The Newest Baby

Here's Kelly, the third wether that will be coming to us in a few weeks. 

We visited him this afternoon, when Carol, his Grandmaaaa was kind enough to show us how to give shots and trim feet.  We loaded Kody and Kaycee in their now almost-too-small carrier and took them over to Carol's.  I don't have pictures of the actual shots... whew... I had forgotten how loudly Kody could scream... and Kaycee took his shot with hardly a ruffle.  I found out we need to quit feeding so much milk, and encourage them to eat browse, grass and hay.  They are pooping well, like big boys, now, so Carol told us that they ARE getting some browse in them. 

That's Kelly behind his two sisters.  That's his Maa on her way back up the hill. 

Here he is, a little closer to the camera.  He'll be nice in contrast to the darker Kody and Kaycee. 

This is the cockerel I showed you yesterday.  Notice the dark band of feathers around his flanks? 

Hmmmmm.

The putative father, Buddy. 

Notice the dark band? 

He's a bantam, but that doesn't stop him.  There are five or six red hens that he has... uh... married. 

Don't look now, but here are the freshly trimmed and booster-shot Kody and Kaycee IN THE PASTURE. 

As of today, when we are home, they can be loose in the pasture, after Lilly has checked for predators each morning. 

They are getting collars this week, and are graduating to "big boy" status.  They are coming along nicely. 

Focus on Ranger, not on the mess and stains, plesae.  

This is what I found when I came in from getting the eggs. 

The big boy, usually so gentle and obediant, had gotten on the counter, grabbed the chicken in the bowl up there... broken the old bowl (antique, of course, but I use antiques all the time)... and was calmly guarding and eating his chicken, despite Lilly laying ten feet from him.  He must have really wanted it.  

I had to laugh. 

We have another game tonight, I am not sure how we ended up with so many in one week, so I'll close now and go get cleaned up.  

Heat index is over 100. Whew. 

Hot, Hot, Hot

And hotter yet to come this coming week. 

Keith under the weather with the heat. 

Here's the south end of the three little chicks.  They have all turned out very well, for being the only chicks born here this year.  

I'm satisfied with all three of them. 

Hard to get them to hold still to get their pictures taken, but oddly, they are not petrified of me. 

The two pullets, white and red, are nice looking birds. 

The cockerel...

Is nicely shaped, but I don't think he is out of Rambo.  That tell-tale band of darker feathers around his middle looks very much like another bantam.  One of the red hens is his mama, though. 

I'll try to find a picture of the putative daddy and see if you agree. 

Under the weather or no, we are off to the T Bones for the evening.  We've sat through games in 106 degree heat, so we think we can bear this for a few hours. 

A Surprise for Me

Last night we got a call from son Jeff, who lives in Independence, MO, about fifty miles from us.  Jeff rarely is able to come over... he works at a large grocery store and works long hours, he has been there a long time.  He wondered if he could not come for a few days for a visit, and boy, did I say YES.  I went over to get him this morning.   He does not have internet service where he lives, so despite asking if he'd like to see a movie, go out to dinner, etc. etc... he basically wanted to hang out, use the internet to play some games (he's only 42 this year!) and just be around us and the animals.

 

So, he came out to help me with chores this evening, and was promptly (and literally) chased out of the henyard!

Jackson was not kidding... he put on his full panoply... stuck his neck out, and gobbled his heart out, while coming fast straight at Jeff.    Jeff suggested (!) that I wait for Keith to help me with the waterers, as I was feeling a little puny today.

 

 

When you are not used to large birds, they can be very intimidating.   Jackson has big feet, and a LOUD gobble!

 

While this was going on, there was also a lot of crowing going on:

 

 

From this Mille Fleur d'Uccle and....

And this Porcelain D'Uccle, amongst about ten others. 

 

Both of these little guys were tested Tuesday, and were to go to a swap tomorrow... but we are now expecting (80% Chance) rain tomorrow... including storms.... so I am going to stay home and will have to establish a batchelor pad in the little henyard when I move the hens over. 

 

I may not be commenting/blogging much over the weekend, with Jeff here and using the computer... so everyone have a great weekend!

 

A Quick Post

Quick tonight.  I have not talked about it, but three weeks ago I tried to wear heels for the first time in over a year, and fell out of them gracefully (NOT!) at work.  Thank heavens I landed on carpet, because falling is one of my biggest fears.  I knew as soon as I came to rest that I had done something to the back that was just feeling better after several epidural injections. 

I found out today from the doctor that I had caused soft tissue damage, and it was causing muscle spasms.  No wonder it has hurt to walk or even to sleep in the last 3 weeks!  I will be having another epidural soon, and I have muscle relaxers to take at night if I am in a lot of pain. 

I am afraid of falling on the farm, and afraid of laying there with no one finding me for hours, so I try to be careful as I do chores.  I once had a neighbor at the old Calamity Acres who fell down her basement stairs one morning... by a miracle of God, her son stopped at home on his lunch hour, and found her hurt at the bottom of the stairs, calling 911.  I've tried always to be careful since that time.   I think this is a concern for any farmer, hobby or "real". 

Here are some things I saw tonight:

Inca and Aztec, laying just inside the pasture gate.

Welsummer cockerel, tried to mount one of the pullets tonight... time for him to leave the juvenile pen.

The larger of the two Mille Fleur cockerels... he has muffs, which you can't see from this angle.

Clouds in the sky over the pasture this evening.  Fortunately, they were breaking up.  Folks upriver, however, have much to worry about in the next few days.  Keith believes (and he works in emergency management) that there will be literally a tsunami coming down the Missouri River if they keep releasing as much water from the dams upstream as they are.  He is worried that not just a few, but many towns will suffer as a result.  Please say a prayer for all the folks about to be hit in the next few days.

The Mighty Has Fallen

Rambo, our big Buff Orpington rooster, was adopted from the Olathe Animal Control four summers ago. Already mature, he was scaring the ACOs in the shelter. Husband went to get him after he was seen on Petfinder, and walked into the cage where he was kept, gently picking him up from his roost, and holding him close to his chest. "We'll take him," he told the ACOs, and for the ridiculously cheap adoption fee of $5.00, the best rooster came home with him. Despite spurs so long that our vet finally sawed them off for us (without a complaint from Rammy) he has been the Cock of the Walk at Calamity Acres. Spurs never used against us, they kept peace in the henyard, discipling the young roosters and the hens. The eggs hatched the last four summers featured many of his daughters, some of whom have passed on for various reasons, but his get can be picked out by their golden color. Twice he has survived savage dog attacks, including one which killed six other birds and our huge tom turkey. Even though he was greviously wounded, a stay in the nursing cage under warm light, antibiotics, and electrolytes brought him through, even when I despaired. The second attack left him blind on the right side, but for the last year he has guided his flock through thick and thin with his one good eye, his golden tail leading the way every morning. A bump of the chest could settle an unruly youngster. Today, when I came home, his head which lost it's crest in the cold of last winter, was bloody and bowed. He had been vanquished by one of the younger roosters, none of whom are his get. Fred, our Japanese bantam, fathered numerous cockerels by the small hens, and those cockerels live on now as roosters in the barnyard. One drubbed the big golden boy today, and it was heartbreaking to see Rambo afraid to go in the henhouse with his harem. I watched him all evening, putting him in once only to have him run back out and follow me to the pasture, long after he should have been on the roost with his girls. A second time he went in, and I could see his golden tail feathes in the doorway. When I crept closer to see what was happening in the darkened henhouse, I saw the Mighty One bent in a supplication position, afraid to go up to the roost. I had had enough... the other roosters were asleep.... I lifted him up next to his girls and set him on the roost, where he bent his head to sleep. In the morning I'll go out as early as possible to let them out, so he can keep out of the way of whomever has assumed the lead position now, because in the way of all pecking order, the sceptor has been passed to one of the younger roosters. Is it Studly, Fred's grandson, and father of One, Two, Three and Four? Or Butch, also Fred's grandson, but white as can be and beautiful. Only tomorrow will tell. Rambo will still have a place of honor though, for his hard work and resilience of these last four years, even if I have to make a special place for him to live.