Chicken Stuff and a Loss

Yesterday, we did some remodeling in the chicken yard. 

Actually, we are moving a lot of stuff around here. 

This is what a chicken yard in use for 8 years looks like.  There ARE trees growing in there, but that's about it. 

This, above, is the Ware Chick'n Hutch that used to sit in the 4 x 4 pen.  I used it for two seasons for juvenile chickens.  It's shot.  S.H.O.T.  The only reason we left it in there was for shade.  And the hutch, above... a determined raccoon could have torn it to pieces if it had not been inside the pen. 

This is the four x four pen we took it from.  The tarp on it was shifted from the pasture pen, and as you see here, is full of the lovely one inch rain we got last night.  

I got it out of there... because we are expecting lots more rain!  Yee ha! 

My point in showing you this, though, is that the chickens need shade in the hot summer, and I created shade in this pen, where they have scratched and burrowed into the earth. 

 We are up to three chicks in the nursing cage... Nugget is still on her eggs, but I have slim hopes of any others hatching. 

The third chick is very viable, and very light yellow (and hidden).  The chick on the right in the above picture is the first chick, and kind of a chick-bully.  The second chick I am not so sure of... it has had water twice (when I dunked it) but is hiding under Nugget with the one born today. 

Nugget is ravenously hungry and thirsty... and I have held the chick waterer up to her numerous times so she could get her fill of water. 

I'm pouring chick starter and putting bread in front of her, too. 

These chicks are eating and drinking.  

This cracks me up.  There is a red hen and a black hen trying to get in the same nest to lay. 

Guess what?  There is already a hen in there! 

This makes me feel good... because the two white roosters, One and Two, and their little hens, spent the last six months in the rafters, or on top of the closet in the henhouse.  Now they are venturing outside again, and I'm glad to see that.  You can sure see the Japanese Bantam in them.   That's Speedy, the OEG, with them. 

And here's what Keith was working on over Sunday.  It's the framework for the front of the barn.  He'll fix the roof, and close a gap at the ground on the side, after he sheathes this.  The two small parts at the top on either side will be windows, covered with hardware cloth, and then heavy plastic in winter.  The door in the larger opening will be a dutch door.  The llama feeder will be cleaned out and used again. 

And now... a word about one of my childhood heroines who died today...

I can't tell you how my sister and I used to rush home from school to watch Jimmy Dodd, Roy, and all the Mousketeers, but especially, Annette.  She truly was America's Sweetheart, and as she said, she was not the cutest, the prettiest, the most talented... she just had that Something.  I had curly hair, and I wanted to be just like her, and maybe she's the reason I went on to love theater so much. 

Even when she "grew up"... and I was not allowed to see Beach Party movies by my strict dad... she was the reason I actually snuck out with friends and watched her with guilty pleasure as she sang with Frankie Avalon in her two piece suit.  (Yes, Daddy, I DID it!) 

Later on, as she persevered with MS... she was even more of a heroine. 

Annette Funicello, say hi to my sister when you get there, will you? 

We'll sure miss you here. 

That's it for today at Calamity Acres.