Miller Farm Friday Archives - Page 39 of 48

26 09, 2014

Exploring Their New Home – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-09-26T06:00:50-05:00September 26th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

By Guest Blogger Chicken Wrangler Sara

We moved the chicks out into the chicken yard several weeks ago. We’ve gotten past the “gathering chicks” stage where they must be retrieved from under the coop each night and put into the coop. Now they are beginning to explore their new world.

One day I looked out and saw them sitting on the fence between the big and little chicken yards.

They were eating the leaves off the tree. The problem was that they are slightly uncoordinated and would fall onto the wrong side of the fence – in with the big chickens. This was very distressing and I have spent an inordinate amount of time returning chickens to the right side of the fence.

Today when I was unloading chicken feed I saw them using a piece of bamboo as a ramp.

I’m not exactly sure from whence the bamboo came. I suspect it came over the fence from the neighbor’s yard. In any case, the chickens were climbing up it to get to the top of that fence.

Much to my relief, the chick arrived safely back in the chicken yard. We have had to retrieve chickens from between the chain link and wood fence and it is no easy task.

Then there was the chicken in the tree:

It reminded me of taking my children to the park when they were young. Matt climbed on everything he could find especially if it was taller than him.

Alas, the mother in me came out and just as I had removed Matt from high places before he could jump, I moved the bamboo so the chickens could no longer climb on it.

A little bit of danger is fine, but so far I have managed to keep all 22 chicks alive and I don’t want to ruin my record.

19 09, 2014

What Day is It? – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-09-19T06:00:02-05:00September 19th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

By Guest Blogger Chicken Wrangler Sara

We bought a new mattress last week. After 17 years we thought it was about time. It was delivered on Saturday.

Perhaps that explains my confusion.

I slept fine on the new mattress until sometime after midnight when I awoke with a start and thought, “I didn’t put my swim bag out.”

Monday-Friday mornings I swim at 5:30 a.m. before my body can wake up and realize what is going on. I normally put my swimsuit and shoes in the bathroom and my swim bag in the living room the night before so I can leave without making any noise. This morning was going to be tricky.

When my alarm went off at 5 a.m., I quietly got my swim bag from the closet and then tried to locate my shoes in the dark.

I have two pair of Crocs – one red and one turquoise. I have been known to appear at the breakfast table wearing one of each. Since I was not going to eat breakfast before I swam, I wanted to make sure my shoes matched each other.

Remembering my probability and statistics course, I grabbed three crocs knowing that two would match.

I headed into the bathroom where I found a dress hanging in front of my swimsuit. I moved it and began to put on my suit.

I thought, “What did I fix for Sunday lunch? I don’t remember Sunday lunch?”

Then it dawned on me it was Sunday – not Monday. That was why my swim bag was in the closet and my clothes were hanging in front of my suit.

The change of having a new mattress had messed up my internal calendar.

So I jumped into the shower and got dressed for church, leaving my shoes and my suit in the bathroom. When I went back into the bathroom that afternoon, my shoes were still there.

What amazed me was that neither my husband nor son said anything about the three shoes. I guess they have grown so accustomed to my idiosyncrasies that they hardly notice.

12 09, 2014

Chick Update – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-09-12T07:00:00-05:00September 12th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The chicks that hatched at the end of July are doing great. We started feeding them fermented chicken feed right from the beginning based on Rachel’s research, and we have had no illnesses or deaths. This is great news.

We have had a different issue.

When I was changing the paper under the brooder one day, I noticed the plastic tub we put their food in was upside down and it was moving. I thought perhaps some of the paper was stuck to it, but it moved even when the paper didn’t.

Upon closer examination, I discovered a chick under the tub. He didn’t seem nearly as disturbed by the incident as I did. Several times after that there were chicks under the tub. Sometimes there were other chicks standing on top of the tub.

I’m not sure whether it was a variation on hide and seek or king of the feed tub. In any case, no chicken was harmed in the playing of this game.

Now the chickens have gotten big enough that most of them don’t fit under the tub.

Of course, we do have a few bantams that are smaller so I still check whenever the tub is upside down.

I hope that some of them will be big enough to move out into the chicken yard soon. I think Rachel is coming home from college next weekend, and she can help with the process. I’ll keep you updated.

5 09, 2014

Grumpy Hen – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-09-05T06:00:15-05:00September 5th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

The internet is a fascinating phenomenon. It has made famous things that would have been ordinary at best. For example, there is a whole website devoted to Grumpy Cat.

Now I confess I am not much of a cat person so I fail to see the fascination with this. However, it has made me think.

We have a hen that is particularly disagreeable. She sits in the nest box all the time and when I go to collect eggs, she bites me.

When Rachel was home this summer, she would push the hen out of the nest box with a board and then get the eggs.

The hen started jumping out any time Rachel came near. I haven’t instituted that strategy yet. She looks so peaceful when I walk up I hate to disturb her.

Then when I go to reach for the eggs she turns into “Grumpy Hen.”

So I’m considering launching a “Grumpy Hen” website.

I could make T-shirts and calendars and stuffed hens and mugs and…

Or maybe not.

Grumpy Hen can be a special thing just for Miller Farm Friday blog readers.

29 08, 2014

Moving Cheese – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-08-29T06:00:14-05:00August 29th, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

This is the season of change. Kids go back to school, husband goes back to work, and my piano students start back up.

It can be a very stressful time for those who don’t like change.

One year when I was teaching preschool, we got a new director. One of the first things she did was have us all read the book Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson, M.D. It talks about change.

When they rearranged my grocery store, I told Beekeeper Brian they were “moving my cheese.” One morning someone parked in my normal spot at the swimming pool, and my friend said “So they moved your cheese.”

Some people, me included, do not like to have our cheese moved.

I’ve discovered that humans are not the only ones who have trouble handling change. Our dogs are pretty set in their routine.

I usually put their kennels in the living room where they sleep and then I let them go outside while I go to close up the chickens. When we come in, I take down the gate between the kitchen and the living room and they go straight to their kennels.

One day last week, I took down the gate before I went to let out the chickens. Sometimes stepping over it in the evening is too daunting a task.

This was very confusing for Bella. She ran straight to where her kennel normally is and walked around in circles. Then she went to look for it.

I had a very hard time getting her to go outside first. Finally we got everyone settled for the night.

The good thing about Bella is that she has a very short memory so there is no danger of her being permanently traumatized by the temporary change in routine.

I’m not taking any chances, though. No more moving Bella’s cheese.

22 08, 2014

Maypole Dog Leashes – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-08-22T06:00:50-05:00August 22nd, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A guest blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

While Rachel has been at home this summer, we have established a routine of walking the dogs in the evenings. The girls next door like to go with us and we appreciate the help. This week, however, Rachel has been housesitting so I’ve been on my own.

I faithfully walked next door to see if anyone was available to help. This particular time, one of the girls wanted to go but wanted to ride her scooter instead of walking a dog. That left me with our four dogs and Miller who was staying at the Miller Farm Hotel while his mom was away at camp.

With five leashes, I felt like a sled dog driver.

We walked passed a friend’s house and he commented that the leashes looked like a May Pole.

The school where I teach celebrates May Day each year so I knew exactly what he meant and he was right.

When I got home, I decided it would be much easier to take all the harnesses off the dogs without untangling the leashes. That way the dogs could go get water and rest while I worked on the “maypole leash.”

15 08, 2014

A Tale of Birds and Bees – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-08-15T06:00:47-05:00August 15th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A blog to life with Beekeeper Brian on our wedding anniversary

By Chicken Wrangler Sara

Twenty-seven years ago today, Beekeeper Brian married Chicken Wrangler Sara. At the time they were just Brian and Sara and no one would have ever been able to predict where their lives would go.

They were married in Houston and lived in a second floor apartment near downtown. Brian worked part time in a bank and went to school while Sara taught elementary school music. There were no chickens, dogs, lizards, bees or living creatures of any kind sharing the apartment. It was very quiet.

Then they moved to Denton where Brian could pursue his Masters degree. While in Denton, they purchased their first home but still had no chickens, dogs, lizards or bees – at least not on purpose. The quiet continued until the birth of their first child.

For the next 20 years, there would be no quiet. Soon there were two girls, but still no animals.

Their next home was in Canton – home of the world’s largest flea market. Life was simple, even after a third child was born – a boy.

After six months of simple, the Miller family moved to Mexico City, Mexico to a fourth floor apartment in a building with no elevators. Sara has vowed to never have stairs in her house again. Life was slightly more complicated, but still included no animals. Brian did woodworking while Sara helped with Bible Studies. The kids played, as they would have wherever they lived.

Two years later they returned to the US and have lived in Bryan for the past 15 years. This is where life has become interesting. It all started with one dog – Marv. He was soon joined by another dog – Sugar. They lived outside.

When Rachel was in kindergarten, her teacher gave her a guinea pig. The whole family was enamored and before long they were breeding and showing guinea pigs (which fall into the rabbit category). Gradually the guinea pigs died off and were replaced by a Leopard Gecko named Casey.

In true Miller fashion, Brian built an incubator and began a breeding colony of leopard geckos. The Millers don’t do things half-heartedly. The reptile period also included a bearded dragon named “B”. After a while, the geckos and incubator went to a graduate student and B finally died.

The dachshunds came next. Brian worked with a woman who bred dachshunds and before long there were four living at the Miller house. Life at the Miller’s was definitely not quiet.

Then began the chicken phase. Brian put a fence in the middle of the back yard to keep the dogs and chickens separate. Over the next five years, Miller Farm has provided much entertainment leading to the Chicken Wrangler Sara blog.

The bees started as a hive in a tree in the front yard. While most people would call an exterminator, Brian researched and decided this was the perfect time to realize his dream of keeping bees. His dedication to his craft has earned him the title Beekeeper Brian.

There has never been a dull moment in the Miller House. Even as the children go off to college, there is plenty of activity. Beekeeper Brian is a renaissance man who gives the same devotion to everything he does – including his marriage. After 27 years, life is just as exciting and we have much to anticipate.

I love you, Beekeeper Brian, and I can’t wait to see what you do next.

8 08, 2014

New Chicks – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-08-08T06:00:15-05:00August 8th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Guest Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We hatched more chicks last week.

Twenty-one of them hatched all on their own. There was one, however, who just couldn’t seem to get out of his shell.

The normal process is for the chicks to “pip” or poke a hole in the shell then they “zip” a line all the way around the shell. Once the line is complete, they can “pop” off the top of the shell and make their entrance into the world.

This chick had pipped and partially zipped. We waited 24 hours and there was still no progress.

We could hear him cheeping so we knew he was still alive. Rachel gently removed the egg and carefully helped the chick out. He was in the shell upside down so he couldn’t finish zipping and push his way out.

We let him dry and put him with the other chicks in the brooder. He was a little uncoordinated. The other chicks were not particularly welcoming and he protested loudly in his new home. After a few hours, he was accepted and now it is hard to tell which one he is.

I named him Leo after the lion in the book Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus, illustrated by Jose Aruego.

I enjoy watching the chicks. They sleep with their heads down on the wire. It makes me a little nervous because they look dead.

So I hit the top of the brooder and wake them up. They are not happy.I apologize and tell them I’m just “chicken” on them.

I want to introduce them to the Miller sense of humor while they are still young.

1 08, 2014

Inspiration and Destruction – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-08-01T06:00:48-05:00August 1st, 2014|Guest blogger, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A guest blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Inspired by our recent vacation in Colorado, I decided to do something about our flower beds. They had become unrecognizable.

I really hadn’t noticed until we spent time at my parents house where they had just completed some wonderful landscaping.

Just because there weren’t beautiful mountains surrounding our house, that didn’t mean we couldn’t have other kinds of beauty – or at least some order.

I chose a small planter-type bed at the front porch and began. It had rained several times during the week so the ground was nice and soft and there was a cool front keeping the temperatures within reason.

Our neighbors had dwarf yaupon holly bushes they didn’t want so I moved them into our flower bed to replace the ones that had died. It was a long day but well worth it.

What do you think?

I was so excited about the results I decided to tackle the bed in front of the newly weeded bed next. It was a two day project.

As I pulled weeds, and pulled weeds, and pulled weeds, I uncovered several different types of insects — spiders, ants, snails, and roly-poly bugs. I even found a small lizard.

I felt somewhat guilty about destroying their habitat and hoped no one contacted the IPS (Insect Preservation Society). I figured I could justify the process as home improvement for bugs.

Our neighbors had gotten a trailer full from the city and had used all they needed. They were to thrilled to have their trailer emptied.

I thought the weeding would be the hardest part until I started moving mulch. I lost count of the number of wheelbarrows full of mulch I hauled across the yard. Once again the result was well worth the effort.

Today I am staying inside and resting the muscles I didn’t know I had that have hurt since Sunday.

Hopefully by Saturday I’ll be ready to tackle the next bed.

25 07, 2014

Frizz, the Second – Miller Farm Friday

By judythemorgan|2014-07-25T06:00:24-05:00July 25th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A guest blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

One of our most famous chickens is Frizz – a Cochin bantam who looks like she stuck her beak in a light socket.

She is a small bird who makes up for her size with attitude.

She and Samson, a bantam rooster who has feathered feet, have lived with the big birds for quite some time.

This spring, we moved them into the bantam side. We then incubated Frizz’s eggs in hopes of duplicating her unique look.

We had success:

Frizz the Second is a bit more timid than her mother, but then she is still young.

We have several friends who are now keeping chickens. One has asked about purchasing bantams from us.

Rachel was willing to let Frizz the Second go. I am not.

So we are hatching more eggs. We’ll see what comes out.