Poultry Farm Happenings...

So hurricane Irene came and went and we sustained no real damage. We did experience some pretty strong winds, and got a measly 0.3 inches of rain.. which I am thankful for, as it is the most we have had in a month or so. Usually a hurricane brings several inches of rain, which is what we really could have used. Otherwise things have been going well. The layers are coming of age and we are starting to get a few small eggs each day. In full production I anticipate about ten a day. Two of our "hens" turned out to be roosters! Alas the first one liked to wake me up pre-dawn with constant crowing... he also was a bit rough with the young ladies... he crows no more. His predecessor, also a very similar appearing Light Brahma has better early AM manners, or is blessed with the fact that the sun is coming up more around 06:20AM now instead of 05:50AM. Or he saw what happens to un-mannerly roosters... he seems a bit gentler on the young ladies so far, but perhaps his hormones have not truly kicked in. Time will tell.

"Chicken and Herbs"

Hens dusting in the compost pile... this is the day after the hurricane.... dry, dry, dry!

Our new meaties ( Colored Rangers, or Freedom Rangers) are about 4 weeks old now. They should be at harvest age in early November. I like them so far, they are pretty active, supposed to be better foragers then the Cornish Cross we did previously. We moved them to pasture by hand this weekend, one or two at a time. We could not get them to move on land...

I think the chickens have been like pet therapy to Ethan, he loves holding them, watching eggs come out, making the rooster crow, mate, etc..

I took our last sick turkey into the local vet school diagnostic facility this AM. They will sacrifice it and do a necropsy( like an autopsy). So hopefully I can find out what I was dealing with. I had a preliminary call from the poultry vet who thought it might be a viral transmitted liver cancer. Waiting on the histopath results.

And finally the barn is getting a new roof this week, this I hired out, as I won't be much good with a broken back, leg , etc. Our kind neighbor came over on his Bobcat and saved me a week of back breaking shovel and wheelbarrow work by digging down the foundation sight for the future chicken coop. I plan on putting it on a full slab, with a low block foundation wall. I am sure we will get some good rain in the next couple days... now that the barn roof is torn out...even then, it would be a welcome sight.