Lovin' my chickens...

 I am just loving my chickens right now. For the moment anyway. Things can change really fast for me around here! Ya just never know when the s*** will fly. But right now, I am really enjoying these girls. And Black Bart. He still hasn't figured out he's "the man" yet. Hopefully he'll be crowing soon and the ladies will respect him. They pick on the poor guy now.


So this is most of my flock. All together and pretty much getting along. They have plenty of room to spread out or run if they need to. So far so good.

This is one of the "Peaches". A Red Star hen. I have 8 of these. And 6 White Leghorn, 7 Barred Rock, 9 Black Sex Link, 2 Black Austrolourpe and 2 Black Giants. And Black Bart is a Black Giant rooster. That should be 34 hens and a roo.

This is one of the 2 Austrolourpe pullets. These 4 are a lot younger than all the others. And smaller. They hang out with Black Bart. But I thought she looked so pretty here in the straw.

And would ya just look at this! I had seen some of the white hens over here in the corner where the bee hive was. Singing their egg laying song and just hanging out. I didn't think anything about it. But haven't been getting but 1 or 2 white eggs a day now. Thought they had stopped laying. Til I found this, behind the bee boards I hadn't put up yet. I know, I am lazy. They can't be but a few days old, so I'll keep these for us. I put the boards back the way they were and see if they keep laying there. Crazy birds! But good to know they are still laying. I was getting worried already.

Alpaca update

I am getting those 2 alpacas. They'll be gelded at the end of next week (which I will be paying for and that's fine with me, considering how much she sells hers for) and she will deliver them after that. I went yesterday to see them. I said if any of them spit on me I was not going to get them. But they didn't. And they are so cute. Every single one of them is  so different. There are 2 kinds of alpaca: Suri and Huacuna . I know that's not how you spell the last one, but it's pronounced "why"acuna. That's the kind I'll be getting. But the Suri fiber is amazing. It's more silky and hangs in like threads down to the ground. So pretty.

I'm getting a white male that's between 2-4 years old. She has to look up on his papers. His name is Loki. He's so cute. And a bit smaller than the other one. He's red. And big. His name is Baryshnikov. And he is a kicker, she said. But not bad. I do not like the names. So will be giving them new names. I think the red one is about the same age.

As I was driving up her driveway, there were about 25 alpacas in the pasture. Some standing, some laying in the sun. I rolled my window down and said hello to them. Only a few even looked at me. Some were close and I could see their funny teeth. It's just so neat how each one looks so totally different. Some have fluffy heads. Some have straight hair on their heads. Some are spikey. Just so cool.

Anyway, I am SO excited to be getting these 2 guys! I'll keep them in the front pasture and will be slowly introducing them to the sheep. They are in the other pasture on the other side of the property and come back over at night and to eat. So they will see each other. I hope they all get along.

I'll post pictures when they get here. They're so pretty.

New hens and nesters.

 Chickens are hilarious! I just spent a few hours this morning cleaning out the sheep shelters and putting up a new chickens nester. I put this one up in the next stall. The coop is to the right. I had this old wire nester out back in the goat barn, so got it cleaned out and brought it up here. I have 34 hens now, so thought I might need a few more nest boxes. But do I really?

The white hen jumped right up and started getting her nest all nice and fluffed up.


Then this other white hen jumped up and decided this was a great nest box so she got in too. They love each other so much they have to lay eggs together. Silly chickens!

Even over here in the coop. Togetherness is the key. Why mess up a whole other nest box, right?

These are the new girls. I picked them up after the market last night. One of the other vendors went to a 4H auction last weekend and got these for me. They are Black Sex Link and 3 of them look like Black Austrolourpe. 3 of them have had their beaks clipped. I hate that! Why? But they all look good. One has a crooked foot but seems fine.

They will stay in this tractor a few days til they all get to know one another. Then I'll let them out after I put the others back in. Then eventually they all need to go in the big coop. Right now, the 4 black hens and Black Bart the rooster, still go in their little chicken tractor at night and the others go in the coop. I'll just have to take that one away and get the black ones to go in the coop.

Some of the others coming to say hello. Black Bart was doing his thing earlier. Introducing himself to them. It was kind of cute.

So now I have 34 hens and a rooster. And he has not crowed yet. He's about 5 months old I think. When will he start crowing? I really miss that. He's a handsome boy too. So hopefully I'll start getting more eggs. There were a lot of hens in several nesters awhile ago.

Alpacas?

The past 2 days I have had my booth set up down at the community center for this re-enactment. It was totally not what I was expecting at all. It was a little disappointing for me. Not near the traffic or throngs of people I was thinking would be here. But most of the traffic was routed down Hog Jowl Rd to the East of us, over the ridge. And we had signs up too. Anyway, it was fun and I did sell a lot of soap.

So I was next to an alpaca person. Her name is Susan Darling and she had My Little Darling's Alpaca farm. She sells alpaca wool and also knitted  and felted items. She also has her spinning wheel with her. Anyway, we talked the whole time we were there. I have met her before so had talked to her before this a few times. She has about 60 alpacas right now. She had taken in 10 from a couple who had to give them up due to health reasons. She can't seem to find people to sell them to so is going to give them up to a rescue group in a few weeks. She has a vet coming to castrate all the males.

As we were talking about this, I asked her if she was just giving them away. She said she would give me 2 of them if I wanted them. I have NEVER wanted an alpaca. Ever. Nor a llama. Nor a donkey. Always said I would never have any of these animals. They scare me. And llamas and alpacas are ugly. And they spit! BUT their wool is amazing! I love alpaca wool.

SO, I have about 1 1/2 weeks to think about it and make up my mind. I told my husband and asked him what he thought about it. He really could care less, as long as it's not pigs. So I will go to her farm this week and look at them. If they spit at me I will not get them. If not, I will consider it. I would love a brown one. I think the 2 she said I could have are white and a tan color.

Does anyone have alpacas? What do you think about them? I would love to hear more about them. And there are 2 different kinds. She did say the Suri's she has are a bit high-strung, so I know I don't need them. Big decision for me. I also need to buy a hair ram and a Boer buck in the next few weeks too.

Help for a fellow blogger

http://mysticmud.blogspot.com/

I have been reading this blog for some time now. She had her 11th baby a few weeks ago very premature. They are at Vanderbilt in Nashville. I just feel like I need to share this with you all. She needs all the help she can get right now. Please help if you can or just pray for them. I'm sure it's all appreciated.

Beautiful morning here in the cove.

 What a beautiful morning! The sky was just amazing.

This leaf has been hanging from this web for days now. Finally got the camera and took lots of pictures. This one looks like a sea horse floating on a boat. So pretty with the clouds behind it.

The sunrise was awesome. Again. I just love the view across the road. Can you see the horses over to the right in front of that little tree?

                                                                  Just beautiful!

I saw Stella looking in while the sheep were munching on some old bread. I thought she just wanted to come say hello to the sheep...

But her and Bubba had something else they wanted. They love bread too! Leelah came to check them out. She was stomping her feet too.

And here's Sandy, the pig goat. This is so funny. Here she is, munching away at this hard roll I gave here, with Zarah and Zeeboo head butting. And she doesn't even notice. I do believe I have a few goats in heat. But I am waiting til next month. No more early kids for me.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

150th Civil War re-enactment Sept. 21st and 22nd.

It's already starting. The trucks and trailers full of horses and wagons and cannons and who knows what else. Going to the end of my road to Mountain Cove Farm for the 150th Civil War re-enactment this weekend. It's a little exciting now. I was really dreading this whole thing.  I don't like traffic and lots of people. I'm usually the last one driving on my road on the way home, way out here in the middle of no where. But already, I am seeing a lot of traffic. Especially in the mornings, with work trucks and ice trucks and dump trucks.

It's quiet right now.

But soon, this little lane will be bumper to bumper with cars and buses and campers.

Just over this little hill is where it will all happen...

Can you just imagine these hundreds of acres filled with thousands of people and horses? Tents and campfires? Soldiers all over the fields? I  don't know. It's just amazing that all this will be happening way out here in just a few days. Just amazing!

Our little community center , just about 1/4 mile from me, will be a country store. We will have lots of people selling a variety of goodies there. I'll be selling soap and jelly and preserves. And a few other things too. I am excited about that. 2 long days and lots of people.

Y'all think about us way out here. And if anyone is coming, stop by the community center and say hello. I'd love to see you there! Or stop by the farm on the way.