Miller Farm Friday Archives - Page 28 of 47

9 06, 2017

Here a Chick There a Chick

By judythemorgan|2017-06-05T09:03:45-05:00June 9th, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We recently moved chicks from the long run on saw horses to a small pen on the ground. It is actually one of the bantam pens that is currently vacant. At first the chicks were thrilled to be on the ground. They scratched and pecked to their heart’s content.

When we checked on them later, however, they had gotten out and were everywhere. Some were in the pen with Richard and Isabella. Fortunately, Richard didn’t seem to mind.

Others had gotten in between the two fences. Rachel has much experience in chick removal and was able to retrieve them fairly easily.

Gradually they are adjusting to their new home. Only three continue to wander. Last night I extracted them from the pile of chicks in the big coop.

They didn’t fuss. In fact, they seemed to be relieved to be back with their pen-mates.

If only they would stay there.

2 06, 2017

Multipurpose Net

By judythemorgan|2017-05-21T21:25:25-05:00June 2nd, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Retrieving eggs from the bantam coops has always presented a bit of a challenge. For a while, I had to scoop them forward and then grab them before they rolled back into the coop. Then in the new coops, I could move them forward with a stick and they stayed put until I picked them up.

However, one day I discovered the perfect egg grabbing tool at the 99 Cent Store. It was marketed as a butterfly net. In fact, the cashier asked if I was going to catch butterflies. Now mind you she was wearing bunny ears so I knew whatever I said would be accepted without judgment.

“Actually,” I said, “I am going to gather eggs from our chicken coops.”

She suggested I wear bunny ears while doing so. I assured her I already had some and would consider it.

This is the multi-purpose net

And a close up of the egg to be grabbed.

Since acquiring this magical net, we have discovered other uses. It is perfect for scooping up chickens that are between the chain link and privacy fences. The chickens are not thrilled with this process but they really don’t like being trapped either.

The net is also good for catching escapee chicks. We can get to them from a distance, contain them, and then put them back where they belong.

We have already had to replace one egg-getting, chicken-scooping, chick-catching net. I have an extra one as a BUN – Back-up-net.

Last time I was at the 99 Cent store there was a stunning lack of what they call butterfly nets. I guess we’ll have to be careful with ours until they can get more in stock.

26 05, 2017

d’Uccle Chicks

By judythemorgan|2017-05-21T06:48:21-05:00May 26th, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Among Rachel’s recent acquisition of chicks is a pair of d’Uccles. This breed has very long feathers on its feet.

For the longest time, I couldn’t understand what Rachel was saying and called the chicks “duseldorfers”.

Rachel, having lived with me all her life, would patiently repeat “d’Uccles, Mom, D’Uccles”

I finally looked them up and seeing the name in writing helped it stay in my head. It also convinced me Rachel was not just making this all up.

She moved the d’Uccle chicks out of the chick pen in with the big girls. Since there are two we figured they would keep each other company. However, they have bird brains and one of them spent much of its time running up and down the chicken wire fence enclosing the chick pen.

The other night I discovered the poor chick with its head stuck in the chicken wire. I was afraid it was dead, but I got to it in time. I carefully removed its head from the chicken wire and returned it to the big pen with the other d’Uccle.

This afternoon I found them both in the chick pen. I have no idea how they got there but I’m leaving them alone. They may have bird brains but they know where they want to be.

19 05, 2017

A Frizzle of a Different Color

By judythemorgan|2017-05-18T10:11:19-05:00May 19th, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Frizzles are some of my favorite chickens. We had a black one – Frizz – who had the greatest attitude. Now we have Frizz 2 – one of her children. And then there’s Richard, the spastic frizzle rooster. He gets most upset if you try to move him.
My current favorite is a partridge frizzle Rachel has named Watson. She was given this name because she is paired with a very curious red rooster named Sherlock.

Watson is a product of Rachel’s color project and she is wonderful -most of the time.

She and Sherlock like to roost on the chain link fence at night. We have to put them into their coop to keep them safe.

She has inherited the slightly spastic personality of Richard but once you hold her close, she calms down. She did get stuck once between the chain link fence and the chicken wire. It was a little tense because Rosie, the dog next door, was also between the fences.

I had to be careful as I extracted Watson so as not to strip her feathers. Fortunately, Rosie was not interested in Watson and all ended well.

I had hoped she would have learned to stay in her own area. But alas each night we get to snuggle her as we put her and Watson into their coop.

12 05, 2017

New Business Venture

By judythemorgan|2017-05-10T21:21:00-05:00May 12th, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Recently our local feed store was running a sale – on chickens. Buff orpington hens to be exact. Beekeeper Brian and Rachel figured that if we raise them until they lay eggs then we could sell them at a nice profit.

So after just hatching 42 eggs, we bought 14 chicks. After all, who can resist a sale, right? We put them in the grow-out pen with the other chicks.

They are the four lighter colored ones.

I must confess they are kind of cute. Not that I am getting attached. They are a business venture.

They will be sold, they will be sold. I have to keep reminding myself.

One of them is different from the others. She managed to get herself into the live trap that Rachel had set for the baby possums that like to eat the chick feed at night.

At first, I took it as a sign that this chick wanted to stay with us. Then I remembered –

they will be sold.

5 05, 2017

Rooster Exchange

By judythemorgan|2017-05-04T20:58:19-05:00May 5th, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We recently received an update on Tina and Tom, our turkeys who moved away. Their new owner sent a picture to assure us they are doing well.

They seem happy to be with other turkeys and away from the chickens.

Before they left Miller Farm, there was an issue with the roosters. Tom had become a little aggressive to Buffy leaving him vulnerable to attack from Kaboodle – the Polish crested rooster who had never been a problem.

Bull

Buffy

Anyway, we decided to trade Buffy for the Light Brahma rooster we had given to our friend Greta. She’d named him Bull because he tried to run through the sliding glass door to join them in their house.

Since Bull was the only rooster on Greta’s “farm” we thought our Buffy would be safe there. Bull, being a larger rooster, would be able to hold his own against Kaboodle on Miller Farm.

So we made the great Rooster Exchange.

Things are going smoothly so far. Kaboodle and Bull have come to an understanding and Buffy is glad to be apart from the craziness of Miller Farm.

Of course, we do have 20 or so chicks which could be hens or roosters so we may be sorting roosters once again. Oh well, I’ll enjoy the calm while it lasts.

28 04, 2017

The Importance of Eyeglasses

By judythemorgan|2017-04-23T16:52:59-05:00April 28th, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Tucker, our dachshund, got up at 1:30 a.m. the other morning and wanted to go outside.

This is not unusual. I got up and walked with him to the kitchen to let him go out back. I did not put on shoes or my glasses.

I will not make that mistake again.

He started sniffing at the door from the garage to the back yard which was latched open leaving a small space between it and the wall.

I looked and saw what I thought was one of his balls behind the door. It was just out of my reach so I grabbed the mop and used the handle to scoot it forward.

As I reached to pick it up a baby possum hissed at me!

I was very glad I had not grabbed it. I stood for a few minutes trying to decide what to do.

Since I wasn’t wearing shoes, I didn’t want to chase it out in the back yard. Being unable to see without my glasses, I was afraid I would step on something and really hurt myself.

I left it alone and went back to bed. It was gone when I got up the next morning. Hopefully, it was as scared as I was and will not come back.

If so, I will at least be able to see it before I start reaching because I will grab my glasses the next time Tucker decides he has to go out in the middle of the night.

I thought of this eyeglass commercial:

I’m grateful it was Tucker who followed me back into the house.

21 04, 2017

All God’s Critters

By judythemorgan|2017-04-14T22:21:03-05:00April 21st, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I have come to accept the fact that not everyone shares the Miller fascination with all things living.

When people come over for the first time I hold my breath and hope they don’t turn around at the front door when they see the bee hives and hear all the dogs. So agreeing to host an international student is a huge risk.

Bill, the Chinese student currently living on Miller Farm, fits right in. He actually has pet snakes at his home in China. His mom cares for them while he is here. I’m very impressed with her. Wrangling chickens is one thing but snakes…

Anyway, on the way home from school this week, Bill mentioned that there had been a snail hanging out on the window in his bedroom. He said it hadn’t moved in a couple of days – not surprising for a snail.

A little while later he came into the living room with…The snail on his window had three baby snails. He put them back outside on a tree with their mom.

Miller farm has now seen the birth of guinea pigs, lizards, chickens, quail, mice, puppies, and snails. I have a feeling we are not done yet. I just hope we go back to babies with fur or feathers.

31 03, 2017

Too Many Boys

By judythemorgan|2017-03-30T11:23:03-05:00March 31st, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A guest blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We recently discovered that the number of males determines the maximum number of birds we can have at Miller Farm. We have experienced the crowing contests among the roosters but this situation was a little more serious.

Our two resident roosters, Buffy and Kaboodle, managed to work out their place in the chicken yard. Buffy is the largest and Kaboodle respects that.

Then along came Tom, the turkey. Tom and his mate, Tina, have provided much entertainment, and pain in our lives as humans – Chicken Wrangler Sara’s fractured ankle, nightly hide and seek for Tom, cleaning and bandaging Tina’s wound. However, we had to draw the line when Tom attacked Buffy. Apparently, Tom needed to prove that he is the strongest even though he is clearly the largest. The injured Buffy became an easy target for Kaboodle causing much ruckus in the chicken yard.

Buffy was moved to “intensive care” where he could recover in peace.

We then began the search for a new home for Tom and Tina. Clearly, Miller farm was not big enough for Buffy, Kaboodle, and Tom.

Fortunately, a fellow bird lover was willing to adopt Tom and Tina.

Now Buffy is back with the hens and Kaboodle is undergoing an attitude adjustment in isolation.

Things are much quieter on Miller farm – for the moment. There are 72 eggs in the incubator in Rachel’s closet…

24 03, 2017

Chicken Connection

By judythemorgan|2017-03-22T21:59:24-05:00March 24th, 2017|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I spent the week of Spring Break in Nicaragua. I went to work with Word of Life, Nicaragua. We went into the mountains near Honduras and walked house to house telling people about Jesus. It was quite an experience.

I was nervous about leaving my family (and my chickens.) As is true of all worrying, this was wasted energy. Everywhere we went in Nicaragua there were chickens. In fact, I started taking more pictures of chickens than of people. I had to remind myself why I was there.

The chickens were a part of what I did, though. I was able to talk to the people about their chickens and show them pictures of mine. It gave me a connection the other team members didn’t have. I imagine long after I’m gone, they will remember the Chicken Wrangler who came to tell them about Jesus.

This handsome couple was in a pottery shop in Managua.