I have a new toy!

Called a FLIP video camera!

http://www.theflip.com/products_flip_ultra.shtml

I happened to win it in a RAFFLE! With all the 'bad luck' I was having the last week, this was a happy. There is good and bad news....I LOVE the camera (good news)...I may be addicted to it (bad news).

Here is my very first EVER video.

The case of the missing chicken

Saturday late morning my husband called me and told me that one of the chickens was 'missing'. I told him not to worry she was probaby in the coop laying. I came home and she was still missing. I got worried, searched the coop, the yard, the shrubs and nothing. There was no evidence of predator attack. I started to worry. I realized it was Pearl who was missing. I felt sad and worried and hoped that if she had been 'chicknapped' that she had not suffered.

I did all my afternoon stuff and at about 5pm I went to get the bucket for my horses beet pulp. In the winter we soak it in the house. I got to the barn and the bucket was outside the door upside down. I grabbed it and SQUAWK out runs a wet, beet pulp soaked chicken! She ran through the barn lot carrying on. The weather was only moderately cold and she had 40 minutes of sunshine, so I hoped she would dry.

Jay got home later and I went to feed the horses, tuck the girls in and just generally secure the farm for the night. I stopped by the coop and used my flashlight to look at the girls. There were two LOVELY floofy chickens and one sad looking chicken. What I hadn't considered was the molasses in the beet pulp that had dried on her feathers. I grabbed her up and took her to the house for a bath. I handed Jay a chicken, got a crate to put Pearl in when she was washed. Then I held her while Jay washed her feathers (from neck to tail covered) and she flapped and squawked and soaked us in the process.

She spent the night in a crate in the spare room so she would be able to dry. The next morning I turned her out and listened as she told the WORLD how she had been abused. She got to her pals and hushed. However, all day Sunday if I so much as went by her, she would scold me loudly. Yesterday she got herself INTO the horse barn, but couldnt' get out, she is definately not gonna be the 'easy one'.

Coop of dreams?

If you build it....

They will lay?

I got home after dark last night (5:30pm) and went to tuck in the girls. I went in and heard them happily clucking away. I always flip open my cell phone so I can see them to say "g'night ladies". As I was closing my phone my mind registered a 'weirdness' in the nest box. I didn't think they would be laying a week after I built their house (to the day), but my brain said "they have knocked a big section out of their nest or something'. I flip open the phone again and see IT! A perfect little egg. It is perfect and about half the size of a Large Egg. I am almost positive the 'layer' is Paris. She just looks a little more grown than the other gals. I almost want to skip my workout tonight to go home and be the one to see if there are MORE! :-D

The girls are earning their keep now. This morning I gave them the crumbles out of Duncan's Shredded wheat bag as a 'reward'. Tomorrow I might even buy them some crickets!

I am about to be independent of Grocery store eggs! WOO HOO!

Too proud?

Well, I won't win any builders awards, but on Monday I got fed up with my hens living in a dog crate during the night. My hubby works retail so his help was unlikely if not laughably impossible. I built a hen-hut, by myself. I used two FOUND doors, scrap lumber and all different size nails/screws as I found them in my still unpacked 'tools'.

First I put this lovely roadside door and attatched it to the beam in the old barn lean-to, then affixed this strange left behind green wood to that and fixed the 'hole' where there is a step down in the lean to.

At this point I ran out of nails and went for my screws and came back to the girls checking the place over.

After they had approved the plan and reccomended some upgrades (heat, plumbing) I called my union rep, they called their lawyer..... I was able to get back to work.

I added a nest box put the top half of the side on...added a hinged door on the other end, I called it quits for the night.

They happily slept there the first night, but Tuesday night I found them in their crate. I dragged them out and put them to bed. Paris lived up to her namesake and was as dramatic as could be. Lucy took it like a lady and Pearl fairly enjoyed me holding her, even letting Duncan pat her while I had her.

Here they are on thier roost below their nest box. They are wondering what kind of sick paparazi takes flash photos at eight pm, they threatened a call to the lawyer, but I tricked them. No phone in their new house!

I still need to put a 'predator' roof on. I am going to use an old storm door so they get maximum light. I am also going to put a 'lip' on that cabinet (trash) turned nest box, so they don't roll their eggs out on the floor (Thanks Daryl for reminding me)

I hate to admit how proud I am of myself. It isn't perfect, it isn't going to win any design competitions, but I did it MYSELF!

What have you done to be proud of this week?

Hopefully, I will get to enjoy the last little warm snap this weekend and take my horse out for a gallop.