Arrived!

Welcome our newest addition to Two Blue Houses! (No, it isn't Lauren's baby, but any day...) This arrival came via snail mail.  And I'm happy to report that the kids are loving their new little ones.

Another spring, another order of chicks.  I'm not sure if this says we are bad owners or determined to succeed.  Either or, filling the house with their surprisingly loud "cheeps" sure makes us smile.  Seriously, a sleeping day-old-chick is just about the cutest thing I can imagine.  They fall asleep and kind of just flap down.  You would swear they were injured by looking at they way they are awkwardly sprawled all over. Little overlapping piles of yellow fluff.  Sigh.  Adorable.

Since we are no longer day-old-chick newbies, our brooder has gotten less and less complicated and I think last year we nailed it so here it is again...

Three large cardboard boxes fashioned into one piled with a couple inches of straw.  Totally disposable, compostable, and my favorite, just about free.  Every couple days I gently scoot the chicks to one side and sprinkle some fresh straw.  They may be small, but boy do they "go" a lot!

It is hard to believe they have been here for almost a week.  Only 19 weeks to go until they are laying eggs.  Patience... patience...

Any happy signs of spring at your place?

The Place of Dreams

Geauga County Fair

Labor Day weekend brings many wonderful things but no doubt my favorite is the Geauga County Fair. The first time I attended this fair was at Gary's encouragement and we jokingly called it our "honeymoon". Newlyweds we had a house that needed years of work, no chickens, rabbits, babies, barely a garden and a whole lot of hopes and dreams. It was fun to go to the fair that first time with Gary. He told me stories of when he was younger and running around the fair ground enjoying his youth. It wasn't like the fairs of my youth. It was more real, more country, more "fair" than any fair I had ever been to. I simply fell in love and I hope it never changes. However, this 2011 fair seemed more special than most...

My favorite part of every fair is always the animals. I could wander the barns for hours looking at and longing for the animals. Particularly the draft horses but all the animals drew me. I couldn't wait to share that with my son sincerely hoping to instill a deep love and respect for animals and the land in his heart at a young age. To be stewards of the Earth is to fulfill an ancient assignment given to us by God. For Wade to love the land and animals is to love God and obey Him. What better life could I strive to give Wade? Of course Wade can do and be as he chooses but I would hope that a part of himself would always come back to loving God's creation and having the same deep appreciation for it that Gary and I do.

Saturday afternoon we packed the car and prepared to drive the hour drive to Burton, Ohio. It was hot. I mean HOT! Everyone was talking about how it was the hottest days of summer yet. You just stood outside and started sweating but I wasn't going to let that stop us. I packed food for the baby and several iced water bottles and we loaded the car and headed out. We had a lot of fair to see and didn't leave as early as we had wanted. I was worried about how Wade would do in the heat and without a solid nap. I worried for nothing. Wade was a trooper and LOVED every minute of the fair. I have hardly seen him having so much fun.

Wade simply loved the sheep, had his first pony ride, saw cows, pigs, goats, miniature horses, and of course animals he had at home: rabbits and chickens. The fair was magical but we were no longer on the outside looking in. We as a family had started to secure and raise our own food. We had 23 birds in the freezer, a fresh laying flock of hens, my first ever canned tomato sauce, and a litter of rabbits with two more on the way in our own backyard. We had several gardens with more beds planned and could walk around this fair and dream of the next steps that didn't seem so far away. 

I jokingly talked with Gary about sheep. They were sweet and shy and you could get meat, milk, and wool from them and they would mow the lawn. Why couldn't we get the whole neighborhood to sign a petition to allow them. They would hardly be noticed noise or sound wise, right!?! Perhaps two pot belly pigs raised for 9 months to slaughter age was just around the corner in our lives? No one would even know they were around. OK, maybe not but when you are walking through the fair barns you just can't help but dream. We have come so far. Someday my little boy maybe auctioning off his prize winning rooster or buck rabbit at this very fair. I could have a 4Her in my future yet. Welcome to my place of dreams. I can hardly wait until next year.

Random Strangers

Today was one of those days where someone unexpectedly stops by to "see our chickens." Obviously they saw them, but chicken keeping enthusiasts have to see them up close and personal. We welcome them. My husband started the chatting (which he LOVES) about the yard, hens, and coop. Tells the poor soul we live off the land, which we so don't, and really draws them in. It is like a fish story. Gary gets better with the telling. I can't say I blame him. Don't we all have ideas in our head about what we want our yards and property to turn out being? I have to say though. The coop and rabbit area are certainly starting to look like something worth showing off.

Our guest told us the many chicken breeds he has tried while I was wondering what happened to them all. He picked up a tip or two, such as, if your hens don't lay in your nest boxes they aren't very private. Hens like private. His nest boxes were so big his goats curled up in them. There's your sign. Apparently, his last batch of hens roosted up in some sort of tree house and all were lost to a wild animal. Gary also shared with him that clipping wings can be useful. Although on three acres I wouldn't bother. All in all our guest admired our property and on a parting note encouraged us to keep goats. "You have perfect goat property," he said.

Now Berea... what do you think? Can I keep goats. I will get the small ones that are hardly larger then some of my neighbor's dogs. It won't really be a bother will it?

Unprepared & Emotionally Exhausted

It has been a horrible day. They kind where a major, unexpected event happens and throws the whole day into unplanned chaos. We were terribly wrong about the rabbits not being pregnant and lost (almost and may yet) an entire litter. All I can say is it wasn't a happy morning. My worst nightmares happened. Our wicked witch doe... now named "Emma Frost" had her litter some time last night or in the early morning. No nest box. No baby safe sides... I couldn't even figure out who had the babies. And the babies were everywhere. Ultimately, seven lost souls with one hanging on for dear life. The one surviving soul had taken refuge in the cage of our sweet doe, "Queen Elizabeth", who was frantically trying to make a nest.

Gary came home from work on a week that was supposed to be bookoo overtime to frantically help me sort out the mess and decide what should be done. The sides of both female cages were blocked with hasty cut and hammered boards. The babies had to be made safe from "The Duke" our buck and the ground all the while I cried about how everything I touch tends to fail. It has been one hard hitting season...

I had already determined that Queen Elizabeth was still pregnant and had started to labor. In a last ditch effort, I lined her metal nest box with card board and wood shavings and pilled high the hay. I salvaged some of the fur she had already pulled out from the ground and threw it in the box. Gary had returned to work, the baby was napping and I had an hour of garden watering to do. We just had to hope she would have her babies in there. Emma Frost had her last surviving babies in her cage with her but it looked bleak. She clearly didn't have a maternal instinct yet and was just peeing and pooping in her nest box.

After Gary got home from work he announced that Queen E had her babies. She managed to have three in the box and two on the wire floor. We moved the two into the box with the others and kept hoping for the best. However, Queen E was doing her job. She had snugly tucked them in with about a pound more of her fur and was resting quietly as the pink little ones shook the hay and fur with their baby movements. Nothing like trial by fire and no amount of reading prepares you for baby bunnies gone wrong. We also hope that Queen E will adopt the lone survivor from Emma Frost's litter. It isn't looking good for that little one.

At the end of the day here is what we learned. Emma Frost is a bit immature. Next time around (we will breed her again with Queen E) she will be older and wiser and so will we. Baby bunnies at the most need to be fed twice a day so bottle feeding is an option if we are prepared. Domestic rabbits don't freak out like wild rabbits about human scent so handling the babies is OK just not too much. No need really if all is going well. Supposedly male rabbits and rabbits in general don't cannibalize their young... I am not so sure about that but I am going with it. Rabbits feed their babies for about 5 minutes a day (usually between midnight to 5 a.m.). We will have to let you know about that for sure in the morning. If they are pink and have round bellies you are doing good. Even with my own baby feeding at first makes me nervous. The little ones can't tell you with words you are doing it right. The infant stage makes me way tense. Hopefully baby rabbits will get me over that.

The disaster is hopefully passed and we will soon have cute rabbit babies to show you. The loss is extremely sad and disappointing but has to be dealt with on a farm. Even if the purpose of that life is ultimately death at least it isn't traumatic, which is the point of raising your own livestock. Life doesn't always work out as planned. As I asked myself why oh why do we do this and not live a normal life? I am reminded that our health depends on it. We may not be growing cheaper food but we certainly are growing healthier for us food. As my heart struggled with why we try to do this over and over as it beats us back. Gary stumbled across this quote:

"Discontent is the want of self-reliance." Emerson

Surely we would be discontent if we weren't slowly, clawing our way towards self-reliance. Don't think though that as we take three steps forward and two steps back I don't need something to remind myself of why we are doing it to get us past the bumps in the road. 

Guess Who's Not for Dinner: Ticked Off at Rabbits

Did you ever feel like your captive rabbits are
looking at you like this? Source

So our lovely buck and ladies have yet again failed to provide us with any litters. The buck is very enthusiastic about missing when he is doing his duty. I did think this last time he was successful. I am most ticked off that we have thus far invested 9 months of feed at a venture that doesn't seem to be working.

I am not giving up though. I will be breeding them again this week... several times to make sure. I think rabbit will be a great source of backyard protein. Any suggestions? A proven buck? Another senior doe? Alas, they are only just a year old now and are large meat rabbit types. Perhaps they were too young at 9 months to breed...

One way or another bunnies... I will win. Whatever happened to "multiplying like rabbits"?

Welcome to the Family / Party Progress

Say hello to the newest addition to our farm family...

This adorable little girl was born one week ago today and has been shy with pictures until this morning.

At first her mother and aunts surrounded her...

And then they shoved her out of their protective circle to let us see!

Here is her sister. No longer the cute baby, a gawky teen, but still pretty in her own right. She turns one this weekend. Her birth (the first on this farm in a very very long time) was a huge surprise the afternoon we returned from a visit to Kentucky!

This is the beginning of our own little herd: the mother, the bull, two aunts, her older sister and baby makes six.

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Still drowning in party preparations here. Does anyone else go all out and then at the last few days before the party regret undertaking so many new projects for themselves? Yep, that would be me. But go big or go home, right? It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't making everything from scratch. Good thing I have my own little party elves over here painting, sewing and in general making me NOT lose my mind! Thank you dear dear friends...

Just a few peeks at the upcoming festivities... these lovely things make me smile and will be seen at the dessert table.

I can't wait to show you the rest. I may not sleep for the next two days but this party is going to be worth it.

Chores with a Baby

Many times farm chores are things I want to rush through to get to the relaxing part of my day. (Did I just say that?!?!) With a bunch of active kids there never is a dull moment here. While there is no relaxing on a mini farm, sometimes chores can become adventures. Like chickens for example. Throw in a 20 month old, a teeny tiny pair of mud boots and a patient mommy and this is what you get...

Seriously, aren't her boots cute!

Her favorite part of the whole experience is unloading the basket one by one and placing them in the egg carton. Some of the hens lay huge round eggs occasionally and she tries to fit the giant egg into the tiny well and we get some of these...

A small price to pay for eager hands. But all in all she gets excited and grabs the chicken shaped egg basket when she sees me putting on my boots and I just can't resist. The enthusiasm wears off as the child gets older... say 10! (My oldest turned ten this week.) So I don't mind taking her. Eden was the same way with the chickens. Jude grew up in the barn watching me milk a goat twice a day from his walker. I love that my kids are growing up with animals that contribute to our family's food supply.

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Today I am shoveling mountains of topsoil and mulch to get the yard looking its best for a double birthday party at this rural blue house this weekend. The girls are coming over to help get together some fun carnival themed games and decorations. There will be lots of happy party pictures to come next week. My to-do party list has a couple dozen unchecked items that desperately need immediate attention. I think today I will tackle the perfect gluten free onion ring and see if I can turn an adult daiquiri mix into kiddie sno-cones?!?! Wish me luck!

Animal Chores

Our work is never done. We don't live on a "real" farm but we sure have regular, steady, daily chores. Honestly, I love doing the animal chores. It is impossible to complete them with a baby on your hip so it usually means a few lingering minutes of meaningful free time. A peaceful moment to make sure all the animals are fed fresh food and have clean water. Time to scratch a bunny's head and talk with the chickens about how they need to keep laying such wonderful eggs. 

Today I ran out between rain storms to let the chickens out in the yard. Let them eat worms, bugs, and compost and save us money on that feed bill! As a side note: I have found some great articles and resources lately about feeding rabbits and chickens non-commercial feed and I just bought 900 mangel beet seeds to grow for feed this winter. I am pumped! Anyway, Wade was sleeping (don't worry I had the video monitor) and I had just a minute to get the beagles in the pen, check the green house, give the rabbits a snack, check water, and feed "starving" baby chicks. One of the new Silver Wyandotte roosters and I had a meaningful heart to heart, eye to eye chat about how he needs to respect me and my position or I would eat him. We gave each other a good long meaningful look. My last roos respected me but not Corey or Gary... this batch better respect me too. 

However, we don't have a normal "life". Chores are there day in and day out regardless of the weather or if we want to get away for the weekend, which never can happen because of the animals. There are more than just animal chores now. There is making yogurt, kefir (water and milk), making dough, baby, plants, and planning a head for the next day's three meals. The days of collapsing on the couch at the end of each work day to watch TV are long gone! Instead we trying to see how quickly we can do the chores after the baby is finally asleep so we to can hit the hay.

What chores are part of your daily life style? Do you find that friends and family understand your homesteading chores and how it "limits" you? I would love to hear what you think

Quick Update from the Suburban Blue House

These pictures I would normally post on Two Blue Houses Facebook page and I probably will post them there to.

New chicken coop to the far right. We are turning the pen of the old chicken coop into our new coop. The roof has been framed and a window put in. We are eager to finish this project so that we can move the new chicks from my greenhouse and into the actual chicken coop. One of our main reasons for revamping the chicken coop is to better utilize the deep bedding method of keeping livestock. The middle building has a plywood floor and you just can't do deep bedding well or correctly without a dirt floor.

The second reason is because we need storage. The center building will be storage so that our little one car garage isn't so stressed with stuff. OK... so that Gary isn't so stressed with stuff (understandably). The far left building needs a new roof if it is going to stay and that will be debatable. It may or may not stay. As storage, a rabbit shed, etc. Plans change almost daily. Regardless it will look fresh and new back there by the end of summer with blue paint and white trim and shutters (Gary doesn't know about the shutters yet... maybe flower boxes... anyway).

Gary surveying our trash picked wood items. We are really, really missing the truck for that reason. We maybe poor but the truck allowed us to get junk for free. Now... well now who knows.

Close up of the new window put in yesterday. Yes, that warped vinyl window was trash picked. A perfect fit for a chicken coop.

While Gary put in the window I painted the greenhouse. I was able to get two coats on all sides thanks to a bit of help from Corey and with Wade being so so good to sit in his stroller, be tied on my back, and held in my arm. I can't wait for the white trim to be put up. It will be an adorable greenhouse.

Rocky the beagle watching me work. He is a serious slave driver. **Wink**

The Chicks have Flown the Coop...

Ramblings with a Picture

So I am not quite getting that iPhone Instagram affect I want. I will have to keep working on it. It is supposed to have a very "polaroid" feel to the image.

Today I have to design, design, design for a couple projects I have going. It feels good to be back in the saddle so to speak. Also, the first of my tomato plant seedlings are poking their heads above the soil. I have lots more to start... 

Gary and I walked out and discussed the garden areas today and I realized I need a lot, lot, lot more seedlings. If the green house reaches 80 again (or seems to be likely to get that warm) I will be moving my seedlings outside for the day light hours to get the heat and rays. 

We picked up a bunch of 2 x 4's and some wood paneling from some friends of ours working on a kitchen remodel. Hopefully they will be able to return to use in our green house and elsewhere. We have so many projects to do it is crazy. It seems like moving the rabbits out of the greenhouse as the temperatures creep up is a priority. A long with breaking ground, cutting down trees, expanding the chicken coop, clearing a tractor path, putting up fences, getting the rabbits bred, etc. 

Can't think too much about that to do list right this second. I have to go design... 

The Best Part of Keeping Chickens...

This is a wonderful short post by Jackie that was posted back in February. For whatever reason (Blogger glitch) it reposted when I updated the label... not realizing Jackie had already updated the label. No matter what it shouldn't have reposted, but it did. So enjoy it again!! **Wink**

Begin a recipe only to find you have no eggs.

Run to the coop and gather the exact amount you need.

A happy blessing.

I'm making brownies by the way...

Baby and Chick

They saw each other for the first time.

I have to say this group of Silver Laced Wyandottes are extremely calm. Nothing like our previous batch.

Baby Chicks

The call came from the post office. Little peeps. 6 a.m. They are here. Always a novelty. Last time the postman told us that there used to be lots of chickens coming by mail to our fair community. Bees too. Not so much now a days. When we started keeping chickens there were no regulations on them. They weren't considered livestock. You could have a rooster, as many birds as you want, it was the coop they were worried about. We were told it ("it" being the coop) would bring coyotes. Really.

The shipping box from Meyer Hatchery in Ohio. Hurray local!

They are here. Great I was completely irresponsible and up until 2 a.m. and great we are about to get hit by a snow storm. I was banking on the end of March being warmer than the beginning. This group is supposed to go in a brooder in the garage. Right now the garage is cold, stinks of gasoline because of the tractor, and is cold. I know I mentioned that.

Huddling chicks. The are right under the heat lamp.

Out of the box they were cold and huddling. Each got a beak dipped in water until they drank. The one has a semi pasty butt already nothing is blocked. I will clean it when Gary gets home. All behinds will be inspected then. Corey came out in a hurry to see them only at Gary's insisting. He seemed completely unimpressed. Sixteen year olds can't "be impressed" by chickens. He would have been more so two years ago when the last group arrived. He was a better age for it all back then and hadn't yet been jaded by the heavy **Wink** burden of taking care of adult chickens.

In less then five minutes they had relaxed and were exploring their new home.

When we left them in the garage secure in the knowledge they had drank, were exploring, and no longer a heaping pile it was clear novelty had definitely worn off. I am tired. My pictures are not great. They are wonderfully cute but I don't feel the necessity to peer in every few minutes to make sure they are still alive. They will serve their purpose and will be a great addition to our mini farm.

Two roosters and the rest hens (well will be when older). They will be replacing my laying flock in September.  Hopefully the majority of them make it like my last group of chickens. Some loss is to be expected. The general idea is that this group will replace and/or add to themselves. Either by going broody or by us incubating their eggs.

No decisions on what will happen with the old flock yet. I am grateful to them for their service but I would like some long roasters or maybe lots of chicken soups with homemade stock.  They could also be sold on Craig's List to a beginner(s) chicken keeper(s). An easy beginners flock.

The baby is wide awake and bushy tailed. He shouldn't be up. I hope to get him to lay down very very soon and I will follow his example. How does he know I am not sleeping soundly in my bed? Baby's must have sonar or something. Perhaps his bottle will convince him it is still sleep time?

Well I am enjoying a breakfast of champions. Dry granola and coffee. Until next time.

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