Happiness... and Sadness, Too

I took the above video on the first, and posted it to 

Instagram and Facebook, saying that "It was scenes like 

this that make me happy", Biddy and her contented little family, 

and the other chickens scratching underneath the feeding area. 

Yesterday morning, I came out to find the two tiny babies alone, 

pecking the ground outside the hen yard, which is locked up at night. 

Biddy spent one night in the doghouse in the henyard, and then took the 

babies back to her original hidden nest below the little hen 

house. 

She was gone.  What I feared most was the babies disappearing, 

and was trying to be brave and let nature take it's course, because 

I don't need any more chickens here. 

Instead, good mama Biddy was taken. 

I found only feathers. 

Later in the day, I found this, under the maple tree:

Sorry for the gross picture.  It's Biddy's head and neck. 

I believe it was either a raccoon who went under the little hen house to get her... 

or an owl, who swooped down when she came out early in the morning. 

I have a camera on the hen house now, and will fence around the back and sides so 

that no one else is encouraged to lay or even go under there. 

I caught one chick early, and the other got away.  Some of you will understand what 

that did to me... we were in the upper nineties, again, and over 100 heat index.  I worried myself sick 

all day, and assumed the other chick would die and I would have ONE tiny chick in a brooder alone. 

Last night, the chick followed a hen out of the hen yard, and I was able to come up behind it and net it. 

They are both safe in the brooder now, but every time I open the door for food and 

water, one flies out, so.... I have to shut the pophole, and both doors, to be safe. 

I have a large enough water fount that I should only have to do it morning and 

evening. 

Here is a look at the Gold Comets and some of the Black Stars.  They are doing VERY well in the little hen house. 

This morning, little cockerel Singleton crowed for the first time, and I am going to try to 

get a short video of it today.  You will laugh. 

The two Cochin pullets have feathered out nicely. 

Granddaughter Paiton took her lesson horse, Ice, 

clear around the arena this week in her lesson.   She is learning to 

master posting, and two of the young girls helping at the barn this summer took her 

under their wings, and spent time teaching her how to untack and brush down her 

horse, and to clean and re-hang the tack in the tack room.  It was better for them 

to show her, hands on, than the coach just talking through everything while she did it. 

Paiton is very calm around the horses.  

Grandma loves watching her. 

This has been Jester, these last few days.  It is just so 

stinking hot out, and smush-faced dogs do not belong out in it. 

Once in a while, they HAVE to get out. 

Lilly laid on the deck for a while in the heat of the day, yesterday. 

I don't let her stay out but for a few minutes, either. 

Not sure what these are, I got them for a dollar, but the 

variety is Indian Summer.  Going to look them up, as I love them. 

The picture does not do them justice.  

I have more straw being delivered on Friday, and am going to put some more 

on the garden beds. 

This lamb was one of the last two to come here, about 8 weeks ago, She and her partner 

are still scared to death of me, though they come a little closer every day. 

She's a pretty little thing. 

The stuff on her nose is loose minerals, I bought a bag for them this week, and they have all 

been licking them. 

I went out to do morning chores and found destruction on the deck. 

DARN chickens!  They did it quietly, too, after I had watered yesterday. 

I had to run to Walmart for something this morning and got some 

six packs on sale for a dollar, so will replant them after I dry out. 

Yes, it's that hot. 

The buns around here eat as well as the rest of us. 

They can be found at the foot of the maple (where I leave seed for them and the squirrels) 

and at the foot of the bird feeding station, morning and evening.  I have never seen so many as this year... but I credit that to the fact Lilly can no longer chase them. 

Everyone, friend and furriends, have a happy and safe Fourth of July!