New critter pics

Well winter has come to Minnesota. Not my favorite season, but being retired, if its bad weathr I just stay home! I have just a few pets....no breeding groups........just to enjoy the hens and rabbit.

My new bantam cochin hens arrived.  Lemon blue and Brown Reds. They are gorgeous. Tame and gentle.....they are fun to watch.

This week they will be joined by a Blue mottled pullet

Buddy is enjoying the cool weather, he recently got his wool cut......

I reduced the number of chicks to 5.......hopefully all pullets......I guess time will tell

I take a 2 mile walk every day, TLC my pets, with new powerful glasses (and eye drops) I can read large print books...so I always have a book in progress. My quiet life suits me, I am not alone---I live with me!

Till later
Jerry

They over stayed their welcome

I had a brooder box set up in my main floor laundry for my 16 cochin bantam chicks. A clear plastic 32 gallon tote,its lid cut to have half of it a screen. brooder light with 40 watt bulb attached to it-- on a card table.  The tote bottom had a bit of give to it.......At 10 days they started running marathons during the night. What a rucus...thump, thump, thump with a few chicks cheering them on with loud chirps. So I made a pen on a shelf in my hen house. At 2 weeks old I moved them out to their new pen.  Its larger, they are happy and I am gettin more sleep!

"They" say that the pullet chicks develop their wing and tail feathers before the rooster chicks do. If that holds true then this one is a pullet "Golda" she will jump up and stand on my hand, she's not afraid [disclaimer she is bolder than a pullet should be- time will tell the gender]
Here's the gang in their new pen..the chick at the wire is "Golda" a Golden Laced

Golda will look like this as a 6 month old pullet

Till later

Jerry

I haven't posted in quite some time. My back yard was a blank slate, no plantings save for a beautiful large flowering crab.

I moved my white fence from the farm to encompass my back yard.
 I planted several shrubs and started a perennial flower bed.

 

I am starting a list for next Spring.  Tiger Eye Sumac, Tamarisk shrub, Hollyhocks,
more rose bushes......possibilities are endless.

My hen house is empty. I decided not to chase after high egg production. Instead I ordered 18 straight run bantam cochin chicks in Six varities...... to arrive on Friday. (hoping to get one nice pullet per variety)  Pets - strictly to have, hold, tame down, pet and give treats. I can't keep Shetland sheep in town, but I got a chicken permit to have some small cuddly colorful bantams,
Mottled

Partridge

Birchen

Golden Laced

Silver Laced

Blue

So as I post, you can follow along on the baby chick project.

Alot of friends and acquaintnaces say in astonishment "you moved to town?" Moving to town is like starting a new chapter. I left behind some opportunities, here I am open to new ones. I can walk downtown for groceries,to my bank and to the Library. I volunteer at the Hospital's information desk twice a week. I am meeting alot of new people. Every one is so friendly. I live in a quiet well kept area, great neighboors. My family is closeby. I have my small rambler house with laundry on the main floor.....easy living.....my house is charming, clean. When my divorce started a cousin told me " I think you will be just fine." She was right.  My new committee of one..........shoot any new idea I propose, gets approved and passed. Life can't get much better than that!

Till we talk later

Jerry

Buddy's hair cut

Friday I brought Buddy into the house for a wool clip........probably the most unholy clip for a Angora rabbit, but I was more concerned for his welfare that the clip. Ever so carefully I cut off the wool...not wanting to nick his skin.  He enjoyed it, At first he liked to hid his head, later he was licking my jeans and hand!
I should have taken a before picture, But here is Buddy and his pile of Lilac wool. After seeing him after the picture I took more of his back side.

Just as I was sweeping up the mess, the furnace blower started...I will be finding wool fuzz for weeks! Ack it was fun!  Hmm maybe he needs a girl friend.........??

Jerry

Great party

Last night was a joint birthday party for my Uncle Ralph and Auntie Ione. Auntie was 70 and Ralph will be 75 soon. Their five kids organized it. Big Crowd...the advantage of living their whole lives in one spot. They have been married 53 years.  They are like my second parents as we cousins all grew up together.

Ralph, their niece (my cousin) Joan and Auntie

Yesterday morning Nessie got up at 4:50 AM [Gramps likes to sleep until itd st rlsdt light out, shhh 7- 7:30] So at the pary Nessie fill asleep by 8  SO I visited, listened tot he live music and held Nessie...not a hardship at all!

This morning Nessie took the camera and took some great pictures,

Jerry

You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy!!

I may live in town, but I like my critters   I have had chickens for 50 years  and I missed them.  I have a nice garden shed, with windows, new roof,  cement floor, nicest chicken coop I ever had!

Pigeons are not cuddly and prefer to be left alone. So I sold them and got some chickens. Hens greet me as they come running for scraps and treats.....so I could say I got them for my granddaughter Nessie, but I got them for me too.  I use 9 raw eggs a day in my feeding tube slurries, so I have 12 Buff Orpington 3 month old pullets

I know better, but they have a heat lamp= our crazy winter...35 degree days and now -9, they are more comfortable and less feed goes to staying warm.  They still peep a bit and lay under the heat lamp. They haven't discovered the roost yet.

But by Spring they will look like this and fill the basket with big brown eggs!

My city allows 3 hens by permit. So I asked my neighbor if he would be OK with chickens...they will be confined.  he said fine by him. So I am unpermitted and have slightly more than 3 hens! No loud roosters though, The soiled bedding makes excellent mulch and fertilizer, last year my roses bloomed all summer!

We have about 2 inches of snow on the ground, most days its been warm, most of the winter has been one big "Spring is coming" tease.  I have a busy Spring planned, I will bring in a pickup load of shrubs/perrennials from the farm, my white board fence to put up around the back yard, garden arbors to make, some trees to plant...plans and more plans...and 7 nursery catalogues with pages marked!

Warm winter days I have walked down town, got a few items in my back pack,,,its a 2 mile round trip  so I am staying fit.  Family is close. My mom lives 6 blocks south of me, and my street is the way down town. So she comes by, picks me up and we go shopping, rummage sales and to the Y to exercise.  My mom is 76 and she started going to the Y at age 50 she is a very young and healthy 76!

So life is good.  I miss the country and sheep some, but the change was for the better. My limited vision won't allow me to drive, so  I felt isolated out on the farm. Living on the edge of town suits me.

Appreciate what you have

Till next time
Jerry