Bee's Guest House

[justusnak]

I totally understand getting rid of the "wild child" My thoughts are, if I cant touch, pet, or handle an animal ( other than chickens) They are gone. If there is an injury, we NEED to get our hands on them to help them. Crazy things...some just never get it.

 

[Beekissed]

Finally washed the wool I got from Debbie...what a dirty mess that was! Who knew sheep could get so muddy underneath all that wool?

But it washed up lovely....did it in the bathtub...in retrospect, probably not the best place but it was the biggest basin I had! That wool is so pretty and soft...I felt very old-fashioned washing out wool and hanging it on the fenceline.

It is now hanging up and drying out. Now....what do you all recommend for use if you do not have carding blocks?

Getting a lot done here today as it is overcast and breezy, supposed to get a storm later. Finally cut my clover in the garden pathways and raked the cuttings into the rows for mulch. I didn't cut it too close, just topped it off so that the red and yellow clover was trimmed so that the white clover gets more sun exposure and has a chance to bloom for my bees.

Popcorn is up and thinned out, will thin out the sweet corn tonight. Plowed the last two rows of the garden in preparation for putting in some more taters, lettuce, carrots, dill, cilantro, peppers, radishes, basil, and spinach.

Got a little work out of my lazy boy, the new grad, and hope to get even more before the day is done. Oldest mowed and weed-ate? the front and side yard and cleaned out his car....LOVE it when these boys willingly help me around here. Doesn't happen too often...I mean the willing part!


My back is holding out so far. Going to rake lawn clippings to use for mulch and scrub down the front porch before I start painting it.....LOVE getting an early start on the day and getting all these little things accomplished. Feels good!

So much to do....so little time!!!

 

[Beekissed]

We finally got some rain today and I hope it sets in for a couple of days....my garden is very thirsty! Rain has fallen in the counties all around us by the buckets but none here until today. I'm overjoyed!

Received my chick order from My Pet Chicken today and all were in great health. These have got to be the cutest darn chicks I think I've ever seen! I know..all chicks are cute..but these are such small and fluffy birds in such rich, chocolatey colors that they are just too charming.

These girls will round out my laying flock and replace the ones to be culled this spring. My oldest gals are three or four years old and the bulk of my flock are 2 yrs. old. They are still going strong on laying....I believe the slackers are the Red Stars that were given to me as retirees upon turning 2 years old last fall.

This last delivery just about completes my spring animal projects...all I need now is to get my ram lamb in July/August. I got meaties, a new ewe with the bonus of eminent lambs, honeybees and now these layer chicks.

Winter firewood will be delivered in July also. It will be a tandem logging truck load of logs that we will have to cut, split and store in the shed. That much wood should last me two years, judging by past wood usage. A truckload that size costs $500 here.

This has been a great year for Sweetwater Farm, in regards to new growth and completion of projects. So many things still to do in the way of organizing and cleaning out buildings, painting and improving winter pen situations. Still a long way to go to being an efficient and complete farmette but I'm pleased with the progress.

Cutest darn chicks in the world:

 

[TanksHill]

Awww!!! They are really cut. You sure have accomplished a lot in the past year Bee. Everything form the bees to the sheep to having your mom there. You must have such a feeling of ??? Accomplishment, maybe satisfaction would be a better word.

I can't wait to see more pictures of the garden. Have a great night.

gina

 

[Beekissed]

Gina, I have a warm satisfaction at knowing that things are finally coming to fruition. I feel that God has a plan for this place and I am merely carrying out the details...I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

I'll tell you something about the Ol' Bat....she has become real addicted to feeding chickens and collecting eggs! She admits she is enjoying the animals more than she thought she would....

Mom used to have chickens on the homestead but they were far away from the house and there was no building that you walked into for a coop. I think she likes the old coop, finding eggs in the nests, seeing the pretty chickens (we didn't have such a big variety back then~mainly leghorns and RIR) and making sure all the chores are done.

 

[big brown horse]

Hi Bee!

Tortoise (I think) told me she uses 2 of those dog grooming tools as mini carding blocks for her rabbit's fur. Why not use them for our sheep wool? That's what I'm going to use until I can afford the real carding blocks. I already have one big one (St. Bernards here), I just need another one. I think the big ones run about 12 bucks tops.

What kind of chicks did you get? (Forgive me if you mentioned that earlier, I havn't been on much lately.)

 

[big brown horse]

BTW, my mom is an antiques dealer and we had a shop in our backyard growing up.

She had a beautiful antique working wool spinner with a matching bench AND a few different sets of carders...as kids we learned how to card and spin wool until she finally got it sold. Do you know how I wish she still had that set?????

 

[Beekissed]

BTW, my mom is an antiques dealer and we had a shop in our backyard growing up.

She had a beautiful antique working wool spinner with a matching bench AND a few different sets of carders...as kids we learned how to card and spin wool until she finally got it sold. Do you know how I wish she still had that set?????

I hear that! But...at least you had that great experience as a child...how neat is that? Still.....

I had already decided to use those grooming brushes like you mention here...I'm hoping to find some sturdy ones. Where did you find the ones that are sturdy enough to be used on your St. Bs?

The chicks are Speckled Sussex, Partridge Rocks, Barred Rocks, RIRs. I've always wanted the SS and PRs and I've had BRs and RIRs before and loved them. I kind of wish I had ordered 4 more Aussies but I just wasn't thinking.

I haven't been on here much either....miss all the old gang something fierce....

 

[big brown horse]

Yup, me too.

I got the dog grooming tool at Fred Meyer, a big grocery (plus everything else kinda store) we have around here. It is about 4 inches wide and has about 1/2 inch long bristles.

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks, Sally! We don't have one of those stores around here but I will be looking for just such a tool....maybe at TSC?

Well.....wanted to report about the broody and her new adoptive chicks, placed under her in the dark of the night....


SUCCESS!!!

She is still sitting on her clutch but she is accepting these little brown bundles of fluff...one of them even grabbed hold of her wattle and hung on for dear life! She looked startled, raised her head up while this hungry chick hung off her face....where, oh, where is my camera when something like this happens??? It was absolutely the funniest thing I've seen in a long time! The look on this hen's face!!!

Anyhoo...will take pics of the new mama and her foster chicks later today when they actually venture out more from their feathery heating pad.