Tag Archives: chickens

The Adventures of Boomer on Friday— Hauling Wood

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Mom and Dad get up before the grey light starts to show over by the mountains, eat breakfast, then put on my coat, load me up in the back of the pick-up truck (or up front) and head up to the far reaches of the farm.

By the time we eat breakfast, gather up all the wood gathering tools, put my coat on me, the sun is up and the frost is THICK on the grass.

You see we have to go early before the mud appears, or we would never make it up there and back.

Dad isn’t fond of being stuck and Mom is even more un-fonder since being stuck enough the four-wheel drive doesn’t work means a long walk back to the house to get the tractor and chain, then a very cold ride back to the stuck truck, and THEN Mom has to pull the pick up out, which she HATES to do.

So up we go, every day this week, then it’s back to the yard where Mom sorts and Dad cuts until today when they both announced: “This should hold us for a spell”!

Now….for me it is lots of fun.  I can ride up front or in the back, whatever I want.  I usually pick the back.  I have a coat on you see.

We drive through the cows and the Sandhill Cranes—I don’t bark or whine or howl at them I just watch.

Then Mom sits me out of the truck and I go exploring.  I go here and there and everywhere. I go where ever I want to go.

Then when I hear the chain saw stop or I hear Mom holler for me I head back to the truck and get loaded up again.

Back home

I usually go around smelling who or what has been visiting the farm while we were gone.

Then when Mom lets the hens out and heads back into the house,

I always go with her…nap time.

Mom works upstairs on her computer and I take a long nap.

Dad does Dad stuff, I don’t know what that is because, well, you see, I stay with Mom, always.

Boomer Beaglie Brown

 

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My Day is Filled With Bird Song — June 29, 2014

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Early-summer-colorsI have always had lots of birds here.  Most times they could be a nuisance…by flying into the chicken house trying to steal the chicken’s feed.  A chicken raiser really doesn’t want wild birds in the chicken house with the chickens; birds transfer diseases to each other so it’s best to try and keep them separated.

My chickens lived in a great house with a covered pen that kept them safe from the many predators that abound.  But every afternoon my hens ran free until the sun started falling and they put themselves to bed.  They had the best of both worlds, protected house and run and free range from noon until bedtime.

GardenOver time I learned to feed the wild birds so they would stay out of the hen house.  I created a place just for the wild birds so the hens would stay out of the bird seed.  It worked very well.

RedLast winter (after my last hen died) I decided that I didn’t want to raise chickens anymore.  Maybe later, but for now I don’t.  Anyway, after making that decision I expanded my bird feeding stations inviting as many wild birds that want to dine with us that is possible.

Clouds-1Today I have many, many different types of birds (I am not very good with the bird species so I won’t go into listing them) but I do have a few favorites.  A huge flock of Red-Winged Black Birds has left the cattails in the Back Forty to peck and scratch at my little bird station. I love their calls.

Then there is the Western Meadow Larks….that have left the fence lines to come partake of the rich goodies out there.

Of course the wonderful Robins… wake us up and sing to us all the day long.  Right now they are feasting on the mulberries and the sour cherries that are ripe, or trying to ripe.  The Robins really don’t give them a chance to turn really red.

We have many others, Ringed-Necked Doves, ( I miss the Mourning Doves of a few years ago), sparrows of all sorts, and the other little brown feathered birds that fly with them.

I have feeders out for the House Finches so they don’t have to share with the many other little brown feathered birds.

I relish these warm days full of bird song.  Winter is rather sparse with only Starlings, Crows, Ravens and the brown feathered hoard.  I leave my winters open day and night even if it is extremely hot…I want to soak up every day of Spring, Summer and Fall that I can.  Winter is extremely long to me.

BuddiesToday is a day (Sunday)  we only do what is necessary.  This evening our oldest daughter, Shannon, is have a pot-luck cook out.  We will all slather on bug stuff and enjoy visiting with each other.  It won’t be long now before Kelly and Misty and the kids leave for Craig, Colorado, so we must experience as much as possible before they move!

Clouds-2I hope you have a great Sunday!

Your friend,

Linda

 

A Bluebird Day February 11, 2014

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Yesterday was a very wet day.  The clouds sat heavily upon the land, breaking forth in huge copious drops of rain that fell and fell and fell.  Gradually all the snow turned to slush and then to mud.  Since the ground is still frozen the water stayed on top…filling in where the snow used to be.  Huge squishy puddles that would be fun to walk through if it were August instead of February.

All day the rain drops fell, plinking and plonking on the roofs of the house, the barn, and Terry’s work shops.  Sheets of water pouring off the sides of the roofs melting any snow that had accumulated there over the winter.

Rain always makes one feel like it is warm outside; not this rain, this was winter’s rain.  A very rare experience for us.

Then sometime in the late morning or early afternoon the rain stopped and a chill wind fresh from the snow on the Uncompahgre (Un-come-pah-gray—accent on the pah) shoved and pushed the remaining heavy clouds from us and swept them on toward Paonia. A blue sky appeared giving all of us, Terry, myself, the dogs and cats a huge desire to be outside.

Gathering the dogs up and loading them into the back of the pick-up we took off for a short ride…just to get out of the house.  Up we went toward Pea Green, then into the out-reaches of Olathe, down in the valley of Monoken (Mo-no-ken) back to Delta, where I mailed a letter, then home.

Refreshed! Open to the thoughts of spring.

fThis morning a huge cloud had drifted down over-night from the Plateau covering our Mesa (California Mesa), blocking the bright and joyful sun rays for our view.

sThe little buff hen is gradually doing better.  Every evening she comes in to sleep in her laundry basket nest, cooing and talking to us as we walk by going here and there.  As the night closes in and I’m done washing the dishes I cover her little basket with towels shutting out the light and helping her stay warm.

When morning comes I take her back out to the hen house.  She needs to stretch and fluff and eat and poop at will…in the house is not a good place for all of that.

But today, she took her little fluffy self out into the plastic covered chicken run and started digging and scratching.  A first!  I was delighted to see her busy searching for interesting things to eat.  The soil is dry in there so she will be able to dust herself–a beauty bath is always refreshing.

While watching her two little bluebirds flew right by me and sat down on the wood pile.  I was extremely grateful the dogs had stayed in the house.  They stayed a short while (of course I didn’t have my camera with me) then lifted up their little wings, turning their blue backs to me and flew off toward the fence along the lane.

Spring is coming!  I always know, once I see the bluebirds.  Sometimes there are only a few hardy souls braving the cold, then we will see more and more.  I hope I have my camera the next time I see them…to capture a bluebird’s photo is one of my photographing goals.

dFor now we live under a cloud, but not such a bad cloud, as we can see the sun surrounding us.

And the bluebirds are returning. How grand is that?

Linda

 

 

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday —Day Care

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Fuzzy and I have started a Day Care. Well, really I have.  Not by choice! But by necessity! We had to figure out what to do with these little cousins that are spending ten days and ten nights with us!

What a job!

These are HOUSE DOGS!!!!

Bella-Boo

 

(This is Bella)

I guess from their size you can see why.

Zookie

(This is Zooker)

BabysittingFuzzy told Mom, “NO WAY! I’ll back up Boomer, if he gets in trouble, but other than that I just sit in my dog house or go on walks with all of you and watch what happens.”

But I love Mom, so I said I would.

Best-Friends-1

(Zooker had to have a belly band…the boy dog thing -you understand)

Day-careIt hasn’t been so bad—Zooker sleeps with me, when I’m in the house, and when they are outside Zookie goes wherever I go.

Come-on-Bella-FOXSo does Bells, BUT

Bella….now Bella is a whole other story…Bella has to be on a leash because…BECAUSE SHE RUNS OFF!

Boy can she run fast!!!

Took Mom 30 minutes to catch her one day….Bella would run a short ways, stop, wait for Mom to get there, run off really fast…Mom was NOT a happy camper when Bella finally LET Mom catch her.

So now Bella lives on a long rope when she is outside.

We go for lots and lots of walks, because Bella is so HIGH ENERGY…makes even me tired.  Bella seems to always be in motion.

When she crashes she likes to crash on Mom.

When Zooker crashes he likes to lay on Dad if he can’t lay on me.

Fuzzy,

C-Same

Sam the cat, and

Actually-outsideMonkey the cat, all think I’m messed up.  But, I love Mom and Dad and so I head up the Day Care for teeny bitty little house dogs! (While Fuzzy guards the place)

Mom is outside all the time now.  The rule is—if Mom is outside we ALL have to be outside, even MONKEY…tee hee.  (Who never wants to be outside.)

“Fresh air is good for you,” Mom says as she brings Monkey out the door with her.

Mom has also moved Fuzz and me outside at night.

Fox-on-the-road

Because of Freddy the Fox!

Bath

Freddy is getting way to close to the hen house.  Yes, the hens are locked up at night, and they have a top on their pen, but Foxes are very clever.

Hummm

Now Fuzzy and I have another job….keep the fox out of the yard!

On-patrol

We take this very seriously!  It’s a job Fuzzy says he likes and what he was born for…he says I can be a babysitter if I want, but HE is a GUARD Dog and is going to stay that way.

Searching

Mom says…4.5 more days to go….Bella and Zookie say:  “But we really like it HERE!”

I tell them they will be really happy to see their Dad again and do all the stuff they get to do with their Dad.

Zookie looks at me with tender love in his eyes and then sighs a great deal and tells me he WILL be glad when Dad gets home.

Bella?  Well, Bella says she will enjoy having Dad back, but being here has

BEEN A BLAST!!!

I guess I run and pretty good Day Care.

Baying

Boomer

The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday — Dogs in Charge

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Okay, everyone knows we have work to do around here, Boomer and I have lots of jobs!  The biggest job is TAKING CARE OF THE FARM!

We are the Security Team for the farm.  That’s big work.

For instance we caught a guy stealing Dad’s car parts….I barked and growled and even bit him.  Dad was a little shocked I did that, but then he saw the car parts lying on the floor of this man’s pickup cab.  The whole thing was pretty tense for some time, but I got lots and lots pets and love’n and three—GET THAT (!) —3 yummy DOG COOKIES!!!

YIPPEE!!

Boomer got two, because Mom said he is still learning how to protect the farm. She is confident that he will learn because I’M THE DOG IN CHARGE!

Both Mom and Dad said they would not have known if I hadn’t gotten so upset.  See I never really get upset so they ‘knew’ something was up.

I think Mom told you that we closed up the entire gated pipes, the transmission pipes and any culverts on our place.  It keeps the critters from nesting down over the winter.  Next spring it saves the critter’s life since they never really know when the water is coming and they always drown, which isn’t a very pretty site.

BUT……………

The neighbor to the east of us never closes up his pipe or culverts.

Three nights ago Freddy Fox and several Raccoon’s came into the yard (at different times) and sniffed around the chicken pen, we barked and barked and really raised a ruckus.

Mom came out with the flashlight and checked out everything.  The hens were asleep.  Chickens have a really hard time waking up when it’s dark.  That’s why they make excellent food.  Easy pick’ns as they say.

Boom and I sniffed around and showed Mom the ‘leavings’ of the raccoons, we just told Mom about Freddy Fox.  But Mom knows about Freddy Fox as we saw either him or some of his clan in the transmission pipe on the neighbor’s land.  His/her little head was poking out just watching us last week as we went for our daily walk.

Mom said “Well, guess you boys are going to have to be real diligent watching the farm.”

We both wagged our tails in excitement and agreement.

Since we sleep outside until the temperatures drop real low, Mom decided that she was going to take matters in her own hands… on the internet she ordered three Nite Guards which flash lights from dust to dawn. This emits pulses of continuously red light which repel both ground and aerial predators.  Mom got three because she wanted one at the door of the hen house (which is shut up tight at night), one for the end of the run and one for the other side of the house because, we would be inside and not see or hear or smell anything.

Like I say – we sleep inside most of the winter, but if the weather isn’t THAT cold, like below 20*, I like to sleep in our dog houses.

Sometimes I just go on out and sleep in my dog house, without Boomer, I really take guarding the place serious you understand.

Now, Hank, he NEVER sleeps outside, he sleeps with Bladen —boy and his dog stuff you know.

The sunset sure was beautiful last night.

Well, gotta go…Boomer said he smells something rather cool and he wants me to come smell it with him.

Fuzzy

 

 

Sunday Stills -Birds

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The Sunday Stills assignment is birds this week.  I’ve had a hard time getting photos of the many birds around the place so I had to settle for a photo of my chickens before the snow came.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

At least they are birds 🙂

Linda

 

HELP! A Dog Tried to Kill One of the Chickens!

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Honey Hen here. We have had an almost murder on the farm!  It was terrible I might say.  Just horrible.  It didn’t happen here, which I am ever so very grateful for, but it did happen down at Misty’s house.

Fuzzy had gone down to Misty’s to see how things were going.

(He stopped traveling down there for a long, long time after Checkers passed)

But he told me he missed seeing the little kids and he felt like he better help out Mom-Mom by guarding her place as well. 

When he got down there he found out that a stray dog had been dumped out and was chasing chickens

Just as Fuzzy got into the yard the stray black dog got one of the black chickens in his mouth and took off down the road

Lucky for the black chicken and for Fuzzy the neighbor guy was out in his yard and saw the whole thing.

The neighbor guy took off running and caught the dog, just as he was about to have lunch.

  This whole business just sends shivers up a hen’s spine don’t you know.

 Well, anyway, the hen was saved, and the stray dog is also saved, he is now living with another neighbor way, way down the road, who has a fenced in yard.  (And the fence is one of those things that shock the dog if he tried to leave….YEAH!)

Anyway, Fuzzy told me he was really glad the neighbor saw everything, because otherwise they might have thought he was chasing chickens.

Fuzzy says he is just too old for the utter nonsense!

Honey Hen

What Ya Got?!?!?! Can I Have Some Too?

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whats-up-whats-up

Anytime I walk outside and I look like I’m carrying something the chickens run over to me as fast as they can.

chickens-003

They didn’t think the camera looked like anything good to eat, still I enjoyed the expressions on their chicken faces.

Head ‘em Up and Move ‘em Out

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head-them-up3

The range cows are headed to another pasture, our farm is all used up for food

dust-bath

The chickens are enjoying dust baths

tally-and-the-tractor

Tallen does NOT want to ride on the tractor

water-is-coming2

And the snow is starting to melt in the mountains!  Yeah for Spring!