Hatched!

6 out of 6 eggs hatched! The chicks are beautiful. We were all delighted with the black chick, we've never had a black chick before. The kids fought over naming rights for that one, Damon won. I am guessing that he/she is half barred rock.

O.J.

Gigi

Spiderman pecking Mama Jill's beak.

Baby Jesus

I don't know this one's name yet.

Hatch countdown!

Only 8 days to go! Jill is being a very good broody hen. She gets up off her eggs when I feed the chickens in the morning, she eats, drinks, poops, and then settles back on the nest for another 24 hours.

Another hen, Ginger, has been broody for a couple of months. I have had a hard time with my Buff Catalana hens going broody, and in the past when I have tried to take them up on their offer to hatch eggs, something always went wrong. They would get nasty and throw a tantrum and accidentally break a nest full of eggs, or they would refuse to sit on the eggs and would try to brood an empty nest. I told our chicken loving friends about my broody hens and told them they could borrow one to hatch their own eggs. Ginger volunteered for the job and a week ago, I set 4 of their eggs and 4 of my green ones under her.

We will probably send Ginger to their house so she can raise the babies for them and either join their flock when she is done or come back home.

And apparently broodiness is contagious. If anybody wants to borrow a broody hen, you know who to ask.

Turkey update

We still have 11 turkeys. Here they are a week before I left for the cottage, they were quickly getting too big for the small enclosure next to the turkeys, so I moved them to the large turkey coop (aka temporary goat birthing room).

It seemed like within days of moving them, they doubled in size. Now they are HUGE, and they make that wonderful gobbling sound (they are ready to speak to Carrie, the turkey whisperer).

Once I got home from the cottage, I set up their outside enslosure using old calf panels held together with ties. They LOVE being outside and they love eating grass and weeds, and in no time they had devoured everything green in their small yard. A week earlier, that area was full of uncut grass, dandelions, clover and plantain weeds.


We are going to have to extend their yard, in the meantime, they are enjoying garden clippings and table scraps.

Memorial

Over a month ago, Wicket was killed on the road in front of our house. It was horrible as he was very important member of our homestead. He was very loved and he knew it. And he was still a very good hunter and we all knew it. It happened when Matt and the 2 oldest boys were away. The 4 youngest kids and I buried him at the back of our property next to a lilac and a young willow. The children and I stood around and retold our favourite memory of Wicket. Then we walked back to the patio and the girls wanted to draw Wicket, so I remembered that I had canvases and I encouraged them to paint a picture of Wicket or a memory of Wicket. This is what they painted:
Griffin

Hanna

Kira

Campbell

Damon selected a stone to mark Wicket's grave.



We have wonderful memories of our short time with Wicket, but we still miss him terribly.

Hatch countdown!

I have been a negligent blogger lately. I'm going to blame going to the cottage, even though that's not the whole story. I will try to catch up with a few posts this week.

When I got home from the cottage, I discovered that my Silkie hen, Jill, had laid eggs. Jill doesn't lay them too often. She is 3 years old and I think in the past 3 years, she had laid up to 20 eggs in total. In the week following my return, she laid an egg a day and then decided to sit on them. I replaced her 8 little white unfertilized eggs with 5 big blue and 2 big brown fertilized ones. She threw one egg out of the nest and has decided to sit on 6.

Jill has hatched 3 babies for me before and was a very good momma to Goldie, Miss T and poor little Chris.

It takes 21 days for chicken eggs to hatch. Jill started 5 days ago, so we should see some new chicks in 16 days (give or take a day).

Apple thinning

For those following the apple trees, I should mention that I spent a couple of hours last week thinning the apples. At first it seems counterintuitive, but when you lose a whole limb of a mature apple tree because there were too many apples for the branch to hold, it starts to make sense. Also, thinning helps to improve fruit size and increases the number of blossoms for next year, and to prevent tree breakage. Where the apple blooms once were there are now 4 or more apples. They are tightly pressed against each other and there is no more room for them to get bigger.

I get picky about which fruit I leave on the branch, aiming for them to be spaced about 4 inches apart.

Some apples don't develop well or have scabs and I get rid of these.


At this time, I also find branches that have been damaged by the sprayer or with brown leaves. I cut these off.

I put the thinned apples into buckets, with the hope of feeding a few of them to the animals every day. Too many at once would give the goats bloat, and diarrhea to the chickens. But later that day, Damon and his friend found the buckets of thinned apples and decided that it would be more fun to whip them at each other.



Damon may have been holding the bucket, but Damon's sisters were both supplying his friend with apples to throw.
Fun times. Now the apples are composting on the lawn.

Were you raised in a barn?

The boys had their cousin sleeping over so they decided to camp out in the boy's club, formerly known as the much underused goat birthing room or the turkey coop.


Bella was assigned to be guard dog, but my favourite part of this photo is the disgusted look of the big sister.

And to think I said he couldn't act.


They didn't forget the essentials though. Fan, ipod dock, laptop with internet access with dvd player and a cooler full of rootbeer.

Strawberry picking 2011

The neighbour had told my kids that he was closing his PYO strawberry patch up and they were welcome to pick whatever they wanted before he plows it all in this week. So they waited until their cousins arrived and took them strawberry picking.

"The biggest strawberry."

"See the shiniest strawberry."

"Wow your neighbour sure knows how to grow strawberries!"

"The smallest strawberry."
Perfect berries for jam, too bad the kitchen is just too hot right now.

Turkeys 4 weeks later.

The turkeys are 4 weeks older. A few days after we got them, the runty-looking one died. We knew on day 1 that it was likely and we were surprised that he made it for 4 days more. So at 4 weeks old, we have 11 healthy turkeys left.

Here they are a week ago, already filling up their second home.

And taking flight!

Looks like time to move! So I fixed a hinge and put them in the small temporary pen next to the goats.
(just for clarification, those are wet woodchips in the bottom of the water)

They have more room to move around, room to test their wings, and room for the really big tube feeder! They seem very happy there, very peaceful.

Turkey day

My turkeys arrived at the feed store today. I ordered 10 but ended up with 12. With our large family attitude, we just shrugged and said, "what's two more?" Notice the little hornlike thing on the end of this one's beak. This is to help him peck his way out of the egg. They shed these in the first day.We put them in a box with the red heat lamp, water, thermometer and a pie plate full of food. When they are put in the box, we dip their beaks in the water to teach them to drink. Then we teach them to eat, tapping the pie plate to encourage them to peck at it. The temperature needs to be approximately 95 F for the first few days. They will stay in here for the first couple of days to stay warm. Then I will move the set up somewhere bigger.

Weird effect.
Every year we have to remind the girls to stop playing with their food!

False labour

Goats can have false labour just like humans!

Yesterday I was supposed to drive Damon and another boy to a hockey game out of town, so I got up to get ready. At about 8:30, I went out to feed the goats, Daisy wasn't coming in for grain. This is a big deal. Daisy is usually jumping up on me trying to get the grain from the scoop. I found her out in the yard alternating between stretching her back out and arching it. Then she would lie down. I checked her tail ligaments and they had changed. These are classic symptoms of a goat in labour, and everything I've read has mentioned that once labour has begun, it is usually completed within 12 hours. I was concerned that maybe she was having a stillbirth or miscarriage, because she isn't due for another 4 weeks. And I still had some prenatal supplements, vaccines and dewormers to give her before the kids arrive. I could be off on her dates by about 10 days, but that would still be more than 2 weeks early, which is not good for a goat. Her udder is not ready either. I made Matt drive the hockey players so I could stay home and get the birthing room ready (something that I had tried to get done on Friday) and keep an eye on Daisy.

With help from the 4 youngest kids, we cleaned out the old meat bird coop. The kids moved out their bikes, the apple crates they had been using as furniture and their toys. I swept it all and Campbell shovelled. Then Campbell and I flooded the floor with bleach and water and squeegeed it until it was almost dry. Then we put fresh straw, hay and water bucket in. Then I repaired the door hinge that had been broken during the kids' build-a-rabbit-hutch-indoors-and-THEN-try-to-get-it-through-the-door experiment and I even trimmed the bottom from the door, so it could finally close properly.

In the meantime, Daisy was not herself at all. She was very sedate, she's normally a friendly troublemaker. Other than her behaviour, she did not appear to be in labour, so I started to wonder if there was something else wrong with her. The girls took turns walking her around the yard, just in case she was beginning to bloat. She slowly walked with them, continuing to alternate between arching and stretching. She also spent a lot of time with her head pressed against us or a wall. This went on from 8:30 until 3:30 when I had to go out. I looked on the internet and started reading a post about goat with similar symptoms, I followed the thread for many pages before realizing that a month elapsed between the first post and when the goat finally gave birth. Phew! Maybe she's just getting the babies into position. I called a friend to see what she thought, she advised that I take her temperature to see if it is illness, and if her temperature is normal, then to just assume that it could still take some time.


I worried about her while I was in town. Patrick checked on her when he got home at about 6 and said that she was standing in the birth room with her head pressed against the corner. When I got home at 8 pm, she was out in the little turkey yard, and climbed the fence when she saw my van pull in. She was behaving completely normally again. This morning, she isn't eating any hay, but she is otherwise normal. I feel like a pregnant woman sent home from the hospital after a bout of false labour. I don't know what to expect now!

Apple pruning

Our apple trees are mostly pruned now. There are still a few things I need to snip away at. This is our fourth year of pruning, and we are still learning. There are rules to pruning, and I am still learning to properly apply the rules, but I thought that now might be a good time to share what I have learned. My trees are open center, for many years they have been trained to form like a vase, with no central leader.

Before I even start, there is the great "when-to-prune" debate amongst the neighbours. One neighbour starts and finishes pruning well before blossoms appear. The other one purposefully waits and chides the first one while he works, and then finally springs into action when his trees are loaded with blossoms. From what I've seen they both end up with loads of apples, but I'm starting to realize that the second neighbour has a better chance of pruning in nice weather. Something to consider.

First, remove all suckers! There are usually many of them on the big old trees. They are easy to spot, they point straight up, which would never work. Get rid of them first so that they don't distract you. Done.

Second, take a look at the tree for any branches that have been broken or are damaged.

Third, anything that points down is bad news, weighs down the branch and doesn't get enough sunlight. Snip.

Fourth, prune any branches that cross or rub on each other. Then just use your discretion to choose one or the other, choose the one that is healthier, or balances out the branch better.

Fifth, prune anything that points up. These branches would be prone to breaking when they are loaded with apples, so they need to go.

Sixth, any branches that point back toward the center of the tree.

Seventh, see here is where it gets harder for me. I have to look for narrow crotches and prune them. I do what I can, but I'm not perfect.

Next I look at the height of the tree, if it is too tall and requires a ladder for pruning, thinning and picking, it needs to be cut back. If a tree is too tall, the sprayer isn't going to reach it either.

Finally, for some of our older trees we've had to look at the length of some of the branches. In the first 2 years we lost some limbs, and even an old tree due to weakened limbs that had not been pruned propely for many years. When they get too leggy, they weaken. So I get Matt to cut them back drastically and we try to encourage some interior growth.

Happy Birthday Campbell

Campbell turned 11 today! What can I say about Campbell? Ambitious, determined, and charming. He eventually succeeds at anything he sets his mind to, not necessarily because it comes easily to him but because he set his mind to it! I know that we are all very proud of him and enjoy watching the young man he is growing up to be.

An unfortunate series of events...and a laundry tip

Today began badly. Before I even woke up, I could hear the rain pounding on the house last night, the wind blowing around the outdoor furniture we had just cleaned yesterday and placed on the patio.

I thought I set my alarm clock for 6:30 this morning, but when I rolled over, peeled one eye open and looked at the clock, it said 7:45. The kids' bus arrives at 7:21, school begins at 8:15, and there were lunches to make.

At least I had turned on the dryer for Patrick's school uniform before I went to bed. I woke up the kids and went to the laundry room to get Patrick's dry uniform. I opened up the dryer and was greeted by a big pile of wet clothes. So I took out everything except Patrick's uniform and Kira's coat. I went and made lunches. I opened up the refrigerator and a big jar of strawberry jam jumped out at me and landed on the floor. I did a quick tidy, mostly just removing the broken glass, hoping to wash the stickiness off the floor once the kids were at school.

Campbell: I have a headache. And a sore throat.
Me: I think we all do, can you still go to school?
Campbell: I think so.

I made lunches, and then ran down to the clothes out of the dryer. I opened the dryer and to my horror found pale blue crayon all over everything! I had removed a skipping rope, 3 crayons and a small ball of clay from her pockets, but it became apparent that I had missed something. I promised that I would find a stain removal tip from the internet and have them cleaned by the time he got home from school, and he begrudgingly wore his "winter uniform".

5 lunches were packed, 6 kids were dressed, we were mostly ready to go. Kira started coughing and couldn't stop. She needed to use the puffer. Clearly she needed to stay home from school "just one more day". During all of this, Patrick and Campbell offered to take the little ones to the van, but they need my keys. Keys. Not in my usual spot, not in my coat, are they in the door? Nope. At this point, I am thinking that God is trying to tell me something. Campbell checked my purse where I don't ever put them, bingo. In the excitement, somebody has knocked a cup of apple juice off of the table in the hallway. I grab something to blot it with, again the sticky floor can wait.

As we are going out the door, I remember that my van is 6 kms to empty, and I'm 9 kms to the nearest gas station at which I will be stopping. I suddenly remember that I have 2 "free plays" for the 50 million dollar lottery that I need to cash in. I figure that in 45 minutes of being late, I've already had a big dose of bad luck, so I am due to have a little bit of good luck. I get my gas and my lottery tickets and we are on our way!

We pull up in front of the school, and Campbell's headache is now worse, so only 3 get out of the van and trudge into school late. I drive off, stop at the grocery store for a few things. Then I go to the bank and use the machine. The machine won't process my transaction and I need to call a 1-800 number to get it fixed. When I call at home, they say that I need to go into a branch with ID because they can't restore my card over the phone. I appreciate that banks are looking out for customers, but this has gotten ridiculous. I should mention this happened last month when I tried to move UCCB money from that bank to the bank I do all of my banking at. Apparently, me using my card at another bank's branch (and paying the $1.50 charge) is considered "suspicious activity". They cleared me the last time, and yet froze everything again this month for the same reason. It's a good thing I wasn't in need of that money to put gas in my van or food in my children's bellies. Yet.

My friend and I were trying to get together and go for a walk maybe just with Griffin in a backcarrier, but between the other 2 sick kids, the rain, and Griffin's runny nose, I asked for a raincheck. Another friend dropped in for a spot of tea.

Finally I got a chance to go online and googled "crayon dryer remove stain", I looked at several of the tips and most of them involved ironing with a paper bag (I am usually pretty good at avoiding my iron), spot treating with storebought treatments, or scrubbing by hand. I remembered something about ammonia and crayons though, but everything online said to use ammonia for crayon in carpet. The ammonia bottle did not mention crayons. I tried it on a spot of the uniform and it dissolved right there. So I followed the directions on the bottle of ammonia and added 1 cup of ammonia to the washer, I threw in some of my homemade detergent and the stained clothes. As you can see, I am very lucky that the stains came out in one wash with NO SCRUBBING, NO IRONING.
Before:

After:

Let's just hope that there is just a little bit more luck left to cover my lottery tickets.