Living the dream

Living the dream
Visiting grandmas farm.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

chicken chaser

We had thunderstorms just before dawn, about an inch and a quarter of rain. When I looked out the kitchen window the white ‘Casa Blanca’ lilies were stained yellow from their pollen washing down on them. I love these big tall lilies with their huge fragrant flowers. I have several types, pinks and reds but the ‘Casa Blanca’s’ are my favorite, although I do love the lily ‘Silk Road’.

When I got to the barn this morning I had to chase down the 3 heritage turkeys, my new banty rooster and one of the hens. They had flown over the sides of their indoor space in the barn again, even though Steve went in there yesterday and added chicken wire up to the rafters. They squeezed through the space between rafters. For some reason the hen was the hardest to corral today, these Issa Brown hens are usually real tame.

I bought a little black and white Banty rooster at the stockyard Monday because I missed hearing a rooster in the morning. It doesn’t sound like a farm without a rooster crowing. I looked at some huge fluffy Blue Brahma roosters but settled on a small one so he isn’t too hard on the hens. With all the hens to chose from and him being much smaller they shouldn’t develop bare backs where the rooster jumps them.

The hertitage turkeys seem to be all hens too. I was hoping to keep a pair around to lay and hatch their own eggs. They are very pretty, two are Bourbon Reds and one is a small breasted Bronze. Maybe I can find a tom at the stockyard before fall. The white turkey, also a hen is about big enough to butcher. We will take her down to our friend in the next town for that adventure. I am trying to decide whether or not to have her smoked. Smoked turkey is delightful.

The mallard ducks have all disappeared now. I came upon one in the sheep pasture last week and it flew off. That was the last I saw of them. Poor white duck is still alone.

Our tomatoes are beginning to ripen. We had sweet corn from a stand outside the stockyards Monday and it was delicious. But my own corn is tasseling and it won’t be long now before we get some of it. We have just the 15 by 5 bed of it this year but the box is full of stalks so we will get a few good meals of it.

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