another year of experimentation in the turkey operation. Will we sell them in the summer? Yes! How many can we raise? We maxed out at 150 for the season. Will we put people on a waiting list again? No! Besides our fresh turkey list of pickups, next year we have to come up with a better solution than a wait list. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm listening. Bill had it right when he said we should just offer them for sale first come, first serve. Next year, that's the way it has to go. The only problem is the freezer space it takes each week if they all don't sell. Where do we put the next batch? Maybe another freezer is in our future. <br /><br />Another thing we learned this season is how hard it is to clean ducks. Again, I had to learn it the hard way. Poor Bill, I keep insisting we can do better with ducks and I order the next batch. Then comes butchering time. No matter how you slice it, it still takes hours to clean just a few. We could have done 50 chickens in the time it took to do 12 ducks. So... I guess I'll leave the ducks to the experts for now. <br /><br />Something else that we are looking into that I'm really excited about is more sheep. Bill and I have been talking to other farmers about raising sheep for meat. I have been trying to convince Bill for a long time to let me have more lambies. I think I'm addicted. Now it looks like I'll get my wish. All we need is more fencing. Lots more fencing than we have. Hopefully the turkeys will help with the fence projects. I'm going to try to get the two sheep that I already have to be bred for spring. Oh, I can't wait to hold baby lambs!Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-65665494980796765062011-10-03T13:20:00.004-04:002011-10-03T14:03:16.790-04:00Foggy Morning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7C87I-3RC06n2qx1ISI3pH0n-6MbEQRpWPSYezKlWXN2UOUYHI_o2PIOtLbIytGL2tdzEAwkHU4ZylqzE5Bgi4xE3y6_GZKOeZ4yIFmSiSqgKaYRmQLWS2qbn5xjQHO5FbpZSoLTP7s0/s1600/painting+of+tractor+cropped.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7C87I-3RC06n2qx1ISI3pH0n-6MbEQRpWPSYezKlWXN2UOUYHI_o2PIOtLbIytGL2tdzEAwkHU4ZylqzE5Bgi4xE3y6_GZKOeZ4yIFmSiSqgKaYRmQLWS2qbn5xjQHO5FbpZSoLTP7s0/s320/painting+of+tractor+cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659327911034106354" /></a><br /><br /><br />The weather has changed, hasn't it. I laid my cut off shorts out a few nights ago, but haven't had them on yet. The thermometer read 37 on Sunday morning at daylight! We put out two more thermometers beside it because we didn't believe it could be so cold. Out came the wool socks, jeans and sweatshirt. The sheep were skipping and bouncing this morning and playing chase with the dogs. Everyone is enjoying the crispness of the air and a renewed appetite. I'm thrilled because now I don't mind turning on the oven to bake some goodies, now I can make a batch of soap and...did someone say plant something in the garden?<br /><br />Here at the farm, we're already planning for the holidays ahead. We sent out the email inviting reservations for turkeys and the response has been huge. The weight of the responsibility is intimidating. I'm praying for blessing and safety on each and every turkey out there so they can be a blessing in return. <br /><br />The painting here was a quick oil study on panel I did last week when the fog filled the yard before the sun climbed over the tree line. I had to work quickly, because the light changed every minute, but sometimes that forces you to make better decisions in the painting process. There's our little tractor, a gift from a customer, awaiting a mower attachment Bill has his heart set on. Maybe by the spring he'll be able to mow down the weeds that make pulling the chicken tractors a challenge. (They have fertilized so well, of course the weeds are happy.)Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-32245950470483521202011-09-16T15:34:00.004-04:002011-09-16T16:27:22.843-04:00Not the woman I thought I was.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuUnsmqz9Lpqt04uM6D4OigtTG5sXrlJwZSXmigcPKBeqaBeu7WiskNCGe1b58mRTGZq9rzWVqMhyphenhyphen9bLKFfsWuNtmADREitPQknXtSyT4pIjpYvdI0PFeoMZ1W1hIO9xrlGe1bagTC-o/s1600/Robin+cover+shot+9-16-11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvuUnsmqz9Lpqt04uM6D4OigtTG5sXrlJwZSXmigcPKBeqaBeu7WiskNCGe1b58mRTGZq9rzWVqMhyphenhyphen9bLKFfsWuNtmADREitPQknXtSyT4pIjpYvdI0PFeoMZ1W1hIO9xrlGe1bagTC-o/s320/Robin+cover+shot+9-16-11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653054939481821298" /></a><br />Okay, so I tried to be the hero. Bill was invited to last weeks Gator game. Of course he had to leave before feeding time, to which I said,"No problem". Then he told me there were visitors coming in an hour, to which I said,"No problem". I really wanted him to take advantage of the opportunity to be with with the guys. Then I realized that our son Micah had truck number two and I would be feeding everything on foot. No problem. I've got this. <br />Kissed hubby good-bye and started feeding baby chicks first. Our farm visitors came and I had a very willing, six-year-old helper for the evening. Everything was cruising along smoothly until it was time to carry the feed up to the hens. We used the wheel barrow to move three 30lb buckets of feed and laughed about how heavy they were. His six-year-old muscles did the watering, and I thought I was Wonder Woman and hoisted the buckets into the air and over the electric fence. No problem. At least that's what I thought. <br /><br />The next morning Bill awoke with a smile on his face with visions of touchdowns in his mind, I awoke with a curve in my spine, a stitch in my side, and a hip that felt like it had been hit by a truck. Of course it was Sunday, so I lay on the couch until Monday to tuck my pretzel shaped body into the truck and go to the chiropractor. <br /><br />He worked me over and said I may be a little stiff for the next day or two. Ha! Stiff didn't begin to describe what felt like a steel hand gripping my bones and twisting my muscles. And the next day happened to be butchering day. Quickly I called a friend with two teenagers familiar with chicken handling and asked them to come catch the batch that was ready. They did a wonderful job and in a half-hour had seventy six portly chickens waiting contentedly in cages by the processing area. The processing day went better than expected, and the next day of packaging was so much better with the help of our friend Theresa. Thank God for Micah. He's done so much extra work to help too. <br /><br />Here we are on Friday, with another visit to the chiropractor behind me and things are looking up. I have been so humbled by the love and prayers sent my way by all our friends. I am truly blessed. Now I just have to remember that I'm NOT Wonder Woman, even if I want to be. (Even if Bill says so.)<br /><br />Just found out that they published a pic of me on the cover of the Newberry/Jonesville Magazine today. If you look closely, you can see the silver bracelets Wonder Woman let me borrow for the picture.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-69837209064069474842011-09-05T13:00:00.002-04:002011-09-05T13:39:26.878-04:00Chicken Adventures<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOyjGuDD3adk0QHwCj0yRIagnPfTUvjA3h8tWkenuG7eZaUaWcSop686DPnbYoLCvajQ9tV_zMjlOv1sa1aRka42WQO3_jg04emxWgZjOJ96XBqdcD2RY-CjOusRWJ1vvXWiomEI015E/s1600/new+chicken+coop+cropped.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOyjGuDD3adk0QHwCj0yRIagnPfTUvjA3h8tWkenuG7eZaUaWcSop686DPnbYoLCvajQ9tV_zMjlOv1sa1aRka42WQO3_jg04emxWgZjOJ96XBqdcD2RY-CjOusRWJ1vvXWiomEI015E/s320/new+chicken+coop+cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648931368198449346" /></a>
<br />The new coop is finally finished. (Thought you would enjoy a picture of the painting I did of it rather than a photo) The nest boxes are in, the perches are up and the door has a latch. Filling it with chickens has not been as easy as we thought. Not all birds go into coma-like states at night, thankfully chickens do. Maybe it's because they can't see well in the dark. Whatever the reason, it give us the advantage after the sun goes down.
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<br />Bill and I became chicken ninjas. We dressed in black, grabbed a flashlight and a carrying cage and headed where we knew they would roost. Some were in the old shelter, some were high up in the surrounding trees. Luckily, the moon was nowhere to be seen. Bill shined the light just enough to see body shapes, then I grabbed them one at a time from their perches. They screamed and squawked as I walked them over to the truck. Bill clipped wing feathers hoping that would be enough to keep them from getting over the electric netting.
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<br />The ones in the trees were a little trickier. Bill set the ladder under them, I weaved through the branches, reaching for two legs. Both the chicken and I would come down off the ladder with leaves, twigs and feathers flying. For two hours we stole the birds from their roosts and placed a total of 142 inside the new shelter. They squawked some more when we unloaded them and they had to figure out where the rest of the night would be spent and who would roost next to whom.
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<br />The next morning, we opened the door. It seemed that there hadn't been any fighting. The two groups of chickens that had fought like crazy were now drinking out of the same waterer. We even opened the door to the older hen's section and they were sharing nicely too. Wow. It looked like the plan worked!
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<br />Then, the clever little devils started taking a jump at the electric netting. They flapped and climbed at the same time and about 15 birds got out again. Now they were all the more wary and harder to catch. We've been catching who we can and clipping the other wing. I caught one yesterday that already had two wings clipped. There's little more I can clip that won't require an operation and stitches!
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<br />So...we are still hunting eggs in the grass, only the dogs are hunting them too and they've figured out all the good hiding places. Most of the time I find empty shells. The ones inside the new area are giving us about 7 dozen a day, and we can find all of them, so all is not lost. I'm thinking maybe the only way to deal with the rebellious is put on my ninja costume again and keep them in solitary confinement. Maybe they'll be reformed. Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-3881383622673213412011-08-09T16:02:00.009-04:002011-08-09T18:24:56.175-04:00Egg Hunt<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdl5r7M-nD9B-GfTmEP-WxmqlEBpdTeYtDD59xo65ibQeXpAlfim5Yz4RThXQJEzt-ASoyJvdk33iePKoOH4HvH5aQmvNMzZkfU5jNapgdZ9mkH8i06RDxGz3EinEriqX4494AYYUmPVs/s1600/egg+hunt+%25285%2529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdl5r7M-nD9B-GfTmEP-WxmqlEBpdTeYtDD59xo65ibQeXpAlfim5Yz4RThXQJEzt-ASoyJvdk33iePKoOH4HvH5aQmvNMzZkfU5jNapgdZ9mkH8i06RDxGz3EinEriqX4494AYYUmPVs/s320/egg+hunt+%25285%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638967599937139746" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2daeWxxLZVAaaIcHEAw-COBw0JNBG55MZb0y29o6anaGm64XMmT3dVZcraiFuYn10FZMq8w1uKdM59XfMVepYaO1OZvd9DeXAYTdSsvyqQBJEi14ySI0RFfWr2Idu_d9y6e0HAMKSWM0/s1600/egg+hunt+%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2daeWxxLZVAaaIcHEAw-COBw0JNBG55MZb0y29o6anaGm64XMmT3dVZcraiFuYn10FZMq8w1uKdM59XfMVepYaO1OZvd9DeXAYTdSsvyqQBJEi14ySI0RFfWr2Idu_d9y6e0HAMKSWM0/s320/egg+hunt+%25283%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638967595982340674" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw0SBia9EaCKdzHjSyQLREkJr-rOux1VfMFYd195s2yUepDWMihpb3Jvlbndo7mvtB4HRk_ox4Uzvt4-JxxDRNrEJPuS4_js4tJ1h5uExSKZtvIxGBv3w5i1MK4psTAVgt_hh4jzPeN8/s1600/egg+hunt+%25282%2529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw0SBia9EaCKdzHjSyQLREkJr-rOux1VfMFYd195s2yUepDWMihpb3Jvlbndo7mvtB4HRk_ox4Uzvt4-JxxDRNrEJPuS4_js4tJ1h5uExSKZtvIxGBv3w5i1MK4psTAVgt_hh4jzPeN8/s320/egg+hunt+%25282%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638967590714708402" /></a>
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSP9Ecqy-Hy_iO0-20isipbuyQFNhL54TBGLUXXBvHEzrNI76iiqJHwrtesPWfWTNkSQ3g3S_LrdnRE3XbNPYUr4iadRt63s5CG0HXsWwFAcd1pffSLPTuEKgDPWkKBxYtb3eg6Eq7eXo/s1600/egg+hunt+%25281%2529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSP9Ecqy-Hy_iO0-20isipbuyQFNhL54TBGLUXXBvHEzrNI76iiqJHwrtesPWfWTNkSQ3g3S_LrdnRE3XbNPYUr4iadRt63s5CG0HXsWwFAcd1pffSLPTuEKgDPWkKBxYtb3eg6Eq7eXo/s320/egg+hunt+%25281%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638967590059664402" /></a>
<br />Those clever chickens! They think they can hide the eggs from us. Well, they're right. We keep finding eggs EVERYWHERE--in the grass, under tarps, in between carrying cages, even under the front steps. No clue as to how old they are either. Bill had the idea of picking up all of the eggs we can find, and then when the hens lay again in the same spots, we will know they are fresh eggs. Great idea except when you pick up all the eggs from one nest, they make another nest somewhere else that you don't find until a week later.
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<br />Of course what we really need is to finish the conversion of the rabbit barn into the new deluxe chicken abode. Bill has worked furiously in the heat and the rain to get it done. All that remains is the door. Then we can lock them all up.(Ha Ha)
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<br />This new group of chickens has been a challenge from the beginning. We bought 200 chicks in the spring. Then sold some, traded some, added to them with ones we hatched on our own, and ended up with about 150. When it came time to move them out of the brooders, we put them in one of the movable coops we normally use for our broilers. Soon they were crowded and we had to separate them into two groups. One wise chicken farmer once said that when you separate, you can never again combine. Well, he was right. They were suddenly two separate flocks, each with their own pecking order. When it came time to move them into the brand new, shiny movable hotel with the new zappy electric netting around it, they immediately initiated war. The smaller ones ran/flew right though the holes of the electric netting leaving the larger bullies in complete ownership of food and water. The smaller ones took refuge in the trees at night and under the shed in the daytime. Of course we gave them their own set of food and water and hoped Lilly the white dog wonder would keep predators at bay. (We'll never know if there were losses, but we haven't seen any piles of feathers.)
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<br />Now, nearing their 5th month, they have surprised us again and begun to lay a earlier than expected. The larger flock has since learned the art of flying over the electric netting so less and less are actually in the space allotted. No, confinement has never been on the minds of these rebellious ones. Since they have begun to make eggs I sense a new attitude in the flock. They are bold, they are brash, they do whatever they want and no one will stop them! I've seen the way they look at me now when I have the feed bucket in hand. I'm just glad they're not more than three pounds.
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<br />However, with all this mixing and matching it seems there is less bullying going on. The roosters have begun to crow and grow beautiful tail feathers, the hens are rounding out into fuller, more mature looking specimens. We are hoping that we can put them together again into one flock. They have to go somewhere. They have been climbing into our trucks if we leave the windows down. The plan is to catch them at night, clip their wings, and let them all wake up together in the new house. I sure would like to prove that wise chicken farmer wrong. I guess we'll see what happens. Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-73694159988856166482011-07-05T17:08:00.004-04:002011-07-05T18:20:24.489-04:00Turkey Independence Day<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEVVQ0HqPadsmXgVrugbJWInL8op2TFoKcfNkOAOqJYHfpRmp8VBVUR9yJ8_y218UwI5JtgngET8vH8CO20rvNc6xDDuns9xCVc9PM44SY3nQkQ8tSFUo6AWVtIdSc5G7Yp0q3yynrj0/s1600/big+turkey.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEVVQ0HqPadsmXgVrugbJWInL8op2TFoKcfNkOAOqJYHfpRmp8VBVUR9yJ8_y218UwI5JtgngET8vH8CO20rvNc6xDDuns9xCVc9PM44SY3nQkQ8tSFUo6AWVtIdSc5G7Yp0q3yynrj0/s320/big+turkey.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625996567884730354" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07UJLfRzKrwXSAWwMSSSKZ8Wbj_3ma6vkntCdVuLFJw5X0-gQ8utFc0yD05wyYoJaR9vp_i60LjbZmrJ1_z30uraXx-KWXN98rH9Hp9qUhopefK1aDoMhswCwlpCbm255PMUdcWqag20/s1600/big+turkey+flock.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07UJLfRzKrwXSAWwMSSSKZ8Wbj_3ma6vkntCdVuLFJw5X0-gQ8utFc0yD05wyYoJaR9vp_i60LjbZmrJ1_z30uraXx-KWXN98rH9Hp9qUhopefK1aDoMhswCwlpCbm255PMUdcWqag20/s320/big+turkey+flock.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625996564205044002" /></a><br /> When we lived in the city, the fourth of July was a night filled with enough booms and crackles and smoke to fill the neighborhood. Even though we lived only five miles from Clearwater Beach where the BIG fireworks go off, that didn't seem to stop everyone on our block from indulging their inner pyro and lighting off their own private display. When our kids were little, we just walked down a few driveways and watched the neighbors set off $100.00 worth. So it didn't bother us at all when our new neighbors in the country decided to have an impressive sky show of their own this year. We just turned up the volume on the tv and enjoyed our movie. However, if we had taken a peek outside we would have seen 42 out of 43 turkeys trample the electric netting, and take off into the night. <br /> The thought did cross my mind during the movie that we should at least check on them. Bill casually said that there couldn't possibly be any danger of predators with all the noise and flashing lights going on. He was right. No coyote, fox, raccoon, bobcat, panther, or armadillo were anywhere near our place. At around 11pm our neighbors had finished and something prompted Bill to grab a flashlight. That's when I learned of the only one remaining turkey in the corral. We quickly passed out flashlights. Thankfully our son and daughter-in-law were with us so we had extra help. We scattered into the darkness criss-crossing our beams of light. Bill and Ben found the first 16 birds bedded down near the clothesline. My heart sank. I didn't think the flock would separate. I hoped we would recover more.<br /> We scattered again and I headed toward the woods. There, in the thick grass and weeds were more birds. When they saw the light, they lifted their heads and started cooing. I quickly counted. Yes. All were there. Now, how does one pick up and move 42turkeys in the dark without scaring them, injuring them, or injuring ourselves? A third of them already weigh close to 20lbs and can kick and flap with more strength than you would expect. <br /> Bill brought the pickup truck in slowly. We turned out all the flashlights except one. Danielle, our daughter-in-law held that one as we slowly moved through the flock. One at a time we loaded about ten into the bed of the truck. Micah, our youngest son climbed in, and he and I held our arms around the birds while Bill drove us back to the turkey net. It took about four trips to get them all back in. Then we realized that Lilly, our new puppy was missing too. She would have been with us "helping". Once again, the flashlight brigade scattered into the darkness calling her name. She had either hidden herself very well, or was missing from the property. I had seen Lilly's stubborn streak before, so I knew there would be no coaxing her out of hiding. I'd have to wait until morning. I went out at dawn the next day and was greeted by her smiling face. Thank God she was okay. She seemed unaffected by the previous nights escapades and started the day with her wagging tail like always. Bill and I breathed a prayer of thanks and a promise to ourselves to be prepared for next year. <br />Hope your 4th of July was spectacular!Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2721613957102376333.post-38803170150228835452011-06-03T15:24:00.005-04:002011-06-03T16:18:50.459-04:00Staying Coooooool<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPvuRrPr7Uy4O7UMY6sXIH-ntqyHJycMAK6NIuCDWl11bVmjw_v4MmY3CvxWe_sGGeqcqMXnzMMf8bTszLvZ4DZ2dQAKRclJ1t9fcRPufwISADy83gDPI_a969Nwf9uqWs8psG0PiQyo/s1600/turkeys+and+carrots+%25285%2529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPvuRrPr7Uy4O7UMY6sXIH-ntqyHJycMAK6NIuCDWl11bVmjw_v4MmY3CvxWe_sGGeqcqMXnzMMf8bTszLvZ4DZ2dQAKRclJ1t9fcRPufwISADy83gDPI_a969Nwf9uqWs8psG0PiQyo/s320/turkeys+and+carrots+%25285%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614089831038744898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIvjbXB9lUtm8DaIAS-NiKbtQq5lpk65ZXtdNJ7DyEhBU3xI-YsKVPHtFw9_5GKuS5NtjzFN6IYYYup2Gw3NfU07RbUb78h186YjJID9jBlGEYHcQcIMKmdcFZkU9P8gzNaowqzoyY0c/s1600/turkeys+and+carrots+%25288%2529.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIvjbXB9lUtm8DaIAS-NiKbtQq5lpk65ZXtdNJ7DyEhBU3xI-YsKVPHtFw9_5GKuS5NtjzFN6IYYYup2Gw3NfU07RbUb78h186YjJID9jBlGEYHcQcIMKmdcFZkU9P8gzNaowqzoyY0c/s320/turkeys+and+carrots+%25288%2529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614089826298739138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDLarjKFL-Y4Tj0oOyv9iCoIAxLcSwi89sp3AujDglRtbnteZ7EKIFb1TfE3wYZxLABjUOOe0GPExhNi-jHbWlrZ9y7ozvr8AdSC4HO7YJVRAJ7R3v5PiEgMUXYZNIJipZ29wAXCOBxU/s1600/ducks.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDLarjKFL-Y4Tj0oOyv9iCoIAxLcSwi89sp3AujDglRtbnteZ7EKIFb1TfE3wYZxLABjUOOe0GPExhNi-jHbWlrZ9y7ozvr8AdSC4HO7YJVRAJ7R3v5PiEgMUXYZNIJipZ29wAXCOBxU/s320/ducks.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614089816748034498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCsN2NYORXnBS5Oue9m3zPTPxFCQUDSbFqq9bM_cZiOCWsxghkpw3QCAuPS4Pagzg4iiN-BmQkvmla8iC9jgf-Q9Ueor69wiwA_kgFIPRe8bPSfTUyDEFShXVbgLpOETay0qoga_JQr4/s1600/lilly+on+ice.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCsN2NYORXnBS5Oue9m3zPTPxFCQUDSbFqq9bM_cZiOCWsxghkpw3QCAuPS4Pagzg4iiN-BmQkvmla8iC9jgf-Q9Ueor69wiwA_kgFIPRe8bPSfTUyDEFShXVbgLpOETay0qoga_JQr4/s320/lilly+on+ice.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5614089813996748834" /></a><br />Was last summer this hot? Laughing Chicken Farm has become panting chicken farm in the mid-afternoons. Thankfully, we do cool off at night to a nice, less than 60ish temp. But in the heat of the day I've seen our thermometer read over 100. That being said, we are doing our best to keep everyone comfortable and hydrated. Our well water comes from an underground spring pocket so when I refill the animal waterers in the afternoon, the chickens splash and dunk their heads in it. They love to lounge under the hanging waterer and lay on the damp ground.<br /><br />Today we moved the first two batches of turkeys out to the TRV (Turkey Roosting Vehicle). One and two at a time, Bill and I carried them by hand across the pasture to the new corral. This all started around 11am when the sun is almost full strength. What were we thinking? Too many trips later, covered in sweat, turkey poo and feathers, we got all 30 into their new shady quarters. Of course they just gawked at us and stood in the sun, but slowly they made their way under the roof and into the shade. The first group of 15 has about a month to go before harvest day, but I think they are over ten pounds already.<br /><br />Our flock of new layers are doing well, but not blending together as we had hoped. We brooded 25 of them separately two weeks apart, and they have decided to stay segregated. It's like rival gangs. The big girls take over the watering station and hang out by the feeders. They peck the little ones on the heads when they get close so I have to set up different watering and feed troughs. At night, the little girls sneak in and join the flock, but then run out as soon as daylight comes. We had them surrounded by the poultry net, but the little ones could fit through the holes, so now they all are running around free. At least they are getting lots of foraging area. They haven't found the garden yet, thankfully.<br /><br />Speaking of the garden, I pulled up what I thought were sorry little failed carrots only to find that several had actually gotten big enough to bite. We've never grown carrots before. I haven't tasted them yet so I'm not sure if they were a success or not. The heat has withered and bolted many of the garden's first plantings. I'm thinking I'll save the seeds so I let the mustard, cilantro, and arugula go to flowers. The ducks are sharing the space too so they get to enjoy the plants when they are pulled up. I tossed them green bean plants today. They stay cool with lots of water to dunk in and shade to get under. Most of their quacking is morning and afternoon when the day cools off. These are Giant Pekins. Sure they're beautiful, but dumb as dirt. Chicken Little should have been a duck because they all run around and think the sky is falling! I've already started a small flock of Muscovys. Everyone I've talked to about it says they are much better to manage, and actually get bigger then the Giants. Plus they have the added bonus of hatching out their own babies. Can't wait for that one!<br /><br />Of all the other animals here, I think Lilly has the best idea for cooling off. Every Tuesday and Wednesday after processing and packing the chickens Bill dumps the ice from the coolers on the ground. Lilly rolls in it, lays on it, eats it and throws it in the air. She makes it look so good, I sometimes want to join her. So I've included a picture of "Lilly on Ice" and hopefully it will make facing the heat easier for all of us.Laughing Chicken Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00092196518251487470noreply@blogger.com0