Autumn in the Rockies

Pumpkin Flowers

Fresh Eggs

Barbie laid her first egg on July 12th. We woke up to her melodious BAGAK! that morning. I thought some animal was trying to get in the coop so I sent John and Addy running outside while I pulled some pants on. No predators. We headed back inside and I got to thinking later about what I had read about singing chickens. Turns out the ladies will sing a little ditty when they lay so I headed out to the coop and checked in the nest box and there it was. A perfect, little white egg. Barbie was so proud she posed for a picture with it!

Fried started laying a few days later and we have been getting around 9 eggs a week for the last couple of months. They eggs are great. I have made a lot of fabulous hard boiled eggs with them and they are fun to give away to friends, family, and neighbors. Our neighbors to the south got the first half dozen since they have been so nice about our girls and they showed interest in trying farm fresh eggs.

 

You can see the difference between our fresh eggs and the store bought eggs by the color of the yolks. Our yolks are a lot brighter. I couldn't say I notice a huge difference in taste but I know our fresh eggs are healthier.

Tucker

My poor old man dog is starting to show his age. Tucker developed a rash and a small mass on his stomach about a month ago so I took him to the vet for the first time in a long time. The dermatology vet was not sure what the mass was so Tucker and I met with a general practice vet. Turns out the mass is the least of his problems at the moment (since it is not cancerous). Tucker has  a couple teeth that need to be pulled, he is arthritic, he may have a slipped disc in his back and he has Chronic Kidney Disease.

Fortunately we caught the kidney disease early and we can manage it with food and eventually meds. The vet has been a.m.a.z.i.n.g. through this process. Tucker was diagnosed on 08/29/14 and the vet called me everyday through the holiday weekend to check on Tucker and see how he was reacting to the new food and pain medication. That was way above and beyond anything I expected. I really appreciated it because at that point we did not know how advanced the kidney disease was. Tucker has been poked and prodded and shaved and prodded again and he has handled it in stride. I had to leave him with the vet on Tuesday so they could do an ultrasound. The vet ended up finishing her afternoon rounds with Tucker in tow. He is so spoiled!

If you have never seen a doped up dog it is both sad and comical. The meds made Tucker seem drunk. He could not walk in a straight line and he struggled to keep his back end up and operational. After a few days of that we decided to discontinue the pain meds. He seems to be doing fine,he is even enjoying his new prescription doggy food.

The Barn

John and I have wanted a shed for some time now. Recently it dawned on me that I might be able to find an affordable one on Craigslist. Turns out you can but you have to act fast. After a couple sheds slipped through our fingers we were able to buy this little 7x4x3 beaut for a quarter of what a new one costs. It is a couple of years old and in great shape. 

We have had this sitting in pieces on the side of the house for a month now while we got the backyard straightened up. John and I were able to get it together in about an hour yesterday. We will use it to store feed, hay, bedding, tools and other animal accoutrements so I am calling it the barn. The urban farm barn.  

Duncan "Dunk-Punk"

 

We gave Duncan the nickname Dunk-Punk the day he came home with us and he has lived up to it ever since. I think he has rabbit ADHD. The recent infusion of testosterone in his little body has not helped any.  Duncan reached maturity about a month ago and went from pesky to aggressive. I have given more time-outs to this bunny then I have every given to my daughter.

 

 

 

Last week Duncan had his bunny berry removal surgery. To us the term bunny berries means bunny poop and bunny boy bits. I think you know which one I am referring to in this case. Duncan came through surgery like a champ with no complications. .

I decided to let Duncan out today for the first time in a week to stretch his legs. It didn't last long. He caused one fight, took a chunk of fur out of Angel and mounted his brother Charlie so back to the bunny condo he went. He is going to have to be exercised on his own for a month of two to let the testosterone leave his system.  He is definitely a punk but we love him.

Handsome Bunny

Charlie "Char-Char"

Sweet Charlie is 4 months old now and is becoming quite the fuzz ball. Charlie had to have a hare cut (get it!) this week because his fine baby hair was so matted from Duncan jumping all over him. He has a nice cool buzz cut that looks like I came at him with a weed whacker. Poor thing. Now that the boys have their own cages I should not have to trim him down again. Charlie's brother is heavily under the influence of testosterone right now but it does not seem to be effecting Charlie yet. Hopefully he will stay our sweet boy a bit longer.

Farm Dog

I call Tucker my guard dog because he never leaves my side.  He sleeps by my bed and follows me everywhere. Tucker keeps me company when I go out to the pet pen to feed the animals. He will walk the perimeter of the pen, keeping watch. I'd like to think he is watching for any potential dangers but In reality he is probably looking for someone/thing to play with. 

The rabbits have gotten used to him being around and a couple have even let him come close enough for a sniff inspection. Tucker is currently fascinated with the chickens. He's not really sure what to make of them but he knows he wants to give them kisses. Badly. Poor Tuck has to wait in the house while the chickens are out of the coop because they have made it pretty clear they do NOT want kisses.

At 13 Tuck is getting to be an old man but he still aspires to one day become a full time lap dog. At 45 pounds I don't see that happening but he can be my guard dog anytime!

New Digs

The girls have moved out of the house! They are 7 weeks old now and fully feathered so they are able to handle the outdoors.  We buried hardware mesh under a boarder of large bricks and then filled the bottom of the coop with sand. I was going to bury cinder blocks under the edge of the coop but I couldn't find any around town. There are padlocks on each point of entry to keep raccoons out and I fortified the bottom of the nesting box. I hope they are safe from anything that digs and anything with thumbs. The girls have a heat lamp inside to keep them warm at night and I have blankets on two sides to block the wind. Even with gusting winds this morning the girls were happily exploring their new digs and hunting for num nums.

Sprouts

The second phase of the Tiny Heiny Farm has begun. We planted  kale and romaine seeds and they have sprouted! This is a first for us. We did not have any luck with seeds last year what with the not watering and all. This year I have done a lot of research and even taken a class. So far it is paying off. We will be succession planting every three weeks so we will be able to harvest through the fall. Next up... spinach!

Tweens

The girls are growing up fast! They are six weeks old now and almost fully feathered.

It was warm enough outside this afternoon that we let them play in the animal pen for awhile. Being outside is new to them so they did not wander to far from us. After awhile they started scratching around, eating sand and pecking at weeds.

I thought Barbecue was going to be the skittish one but she has mellowed out and does not object to Addy picking her up and giving her kisses.

 

Fried objects loudly when you come near her. Hopefully she will grow out of that. She was super cute giving herself a dirt bath today. She is all preened and pretty.

Cheepies

 

We have chickens! John's only requirement for letting us get the girls was that he got to name them. So their names are....wait for it....Barbecue and Fried.  I am not in love with the names but they are funny. I would have gone with something more traditional like Abigail and Henrietta.  We have had the girls for two weeks now and they are both about 3 weeks old.  Barbecue, the silver one, is a Blue Andalusian. She will lay white eggs and weigh about 5 pounds. Fried is an Ameraucana and she will be gold and black. She will lay green eggs and also weigh in at 5 pounds. The girls will be in the brooder in the basement until the beginning of May.

 

In the last couple of weeks I have learned:

 

1. Chicks grow incredibly fast. Everyday they are bigger with feathery-er (yes that is a word). Barbecue is already growing a comb.

 

2. Chicks can fly when they are 10 days old. Both of the girls have managed to fly out of the brooder box.  They looked as surprised as we did at the time. I have bought a bigger box and placed gutter guards over the top to allow ventilation but keep them in. Barbecue was actively trying to fly out today but I distracted her with a treat.

 

3. When you take a photo of them using a flash they will loose.their.minds. 

 

4. Instinct is amazing. Neither one has been around an adult chicken but they now how to fly, how to perch, and how to scratch for food.

 

5. I love coming up with little concoctions for them to eat. You have to get them used to all kinds of food when they are young or they wont eat it as adults. My favorite so far was the carrot, parsley, and garlic mash. They have also had scrambled eggs, oregano, and kale. As soon as I place the food in the brooder they  scratch and peck at it and have it spread from one end of the box to the other in seconds.

 

6. I don't know why but they remind me of dinosaurs. Maybe it's the eyes.

 

7 . Chicks like having their tummies rubbed.

Baby Update

Look at this sweet face!

The boys are almost two months old now and they are growing fast. Duncan was almost able to jump clear out of the bunny playpen today. Addy loves her Charlie bunny and cuddles with him every chance she gets. Duncan is a little too rambunctious for her so he is mine to cuddle with...okay and Daddy's too. We affectionately refer to him as Dunc-punk. He is going to be a trouble maker. Charlie is still mellow, except at feeding time. He has no problem sitting on his brother or in the food dish if that is what it takes to get to the food!

Fibertastic

 

Check out the pile of fiber I have combed off of Benjamin in the last week and a half!

Bunny Races

Charlie and Duncan

 

The babies are here!

Duncan, the redhead, is a Satin/French Angora mix.

Charlie is a French Angora.

The boys are half brothers and are both 5 weeks old.
I got to name Charlie and Addy named Duncan. Duncan is named for a boy in her new favorite book "The Day The Crayons Quit."

We are calling our little rabbitry ABC Bunnies and naming each rabbit in alphabetical order. We are not aiming to make it to the letter Z but it is a fun way to come up with names and keep track of the order we acquired the rabbits.



We have only had them for the day but you can already tell they have very different personalities. Duncan is very curious. He will get in your face and crawl all over trying to investigate. Charlie is very mellow and will let you hold him for long periods of time. Charlie already has over an inch of fiber on him. I was told he was the biggest of the litter so hopefully he will turn out to be at least as big as Benjamin.

 

We will be keeping them together in the garage cage for awhile. I want them to be a little bigger before they move out to the outdoor hutch.

 

We have really enjoyed starting the new year snuggling baby bunnies!