Saturday, August 15, 2009

" A Rooster Crows "

Good Morning Swifterwater Farm he said, or at least we hope that is what he was saying! Yes, we heard the rooster crow this morning! We have Chickens @ Swifterwater Farm today!


Just before dark we made the trip to pick up our chickens. Cliff and Tina have at present about 140 Rhode Island Reds, about 10 Australorps hens, several mixed hens and 1 Silver Spangled Hamburg hen. Their chickens are free range and come to the huge pen to roost. They have an 80 pound Chocolate Lab named Routy who sleeps in the pen to guard the flock. This pen has a set of ladder stairs that extends up and down into the pen that they climb every evening. It's a real site watching them go to roost!



When they enter the hen house they all line up on the three different ladder roost.


This one is getting close to full....




Here's the SSH hen going up and into the pen...




Instead of going down the ladder to the inside, she flew of the fence rail....





Here they are, I can't count but 7 heads but there are 9 in here. There are 6 Rhode Island Red hens, 2 mixed RIR/ Australorp hens and the RIR rooster. We brought them home in this dog pen and since they were settled and asleep, we just left them in the pen and put the pen inside the chicken yard. I took this picture this morning as we went to turn them out.






They walked right out and starting checking out the new digs....








Not to shaby for chick prison.....

















After a walk around...Oscar, let out 4 crows right in a row! Yes, his name is Oscar Wilde!
The others will acquire names when I can tell them apart. Will I ever be able to tell 8 hens apart?












Oscar is a curious dude....












By good daylight they are learning the ropes....













They found the water pan...in the meantime. Guinea Pearl is on the otherside of the pen looking stunned and we haven't heard one peep from her/him. (we don't know if it's a boy or girl)













They find the feed pan.....the dogs had a fit when Oscar starting crowing so Jake and Sadie had to be taken out to the pen to see them and after that, they didn't bark anymore.














We went to three yard sales yesterday. One was an estate sale from an elderly woman who passed away. I bought this Singer Sewing Machine for $ 30.oo there. Her daughter said she'd only used it about three times before she got sick and went in a nursing home. Her old cabinet model was there too but I wanted a portable one.


















At a different sale I got this Leather/Sheep Skin lined vest for $ 1.oo. It appears to have never been worn.
















At that same sale I got this windchime for $ 1.oo. I love and collect windchimes.



















At the estate sale I also got these. I love the covered pie pan for .50 cents. The silver trays were a dollar each. I got 8 brand new Currier&Ives place mats of country and winter scenes for .25 cents each that I have an art project in mind for. We didn't find anything at one of the sales.


















Have A Great Weekend Everyone! I'm going to be messing with the chickens!



















27 comments:

vicki archer said...

Enjoy those chooks....happy weekend, xv.

NCmountainwoman said...

Wow! It seems like only yesterday you were talking about chickens and now you're a chicken farmer!

Why can't I ever find those great buys at the sales?

Vicki Lane said...

Love those biddies! Congratulations!

Elenka said...

"Chick Prison".....you crack me up.
I'm forwarding your blog site to a friend who has chickens. She supposedly is building a coop this summer. I haven't seen her since school's been out.

Glynis Peters said...

I am catching up and have read your last few posts. My you have some grand chickens there! I loved your bargains from the sales. Racoons are just arriving in Cyprus in the pet shops I have noticed. In a few years time the Cypriots will have to lock up their chickens if any 'coons get free and breed.

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Carol,
I really like the photos of the chickens. I sure wish I had a place to raise chickens. They are so pretty. Sounds like you really got some great things at the yard sale for bargins. The Singer Sewing Machine looks really good. You did well with the vest, windchimes, and covered pe pan. I bet it was fun taking in the yard sale. Hope you have fun watching and taking care of the chickens.

Carol Murdock said...

Vicki A....I already am!

Yep Carolyn! I'm a chicken woman now! Keep looking!

Vicki...I can't wait till they start laying! It was so exciting watching them go to roost awhile ago!! HA!

Elenka...they were free range birds so I bet they think they're in prison now!HA!

Glynis...hey girl! Tell everyone Coons do not make good pets!!

Hey, Brenda Kay...thanks and yes, we both had fun at the sales!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Carol, Congrats on the new additions to your growing family.... The Chick Motel is gorgeous... Looks like a AAA one to me!!!! ha

You got some great deals at the estate sale. I love windchimes also.

Hugs,
Betsy

T said...

I so miss having chickens! Enjoy them!!

Tess Kincaid said...

Aww. I want some. I have a taxidermied RIR rooster. But it's just not the same.

Morning's Minion said...

I'm not a fan of chickens, although my late mother in law always raised them, but I can appreciate what nice accomodations you have prepared for them,
Now the sewing machine: that I can relate to--so great to have a spare. I have three machines--my year old Janome 6600 Professional, the older Elna which I use at work and a spare New Home. Just need some energy now to get on with quilting.
Enjoy your new biddies!

Rosaria Williams said...

They are soooo cute! What are you going to do with all the eggs?

Anonymous said...

I hope you enjoy your new flock. I love my duckies more than I ever thought I would.

Maalie said...

Oh how delightful! I have always wanted to keep chickens (as we used to when I was a tiny Maalie) but I don't have the space now! Greetings!

NitWit1 said...

Lots of biddies to give names! You will eventually tell them apart.

They are beauties.

I'd say the sewing machine was the best yard sale buy but I'm not into sewing. I bought a $40 machine at WalMart on Black Friday. It sat for 3 years and finally I needed to re-hem a sheet, so I put it to the test.

I'm going to have to allot some time soon to hemming new pants, etc. I'm very short and have to cut off at least a foot of everything I buy. I hat to pay $3/leg for $12 pants.

Marguerite said...

Your flock looks right at home in their new "chick prison". So funny the way you described it. So happy for you! And what great finds at the yard sales. Especially the sewing machine and wind chime. I love and collect wind chimes, too.

Janet, said...

Those chickens are neat, it's great to have enough land to put them on. I bet you're glad you started going to yard sales, you never know what you're going to find.

Renie Burghardt said...

Hi Carol,

Late as usual. Sorry! I just got home a bit ago.

Well, your biddies look so cute and happy in their new home. And you have a live alarm clock now, too. And besides all the fresh eggs you'll be gathering soon, you'll be getting a bonues from those chooks, too. Fertilizer for your garden!

Enjoy your new charges. Have a wonderful evening.

Hugs,

Renie xox

Gotta go and catch up on some chores before evening gets here.

A Brit in Tennessee said...

The chickens and rooster all look happy !
What are you going to do with all those eggs ?
You found some great buys at the estate sale ! I work on weekends and so I miss out on a lot of bargains. I try and make up for it in the week ;)
Love your rooster's name !!

Sharon Rose said...

Carol, I love those hens and that rooster.
You know, as a Pastor, my thought about them roosting on each row like that looks like "chicken" church to me.::))

Unknown said...

Really cool estate sale finds and "hello" to Oscar Wilde! How cool is he? Love the chic prison you guys built! Have fun!

Robin :)

steviewren said...

Welcome to the girls and their fellow!

The Silver Age Sara said...

I am very envious of your chickens. We were supposed to get chickens this year but it is now postponed to next spring :( Yours are so beautiful and how thrilling to wake up to the rooster.
The treasures you found were fantastic. I love wind chimes too.

Arkansas Patti said...

Aw gee, I am getting chicken envy too. Hopefully visiting yours will be sufficient.
Loved that they had a choc lab that would sleep with the chickens.
Keep us posted.

Unknown said...

What a wonderful flock you have! I hear crowing every morning too and I live downtown in my city... but one of the neighbors has two roosters who do a bit of traveling and like to crow right outside my bedroom window!

Can't believe you got that Singer for 30 bucks; what a deal.

Today am announcing a FUN giveaway thingie on my post which will begin next Monday... come visit and see what I'm talking about!

Becca's Dirt said...

You lucked up on the sewing machine. So glad you finally picked up your hens and rooster. It is exciting getting started.

Anonymous said...

Gosh, I'd MISSED this one! Who is the early bird now, you or the rooster?