New Coop Expansion

The weeks big project was expanding the chicken coop. We added another chicken house and doubled the size of the coop. The second batch of chickens has now moved to the green house and while they are not yet big enough to run with the bigger chickens we did screen their front door for visits.  The older chickens really want to go in and visit the chicks but really are just too big.  I think it will be after butchering that we introduce the chicks into the pen as there will only be one rooster and six hens left.  There will be a new pecking order established and the younger pullets will be 7 weeks old and almost the same size.  We really enjoy watching our animals play.  Whether it's the chickens, goats or ducks.

Four turkeys and all six Cockerels have survived their first two weeks :)  I'm still looking for more turkey chicks but am looking for three week old ones and not day old this time.  I will spend a couple of dollars more to make increase their odds of survival.  The chicks give us a lot of enjoyment watching their antics.

The garden is doing so so.....I've picked beans twice, we are eating jalapenos and lettuce.  Everything is blooming just not producing much yet.  We have lots of small green tomatoes, I sure hope with this rain it picks up and gets going. 

Hope you all have a great week :)

Teresa

August Fun

Black Spanish Turkey and Cockerel

Summer is just flying by! I can't believe it's August already!!!! Doesn't seem possible! We've added turkeys to the farm but of the six we got (ordered 10 but was shorted!) only 4 are remaining. They are so fragile. The four we have now are a red bourbon, a spanish black and two blue slates. I'm thinking about going to the chicken swap this weekend and getting some older turkeys, too.  We also added 6 Cockerel's, bringing our chicken population up to 44.

Older Chickens in Pen

 Our oldest chickens are now 12 weeks old and should be starting to lay eggs in a month to a month and half :)  so exciting!

Screech, An Easter Egger Chick

Our second batch of chickens is now 3 weeks old and are getting cramped inside their brooder.  We will build an adjoining pen with the green coop this weekend to start letting them out during the day.  They are still to little to mingle with the big chickens but can get used to seeing them.  Eventually, I would like to set up the green coop as our brooder coop and breed chicks here the old fashioned way!

Pumpkin Blossom

The garden is really starting to
grow.  We have pumpkin, squash and cucumbers all in blossom.  We  have been picking jalapenos and cayenne pepper and the bell peppers are blooming.

The beans are all producing and we finally  have little green tomatoes!  Unfornunately, we also have those ugly green hornworm catepillars too.  I picked two of the nasty things off this morning. 

Hansel showing off his balancing skills.

The goats are growing, but we are wondering just what they are lol.  Jamie was so excited to get them, that we didn't ask what kind they were.  We looked through books and they most resembled alpines at the time.  I guess time will tell.

Roxy

The ducks are really getting big too!  Soon we should be seeing duck eggs on the shore.  I would love to see some baby ducks with their Mommas next year on the pond!  I am going to take them some hay this afternoon to roost with and see what they do.

Wylie and Auzzie have adjusted well to the farm.  They are busy keeping watch over the place and all the animals.  Their favorite thing is to sit on the deck and gaurd the brooder chicks. 

That pretty much wraps up this week on the farm.  I hope you all have a blessed day.

Teresa