Big News In The Hen House

We had our first babies born on our farm this past weekend!  3 little chickies.

Since we do NOT have a rooster (therefore our hens' eggs do not get fertilized) we had to get eggs from someone else that did have a rooster.  Thankfully my friend Tammi was willing to part with some of her viable eggs from her flock.

One of our Barred Rock Hens has been broody (meaning she wants to hatch and raise chicks) for awhile, so all I did was place 6 of Tammi's eggs in a nest in the coop.  Momma Rock immediately took on the job.

She sat and sat and sat, for about 20 days.  Even through a few weeks of a heat spell, she did not leave her nest for a break.

Her hard work paid off, though we can see the toll it took on her appearance.  She plucked out some of her breast feathers to keep the eggs closer to her skin and warm.  Her comb (the fleshy red piece on her head) is shriveled and has lost some color.  I am assuming this has to do with hormones and that she didn't eat and drink.

The sacrifice of a Mom.

Today they left the nest and coop for the first time, and it makes me nervous.  We have cats roaming around and so many other potential chick hazards.  So far they are peaceful.

And the kids cannot get enough of them, little man especially.

Baby girl demands to dress herself in big sister's dresses EVERY.DAY.

Lastly, if interested in a recommendation for a children's hen and egg story, we vote this one as our favorite.  (And we have read a lot).

Egg Story by Anca Hariton

It has beautiful illustrations and does an excellent job teaching about what goes on inside the egg.

For now enjoying these warm August days, a full vegetable garden and more sweet little details. :)

Just A Shellin'

If our garden was a party scene with the plants as the partiers, our peas would be SHUTTING DOWN THE SPRING PARTY SCENE (meaning they did their thing well and now it's time to say goodbye).  They stayed later than usual but provided us with plenty to do a 'cabbage patch dance' about. <insert mental image>

I planted sugar snap peas and also transplanted some mystery variety that the kids brought home from a story time craft project at the library (yes, a library craft project provided us with food).  We also have 3 nice sunflowers going strong that was brought home from the same event.

I had help picking but my partners were surprised to find out their duties didn't end there.  Time to shell and it's SOOOO FUN!

My smallest partner observed....

Bracelet is a thumb weaning contraption (Dr. Thumb)

And observed....

But only offered us a few sounds of encouragement, at least we think they were of encouragement.

To be honest, little man enjoys work like this just as long as socializing is involved (sounds like me), the other doesn't like to be hot.... but I foresee her being a good cook of these home grown meals one day (little lady likes to watch and help me cook).
Cute grubby hands staying busy-

The shelling was completed, pea plants have left the party (aka our garden), and now more 'floor' is available for our sweet potato vines to shimmy on into.

Time to do the sprinkler.

Flower to Food, In The Garden

Though I hear squash flowers (breaded and fried) are quite delicious this isn't what this post is about. Its just a quick post about the lovely flowers I saw in the garden this morning and the role they play other than making my eyes happy.

Boring old potatoes, their flowers are not....

These flowers also mean the potatoes (or tubers) are forming under ground.  Around this time is when some farmers dig them to get 'new potatoes' or 'baby potatoes', the small ones you see in the store.

Little tomato flowers are always a nice site, means a tomato is coming.  Tomatoes are self pollinating, meaning the flower has both the male and female within.  As long as the wind or bee helps pollen fall into the flower then a baby fruit is coming.

Pea flowers can be ornamental alone even if you don't want to eat the fruit of the plant.  Our snap pea flowers are white but I have seen some beautiful other colors.  Just like tomatoes, once pollinated, this flower turns into a sugary pea pod.  Did you know you can also eat the leaves, very good in a salad.

Check out these pretty peas-

http://squarefoot.creatingforum.com/t8411-pretty-sights-found-while-walking-thru-the-garden

Last bloom, Ms. Sunflower.  Once those little 'pods' in the center of the flower get pollinated they will turn into a yummy, meaty seeds.  This is our first year growing sunflowers so we will see if the birds get the seeds first.

The young pullets also joined me in the garden this morning enjoying their cool dirt bath.  My kids enjoy the same ritual.

New Coop, First Summer Report

This spring a friend generously gave us his shed he had transformed into a coop.  We were wanting a shed style coop after we had another, we think, weasel attack on our laying pullets which killed one.  Weasels are very hard to keep out since they can squeeze through very small spaces.  The pre-fab sheds are nice because they are solid and easy to secure for the night.

Jonathan made a few alterations such as adding egg doors so the kids could collect the eggs, and a ramp for access to the chicken yard.  Locks and latches we choose were important because some predators can work and open simple devices.

The kids enjoyed the temporary play house.

New pullets seem happy, and it has kept out a lingering raccoon.

We are very thankful Andy's kindness for even transporting the shed to our house. (This is also the friend that drove his tractor across town to turn over our yard for starting our garden 4 years back.)  Thank you Andy!

That garden has been doing ok considering the super dry spring we had. (Planted: tomatoes, white and sweet potatoes, snap peas, beans, leeks, garlic, collards, carrots, beets, lettuce, dill, cucs, radishes, sunflowers, melons and second annual returning pumpkin (came back from last year's pumpkins left)

White and red potatoes are THRIVING this year.  Beets and collards doing pretty good too.  Snap peas as always are doing just so so (New England springs are not the best for snap peas).   Our peas usually don't make it back to the house since the kids eat them first.  I think they like snap peas so much just because they have permission to pick them their self.  Little lady is eating a strawberry.

See what I mean, only one pea made it safely back to the house.  Oh and I forgot about our rhubarb, conveniently ready during strawberry season (rhubarb, strawberry cobbler is one of Jonathan's favorite).

Pigs are growing nicely.  They have nice length in the loins showing the Landrace breed influence (these are Landrace/Hampshire cross breed).  Hams and shoulders are not as rounded as our last Hampshire/Yorkshire crosses but still plenty meat there.

I am continually pleased by the quality stock we get from our piglet farmer (he grows pigs, cows and chickens for meat also and sells to local restaurants, all free range for those curious).

Thats it for now.  As always, construction is in progress on the house.  Dad and Mom T. were here last weekend and helped with some projects.  I hope to share some completed updates with you soon.

End of Summer in New England

Just a photo share of saying goodbye to summer in southern New England.  Glad we got to do it with family visiting.

Note: Fyi for my southern US friends (cause I get asked this alot), southern New England does have a real summer.  It gets just as hot and more humid than north east Tennessee, but a shorter season.  The beaches get plenty warm for swimming..... unless you're on parts of the Cape.
Another question I get asked alot by my northern friends, Tennessee has a winter.... and snow.... especially if you live close to the mountains.  Yes Tennessee has mountains.... and they are bigger than New Hampshire's mountains.

We had a family get together on Conanicut Island.  Here is where we stayed.....

And the view from the front porch.....
Overlooking the mouth of Narragansett Bay, Newport/Pell Bridge in the distance on the left:

Family get together pic last year in Upstate NY-

This year on the coast in Southern RI.
I'm looking short among this tall family-

Fun was had-

Last weekend of the summer was spent watching the sun go down.  Seemed appropriate-

Goodbye wonderful summer, looking forward to your return.