Making Hay While the Sun Shines

We recently had four days of steady rain, with some storms, 

after months of little moisture.  

My place, and the animals, got waterlogged. 

Today is a beautiful autumn day, and the temp finally got to 50, so 

I decided to clean out the little hen house, and the old hen house, and re-bed the Hen Spa. 

Seven Thirty this morning, and the skies were finally clearing. 

Sadly, clouds came back over within the hour. 

But, by 12:30, we were back to sun. 

I decided I had better get some work done on the henhouses while we had a decent day. 

I found this girl laying in the little hen house.  She is one of the Black Star 

production layers, and I suspected some of them were laying now.  I know one 

is going into the Hen Spa to lay.  However, now that I know this.... I realize my 

old girls are really, really beginning to slack off. 

I just realized I only took one picture of their house,  and since it is 8 x 10, 

it took only minutes to scoop it all out and put it in the little red wagon.  Then I ran it over to the compost heap and unloaded.  I then drove the wagon to the hay shed, and loaded up on fresh straw, 

and went back and bedded it down. 

The pullets/hens will be happy tonight when they go in. 

Then, on to the old henhouse.  You will note the back pophole is shut... when the sheep first came, 

they tore through the dilapidated fencing around the old hen yard, and I got a bid to replace everything that came in at 4,000.00.  Uh, no.  So... the sheep began to come up the pophole, eat the feed, and come into the yard on their own, so I can't leave that hole open, but only the one on the side (the right of this picture).  I have plans to get cattle panels and attach them to the precariously-leaning walls of the hen yard, but getting the panels HERE is the problem. 

Re-bedded and smells SO much better. 

I also took the opportunity to get a lot of flotsam and jetsam that had accumulated there and in the porch of the old hen house over the summer, and remove it to the barn. 

Fans got put away today, for sure. 

The compost heap, after I had finished.  The hens and Singleton came over to 

start working it, minutes later. 

There are some planters and gardening stuff stored at the back of the old garage (where I keep the mower) which is right behind the compost heap.  While I was emptying the cart, I heard a loud squawk. 

I went around the corner to have one of the Cornish hens come running out like a crazy thing... and I found that!  

However... it was cold, and she had been going to lay another. 

I disturbed her. 

I'm such a sap, I went back and put straw in the planting box.  She is out there now. 

She is the one who laid in the planter on the porch this summer. 

Back to the old hen house for a minute... there is a gap between the inside 

step (to get out the popholes) and the wall.  In the old days, the little bantams 

used to lay down in that gap... so I put some straw down there today to encourage 

them to do it.  Only three hens are laying in there, and 11 sleep in there. 

Please notice the feather extending from Lilly's mouth, and the studious way she 

is avoiding my lecture. 

The bird got away, but it was close. 

Lookin' pretty good for just cleaning two hen houses. 

Gratuitous picture of the two drakes in the sun, because I stopped to fill their pool under the walnut tree. 

Since I had the wagon hooked up, I decided to go get the rest of a bale of straw, 

and I drove it over to the Hen Spa.  I had just cleaned it out six weeks ago, so 

I put the fresh straw on the old, and made it deeper.  

Those girls will have a good time tonight, too. 

I snuck back into the old hen house to see what was happening after I unhooked the wagon and parked the tractor in the garage (scared the darn Cornish hen again!). 

Two of the girls were already at work! 

Update on Abby

Here's the farm helper at the vet this morning... she has spent the day there. 

I want to thank ALL of you for your kind comments about her condition, and also, for the encouragement 

you have given me about handling her illness. 

The diagnosis explains so very much... the constant urination, the thirtstiness. 

I am a type two diabetic myself, so I should have realized. 

You just don't like to think of your "children" being ill. 

I'll be picking her up in a bit. 

After I dropped Abby off, I went back to the new house and picked up 

Lil.  Lilly Ann and Ranger rarely went anywhere in the car... but she is getting used to hopping into the back and going with me now to do chores and to work at the old place.  She checks out her pasture as soon as we get there. 

When I finished in the henspa, I stood on the steps and looked around for her.  The wind is blowing like a hurricane today, so I took some tie-wraps and zip tied the shadecloth where it had come loose on the side.  When I turned around, I looked down, and there was Lil, looking for mice! 

However, this is where she spent most of the windy day.  I was surprised, because I was there about four hours, and she spent the whole time in different places on the porch, instead of under the deck as she usually does.  I have noticed something else... she does not really like to go in her old house... she crept in once today, looked around for a minute, and went right back out.  Of course, it DOES smell of cleaner right now. 

This was one of the projects for today, and I must say... we had so very few cabinets there... 

but I managed to get them VERY clean... except for the one under the sink.  I can't show it to you... it was awful.  80,000 mouse "pills".  Keith is getting me some masks to wear tomorrow and I am wearing long gloves... and going to clean it on my hands and knees.  Disgusting.  We didn't use that cabinet while we lived there.  

I have the laundry room finished (there were storage cabinets and shelves in there) and the deep closet in our room... the office room, which was a small third bedroom.  The bathroom is 95% clean, but I am still going to wash down the walls.  They are covered with some product that cannot be painted... we don't know the name of it... but it is like a washable surface that was hung in panels, only you can't hammer anything into it... it bounces it off. 

Keith stopped there for a minute right after I left for the day... and asked me about the sacks and boxes in the living room and kitchen.  Some are donations that I will take to the thrift store on Friday... most are trash.  I am being RUTHLESS!  

I'm also making progress. 

It is so windy out that we can't move anything today... too risky.  We'll make a trash run Saturday. 

With the trideum fast approaching, I am going to be going to church services on 

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and of course, Sunday morning, so cleaning may slow down a bit. 

I hope to be painting within a week or so, though. 

I started this post several hours ago, before I went to get Abby. 

She is home from the vet, but first we stopped at the old place so we could close the birds up. 

She was glad to see "her" yard.  

Yes, she is walking tentatively. 

Right after I took this picture, she squatted and peed about a gallon. 

The diabetes causes the excessive urination... but, I think she also had been holding it, because

she went number two twice, and remember, she had been in a small cage at 

the vet's all day. 

You can see here how thirsty she was... and yes, I need to clean that water fortex out! 

We are expecting lots of rain tomorrow, so I'll wait until after. 

Here's the odd thing... the chickens that are left in the old henhouse are not coming outside.  I think the wild birds must be drinking some of this. 

Thank you all so much for your prayers, and the POTP... The Power of the Paw is so strong... and the good thoughts coming our way... we felt them yesterday, and we know that the future will be 

good for Abby and for all of us. 

Cleaning the Chicken House

Okay, not the favorite farm chore around here, but it has to be done at least twice a year. The chickens don't like a buildup of smell and filth any better than we do. After weeks of finding excuses to put it off, I decided to tackle it the hottest Sunday afternoon of the year so far.

After five or six trips with my little yard cart to the flower beds, the deed was done. Things sure smelled better! Fresh straw was spread lightly, and by Monday night, the chickens had spread it out well. I'm going to refrain from tossing grain on the floor of the chicken house, and they can eat it out of their feeder, though Mr. T has been keeping the mice down. Six months before I have to do it again!