by Susan | Sep 3, 2014 | Chickens
The new banty babies had an adventure today. Salty’s brood is almost three-weeks-old and she’s a bit bored hanging out in the coop and run. The run door is on the second story (so we can open the door when there’s loads of snow on the ground in the...
by Susan | Aug 20, 2014 | Chickens, On the Farm
A moment of cuteness to make you smile on a Wednesday morning. We are smitten with these little babies!...
by Susan | Aug 15, 2014 | Chickens, On the Farm
What’s a farm without farm babies?Shadow, our little bantam hen who we lost this last winter, was our resident farm mama – the only hen, chicken, or duck who managed to hatch babies. This summer, we’ve had four broody girls. Salty, one of our...
by Susan | Jun 9, 2013 | Chickens, On the Farm
Occupancy in the Banty B&B has hit an all-time high. Over the past couple of days the Banty chicken population doubled. Shadow is proving to be an excellent chicky mama, sticking to her nest until five baby bantam chickens hatched. It seemed like every time I went...
by Susan | Jun 7, 2013 | Chickens, On the Farm
Exciting things are happening here today. Little Shadow, our Bantam hen is still on her nest. She’s my favorite chicken because she’s so sweet and even tempered – and a good mama. Hannah’s chores include feeding and watering the Bantys each...
by Susan | Jul 2, 2012 | Chickens, Ducks, On the Farm, Turkeys
I spent the most glorious hour this evening sitting at the edge of the duck pond, sun dipping lower in the sky, with a glass of wine and my book. It was like a mini vacation relaxing away from work and the phone, watching the baby ducks negotiate their place among the...
by Susan | Jun 21, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
Almost a month ago I selected a dozen fresh chicken eggs to place in the incubator Paul gave me at Christmas. A few days ago three baby chicks hatched. One didn’t survive, leaving Gilfy and Miri – cute little Buff Orpington/Barred Rock chicks. Although I...
by Susan | Jun 18, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
The sound of cheaping woke me out of a sound sleep at 1:30 a.m. this morning. A few moments to get my bearings and I ran to the bathroom where I found this brandy-new chick in the incubator! I woke Paul to share the excitement with him. He groggily told me to close...
by Susan | May 24, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
It was dark when Hannah closed the Banties in tonight. She panicked because she couldn’t find the baby chicks – they are usually sitting in the corner tucked under Shadow. Hannah flashed her light inside the coop and saw mama on the roost. Then out popped...
by Susan | May 5, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
Shadow has turned out to be a good mama. Here she is with her babies on day...
by Susan | May 3, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
The two-day-old peeps ventured into the great outdoors of the Banty B&B today. A bit soon for this type of adventure in my eyes. I suspect that they led their mama on a merry chase. Shadow seems to be a very conscientious mama, but when I arrived home tonight,...
by Susan | May 1, 2012 | Chickens, On the Farm
I’ve been on Shadow watch the last couple of days. When I poked my head in the banty coop tonight I saw an egg shell lying next to Shadow. Although I didn’t hear any telltale peeps, I all but danced inside to get Paul and Hannah. We gathered up water and...
by Susan | Apr 22, 2012 | Critters, Odds and Ends
We’ve had these little guys with us for nine days now. It’s amazing how fast they grow. Look at the feathers coming out on their wings – and their tiny little tail feathers! They’re too cute. I hope they get ugly soon – meat chickens need...
by Susan | Jul 30, 2011 | Chickens
We went to town today for a roll of 6′ x 50′ chicken wire and came home with four bantam chicks and no chicken wire. How did that happen? It had to be Chicken Math. These little cuties were $1 each – end of the season left-over chick sale. Who can...
by Susan | Jun 29, 2011 | Chickens
We’ve had the baby chicks for four weeks now. This has been quite an exciting experience for our family. We’ve all fallen in love with “The Girls.” The meat chickens are not quite so lovable. At least to me. And it has to stay that way if these...
by Susan | Jun 22, 2011 | Chickens
It’s been three weeks since the Peepsters came into our lives. “Peepsters” is my name for them or “The Girls.” They’re looking a bit scraggly at this point. They’re in this sort of adolescent stage. We’re pretty certain...
by Susan | Jun 13, 2011 | Chickens
I spy… a crazy lady with a camera. 175 shots later and she felt compelled to post these six pics. The baby hens at two weeks old. Funny looking little things, aren’t...
by Susan | Jun 9, 2011 | Chickens
We have had the baby chicks for one week today. It’s amazing how much they’ve grown in this short time! They’re developing their wing feathers and have just sprouted the beginnings of their tail feathers. What is really wild is how much bigger the...
by Susan | Jun 4, 2011 | Chickens
The baby chicks seem to have settled in and are feeling their...
by Susan | Jun 2, 2011 | Chickens
We received notice on Tuesday that our baby chicks had been shipped. Today is Thursday and the telephone rang at 6:45 a.m. It was the post office calling to say that we had chicks waiting and to come on down and get them. Only in a small town will they tell you that...
