We Are Deep In the Heart of Texas

Nomadic seasons of farming adventures with nature thrown in to include; a pinch of family, snippets of friends, counting our blessings, paying IT forward, home school, and the spicy things I decide to rant about.















Saturday, February 5, 2011

Special Package, Birthday Card, New Silkies

I am happy to report I can now washes dishes in the kitchen sink.  For entertainment purposes, I washed dishes in the upstairs bathroom since the water pipe froze in the kitchen area.  LOL It was funny but, a woman has to do what a woman has to do to keep some order in her home. 

Mail delivery today was special.  Saenz received a birthday card from Grumpy Gramps; he is making plans on how he is going to spend the check.  He said something about saving up for a crossbow.  (I think we are in trouble! LOL) And he has propped the card from Grumpy on his night stand. Thanks Grumpy Gramps!

I received my order from Texan and see my rainbow of Kid Coats?  Now I put the yellow one on Banjo and he took off outside to test it out.  It was pretty cool because I could find him in the yard.  I think he is vying for the red hot chili jacket. Any way, these are very well made and I would recommend them.  Thanks for such a lovely coats!
 Silkie (3 day old) chick standing next to an Ameraucana
 (3 weeks old).

Silkies have bluish flesh, ear lobes, and bones, five toes vice four, walnut combs, and originate from China.

Ameraucanas have, pea combs, bluish legs, bearded, red ear lobes and come from Chile.

How cool is that?
Ameraucanas will grow to be 5 pound birds at the most.  Most of our ladies wind up being around 4 lbs by time they come to point of lay.  I tend to favor this breed and Buff Orphingtons because they are docile, intelligent, excellent mothers, do well in Texas heat, and continuous layers.
Isn't this little silkie precious?  If you click on the photo you can see it has feathers on its feet.  I love 'booted' breeds too but, they need a place that allows them to keep their feet clean.  So each of the boys will have their own flock of five to take care of and learn how to breed them later. 

We have the shopping done for the week and have cleaned the brooders.   Next time the Ameraucanas need to be cleaned out; they will be moved outdoors to their own transitory coop.  By the end of this month, we will have a small flock of turkeys only six to start and another clutch of 20 Maran chicks to brood inside the house.

Also today, I need to replant my five cabbages.  I pulled them up and kept them alive in the house.  I hate the idea of loosing viable food. 

So what do you think?

Spring is around the corner or are we in for a much longer winter?

SPECIAL NOTE:  The guinea male's mate did not die, once she thawed out a bit --- off she went. (click on their photo on 'Baby Its Cold Outside' blog below.) They have not been near the coops since.  Poor things, I felt so bad for both of them yesterday. 

10 comments:

Sharon said...

Cute peeps! Aw thought you would show a pic of Banjo in one of the coats! Very happy about the Guinea hen!

Girl, you are gonna be busy!!!

floweringmama said...

Wow, you have been as busy as a beaver!

Glad the pipe got fixed so you can finally wash dishes.

Texan said...

Frozen water pipes.. uggg thats not fun girly...

Baby chicks are fun!! I hope the weather will get better so its easier for you to have them.

My cabbabes and Brussels Sprouts, well time will tell if I lost them. 50 cabbages I could not dig up and 20 brussels.

I am telling you we are going to have to move south, um I know we live south but well desperate times yadda yadda ya know lol.. Our 7" of snow melted some today as we got above freezing for the first time in days! Again tomorrow so more will melt. Oopsie is due to kid anytime so I am hoping the worst is over!

Anonymous said...

Frozen pipes are no fun. Ours froze the first year we lived here and no water for a couple of days till we got them fixed. I now always leave dripping water on and so far have not had it happen yet. The water in the outdoor toilet in the cabin froze. I now drain that toilet if a freeze is coming.
I love the goat coats. I purchased two as well and love them. Excellent quality and I love that you can get whatever you desire on the back of them. So affordable as well. Get us some pics of whomever is wearing them. I have to get some pics of the kid wearing one I order.

Nekkid Chicken said...

Hey Sharon, Banjo was quite funny wearing it. Little bugger just couldn't harass the wild rabbits as well though. It going to be a beautiful day here. Enjoy if it reaches your way.

Stay warm,
Mal

Flowering, Thanks for stopping by. I was actually near full weep yesterday when hubby said the water was back on in the sink. Silly girl that I am. :O)

Nekkid Chicken said...

Texan, You know those large aluminum watering containers? Well I keep the baby chicks inside those in my house. For the first few weeks, the straw has to be changed often. LOL

I know what you mean about the nannies kidding. Our two has not thrown theirs yet. They both look like if you slapped their butt; a kid would come flying out! Sorry about the visual.


Love the coats,
Mal

Nekkid Chicken said...

Barbara,

Good Morning, We left the water running inside the house. Thing was the tap outside was left on but the water froze and iced over. Unfortunately that was the area where the sink is located. SIGH

Lesson learned, it was so dang cold out here with those winds. Even covered my fingers when to stinging red after only 20 minutes outside. That is smart about the cabin toilet. Whenever a large storm is coming; we fill the bathtub for flushing before going to bed. Came in handy this time because the electric company had rolling black outs.

Spring is coming though,
I have seen some signs already,
Take care,
Mal

Janet said...

Those chicks are so cute !x

Jim said...

Mal thanks for the chicken lesson. I feel I will know everything I need to start raising them myself! You are an excellent teacher....a natural. And cute shots of the chicks.

Nekkid Chicken said...

Janet, They are so precious, sweet, needy when young. I love the music of chirping inside my house; just sings of regrowth.
Thanks for stopping by,
Mal

Jim, it is hard to get a close up of them. They are just constantly in motion unless asleep. Which happens like with new born infants often and short naps. I think you would enjoy having a pet hen or two. They are marvelous creatures.
Stay warm,
brrrrrrrrr up there,
Mal