They also have 1 exotic hen.....a Silver Spangled Hamburg and she's a beauty!I want a pair of these too!
This is the SSH rooster. They do not have one of these.....
On Monday progress was in full swing on yard/coop..................
There is still much to be done but we are getting there!
My hubby can build anything including nest boxes for the hens..........
I don't know who is more excited about getting chickens......me or him!
Monday evening we were treated to a panoramic sunset !!!!
I'm really getting obsessed with the sky lately........
I want to get a ladder and climb up there and sit amongst this.........
Sad part is, my camera does these scenes no justice......
As dusk approached the Master Artist reached for the pastels......
And took my breath.........
I felt like I was in a dream.......then darkness descended. Is this panoramic or what?
Life in the country is sometimes a cruel thing. You have to make choices sometimes that really are against your nature.We already eat farm fresh eggs that are free. We want to have our own chickens and eggs. We also love nature and the wild part that goes with it. We have a coon problem. Coons and chickens don't mix. After reading a post by Jayme @ Tales from the Coop Keeper http://talesfromthecoopkeeper.blogspot.com/ having lost all but one of her hens in one night to a raccoon that got in the coop, we made the decision to rid the farm of coons. You have to pick your battles and having and protecting chickens won! Hubby lay in wait last night and shot one of the three we know are here. I took this picture this morning. I love coons and this was not easy for me but it's what has to be.........
We are buying a live trap today to set out by the coop. Any caught will be hauled to the river and turned loose from now on.
HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE! I'll BE BY TO VISIT LATER TODAY!
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37 comments:
Congratulations on your chickens and your coop. Beautiful sky shots too. I love looking at the clouds and taking photos of them too. They're so beautiful. Happy Tuesday.
As my son the Summer Fawn Raiser would say, "That's wildlife management." Sucks for the racoons - beautiful creatures, but they are detrimental. Best of luck with moving those. And your sky pictures are gorgeous, darling.
Beautiful pictures! I didn't know that hens could be so pretty. It would be nice to have such a handy husband. Mine is handy, but has no time! Sigh.
Elizabeth
Mystery Writing is Murder
I've been shooting the sky a lot lately too. Wonder if we're getting inner warnings for this hurricane season? (Hope not.)
Friends down the street raised Reds and a few others. They'd feed them crawfish shells to get slightly red eggs! (I hope they weren't just pulling my leg, but they swore they did.) :)
Cindy...thank you, I'm so excited by hearing those girls clucking!I'm not so excited about the crowing rooster but we're told you have to have one to keep the girls happy! US WOMEN!!
MJ...yes it does suck! :(
Hey, Elizabeth! I fell in love with that SSH hen!Those reds are gorgeous too!
Hey Cuz...the dangerous hurricane time is here now and let's hope we escape with NONE!I'm gone check on those red eggs! HA!
The chickens are beautiful! makes me want to paint them on a canvas!
But that sky...that sky lets me know my favorite artist is at work creating one master piece after another!
Hi Carol, I know you are excited about getting your chickens. Hope nobody complains that you are getting rid of the coons. People are so weird about animals and bugs--as you know! I personally have no problem that you are getting rid of the raccoons.. We do whatever we can to get rid of squirrels and chipmunks ---keeping them away from our feeders. My suggestion: If you do get some negative feedback, just ignore it. There are many weirdo's out there!!!!
Your sky pictures are terrific... Love the deep pink ones. I know how you feel... They are just so gorgeous!!!
Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy
It must be so nice to have a handy husband! I love your yard and screened in porch...and your coop! When do you get your chickens? Are you going to name them?
The sunset pictures were just beautiful.....
I think you will really enjoy your chickens. We love having ours. I just hatched out 17 baby guineas in the incubator last Thursday. I am getting ready to set my little red Cochin hen on some eggs so I can get some Cochin babies!
My brother and his family raise chickens and they love their farm fresh eggs too. He's lost numerous chickens to dogs, copperheads and coons. He shoots to kill too. My 9 year old is a great shot! Can you believe? LOL
Best of luck with your chickens Carol!
Ooops forgot to add that the sky pics are absolutely beautiful.
We also had to do some raccoon ridding here. When we first moved here 2 years ago, I got my first 16 chickens and I was so proud of them. A coon got in 2 nights after I got them and killed 11. Sometimes these things just have to be done.
Hey there Carol. The chicken pen is coming along. I know you will be excited to have your chickens in the house and collecting eggs. My mom and pop are really happy with their chicks. They will be laying soon.
Me again, I just got caught up on all of your posts about you, Erci and the house....thanks for sharing Carol...what a wonderful love story!
AMEN Pastor Sharon!
Thank you Missy for the compliments! We will get them as soon as the coop is finished. I hope Thursday or Friday night. They catch them at dusk dark. Yes, I will name them when I can tell them apart!! HA!
Kentucky FG...I read hubby your comment and he says he's building a fortress and shooting to kill!
Katherine...hadn't thought about Copperheads but will watch out for those and Chicken snakes.!We may have to get a resident King snake! YUK!
Becca.. we can't wait! We love messing with animals!
Oh, so sad about the raccoons! I have a blogger pal that has trouble with dogs off their leashes killing her chickens. She lives in a rural area and people don't contain their dogs, or they leave them behind and the dogs have become a real problem. Here, we have pesky ground squirrels. My cairn terriers were here a week, no more pesky ground squirrels.
Hi Carol,
Yep, lots of dangers lurking out there for the poor chickens. Don't forget the hawks. They love chicken dinners. And the king snake might just slither into the coop to get some of the eggs. Fully grown hens are a bit too large for the average snake. Now, when they have baby chicks, that's another story. So, when you became a mama to chickens, you taken on the role of guardian as well. :-) I used to love raising them. I had all kinds of bantams, fancy schmancy ones, and large breeds too. But life is so much more free and peaceful for me, without them.
Love the sunset pictures. They are breathtaking!
Got to run. Chores are awaiting my attention!
Huggies,
Renie xox
Look at those beautiful chickens! and for me to compliment a chicken means they are really handsome cluckers! *laugh*!! :)
*waving to you!*
Oh my! Yes, you have to decide how to live and be in control of your environment. You must really like having those beautiful chickens around.
I love look of the exotic hen/rooster.
And the chicken coop really is coming along.
Nothing like fresh eggs, I mean really fresh with homemade sausage for breakfast with homemade biscuits and homemade real butter, or maybe gravy from fresh milk.
You can tell I've been a diet entirely too long. <:~)>
Loved the sky pictures. Wanted to sit under those skies. I'm envious of your chickens. Rhode Island Reds are my favorites. My husband, who never says no, has consistently resisted my requests for chickens.
Love those cute chicken and rooster pictures !
The coop is coming along nicely. We've talked about having chickens, but there are so many predators in the woods, I don't want to stand guard every evening, and knowing me I would !
What an absolutley breathtaking sky...like being in paradise.
Good luck with your chick babies.
Had a coop very similar to yours and failed to put wire on the bottom. My dogs tunneled under and had a feast. It is hard to protect them, there are so many hazzards. Chickens must have a hard time sleeping.
I had a problem also with coons but was able to relocate them via Havaheart traps. Took a while but worked.
Wonderful sky pictures, Carol. And what beauties those Spangled Hamburgs are! But you might want to be careful about keeping two roosters in the same pen -- I've had a young rooster murder an older one.
Your sky photos are beautiful & I know the sky was even prettier in "real life" -- wowee!
Amazing sunset, Carol.
Good luck with your chickens! Hopefully the coons leave them alone. We have a fox problem on one of our islands, for some lunatic got the "brilliant" idea to let a pair of them free on the island where there are no natural enemies. We have no natural enemies in our countries in Europe at all. Now hunters are asked to shoot the foxes as the farmers complained that their chickens were in danger already. Yes nobody can change the natural environment without doing a lot of damage to wildlife.
Hi Carol! Jayme, from Tales of the Coop Keeper here! I'm so excited that you are getting your girls and guy this week. It's just all so much fun! You have to do what you have to do with the raccoons. I think they are awfully cute, and it's hard for me to 'take care of them', but when you find a headless chicken, one that you nurtured and loved, it's war.
I'm so glad you found my blog, it's so nice to meet you!
Man, those are some good looking chicks, roosters, hens, etc. I don't like this type of fowl, but I love to paint them, especially roosters!
Think you made the right choice re the coons.
Beautiful sunset and chickens. It's so nice to have fresh eggs. A friend of mine has a 10 acre farm with chickens and goats, so I get both eggs and milk from her. Your hubby is so handy; lucky you!
Wow Carol, great sky formations, beautiful birds and one dead coon! I miss my chickens we had before we moved to our current home. I'd rather live in the country and fight coons any day! We had baby coons in our attic once and used a live trap successfully. They are cute when they're little, but sure can be destructive rascals when they grow up. Keep us in chicken pictures! I love it! Great work by your Hubby too!
;) Robin
What a gorgeous sunset - I grew up eating eggs from my grandparents' chickens - I didn't have a store bought egg until I was grown. My grandpa made me go out and collect the eggs, knowing I was afraid the hens would peck me. They made such strange, possessive noises when I put my hand under their butts . . .
The new coop is coming right along. It is so nice to have these handy husbands, isn't it?
I know you are excited about your new chicken flock.
I also understand about all the critters around a farm that love chicken for meals and snacks.
My husband makes the live animal traps and we always have one setup here and there. We mostly have posum problems right now.
The 16+ snakes (we caught)over the summer also loved quail, biddies, and eggs.
Have a great day.
Pam
Your coop is looking good. RI reds are my favorite type of chicken. I also like barred rocks. Too bad about the coon problem.
You will have the greatest chicken coop I've ever seen!!
Ok, so I've never actually seen one in real life that I know about.
Neverthless.......
I am excited for you and your new "tenants" the Rhode Is. Reds...I grew up with chickens, and we had the Black Australaupes...Also banty chickens as well...Your coop looks GREAT..and your sky pics are lovely. I just wish that I had a decent camera for some here in Oregon...Have a great week...
Margaret...
My mom have many chickens. I love just looking at them. I remember when I was small, I sat there waiting for the hen to lay eggs - I wanted to see how the egg got out ... but I was never too patient to see any!
Blossom
I wish my hubby could build SOMETHING, never mind anything! Oh what fun, chickens, eh? Good luck hon, I envy you your fresh laid eggs.
Beautiful sunset, and yes, as gorgeous as your photographs are, I agree, they never seem to quite manage to capture the true palate and majesty of the real thing thing, do they?
I understand your dilemma about the racoons - at least this little chap probably didn't know what hit him, shooting is a humane way of extermination.
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