More Birds

 25 April 2011


Today is my mother’s birthday. Called to wish her happy birthday.

A lot has been going in here, and I haven’t been able to get on here to write any of it down.

Must have been last Wednesday or so was sitting on the bed and saw my Chocolate Slate come frying around the corner of the house. Followed closely by a dog. Well, the dog never left the yard, but then I couldn’t find the Tom. Looked all over for him, that day and that night. No sign of him anywhere. After a day or two gave up finding him. Just listed him with the others I’d lost. I mean at that point I only had three turkeys left, two of which I had to buy a few weeks ago. The two Bourbon Reds I have cooped up in the new pen next to the Peacocks.

So then Saturday Morning I get a knock on the door. A neighbor down the road says she thinks my turkey is in her back yard, and been there for a few days. So we go down there in the rain and sure enough, there he is on the deck of a trailer out in her back yard. He sees us coming a takes off. Not a chance of catching him. So I decide to try to herd him toward home. He takes off into the horse field next door, then decides to double back toward the trailer. And somewhere along there I lose sight of him and can’t find him. We look around everywhere in the woods and Can’t find him. Saw a group of wild turkeys but not him. So we came home and gave up. When I came home from work that night about 1am and went out to check on the birds, there he is on top of the pen next to the Bourbon Reds. Tried to grab him and he got away and hid under the Star trailer. So I left him there for the night. He’s done ok so far. Haven’t been able to catch him.

So tonight, Monday, we went out just after dark and he saw us coming and took off. Looked for him and couldn’t find him again. He had gone back up on the pen on the other side next to the Peacocks. So I had Jeanne shine the light in his eyes from one side while I snuck around the other side and grabbed his legs. Finally, Houdini was caught! Yep, what other name could we give him but Houdini? And with all this, he had to have a name. So we took him into the regular chicken coop and cut all the feathers off one wing. Hopefully that will keep him from getting out of the chicken yard. And if he hadn’t been out of the chicken yard to begin with, the dog couldn’t have chased him. Speaking of which, if the other birds hadn’t been out of the yard, the dogs or whatever couldn’t have gotten them. Never did find either of my old Toms, the old Red or Stripes. They were just gone.

These are the two new toms. 

So today Jeanne went to the hatchery and picked up 10 Narragansett poults. These should look like Stripes from last year. What we are hoping for any way. The plan is to try and raise them and sell the eggs back to the hatchery next year, or hatch them ourselves and then sell the poults. This is what they look like.



We also got one gosling, sexed to be female. She is supposed to replace the female goose that was killed this spring by the dogs. None of the goose eggs hatched so we didn’t get any that way. Was thinking of buying a goose from a lady down the road, but went for the gosling instead. Think raising them from chicks makes for better birds and they know this is home and where they live.

The plan is also to build different pens to keep them in. I built this pen for turkeys, but it isn’t what I really wanted. Don’t think it is big enough, and I built it way over what was needed for strength. I’ll try to get some pics of it up. It was designed to have three runs in it, each about 5 feet wide and 20 feet long. So I took the wire out separating two pens to create a larger one, and put the peacocks in there, and put the two Bourbon Reds in the other one.

Speaking of peacocks. Jeanne has wanted peacocks, India Blues, so we have been looking for a pair. We found a pair, but the pair we found had been sold. Then they hadn’t. Come to find out, I wanted them for my wife for her birthday. The lady that was going to buy them wanted them for her husband. And she was looking for turkeys, So I sold her two hens that weren’t laying any more. One was a Spanish Black and the other was a chocolate slate, and I want to raise Bourbon Reds or the Narragansett’s. So getting rid of them was part of the plan, and they had both been broody and weren’t laying any more.

Basically that means that we are starting over this year with birds. I have my bourbon red hen and the new tom I got, and whatever we have for the Narragansett’s. They didn’t have Broad Breasted Bronze poults today, so we’ll go back and get them on Wednesday. I am considering keeping a BBB hen and breeding her with a Narragansett tom next Spring. See what I get. Depends on how big she gets and if it is feasible or not.

Spring in the Garden

Went out in the garden today and planted some stuff. Got 3 short rows of red potatoes in and about 5 hills of Gurney Girl tomatoes. Planted a few cabbage plants in with the ones that over wintered. Also put some cilantro and basil and marigolds around them.

Did some looking on companion planting and tried to put the right things together.

Some of the turkeys started to hatch today. Had 21 eggs in the incubator and when I moved them out of the closet, they got turned off for a while. SO wasn’t sure what would become of them. 4 of them hatched and are in the brooder, a few more are pipped and waiting for them to hatch.

Have to work all day tomorrow so I’ll just see what is there when I get home.

I'll get some pictures up soon.

Drove to Nebraska over the weekend and met up with Angela to pick up Yaco and bring her back. Was great that she got to spend time there, but we had missed her and it’s great to have her back. Even when she screams really loud, or talks all the time. She says “Cory” now a lot. Not loud, just in a soft voice. Usually about 3 or 4 times in a row. And didn’t take long to pick up the chick chirping again! She is a riot.

Got the riding lawn mower out and mowed the lawn yesterday, until I ran out of gas.

And let us not forget the San Antonio Spurs. They play the Lakers tonight and even though we are resting our Big 3, we are tied at the half. We are riding a 5 game win streak and they are riding a 5 game loosing streak. We have the #1 seed in the West and possibly the best in the NBA. That or Chicago Bulls will. Season ends tomorrow night, play offs start Saturday.

Go Spurs!!

More Eggs

March 31, 2011

Last day of March. Had the day off. Worked on the new pens, Got the frames all built but they are too heavy for me to move to the new site. So we’ll try to do that this weekend.

Got the oil changed in both vans, and they needed it.

Got 11 chicken eggs, but only 1 turkey egg. 2 of the turkey hens spent a lot of time on the nests today. Not sure if they are getting broody or not. My slate hen sure loves the new toms, and she is seriously in heat! I mean, she’ll squat for me when I just walk by her!

So I go the two new Toms. Shaky on where I got them. The pens weren’t as clean as I keep mine, and mine sometimes get dirty. These were nasty, but it has been rainy and such so who knows what the deal is. Anyway, I put them in the pen I used for chicks last year. And they are really getting the attention. They are strutting like mad and gobbling, and when I let then birds out they all run over to the pen. One of the hens squats down on the ground in front of them. Hesitant to put them in with the others until they’ve had a chance to get some antibiotics in them.

I wrote one of the hatcheries and told them I was interested in raising birds for eggs for them. Got a response that he is looking for someone to raise wild turkeys for them. So I’m waiting to actually talk to them and see how that goes. Will be interesting. Should be about the same as I’m doing right now, but probably will have to get inspected too.

Hoping to get out in the garden this weekend and till it up some and need to start hardening off some of my plants so I can plant them.

Jeanne went and got a new drivers license and social security card today and we combined the car insurance on the vans. So getting to be a real family.

Married

Married.

Oh, yeah, Guess I should put this one on here, huh?

This is Gavin getting ready. Guess he was upset because I combed his hair.

Usually doesn't get it combed.

We all got up here at the farm and drove into Springfield to her mom’s house then her mom and sister rode with us to the courthouse. So we all went down to the court house to be married. A judge she knew, and didn’t like was scheduled to marry us. But what can you say right? And there were about 4 other couples there to get married. The court room was unlocked but empty when we got there. So we were all waiting in the hall.

A man comes up and goes in the court room, then leaves. Comes back in a moment and says, “Why don’t we go down the hall to Judge Holden’s courtroom?” So we all marched down there, filed in and sat down to wait. Gavin started throwing a fit. Didn’t want to sit down or be quiet or be in the court room. A courier brought in papers and they did a divorce. Then the Judge came down off his bench and called up the first couple. They had a small boy about 7 or 8 and the judge had them all go up, then he asked him all kinds of questions. Was this his real mom and dad, was it about time they got married and stuff like that. And the whole time I’m thinking, this ought to be good if he asks Taylor or Gavin questions like that. We got called to go up second. Made it kind of nice because then we didn't have to be the first, we got to see what was going to happen, but still not have to wait a long time.

So everyone went up. Gavin stood off on one side with Granny and his aunt, while Taylor stood on the other side with the camera. Guess she uses it as good as me, because half way through she realized she was taking a movie instead of still shots. So somewhere we have a video of the wedding, just have to figure out how to convert it to something that we can play on a computer.

But the judge didn’t ask us the same questions he asked the first couple. And he didn’t use our names when we said our vows like he had with the first couple. It was kind of strange, because this time I have a greater appreciation for exactly what those vows mean, and what is involved. And I know that we are both going to work hard to have a long, happy marriage.

When we were done and were doing the paperwork, the Judge had Taylor sign on the marriage certificate below Jeanne's mom and her sister. It’s not on the certified copy, but on our copy that we did that day. One you keep and the other goes to the courts for their records.

Then we went outside the courtroom and took a few pictures in front of the name tag so we would always remember who married us.

Then we went outside of the courthouse and took a few more pictures there. Some are in front of the Greene County Sheriff insignia, and a couple with the courthouse in the background.

The wind was blowing pretty good and it kept blowing my tie sideways. And everyone's hair.

One of just Jeanne and I.

And the whole family. Gavin kept getting distracted and wasn't sure when the picture was being taken. And no one realized my tie was blown away until later, but this is still the best pic. Just have to photo shop them later I guess.

Turkeys Update

24 March 2011

The dog came through the yard and killed some of my birds that were out of their pen. Lost 2 hens that I found the bodies to, and 2 of my Toms are just missing. Stripes, my prize Tom we raised, and my Bourbon Red. The Chocolate slate Tom got torn up pretty good, but hoping he’ll make it.

27 March

Got 3 turkey eggs and 11 chicken eggs.

28 Mar

Only got 1 turkey egg and 10 chicken eggs. Worked from 9am to 5pm, so I wasn’t here all day. Seems when I check eggs more often I get more.

29 Mar

Got 2 turkey eggs and 12 chicken eggs.

30 Mar

Got 2 turkey eggs and 9 chicken eggs.

Been averaging about 3 turkey eggs and 10-11 chicken eggs each day. The injured tom died today. Found him out in the pen. Not sure what happened, but I was prepared to put him down today any way. Drove to Seymour, almost a hundred miles round trip and bought 2 new toms. One is a Bourbon Red and looks good. The other one he had listed as a Blue Slate, but is really a chocolate slate. I know because I have a couple of them myself. This old man had them in a pen with a bunch of Guineas. Was kind of nasty, but I need a new tom. It was that or give up the rest of the season and wait for this year’s birds to mature for next year. And I think I still have a significant amount of the year left. The hens hadn’t even started laying this time last year. So I paid $25 each for them, about what I had been charging for my birds. And if I can sell the poults for $7 each, shouldn’t take long to recover that cost.

So I brought them home and put them in a pen I had built last year for the chicks. Put an anti-biotic in their water. Would like to wait a couple of days before I let them in with the other birds. Actually, tomorrow I am hoping to finish the pen I planned for the turkeys. I have all the materials and the lumber is cut and about half of it is put together. I found my other drill with the keyless chuck so I can change bits and got the roll of wire today. Cost me $103 for a 150 foot roll of 1 inch wire that is 60 inches high. Figure it will take about 142 feet for the pen and it comes in 150 foot rolls.

I was looking on-line and found a great design for my garden and chicken yard. Basically it has the coop in the middle with a yard on each side. You put the chickens on one side and the garden on the other side. Then each year you alternate and swap them. This is supposed to help control bugs in the garden and the chicken poop helps fertilize the garden. So I have to figure out exactly how I want to build it and where it will be. Also have to put the orchard somewhere. And speaking of orchard, ordered some trees from Gurneys and they came in the mail the other day. It has been too cold outside and I’m not sure where I want them anyway, so I planted them in pots and added them to the other plants in the living room. Figure that in a worst case scenario they can stay in the pots for the whole year. The ground isn’t very good for trees, especially ones that are less tolerant of wet soil in the spring. And there are several trees that need to be cut down to make room for the orchard and garden/chicken runs. Keep hoping that the weather will warm up and I can get outside and do a bunch of things I have been putting off.

I have a lot of my garden started in the living room. Drew got some shelves from work and I’ve concerted them to growing shelves. Have cherry tomato and Roma tomato plants, some cilantro, a lot of basil and other herb plants. My pomegranate plants are doing good under the lights. Cut them back and they have put on a lot of new growth. I have a Jalapeno plant that is about 3 years old. Each fall I’ve dug it up and put it in a bucket and over wintered it in the house, then plant it back outside. Got several peppers off it this winter, too. And it does better when it gets more light too.

Oh, and I also have a couple of grape plants that I bought earlier and they are growing in containers. Figure it will help them get a good start and then I can spend time this summer to find the right place and prepare the ground instead of just hurrying and stuffing them in the ground somewhere. One of the things I want to do this summer is prepare a bed for strawberries. I’ll get a bunch of runners from the few plants I have and if I can nurture them I may even get more than a handful of berries this year. My black berries should do really well also. I need to get a new pair of leather gloves and clean out all the old vines from them and from the black raspberries out in the woods. Not sure what to do with all the berries. Think I am going to try my hand at making jams and jellies. Something that I always want to use and it will make good use of them.

I have a book that I have been trying to write things down in, and then I realized that I should be putting this stuff on my blog. So I am going to try to get it on there on a regular basis, even if it means that I have to duplicate things in the book and the web. I also promise to try to get a few pictures of things on here. It’s just that sometimes it feels like there isn’t enough time to get things done.

Like last week, we were working to get the incubators out of the closet and set them up on a stand. We are trying to go thru things and get rid of some of it. It is almost like we have two households that have come together and we need to get rid of duplicates and other things that we’ve just been holding onto and will never use. And some of what I have is for my kids so I am trying to figure out what they want so it doesn’t get thrown away. Simplify my life is one thing you could say.

Anyway, we had moved things out of the closet, and then the dog came and attacked the birds and my schedule got messed up. Didn’t turn the eggs that day and when I did turn them, they were cold. Somehow the power cord had the switch turned off and so all the incubators were turned off. I’m sure the 2 goose eggs are dead. Not sure they even developed, need to crack them open tonight. Then there is an incubator with about 15 turkey eggs that should hatch April 11^th. Not sure if they survived. The incubators could have been off from 12-24 hours, and the eggs were room temperature, cold. So not sure how that will affect them. They had been in the incubator for 10 days, and not sure if it will just kill them or delay them a day or so or cause some other form of defect.

And the other thing is that is takes so long to write this. Seems I have so much to say. Maybe if I did it more often I would have less to say each time. Yeah, right!

Turkeys, a dog and Eggs

A stray dog came into the yard again today and killed some of our birds. Thought we had solved most of the problem by keeping them in their yard instead of letting them run loose so much. So when I heard a dog and looked out wasn’t too worried. But got the shot gun and went out any way. Guess a bunch of the birds had “flown the coop” and jumped over the fence. Found one dead turkey hen in the front yard, and another one over in the neighbor’s yard. Once again, the roosters didn’t get touched.

So I started the day with 9 turkeys, 3 Toms and 6 hens. I now have 5. 2 hens died and I can't find 2 Toms. I have 4 hens that escaped injury it seems and one Tom that got torn up on his back pretty good. It all looks superficial, so it should heal. And the 2 Toms that are missing not sure if they ran off to hide and haven't come back or are dead some where and I just haven't found them yet. This all happened about 11am and I was hoping the others would come home later, but no more did. So tonight we went out to the coop after we put them to bed and clipped one wing on all the birds. Except the injured Tom and one of the roosters.

On better news, I have eggs I’m putting in the incubators tonight. Not sure exactly how many, I’ll count them as I put them in. But I have both chicken and turkey eggs. I’ll put them in separate incubators, and check out the auto turner for the chicken eggs. The turkey eggs won’t fit in the turners, too big. I read about a new method where you put the eggs in the incubator for 12 hours and then store them in a chilled place. So I put some in one night and then put them in the little fridge with the temp turned as warm as it will go. I’ll see if that makes a difference. Also got a new egg wash to check out so some of the eggs have been washed and some haven’t. All are marked so I can tell which is which.

Got called to sub at the high school for a Spanish class. Fun. But it pays the same. Have sent in my app for about 3 different positions. See what happens with those, too.

And I’m happy being married again and having the kids here. And the flowers are started to show in the yard.

Spring is almost here!

Well, life moves on here in Missouri. Some news.

There is an older woman named Sue lives almost next door to where Drew bought his house. She is a friend of my neighbor Doreen. Has a disability and low income, so last year I gave her some of my extra roosters to eat. She had a turkey hen so I gave her a Tom to breed with it. Well, turns out the Tom or something beat up on the hen and it died. Bad news. The good news is it was a Red Tom, so she offered to give him back so I’d have a Red Tom to breed with my hens. So I went and got him last night. Now I’m trying to babysit while he gets re-acquainted with this group. They don’t seem to have really accepted him yet. Of course, he’s been back less than 24 hours, so we’ll see how some of that goes with time. So now I’m back up to 9 turkeys, 3 Toms and 6 hens, and I’ll have to decide how to split them up. Also need to start building the pens they are supposed to go in real soon.

And despite the loss of some hens, I’m still doing good on eggs. Got 9 yesterday, and 14 the other day. Today I thought I got 13. When I brought them in to clean them turns out one is a turkey egg. Kind of small and hove my doubts if it is fertile or not, but I’ll hold onto it and find out. The ones in the incubator should almost be far enough along to candle and see if they are developing. Always enjoy that.

Tonight was McTeachers night at McDonalds. The elementary school comes over and from 4-8pm they get 10 percent of our sales. Got to run shift for one a few years ago and it was a blast. The restaurant is packed, and the sales are crazy and it is just great. Ran lunch today and got to get ready for the night shift. That was pretty good too. And then Ronald McDonald came in the store for a while. THE Ronald McDonald. So I took a few pictures of him with the kids and stuff. Got talked into being in one of them and turned out bad. Looks like I’m peaking around the corner. Not what I intended it to be, was just trying to be on the side. Funny I guess.

It has been raining like crazy and the ground is saturated and puddles everywhere. Hoping that it will dry up some so I can start planting the garden. Oh, and warming up some too wouldn’t be a bad idea. I started seeds in the closet again, but not sure how many of them are actually going to make it into the ground. Most of them. Will soon need a place to put them to finish growing some before I plant them out, and wait for it to get warmer.

My paper work should be in the mail to apply for my teacher certification in North Carolina. Then when I get it, I can take it and go to Missouri and apply for certification here. Paper work drill, but being retired military I should be used to it by now.