How about a look at how things are today? Remember those little chicks that Edwina hatched out? Here they are... well, most of them. Some of these are from another little hen that hatched out chicks at about the same time. I ended up selling Edwina and four of her chicks, as well as another one of my young laying hens, to a gal that works at our vet's office. She had an "incident" at her place, and was looking to replace her flock. She was quite happy with her new ladies and babies. The biggest brown chick in the middle of the bunch is actually one of the chicks that was hatched down at the barn by John's Chicken -- she's the one as a newly hatched chick that spent the night in the house for a little TLC before she rejoined John's Chicken and her siblings. Something slowly picked off John's Chicken and BBC's chicks while they ran around the farm with their parents (sad), and now there are only 5 left. Four little roosters, and this little brown pullet. I didn't want the pullet to disappear, so I nabbed her one night from their roost and introduced her to the little flock of chicks in the chicken coop. She fit right in. Her four little rooster brothers still free range 100% of the time with Buddy Boy, Admiral, John's Chicken, and BBC.
You can see that some of the chicks are frizzles -- I LOVE LOVE LOVE their crazy feathers!!! I have 10 chicks in the coop that are much younger than these birds, and they're ALL frizzled! Every single one!! Very exciting! *grin*
This is Rowdy, another one of the chicks. I think his mother is Cottonelle, though she didn't hatch him (another hen incubated a nest of eggs from several hens), and his father seems to have been Uncle Sam. He has wild markings on his feathers like Uncle Sam has.
He's a feisty little thing, but every day he tells me he needs to be held and have his chin rubbed. He loves to sit on my knee while I sit and watch the other chicks enjoy their snacks.
Normally I take photos around the farm in the evening, but today I took photos just after 8:00am. This bed of beans, cucumbers, gourds, butternut squash and a couple of mammoth sunflowers is really filling in! Some of the bean plants have started to put on little purple blooms, the butternut squash plant has several squash already about 3" long, and I even have a couple of gourds on a vine! All very exciting! The tomato plants there on the right have just about had it ... not too much longer and I will be pulling them from their containers and finding something else to plant in their place.
The squash pit has completely overgrown the raised bed they're planted in. That stake you see above is one of the corners on the bed... you can see just how much they've taken to leaning out of the bed.
There is a container that one of the cantaloupe plants is planted in where I am watering at the corner of the raised bed. The shade provided by the other squash plants really seems to suite the cantaloupe just fine. It's looking healthier than ever, and there are several melons forming on each vine.
This morning while I was watering, I found THIS! This is an exciting little find -- this is one of the plants that Alan wanted me to grow. The squash of this plant look a bit like a UFO, and he thought that would be a fun addition to the garden, and our dinner plate. I agree! You can see a second one a bit farther back in the photo, too! These are going to be dee-lish!
I have a pickling cucumber plant NEAR the chicken yard. It sent out a long branch, grabbed onto a sunflower, then reached even farther and reached through the chicken yard fence (too high for the chickens to reach it). It is flowering, and even producing pickles -- all inside the chicken yard! Crazy plant ... I have redirected the end of the branch back through the fence so it continues to grow on the "right" side of the chicken yard. I can just see those silly hens, stacking themselves up one on top of the other, just to get high enough to reach the delicious pickle. Too late, ladies ... I picked it this morning, and it will be a jar of pickles before day's end.
The crookneck and yellow zucchini plants are LOADED with blooms and squash. We had a squash from this plant for dinner earlier this week, and it was deeee-lish!
This plant is producing flowers in over-drive, I think! It's keeping the bumble bees busy, that's for sure.
The corn (behind the squash pit) has grown so much in the past week. It's well above the corner posts on the raised beds, and many of the stalks are putting tassels up. We'll see if we actually get any ears of corn, or if I'm just growing perfect Autumn/Halloween decor for the front of the house! Hopefully, both!
The grasshoppers are out of control this year... I've never seen so many! They're doing a fair amount of damage to the plants, so I hand pick them off of the plants when I can. It's kind of creepy grabbing them bare handed, so I wear a glove and then it doesn't bother me at all. This guy got away from me though.... better luck next time. He'll make a fine snack for one lucky hen!
The potted zinnia is looking a little better. I thought it was just going to up and die on me. Seemed no matter where I put it, or how much care I gave it, in the evenings it was just a wilted up mess. Now it's putting on new blooms, and looks like it might actually keep blooming for a while. The lavender plant is filling in nicely, too.
On the other side of the farm, Callio-Pea begged for treats. I think Bad
Boxcar Betty knew I didn't have any, because she didn't even bother to
come say hi.
"Do you have treats in your pockets? Can I have one? Can I have some?"
"Please please please, I won't tell Betty!"
"PLEEEAAASSSEEEEE, can I have a snack?"
"You really don't have any snacks in your pockets... I'm a sad goat..."
"Fine... I'll just eat your flowers."
Boy do you have a great garden, I'm so envious! Poor Calliopea, no treats makes for a very sad face. Thanks for sharing your farm life with us. How you keep track of all those chickens is amazing. Happy Monday!
Posted by: Troy Louise | July 19, 2010 at 02:20 PM
As always, i love your photo updates. I've been gone for a week on vacation so catching up on your farm posts.
Have a question for you .... Do you use anything on your plants as fertilizer or insecticide (I see you still get things like grasshoppers, but is there anything safe/natural that works well on little bugs?). I don't live in a farm area (we're the typical southern california tract home where we can practically touch our neighbor's house from our own back yard) and I've tried growing things in the ground with no use (zucchinis were horribly bitter if they actually grew to size, or they got attacked by bugs) and would love to try the basket method that you used for your tomatoes. I just want something natural to spray on them so: a) it's safer for us and b) so my cattle dog doesn't get poisoned in case she wants to check them out.
Posted by: Simmy | July 19, 2010 at 07:34 AM
Oh my gosh I just love those frizzley little chickens, they are all beautiful but the fluffy ones are my fav. I would love to have a garden like yours but I am frightened to death of any garden pests! I grew tomatoes once and that ended with my first tomato worm. I hate that I am such a baby. Your little Calliopea is just too cute, would love to give her a good scratch. Love all your photos and look forward to every post.
Posted by: Rose Kerry | July 18, 2010 at 11:50 PM
Those lil UFO ones look like Patty Pan squash! They have them at the Farmer's Market here, but you never see them at the grocery store. They are better when not too big, you can stuff them and then bake, save the top for a little hat when serving! yummy.
Posted by: Abbey97 | July 18, 2010 at 11:07 AM
Oh, Anna~~I want to come eat at YOUR house!!! Your garden is doing SOOOO well, and you have some GREAT stuff to eat there!!! YUM....I'm so glad it's doing well! Even in the TX heat things can grow...AMAZING! :D I LOVE pickling cucumbers, they are my favorite to just eat! They have such a great flavor, pickled or not!
The chickens are just precious, it's amazing how fast they grow! Just like all animals, they grow by leaps and bounds. They are so beautiful, and so diverse! I would LOVE to get my hands on them and give them some lovin'!!!
Calio-Pea is just TOO cute. What an adorable face!!! And so curious and sweet...who wouldn't want her following them around??!!
Thank you for the great photos...you are just fantastic behind that camera. And I'm glad the hens like grasshoppers, what a great way to get rid of those pests!
Have a great Sunday. And take some time to breathe (and rest!!!) :D
Posted by: diane mcvey | July 18, 2010 at 06:38 AM
They're growing up so beautifully! :)
Posted by: Kathy Martin | July 18, 2010 at 06:33 AM
Your garden looks great! I tried something new this year, square foot gardening, but the zucchini's even growing vertical have shaded so many of my other veggies. Trial and error! I love your peach basket idea and will have to give them a try next year! Happy pickling!
Posted by: Danielle | July 18, 2010 at 06:33 AM
Only YOU could take pictures of bugs, veggies, chickens, And goats that are stunning and that I would want to hang in my kitchen. Do you have an easy shop?
Posted by: tanja fussell | July 18, 2010 at 06:24 AM
Callio-Pea has got to be one of the sweetest critters on your farm! You can almost see what she is thinking in her big eyes. Guess I will have to hug my puppies since I can't have a goat!
Posted by: bonnie weiss | July 18, 2010 at 05:05 AM
I just want to kiss those cute little furry goaty lips, I just love my animals and they get daily hugs and kisses and I always tell them I love them. I know they understand what I'm saying, the cat always gives me a wee chirp and a bunt and our 13 year old Labradoor looks at me with love in his eyes, I don't really know if the chooks like being hugged or kissed but I do it anyway, giggle.
Posted by: Rebecca Bowers | July 17, 2010 at 10:27 PM
Anna,
I just LOVE this update! The chicks are just darling - I, too, love the frizzled ones!!! The veges are amazing, and my heart could not resist Calico-Pea! She's so sweet! Thanks for the nice vacation!
Posted by: Sharli | July 17, 2010 at 07:14 PM
NO MORE GRASSHOPPER PICTURES!!! LOL! Your garden makes me hungry :)
Posted by: Jennifer K. | July 17, 2010 at 05:09 PM
Beautiful
Posted by: ~liz | July 17, 2010 at 04:09 PM
Hee-hee poor Calliopea. No treats. The grasshopper proably got away 'cause you where busy with the camera! LOL.
My garden is starting to produce in abundance. That is what has survived the japanese beetle and too much rain. The few zucchini plants left are starting to produce. So are the cucumbers. Enough to eat, not enough to pickle. The peas are done. The green beans are in overdrive! So many all at once. Potatoes, too. Relax and enjoy the weekend. Hugs...
Posted by: Carol Dee | July 17, 2010 at 03:00 PM
Ok your chicken family is starting to sound a little incestuous LOL!!
Love the updates...the little UFO is, I think, a pattycake squash...yummy little things. Eat them small! :-)
Posted by: Sue | July 17, 2010 at 01:30 PM