The Chicken Box

Slept late this morning for the first time in ages. Woke up to no power. YAY! Not. Ah well it was peaceful and we got back into practice on making coffee on the grill with our handy dandy  little camp percolator. It still makes good coffee and it was nice sitting out on the deck and smelling it brew then sipping it. So hot it could scorch your tongue. AHHHHH. Painfully delicious!

Today's blog is about the chicken box. Pup was looking for a way to transport the hens from the coop to the tractors all at once. In the past we have been each taking 2 or 3 at a time then going back to get more. Pup thought about it for a long time. They no longer all fit in the small pet carrier we brought them home in. 

He found a big plastic bin with an interlocking lid, like the stores use. 

Amazingly enough it is perfect...and maybe even magic of some sort.

He put the first hen in and she laid down instantly. He added another one. She too just laid down too. No try to escape when the lid is opened. No flapping or trying to run around. 

Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice in Wonderland would say.


He managed to get 9 hens in the box! They just lay there. He says it was like stacking wood. LOL They were laying on top of each other and not even a squawk! 

When it was time to take them out they waited patiently as he got them out 2 at a time. None tried to escape. 

Amazing!

Look! One of the girls left us a gift in the tractor! 

Yep, another small pale green egg! 

That makes 4 eggs in as many days! WHOOP WHOOP! We are so darned excited about this! FINALLY it is paying off.

I'm beginning to have nightmares of how many eggs we end up getting when they all start laying! 

I can't wait! *GRIN*

Boudreaux finally got shaved. He needed badly and will be so much cooler gut I think he is completely embarrassed about it and mad at me.

He won't come out from under the bed for better pictures. I grabbed a few here and there.

Lion cuts are so cute! In a few days it will look better and maybe he won't still be mad at me. I'll post more pics then.

Thank you CC! You are awesome!





Pup & JB cooked Red fish Courtbouillon (KooBeYon). 

DELICIOUS! Holy wow it was good! 





Love our family & friends! 

The last Saturday of August

Today is the last Saturday of August. It doesn't seem like Fall is almost here. It has been a beautiful day. Sunny and no rain! 

After all the waiting we finally got our first egg Thursday evening! I think it is from the hen we got down the road (that the man claimed was a rooster). Roo and the other one were a couple of weeks older than ours. 

It was a little on the small size but was a beautiful pale green. I think soon we can say we are having green eggs & ham for breakfast! 

Today we found 2 more eggs! Same pale green. We are so excited to finally be seeing a payoff on all the hard work that Pup has done! Love you sweetie!

The beautiful bowl was made by my good friend Christian from Ironwood Studios.  

I went out and gave Roo and the girls some treats this evening. Honey Dew melon, grapes, a banana peel & some crushed eggshells. They loved it. Grapes are one of their favorites.

We didn't get them into the tractors today but they will be enjoying them tomorrow & Monday. 

The kittens are growing so fast & are terrorizing everyone and everything. They went out (got thrown out) onto the deck for the first time last Saturday. They explored and had a great time. 

Gru playing in the water.

Minion hiding in the Bougainvillea.









While Cinder keeps watch.

The water obviously is causing trouble! Gru will handle it though.

Gavin had his first football game with the 7th grade. He is the big mean football machine wearing the #67. His team, the Sharks, won the game 12 - 0! Way to go Gav! Love you!

I have had a pinched sciatic nerve for the past 2 or 3 weeks. It has really been hurting and bothering me so I decided to go to the Dr. I was pretty much told that I am old, fat & falling apart.. Thanks Doc! I am having to take more pills than I have ever taken in my life but I am beginning to feel better. Much thanks goes to my bf Bianca for letting me borrow the inversion table. It has helped so much now that I am not terrified of it! 

So sorry for not posting on the blog for a while! Not much had been going on and I just was not feeling up to it. Hopefully that will change and I can get inspired!

Hope everyone has a safe, happy Labor Day! 

If you have not watched (what I consider to be the new National Anthem) yet please take a moment and give it a listen. Thank you Madison Rising!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8C7i9kdEf8

Rainy Sundays

Today has been a rainy Sunday. 

We woke up with no power thanks to the storm. Luckily Pup had brewed coffee at about 4am with the intent of going fishing but the rain coaxed him to go back to bed. The carafe kept the coffee nice and hot for us when we finally woke up. I sat out on the porch and watched the rain while we waited for the Power to come back on.

The Texas Star Hibiscus decided to burst into bloom on this rainy morning. Normally it has one flower ever few days. Today it has three in the pouring rain. I couldn't resist wandering out to take a picture of it.

Minion decided today would be a perfect day for a long cat nap.


Gru tried his very best to wake him up. Pouncing on him. Biting him. Nothing worked.

The coop was so muddy from all the rain. When it stopped for a while we went out and Pup cleaned it out and added new hay. 

He has named the smallest Barred Rock hen Ninny. She is adventurous but much smaller than the others.

Roo enjoying the new hay.

Pup and I also found some more milk crates at a convenience store to use for laying boxes!

This one was taken a few days ago. I gave them Honey Dew Melon rinds and seeds along with crushed egg shells. They love them both and are very good for them.

They were very happy!

Here is a link to a great article on making sure the girls get enough calcium.
http://voices.yahoo.com/back-yard-chicken-farming-stronger-egg-1971605.html

Lauren and I stopped at a garage sale Saturday afternoon. I got this cat toy for 1.00! It was a big hit. 

Gru is obsessed with the red ball on a spring on the top and Topper is checking out the catnip Pup spread on it. He is definitely a catnip junkie!

We also got a bag full of baby clothes for Aubrey. 

I love garage sales!












I have had a pinched sciatic nerve for the past couple of weeks. It has really gotten me down. Sorry I have not been writing more. Many thanks to Pup for putting up with me and helping me stretch out my muscles! Love you!

Pup and Gavin went fishing yesterday. Delicious flounder for dinner. Thanks to both of my fishermen!

My granddaughter Kyndel's birthday is tomorrow. Happy Birthday! Love my beautiful granddaughter! 

Random Thursday thoughts

Tomorrow is Friday! YAY! 

I'm actually taking off work tomorrow to get ready for an important weekend. Family is coming over to spread my late husband's ashes. I'm looking forward to spending time with family and reminiscing about Leo.
Leo's parents, my kids and grandkids. Ashley can't make it, she is working, but she will definitely be missed! Love you Ashley!

All of the grandkids started school this week. Hope y'all have a great year!

Blake's birthday was this week, my youngest grandson. Love you Blake! 

The chickens are doing good. Still a few weeks before any eggs. For some reason they have decided to poop in the hen house rather than out in the coop. Why poop where you sleep? I guess I should refer back to my original list of things I've learned about chicks...they are stupid. It is the only explanation I can come up with.

Enjoying some grapes this afternoon.

It is killing me to not name them all! So far Roo and White Chick are the only ones named since Sheldon and Gladys were killed.  

Flower names like Petunia, Marigold and Zinnia keep popping into my head. Maybe Penny Poppy or Amaryllis.

Old sitcom names would be cool too. Lucy McGillicuddy, Edith Bunker, Ellie May, Aunt Bee, Alice Kramden & Trixie Norton, Lisa Douglas.

Roo keeps them in line and doesn't much care if they have names or not. 

I also am having a strong urge to paint the hen house and coop in bright pastel colors. Soon....very soon.

Each day is a surprise out on the deck and in the yard. The Hibiscus have new blooms almost every day.

The Texas Star Hibiscus doesn't bloom as often or as quickly which makes them a treat. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Wendy: You're conceited.

PETER PAN:
Not me,
It's just that I am what I am
And I'm me!
When I look at myself
And I see in myself
All the wonderful things that I see
If I'm pleased with myself
I have ev'ry good reason to be.

I've gotta crow!
I'm just the cleverest fellow 
'Twas ever my fortune to know;
I taught a trick to my shadow
To stick to the tip of my toe
I've gotta crow!

I've gotta brag!
I think it's sweet
I have fingers and feet I can wiggle and wag.
I can climb trees and play tag with the breeze 
In the meadows below
I've gotta crow!

If I were a very ordinary
Ev'ry day thing, 
I'd never be heard cock-a-doodling
'Round like a bird!

So Naturally
When I discover the cleverness of a remarkable me,
How can I hide it 
When deep down inside it just tickles me so
That I've gotta let go and crow!

I'm really a rare thing,
Such a fair thing,
I can't keep still!
I'm bursting with pride
And I just couldn't keep it inside
If I tried so...

Naturally
When I discover the cleverness of a remarkable me,
How can I hide it 
When deep down inside it just tickles me so
That I've gotta let go and crow!

Saturday! YAY!?

Saturday is finally here. I requested no kids for the weekend so it is just Pup and I. I'm thinking sleeping in and being lazy. Gru & Minion (the kittens) had other plans though. They romped and fought and tumbled in their efforts to take over the world. Did I mention it was on our bed, on top of us,  at 6 am?? Not nice Gru & Minion!

I think Gru fell asleep in the middle of grooming his face! It is tough to be a kitty sometimes.









We put the girls (hens) in the tractors first thing this morning. Well after our first cup of coffee anyway. They love it in them. Roo hates it! He doesn't like being in them so he gets left alone in the coop. He hates that too! He crows and bitches about it all day. Perhaps I'll take some melon out for him in a little while.

Why do I have an urge to paint the big coop and the tractors in a bright color? Or several bright colors? 

Two Americaunas in the small tractor.



A few of the Barred Rock girls in the larger tractor. They love to walk on the rails for some reason. 

I found these weird mushrooms in our Hibiscus this morning. By this afternoon it had wilted away. I will assume from the heat. 

 Cinder keeps a watchful eye on everything....or naps. It is hard to tell sometimes!

Relaxin' Saturday

It has been a peaceful day today. It has rained here and there but not too bad. Pup's daughters are here again this weekend, which is great. They swam some today and last night and helped with the chickens.

Havoc came up after a morning run completely soaked. I'm not sure if he went swimming in the creek or chasing something through the damp woods.

The chickens are doing great. We put them in the tractors this morning. They totally enjoyed a day of eating grass and bugs along with some melon rinds and other various scraps we threw in there. 

 I picked a small strawberry from one of our bushes and tossed it in. The chase that followed was exciting and comical! The first one grabs it. Another runs by full speed, grabs the berry without even a pause and keeps running. Two more suddenly greet her and grab the berry from her. Small skirmish and one runs off to be confronted by the first one. I'm not sure who ended up actually eating it but I enjoyed the antics worthy of a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

Roo, on the other hand, does not like us taking HIS girls out of the coop nor does he like the tractors. He fusses and crows repeatedly. Just to make sure we remember that he is a rooster and we better bring his girls back soon. 

Once we bring them back he chases and scolds the girls for even thinking about leaving his coop. He pounces on them and pins them to the ground either raping them or practicing raping them...I'm not sure which. I'm not sure I WANT to know which! 

At any rate there is no doubt who the boss of the coop is! 

All the girls back in the coop. Eating some cracked corn and scraps. I have been giving them all sorts of scraps. Onion peels, the tops/seeds of peppers, banana peels,grapes that had browned a little, crushed egg shells, stale popcorn, stale bread etc. They love melon rinds! What a great way to get rid of them! 

I still love the color and markings of the Americaunas.

Topper & Cinder spent most of the day on the screened porch because of the rain. Topper watches out to the deck in hopes for the rain to stop so he can go hang out on the deck rails.  

During one of the breaks in rain, Cinder checks out the chickens in the tractor. 

Pupp and his girls have gone fishing. I hope they have fun and catch some fish!

Lauren & Gavin made it home safely. So glad the trip was uneventful and they are home safe! Also that I don't have to attend to Loki anymore! YAY! No offense Lauren, I love your cat but he is an asshole. Just sayin.