Rose Prairie Quilts and Farm

Blogmas 2021 My "Chicken" Tree  I had made all this last year for Christmas and to be in full disclosure, I haven't taken it down. It stayed up in the corner of the living room all year. That is how much I love it Update here 12-13-21 I wrote those words and this post 9 years ago on this day. And that tree has remained up the whole time except a few years ago I changed the tree to a aluminum one. You will see the original pictures of the tree. Except the first one and this next one.  I had found a crochet pattern on Ravelry for these rooster ornament . I ended up only making one a rooster (love machine) and the rest to be my flock I have     If you leave off the tail feathers they look like hens.  So I made them to look like my flock of girls. Then I added these fake eggs I found at Hobby Lobby, except the ones in the wooden box at the bottom of the tree, they are real.  I put the rooster at the top, looking over his hens.

I wanted to give a little update on my chickens.  Seeing how I hadn't written that much last year, I didn't include much about the chickens.  In December I lost five chickens to some unknown wild creature. For the longest time I would always let my chickens out and do what they call free-range, out of their outdoor pen. Well that's how I lost the five chickens, they were out just doing their chicken thing. So since then I decided I'm just going to keep them locked up in their pen area.  It's winter now and there's really not much for them to forge for, so I just supplement their feed with some scratch and just let them fend for themselves in their pen.  Since I've been doing that I've also been  getting more eggs.  I'm down to six hens and I'm getting about three eggs a day.  But when I had the 11 and they were out roaming around I was lucky to get an egg in their nesting box, say once every three or four days.

Here it is October, just love this month. Mainly because our anniversary is this month. Up on the wall is the Vintage Garden and slowly making progress. I can say that it is 2/3 completed as far as the applique is concerned. Starting to come together don't you think. This one too has been in the making for a long time. Think maybe I started it 10 years ago or so. Seems like I have a lot of projects around here that been in the works for years. Sure feels good getting them finished. Did some more crocheting on the slippers today while at mom's. Have the heel done and now working on the foot part. Coming along nicely and will make a nice gift. Never did show you the cool egg holder I found last month. It holds 18 eggs. Looks so pretty sitting out on the counter. I know I have mentioned this before but as long as I do not wash the eggs, they can stay out for a month without any problems. One of the benefits of having chickens and fresh eggs.

I need to tell you about how the hen house is again a drive thru  A couple of years ago I had a groundhog dig a tunnel from the outside of the hen house to an opening inside. They seem to have a love for chicken layer pellets. We were able to set the trap inside the house where the opening was and succeed to trap it. We relocated him and filled the hole. Hadn't had any problem with them until recently. Have seen a few around like this on the the back porch But a little over two weeks ago my sister came across this one while out letting the chickens out of the house. Now we have a problem, they do not bother the hens but they can eat a large amount of feed. I had hoped I had scared it away but that was not the case. My sister spotted it again but this time it was running out of the house through the yard and under the fence. I figured it was coming through the hen door out to pasture so I was a little surprised but also pleased

Yesterday my sister went out to the hen house to give the girls a treat. I have been keeping them locked up in their yard half the day and will let them go free ranging the rest of the day.  Well when my sister went out there she had open the main gate to get in the hen yard, when she did she noticed something in the hen house. Being a city girl she didn't know what it was and shut the door to the hen house before she came to get me. It was a groundhog.....I believe it to be the same one that I have been seeing around the house eating fallen sunflower seeds under the bird feeders.  Had posted this picture last month. They are so cute and are vegetarian.... which means they will not hurt the girls or eat their eggs but they do eat a good amount of the chicken feed I have in the hen house.  I'm going to have to figure out a way to make it stop. I might have to relocate it if it doesn't stop. This evening was the 30's Club at Sager Creek

This morning I finally cleaned out the chicken yard, I try to do this twice a year. It is amazing how much limb, twigs and bark will fall off the persimmon tree that is near. Went to work raking up all the debris into piles and ended up with 2 wheel barrows full . another of limbs, twigs and bark which went to the fire pit. Straw and rocks is what most of the debris was and what I did was to put it out in part of the pasture that the "man of the place" drives through. Just dumped it out and didn't bother to spread it cause The girls will do it for me. The funny thing is that stuff has been in their yard for months now and they hadn't worked this hard scratching through it. Guess it just look good now. Here is the yard now, debris free, for a while.  It is spring and we always get storms but looks good for now. And to celebrate gave the girls a little scratch. Now let me tell you after a few hours

Boy it turned out to be such a pretty day. Ended up doing chores this afternoon, cleaning out the nesting boxes and collected 7 eggs today. The girls are working hard these days. one is out of the shot Checked on the heifers, there are nine of them that I'm responsible for and of the nine... four of them have had calves. They are so cute. That's right, I'm so cute.... I'm still putting up the last of the outdoor Christmas decoration. The inflatables needed to put in their boxes. I had them in a chair on the porch, just hadn't packed them away. Then put up all the electric cords. Done finally. Did do some sewing. Made the flying geese and now I'm trimming them all, 120 of them. Sewing the woven fabric is a little tricky. Stretches  some and didn't think about how the fabric was directional and when putting the units together it did not go all in the same direction.  I don't care for that