Rooster chorus line

Well it has come to my attention we may have quite a few little bantam roosters. These past few evenings have been quite noisy, as the little ones try their hardest to learn how to crow. It`s really kinda cute how they sound.It seems more like a croak than a crow, but its cute all the same. Now I`ve got to start making little pens to put them in though so they wont start fighting.  We let one little pair of bantams out on the yard, and they walk around with the ducks, and roost on top of another cage. I love how they like to follow us around the yard , and just be silly.

We have moved the guinea bird babies out of the brooder into a cage in the yard. They are cute little buggers, and have started to make that weird noise all guinea birds make. They still seem a little skittish, but I'm sure if we keep at it they will warm up to us good.

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Gardening

The garden is getting into full swing now, with tomatoes, squash, and zucchini literally flying off the vines. I`m running trying to keep up with putting everything up, thank goodness the hubby enjoys freezing stuff too. Yet the freezer is full already , so we are going to try drying some of it in the dehydrator, and start canning what we can too.

I have been getting creative and trying to find different ways to prepare squash, and have tried stewing them , baking them, grilling them, casseroles.....you name it. My favorite way yet has been to slice them in half longways, sprinkle them with salt, pepper,butter,  and garlic powder, bake them until tender, then put cheese on top, and bake until the cheese has melted .

We had quite a few cabbages to get ready all at the same time, so we looked it up, and found out you can freeze them. Just cut them into quarters, blanch in boiling water for about 3 to 5 minutes, then cool in ice water. Put into freezer bags and freeze. Since the leaves are still large, when you go to use them you can even have stuffed cabbage, or just cut them up and have boiled or fried cabbage, or add to soups.


We have cucumbers, okra, corn, and watermelons that should be getting ready to start making soon.

For the love of bunnies

Baby bunnies have arrived on the scene, and the girls couldn't be happier.

One of my favorite pictures of miss Willow.....

I caught her !

After a while this poor puppy needed a break, so hubby made the dog pen.....

Now they have room to run and be messy, and hide from the child who makes them dress up...

Here's what happens when I give over the care of my flowers to hubby , mums in June (still don't know how he got them to come back from the dead little sticks they were after last fall)

It`s been a while....

I can`t believe it`s been so long since I`ve posted . It has been really busy around here lately with work and such, but now that it`s officially summertime I should have some free time on hand. The pig is growing like you wouldn`t believe,and has turned into a source of laughs almost every day. I never have seen a pig frolic and play, it`s really cute. The ducks are full grown now and have started to fly some. The hubby hatched out another batch of baby chicks. We acquired some baby guinea birds and are anxiously awaiting their help with the tick situation. The garden is starting to produce now, and the chicken tractor seems to have done its job well....the garden grew faster than I`ve ever seen. We also have been growing cabbage, never tried before, but it has worked great, and we`ve already harvested 2 heads. Still waiting on the tomatoes. The plants are loaded down, but they haven't turned red yet. It`s ok though, because while we`ve been waiting Ive been able to get some fried green tomatoes for my patience.

The hubby got creative and built a dog pen out of cattle panels, so we got a much sturdier and cheaper spot for my doggies than we would've`e gotten if we had bought a dog kennel. Most dog kennels are 10x10 and cost $270 or more. We have about 40x40 for roughly $120. 

I now have an official herb garden (thank you dear ) and have planted oregano, parsley, dill, sage and rosemary. I also have some basil that the munchkin started at school.  Plans are going to plant more, and mulch the plants already in.

Here`s some of our squash, the very first batch, Willow decided we needed to document this occasion. She`s too young to remember us doing this before so she thinks it has been awesome to eat our own garden food.  It was funny to see her run around hunting for squash with a basket. Little squeals of joy every time she`d see one. When the tomatoes start getting ripe this may be a problem. I foresee her in the garden with pieces of tomato everywhere, a bottle of ranch dressing and a big tummy ache. Tomatoes are her passion.

Daddy`s fix everything....

So after the funfilled day of chasing the piggy, and creating the piles of junk to fortify the pen, Hubby comes home, laughs at my handiwork, but says he`s proud of me for keeping up with the pig. He zipped up the road and came home with hog panels and posts, said he would fix piggy a more siutable home, one he shouldn`t be able to get loose from. Im rejoicing.

I haven`t been feeling good the past two days, so the munchkins have been helping with chores. I think the little one got into it a little too much. :)

The baby chickens are growing fast, and we have started the incubator back up for another batch of chicks.

All in all a good week, although maybe a bit tiring to some.

What was I thinking.......

We were sitting at the table last night looking at the latest ads for animals and such, when one in particular caught my eye. I show it to hubby, he thinks about it for a minute, then yep, we decide its time for a baby piggie. I call the man, and he`s still got them, so I tell him what time I`ll be there. I run and tell the girls to get in the car we going to get a baby piggie. So here goes the little one hollering and singing all the way to the car about cute little baby piggy wiggy. The man lives in Newberry so its going to be a long hour of hearing the awwws.

We get there right on time, and go to the backyard to see them, and he`s also got baby goats, so the awws start from everybody, but I have to say no to the very adorable baby goat that willow is already chasing around. He just wont fit in the little car since we already are putting the pig in. We get to the pig area, and willow sees them and goes eww, that's what we getting? I tell her yes ma`m, she looks back at the baby goat, looks at me and says "mom your nuts " .   Maybe she was right, but I really thought the pig was a good deal.

I had brought a dog crate with me, because I figured a two month old pig couldn't`t be very big, and he should fit nicely inside. We tried to put him in it and immediately he busted out. So theres hubby and the man running after the pig .... After a few minutes , we finally get him settled into the car, and away we go. The pig is now voicing how mad he is, and the girls are complaining about the smell, and its going to be a long ride home.

We  get home, and get the piggy settled into a pen, feed him, and go in for the evening thinking we did a good job.

I had to take the oldest child to school this morning, and was headed out to the car, when we see the piggy.....in the flowers.....not in his cage. Somehow I lure him back into the pen, and reinforce where he got out, and still made it to school on time.

I get just a half a mile from the house on the way back home, when guess what runs out in front of the car.....piggy. I slam on the brakes, look back , back the car up, and start calling out 'here piggy'. I'm sure the neighbors got a good laugh at watching me drive by hollering here piggy, with a baby pig running behind the car. So we get home, and lure him back into the pen.  I go in with intentions to clean and have some coffee, when I look out the window and piggy is in the garden.

To make it shorter, I finally after 5 total escapes and reinforcing the pen with whatever I could find, have gotten the pig to stay in the pen for a bit. I ran through poison oak, twisted my ankle, got attacked by said piggy, got covered in ticks and unmentionable mess from the pen, but I did it, all by myself. I handled it . :)   I just hope hubby isn`t mad at how I had to reinforce it.........

HOMEMADE CHICKEN TRACTOR

We needed a new home for our little speckled Sussex chickens, so we decided to build them one. Hubby got some 2x4`s , chicken wire, and 2 sheets of tin. He wanted it to measure 4ft by 8ft when he was finished. So after spending a bit of time on it for a couple of evenings we now have a nice, although a bit heavy chicken pen. Here's how we did it :

first we built a 4x8 frame ( take two 2x4`s and cut to size)

then make another one just like that, then trim 2x4`s to height of wire (in our case that was 38 inches) then attach them at corners.......

Ok now, put the other piece we put together first on top and secure, then we put two boards to brace the roof and bottom on (just measure across inside of frame for length) and hubby went ahead and put a board across for a roost.....

next we put a door on one side with a latch  and two hinges so it will open down like an oven door

then wrap the chicken wire around and secure to the other 3 sides we used some staples we had in the shed for this part, make sure you pull the wire tight as you go, then hubby screwed the tin to the top of the pen......

and that's it, now we have a whole new chicken pen that cost about $80 to build, just make sure you have an assistant to help with the building if you want to try.....