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November 29, 2007

Farm Life

I am finally feeling a lot better about losing my job. I found this week that I could actually complete some projects!

I have been working on building nesting boxes and installing it on the outside of the coop for - um - awhile. Yesterday, I finished it! And I was very please to see that 2 of the hens figured out what it was and laid their eggs there, only the bedding was not thick enough for one egg - it was cracked at the end, so I have added more stuff to the boxes. The chickens really like to relax in these old planters I have - they seem to like the cocoa fiber that lines the planters, so I took the liner out of one of them and put it in the nesting area.

I have been spoiling the fowl - it was only 22 degrees this morning, so I made them a whole bunch of hot oatmeal with milk and sugar - they loved it!!

Actually, they love just about everything. What's very handy is that I no longer have to worry about trimming the grass around the house or barn - the chickens have done it all for me!

Satchmo has learned to climb the steps to the deck. When he wants me to come out, he crows from the deck. I swear, the bird grins at me!

The temperature got up to 47 degrees today, and it is nicely sunny. I replaced the weather stripping on the back door this afternoon - the old stuff was as brittle as glass. I think the new should really help with the draftiness. I still need to do the door to the garage, the front door and the door from outside to the garage. I have not checked the door from the basement to outside yet, so I guess I'll check that.

We have new French Doors in the bedroom - they seem to have a pretty tight seal, so I'll not worry about them - the windows, however, are very drafty. I have been putting off putting up the quilted curtains( I got the red floral) I got at great expense because Plow and Hearth screwed up and only sent one curtain rod. I finally just went to Wal-Mart and got a couple of very nice curtain rods for less than half of what Plow and Hearth charges for theirs. I love the stuff Plow and Hearth carries, but I'm not impressed with their customer service!!

And I will, of course, buy more from them in the future.

John is a bit chagrined that my decorating desires have turned kinda countryish. Well, darn, we are in the country now! So, even though I have fallen in love with chickens and roosters (Venomous Kate will laugh so hard at this!), I will not buy the quilted rooster wall-hanging that would be perfect on the wall in the hearth room across from the fireplace.

I do want to remove the ivy border in the hearth room - and I'd like to paint this room eventually. And naturally, I want to paint it RED!!!!! But I need to do much outside first.

I only have 4 chickens and two hens and I'm already planning to add to the flock in the spring. I figure I'll double the size of the Chicken Run and build a real 8x10 building and put the big chickens there, and my current coop can be converted to use as a brooder and as a coop for Satchmo and other bantams that I need to get to keep him company, and the guineas, of course, assuming they are still coming in every night.

I am sure I can sell the fresh eggs from free range chickens who leave the chicken runs early every morning and don't return until about 4 pm at night.

Also, all my chickens have names - I think it would be fun to have a picture of them on the egg cartons with their names. If it doesn't cost too much!

I have not yet gone for my daily walk, so I'm going to head out now and check on the horses. Major has a black pregnant mare who was looking a little wobbly earlier, she is getting pretty big. I don't know when her due date is, but if she looks to be in labor, I'll bring her into the barn.

Posted by Beth at November 29, 2007 2:58 PM

Comments

Posted by: John of Argghhh! at November 29, 2007 6:38 PM