About Me

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I am a 42 year old woman that is about as happy and content as one person can be. My husband of 21 years and our 15 year old daughter live on five and a half acres out in the country. We moved from the city four years ago and never looked back. I homeschool our daughter. We also love our animals. Our daughter has a miniature horse and two rabbits. We also have a border collie, two cats (again), two pot belly pigs, four peafowl, three emus, 2 llamas and an undetermined number of chickens, lets just say ohhh about 200. I have many breeds, from layers to fancy chickens. I love poultry shows, I love fowl in general as I have come to find out through having more than just chickens. Chickens will always be my first love though. I do show some of my birds occasionally.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Work Work, All Week Long (Alan Jackson)

I did what I set out to do yesterday. It was not easy, and there was more work involved that I thought there would be, but it is done. That is the way it is with most things though, they always take longer than you think they will. Yesterday was no exception.

Now I fed my animals earlier in the day, I know I did. I remember, but they didnt seem to remember this. Everyone came to the gate, crowding in as tight as possible making it hard to squeeze in through the gate without stepping on chicken toes. After about fifteen minutes, most lost interest.

I went to tugging and pulling on the old pen I intended to repair and move to the other side of the pool deck. As I pulled and tugged, alternating one side, then the other, the bottom came loose from the dirt it had been enveloped in from sitting there for the past year or so. I kept up the alternating, pulling one side then the other all the way through the yard to the other side. Yep, it would have been easier if I had a hand so that it could just be lifted and carried, but I don't have a hand. Ian is at work and Shelby, I guess she could have helped, but I really don't like to burden either members of my family with my own self induced work. It didnt really matter too much anyway, the bottom on one side was rotted and fell apart into pieces but still clinging to the wire because of the staples hanging on. Three of the four corners at the bottom came loose from each other. The wood was soft from being in the ground so the screws didnt hold, they tore right out. Great...this was going to be more work.

Whenever I move things around, there are chickens waiting to see what I unearthed. That is fine, but a had a half dozen meandering about as I struggled to get the pen to where I wanted it. That was aggravating. Once I got the pen in place where I wanted more onlookers showed up. They were just sure I had food. I had a bucket, yes I did. But it had my new stapler (COOL Design! It is actually made backwards, will show that another time) A new roll of wire, a box of staples and wire cutters in it.

How many times does an emu or a chicken have to look in that same bucket to actually REMEMBER that there is NO FOOD in the bucket? I couldn't tell you, because they just kept looking for hours. Even when I was finished, picked up the bucket and went out of the gate, I had gawkers and followers, wondering if maybe somehow food was in that very bucket. Bird brains! LOL

It had already rained earlier in the day. George paid us a visit. This time he pushed open the screen door and came straight to the back door and scratched at the door! Guess he really needed some company. Shelby dried him off and I tried to call, but no one was home to come pick him up. Later I found out the reason he wasnt in his pen for the day was because Lisa (his owner) had let him out to do his business, and he went off somewhere and wouldnt come back. I always keep him on a retractable leash in transition from the house to the pen, always. I don't care to be chasing down a dog through the cornfield next door to their house. Shelby and I loaded George into the truck. He sat happily in between us in the front. We got him back down to his house. There was another storm coming, I had checked the radar. So I just put him in the house. I have a key to their house because they told me just to keep it since I am the one that takes care of George while they are away so much. This day it came in handy.

So back to the pen. I replaced the rotted beam at the bottom and reattached the corners. I couldnt use screws so I had to wire it all back together. Then I set to work on wiring the chicken wire to the bottom beams. I used to just staple them down, but I found out the hard way that foxes have very strong teeth and will pull that wire til the staples pop out and they can get that wire away enough to get into the pen for a free dinner. Now I wire it all to the beams AND staple it all down. After I got that all done (OH yeah, did I mention this was IN THE RAIN???) I put new staples in areas that had popped loose all over and wired the chicken wire to the frame pieces all the way up. No fox will get in this pen. Once I was satisfied with the security of the pen I made a gated pathway from the grow pen that has the cochins, golden phoenix and serama in it. I filled a feeder and showed it to them. Most followed and were in the pen without incident. I had a few stubborn chickens, but I herded them on out. Two serama got loose since they can fly so easily, but I wasnt worried, they werent going anywhere. The emus herded them up for me and got them cornered. I intervened before anyone got stomped. It is a little cramped in the pen, so I made a little temporary fenced area outside the pen, covered so no big emu heads can browse in. My goal is to fence off this side of the yard so these chickens can free range without being killed by the emus. You see, they grew up with my layers, but their brain for some reason cannot process that it is okay for the new chickens to run about. They chase them down like an intruder. So to keep them safe they will have their own free ranging area. The same will go for the White Crested Polish, they will have a shelter pen at night in their section so that I can lock them up, like I will lock up the cochins, golden phoenix, and serama at night, in the repaired pen.

So, what are my plans for today? Probably to work in the rain some again. LOL. I am going to put together a pen for the Polish. Tomorrow, hopefully I can herd them into the three foot grow pen and take their 4 foot grow pen down, using those posts and fencing to fence the area for the cochins, etc.

I know it sounds chaotic right now, but I really do have a plan in place. ;) I even have a diagram down on paper so I dont forget what I am doing.

Sometime or other I need to think about planting my plants I still have in pots. Maybe next week, til then I will just keep them watered.

Its time for school, laundry, dishes and house cleaning. I hope everyone has a great day today. Send me some of that cool air Carrie! She tells me she has had a high of 59 and a low of 38! I will take the 59, but I am not ready for the 38.

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Boo is on lookout..for what, I have no idea..lol. Probably food.

The Title of this entry popped in my head, this part of Alan Jacksons song, Good Time. I love that song. :) I got the new CD the day it came out, and I love every song on it.

PS Those arent our broken cars in the background of that last pic, thats the neighbors...we have our own broken cars thankyou, and they look much better than that...lol.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

beautiful pics...  just gorgeous......  

Anonymous said...

I get tired just listening to all you have to do to take care of your fowl.  I hope they appreciate all that you do for them.  Keeping the fox out of the hen house is challenge enough.  Linda with just one little kitty to care for in Washington state  

Anonymous said...

You really did a lot of work yesterday and more in store for you for several days it sounds like. Good luck to you. I hope you are not having to work out in the rain today. Great pictures. Hugs, Helen

Anonymous said...

Kelly I marvel at the work you take on ~ then when you finish that you have to face the House cleaning and everything that goes with it ~ love the pictures your flowers look great  ~ the last flower looks very exotic couldn't decide what flower it is ~ and I love the last picture of Boo ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

Kelly, you are a WORKER, no two ways about it. I can't imagine what you would be doing if you did not have so many projects going on. You would be bored to death. Good luck and some time take a rest and put your feet up, Bill

Anonymous said...

Hello~
Oh he is so cute! Well Kelly we are still consistently 100' to 105' everyday. It only cools off to about 79' at night. I am soooooooo very sick of this Vegas summer. Today I should feel lucky because it's only 99 out....LOL.
But I guess it's a good thing because all I have been able to do is sleep--off and on. I cut the hell out of my thumb yesterday and I almost feel like I'm getting the flu. Better keep an eye on it :)

You take good care!
Huggers,
Gayla

Anonymous said...

HEY there!  I am here...I have not read yet but I am here and WILL read :D  I had a REALLY huge scare last night with a predator...will tell about that in my chicken journal later tonight.  See ya soon!    

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness!!!!  I'm wore out!  I don't know how you do all of this.  You really love those animals.  that's sweet of you to take care of George.  I can just imagine y'all in the vehicle going down the road.....LOL  Maybe that's the reason George likes to come over....to get a ride...LOL
Your flowers are beautiful!

Hugs,
Hollie

Anonymous said...

Sounds like one of my days. Great looking flowers.

Jimmy

Anonymous said...

LOL, about the broken cars.  Isn't funny the short memory animals have when it comes to food.  Yeah, they'll check that bucket a dozen times until they realize they can't eat it!  It seems everything always turns into more work than we bargained for and it sounds like you really got into it.  I think George should come & live with you, he seems to be more at home with you than his own home.
xx
Lisa

Love the pic of Boo...how cute!!  Your flowers are gorgeous, my mums are just starting to bloom.

Anonymous said...

Whew I finally got to read this entry!  Sounds like you have a lot going on!  I made another little pen for the chickens and it already came in handy :D  BOY has your emu gotten HUGE!  I would LOVE to see them in real life.  

Anonymous said...

Too cute about the dog coming to your house. lol Your flowers are beautiful. Blessings, Janie

Anonymous said...

Your flowers are so pretty.  I've been telling Dirk that I wanted some mums just that color to go in our yard.  

You worked your behind off.  Pushing the APPLAUSE button.  

Alan Jackson.  Good ole country boy, and Georgia Native too.  He's awesome.


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