Here, chick, chick, chick!

 

I wasn’t expecting the chicks today, but they arrived today.  No worries, though, we had all the supplies ready to go and it only took Eric and Dash 15 minutes to get the brooder set up.  By the time I returned from the post-office, everything was in place. 

This year, we are raising the Cornish Rock X for meat.  To supplement the laying flock, 5 Barred Rock and 5 Buff Orpington were added to the order.  All arrived lively and ready to eat/drink.  They do have wing feathers coming in, so they are not ‘brand’ new; thank goodness they all arrived safely. 

The Cornish Rock X are a lighter yellow and are distinguishable from the Buff Orpington in that the Buff’s have a slightly darker, more orange coloring.  The Barred Rocks are black.

They will live in their water tank brooder for 2-3 weeks and then be moved to the Wahoo.  Last year the chicks were separated into two brooders, and then joined together in a large cardboard enclosure in our house garage while we worked on the Wahoo.  They weren’t moved out until they were about 4 weeks, maybe 5 weeks, old.  They made a mess … dust all over everything.  So, the Wahoo is ready this year, and the goal is to move them out sooner.

Only Louis was out to see the chicks while they were introduced to the brooder.  Angelina, Zeke, and Graham are still under the weather.  Dash, the resident 14yo, was doing his schoolwork (I think!) and this is old-hat.  Louis wasn’t sure what to make of all the noise … he thought they were super cute, though, and chattered away while I worked to introduce them to water and chick feed.

Ahhh, it’s so much fun to have babies around the farm yard!

 

*I wrote this post days ago and am just now getting it posted, but last week was nuts!!  Sick kids, lots of laundry, baby birds, prepping for the weekend, travel and meetings on Thursday, it never ends, does it??  It’s all generally good, but hectic.  I’m sure you can relate.

Wordless Wednesday

 

My Un-To-Do List

1.  Hung 5 framed pictures (they’d been stacked against the wall for over 2 years)

2.  Washed two shower curtains

3.  Replanted seedlings

4.  Trimmed  dead/broken branches and second leaders off all the trees in our tree rows

5.  Took out the summer clothes and sorted out too small (or old) clothing for the three youngest boys and myself

6.  Purchased herbs for the kids’ 4-H projects

7.  Ordered a rabbit nest box and a stacking cage system (yes, one of our rabbits will be kindling in about two weeks time).

8. Registered Dash for football camp in June.

9. And, the last minute addition… lots of laundry – the result of sick kids.  Praying the remainders remain healthy!

They’re back!

The last time pigs lived on Green Acre Farms, Dash was not quite two years old and our family was still living in NE.

Tonight, Eric brought home four feeder pigs (purchased at a sale last week) for our kids’ 4-H projects, and later on a fellow 4-Her brought out her recently purchased pig.  Her pig is HUGE compared to our four, even though there is only about a month’s difference in their birthdates.  Pigs can grow 2 to 2.5 lbs per day – it shows.

I, personally, have a lot to learn about pigs.  For my husband and his father, this is small fry compared to what they used to grow on the farm.  Smaller is good, in my opinion.  My husband is leaning toward ‘acquiring’ a few more!  Go figure … we all are drawn to what we know.

The kids could hardly wait to get home from TKD to see their piglets.  As soon as we pulled in the garage they hopped out, donned rubber boots and carharts, and ran out the door up to the barn.  I had to get my camera and didn’t care to run through the mud.

My silly kids are already talking about bacon.  We’ve talked about naming the pigs … Hamalina (Angelina’s), Bacon (Zeke’s), Porkchop (Dash’s), Speedy (Graham’s) … I guess they won’t get too attached that way.

Monday DayLook: May 2, 2011

Happy May … Mary’s month of May!

Looking out from my back porch... those grass seeds that were sown last fall are finally starting to make the yard look a little green.  The trees are showing faint swelling at the tips, so are showing signs of coming forth in life, too.  There are at least two sets of Mallard ducks who’ve chosen the slough in our backyard to be their home pond, so hope to see babies in the future. 

I am thankful for... warmth and sun.  Even if we didn’t have these two wonderful ‘things’, it’s warm enough now for the kids to go outside, for which I am so VERY thankful!

I am reading… my County Living Encyclopedia by Carla Emery.  This is a fascinating reference; I refer to it often for answering questions in wide range of topics.

I am hearing... squeaky chairs and clicking of the computer keyboard.

I am wearing… a t-shirt and capris.

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… I did cross a few items off my to-do list:  mended Angelina’s denim skirt and my grey pants.  In addition, I serged the edge of some ‘messy’ velour type fabric so it could be pre-washed. 

From the school room... we are so much closer to the end of the formal school year.  Both Angelina and Dash will need about another month and a half to finish up Latin, but all else should be completed by mid-May.  I do plan to have a few subjects continue through the summer:  Math, Keyboarding, Computer Science, Art for Zeke and Graham in the form of a Lapbook.

From the kitchen... mini-chocolate chip scones and maple pecan scones.

From the garden… planted all  the onions in the SFG’s last week.  It felt great to get in the dirt, so-to-speak.  Yes, they survived the snowfall this past weekend.

A successful moment… last week, I was not confident about the outcome of two meetings in which I had a role.  Thankfully, they ended on better terms than I had hoped.

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday:  Eric is  picking up-the kids’ 4-H pigs today.  The kids have Tae Kwon Do.

Tuesday –Wednesday:  No special plans for these days.  Eric may pick up our sheep and it’s time to make sure all the chick supplies are set up and in order. 

Thursday:   Meeting in Fargo for me, the kids also have TKD.  The chicks are due to arrive this morning.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday:   Eric’s RE class receives their sacraments of Confirmation and !st Eucharist on Saturday.  Sunday is the parish celebration for these students.  Happy Mother’s Day, too!

A picture memory...

Louis having fun spreading a mess … thank goodness big sister will help clean up while mom snaps pictures.

17/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

 

My little seeds turned into sprouts and then grew into the ‘first true leaf’ stage!  The egg carton sections weren’t big enough anymore, to it was time for a larger ‘home’ and more dirt.  Most now have two true leaves and are working on more.  They’re doing great!  I didn’t think this would be so easy to do.

Graham received some shrinky dinks in his Easter basket.  He had great fun coloring them, but everyone enjoyed watching the shrinking.  I was worried I’d done something wrong (I had this gift on hand for a couple years … started to wonder if shrinky dinks can get old!) because it took quite a bit more time than stated in the directions for the all pieces to shrink and then lay flat.  But, it all turned out ok, and Graham chose to put a magnet on them and decorate my frig and file cabinet.  Cool craft for a 4yo.