I have sold my Blue Laced Red Wyandottes

BLRWs  are beautiful birds, stunning feathering........but they eat like small horses......are fair layers. Seven months old pullets just starting to lay........other breeds start at 5 months. Like I said pretty to look at......With the recent life changing event....hey all for the better!...I won't keep something that doesn't do its job.


So not a chicken or banty on the place. I have had chickens/bantams for 50 years, since I was 6! So I scouted around. I have two pair of Wheaten Ameraucana bantams - 2 months old coming Express mail from Ohio.  Bearded, gray blue legs and they will lay sky blue eggs!  Bantams for the sure fun of it. Hey isn't that what its all about. [the other day I called my mom and jokingly said "is it possible to be having too much fun? We decided there is no such thing as 'too much fun'!]


They have their juvenile feathering right now...........the roo

The pullet

By fall they will look like their parents

I looked at the price of Miracle Grow..when did that get so high priced! ....next to it was "composted sheep manure"is nice white bags.. Say! I have 5 yr old composted sheep manure behind the barn.....It looks like black dirt now, so I mulched my flowers.....fertilizing and choking out weeds.......in the same step~We have had lots of rain and my perennial flower bed is a virtual jungle  Just the way I like it! I have a theory:  Corn forms a shade canopy to retard weed growth........Thickly planted perennials can do the same thing.

Tonight my daughter is taking me on a mini sheep run----(only getting a couple ewes) But that a story for another post!

Doin' great on my own

Jerry

Fletchers

My son is back in my life. He didn't like my second wife  We visited two Sundays in a row!  I haven't seen my son Ryan since his wedding 3 1/2 years ago. I had never seen my grandsons.......We visited Nessie through her mommy. But we're back. Today was Sunday on Gramps' farm  Three generation picture son Ryan, his three kids Nessie 7, Ryder almost 2 and Tucker 9 months and me

The Fletchers

 The bottle lambs were a big hit

And Ryder shows the proper way to eat a cup cake. You push the whole cup cake to your mouth,

and just eat until its all gone, then you lick your fingers!

 I had a great day.......and they are visiting me for Father's Day, 4th of July and the Last Sunday in July for the Big family picnic. Birthday parties planned and even Christmas is planned!

No crocodile tears here. I am having way too much fun....no wait I don't think you can have too much fun~~

Jerry

Individual Keeper lamb pics

This morning I took pictures of the 4 Shetland ewe lambs and a ram lamb that are staying!All tame and the Cream of the Crop! Dense fine singled coated fleece. First thank goodness I have them ear tagged and have a small flock....the four moorit ewe lambs look alike...  
Miss Polly's twin ewe lambs Petunia  and Pansy (both moorit w/Ag)

Miss Nugget's twins  Gem (mooritw/Ag ) and Jewel (moorit/modified )

Yarrow's show stopper ram lamb   "Luv Me"  (named by my G'd dau Nessie)  
He is big broad and carries an excellent lamb of leg  Color.....Yarrow is moorit/Ag  sire Butte is
modified moorit.........darker body with a lighter head??  Modified moorit?

Enjoying my flock!  Visitors get the opportunity to feed the ewes cookies.....an activity enjoyed by young ..... and the not so young. Embrace the kid inside you!


Till later
Jerry

Around the farmstead

The lambs are about 6 weeks ago, They are gorgeous. I had a call for lambs,,,,,,,,so I decided to keep Poppy's twin ewe lambs and Nugget's twin ewe lambs.......all have the Ag gene so their moorit fleece is starting to change. Must keep Nessie's "Luv Me"  its hers, the first tame lamb He picked her the first day Nessie was here, So Luv Me stays.....Luv Me is an outstanding ram lamb for Yarrow. This year all the lambs are tame,,thanks to my efforts to have every lamb calm and pettable for my granddaughter. The Icelandic bottle lambs are unusual colored and stay.......so 6 ewes, 5 ewe lambs 2 ram lambs
that's enough for me!
Four keeper ewe lambs moorits all with sugar muzzles   (5th lamb with sunlight on it head a ram)

I grew up with a security light on the farm. Three days ago, I had one installed, Now I can walk in the light to the barn for the bottle lambs 10PM feeding...they are growing well.
I have poor eye sight, bright light sun or worse sun on snow My son-in-law suggested tinting my house window, I did and what a difference! Subdued light,,,,,home was cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The tinted product cut 75% of the heat/cold conduction through the window glass. My home stays 70 degrees when its 89 outside  Now i can watch my sheep out the back picture window without risking sore eyes. Added bonus the windows are like mirrored sunglasses I can stand by the window and see who is walking up the walk. Living alone, now I can choose to answer the door or with the door locked pretend I am not home.


Perennial garden is really coming on. Starting to mulch/fertile the beds with composted sheep manure. 
I am on sand so I need all the water retention...and less weeding I can get!

After my wife leaving, my estranged son called me. We had a great conversation. We both apologized for the past. My soon-to-to-be ex wife confessed to having driven him away. I last saw Ryan at his wedding 3 1/2 years ago. He is happily married to a great gal, They have two sons 22 month and 9 months. So on Mother's Day at my mom's,  they came for a visit. We had a great time for 4 hours As if we have met every Sunday....know notice of the 3 /12 yr gap. I have cute grandsons! Ryan's wife Anna is a planner.......they are coming to see me Father's Day -with all 3 kids---my granddaughter Nessie is Ryan's daughter. a 4th of July picnic here.....they are coming to the family reunion end of July..Anna has Nessie b'day planned for Dec 4th and The Fletcher Christmas is Christmas eve at 4PM at my mom's  Ryan and family, my dau Jess and husband Dave, my mom and myself. A cozy Fletcher Christmas.  My dau Jess confessed they were staying away because they didn't like my second wife. Came to see me when they knew she was gone. They are now here often.....they live 5 miles away.

Life is great! I reconciled with my sister, my only sibling....my whole immediate family is back together I have been truly blessed. I laugh and smile all the time now
Jerry

My First House warming Gift

My good  ah great friends  Lloyd and Carolyn live right through the wood about 500 ft. I bought the 5 acres from them in 2003.5 acres..4 acres of rolling hills and Oak trees the sheep love it and one flat acre with an approach. Hired someone to scrape off the flat acre-- it had corn on it . North is wildlife acres.....nearest housing development is 3 miles north neither I or L&C  see it!  I have a double wide home on a rise I have great views. I had my barn and garage placed where they should be.

Some three days ago, after we discussed my need for an occasional baby sitter, they brought over two Icelandic bottle babies.  The first two days they were in the house. Day 3 I moved them out to a small pen in the barn. Out of the drafts. Easier than clean a dog kennel!

Little Orphan Annie  4 days old  She was the first of twins, mama wandered off to have #2 and then rejected Annie is a Black Badgerface with variegated face. What  doll!

Tristan and his brother were premies.....young mama ran off  Carolyn nursed him to health

He is 11 days old, half the size of Annie but very strong and better with the bottle. His first 4 days he couldn't walk. The best we can figure he is expressing the Phaeomelanin factor. Very soft single coated fleece Yes he is still weak on his pasterns but  I have all summer.....

  Here they are together

For all who have expressed concern. I have long time friends 500 ft away. My daughter and son-in-law live 5 miles away. My aunt and uncle and cousins are farmers and live 5-10 miles away I am surrounded with good family.  My mom and sister both retired and willing drivers too- they live 45 miles away. A county bus service "Rainbow Rider" will pick me up at my door take me to Alex Walmart for $8 round trip, even help me with my groceries into the house! Tomorrow I scheduled my first ride. Today I called a Lawn care Service for mowing. I can do the trimming/edging. I was mowing it..took me two hours, poor eyesight, driving the rider slow, and for 2 days my PEG feeding tube site would hurt. My soon-to-be ex- wife never went outside to do any work and didn't have a job either. I did everything outside myself and for myself in the house. Less hassle and I only have to worry about me.  I am old school. when the lawn care guy came...I didn't know what the estimate would be to mow my lawn He said kinda a big lawn......$35 yes $35 a time. A new lawn mower $1000 and $4 gas  I can paid to have it mowed for Years. No hassle getting gas, I can retire my old 14 yr old riding mower with the slipping transmission. I said do I need to sign a contract? He just smiled and gave me his business card and wrote $35 on it. We shook on it.  I have it so I call and giving them two days---  When I want it mowed (old school I didn't want it where they came every time it was 2 inches high)  Sandy soil if we get a normal rainfall by end of July the lawn will go dormant. A nice 30 something young man A trusted long time business.

Intelligent, a bit naive, but I am catching up fast.

Jerry

Attention New email address

I was wondering why I have been getting less emails. Hello...I changed my email address last week
its jfletcher@gctel.net  I was successful it changing my email address but I lost my address book
I look forward to hearing from you so I can add you to my address book
Till Later
Jerry