It's been a while!

It's been a while since I've entered in a blog. We've just been so busy as a family, that I've not had enough time!!

Last weekend we got a little Boer goat! We named her Nu-Nu, and weren't sure if we were going to keep her. Well, we are!! She's fantastic. Stays in the yard, follows us around, is curious about everything that we do. She also enjoys the chickens company. As you can tell by the pictures. I think she likes the nesting boxes more than the chickens do!! We lost 1 chicken last week, our only barred rock girl that we had. RIP little girl where ever you may be.

We are in the process of waiting on anywhere from 1-6 chicks hatching in the next day or so, and I'm hoping it's tomorrow! A couple of Americana, Black Copper maran, Cuckoo Maran. Than, a week or so later, we will have a turkey and a few ducks!! I'm very excited about this hatch. We are finally getting things going as well. I have 1 customer already that's asking for my eggs!!! GREAT!!

Josh is working on getting the chicken coop up. We are extending the smaller one we acquired from someone. It will be about 12' long by about 6 feet wide. I'm going to see if we can't find some sand to put in the bottom of it. It might be cheaper than buying some more wood for a floor.  Just some wood for the sides and the top along with a HOPEFULLY metal roof. Than we can continue on from there.

Fall is approaching fast, and we can tell with all the waterfowl. Day by day there are more coming in. Our ducks are still enjoying the lake, but won't be able to have that luxury very long, as hunting season is coming up! We don't want anyone gone. I found one of the female ducks in the nesting boxes today, and I'm hoping that she might think about laying sometime soon. Our little baby reds (and they're not babies any more...) are beginning to think about laying as well.

Not much else is going on in the little Reese Farm. Much to do now!! Dinner is probably burning.... I think I can smell it.... Off to the kitchen than to the workplace!

TnChickHen

Another sad day

Well, I went out to the coop this morning, and found our youngest buff orpington pullet dead. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but it happened pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure she just got chilled and got kicked to the curb from everyone else. I just hope no one else gets sick in the coop. We've had a couple others get sick, but showed the signs. I guess the fox will be having a good dinner tonight when he finds the chicken carcass. Yes, I know, sad to say, but I do throw the carcasses out into the woods. It is easier, and actually keeps the dogs away from the garbage pit.

We got 3 eggs today though. Two of which came from our Rhode Island Red and one from the buff orpington that is laying! It was quite a shock when I went to let everyone out, and saw that the red jumped back into the box. I hope that production picks up just a bit before the colder months hit. And when we get that chicken coop, maybe that will help out.

I'm not becoming the crazy chicken lady...... yet. Haha, but soon I will be. I've got 20 eggs in the incubator right now. The most we've ever had at one time! I'm very excited about it, and can't wait for everything to start hatching. We've got turkey, duck, quail, americauna, black copper maran, and a couple other types of eggs! Business should be booming by next spring, and than we can start breeding. I'm just happy that my husband has been supporting me this entire time with hatching eggs and dealing with us having to go to the feed store every other week to get feed for chickens. I love you Joshua!!! Well, off to the couch to fold laundry and to hopefully get over this nasty sinus cold...... Blech!

TnChickHen

Fall is coming

Well, fall is on it's way. We have covered up the chicken run to keep some of the wind out. It's still chilly out for the chickens, but hopefully they can hold out until October when we get that chicken coop. We've been pulling in about 2 -3 eggs a day, and had about 2 dozen this past week! It was great! We have sold some to a friend of mine at work, so I hope she enjoys them.

I just got some new hatching eggs for this month! Duck, quail, chicken and turkey! I'm super excited to start raising other fowl here. We might be a little over run for a while, but we will make do. Some of the chickens are sick, again, but I'm hoping we can beat it this time!! I caught it before they could get worse, so let's hope all ends well.

There has been a lot going on, but not a lot to tell. I'm going to be doing a craft show with a friend in November, but that's only if I can start getting things made. Between work and being so exhausted, I'm not sure if I can do it or not.... off to work again.....

A red hen and a buff pullet and a lovely family.

Well, our Rhode Island Red, the oldest one of the bunch, has finally started laying again. The Buff Orpington pullet has also begun to lay as well. We are getting about 2-3 eggs a day, but it seems like everytime we see our eggs, we almost don't want to eat them! They are so wonderful looking and it took all our hard work to get these chickens to actually start laying. Our youngest Rhode Island Reds should start laying by the end of September as well as all the other pullets we have, than we will have about 2 dozen a week! I could care less about the chicken eggs, I want those ducks to start laying! Now those are the eggs to use for baking!!

Easton has started school this past week. He really does enjoy it! I'm very glad, as it gives me a break from him and he gets to meet new people in his class. He's already telling us he's making friends, which is fantastic! I think this next Thursday when he actually starts riding the bus and is gone for 5 days a week, it might hit me than.

Sammuel is his usual self. Taking his diaper off, peeing on the floor. Last week, he took his diaper off in the yard, and said, "I pee on tree, I pee on dog house, I pee on house, I pee on..... BUBBA!!!" and chased Easton around the yard with his little wee wee and trying to pee on him! It was quite the show! Sam is such a big help with the chickens (although he does more chasing around than work). His favorites are the ducks! He loves to watch them waddle around the yard when they chase him. Every time he takes his diaper off and chases the ducks, Joshua and I tell him that if he isn't careful, the ducks will snatch his little wee wee off! Than he will run away from them! He is quite a hoot!

Joshua is doing some construction with a contracting group on base right now. They are pretty much remodeling an indoor range. He is really enjoying the construction part, minus installing insulation. He will send me pictures every other day of him or someone else installing something. Its very nice to watch his face light up when he talks about something other than the Army. The other night, he got out all of his catcher equipment when Easton was sitting in the room. Of course, Easton had a billion and one questions about everything. Each time Joshua put a piece of equipment on himself or on Easton, his face lit up! I've never seen him happier than he was that night talking to our oldest son about baseball. Easton was totally into it. I just hope he picks up the sport. Easton told Joshua that he wants to be a catcher, so I guess Daddy and Grandpa will have a lot of training to do with Easton. But let's start with a soft ball, just in case he gets scared of actually lets the ball hit him in the face.

Me on the other hand, I'm really loving my job. I was taking care of a resident the other night while I was on "float" and she told me she was tired of being in the nursing home and wanted to go home. But if she was home and she had enough money, she would hire me as her personal nurse. Its nice to know that someone thinks that I'm doing my job properly. I really love being a nurse. It does come naturally since pretty much ALL the women in my family on my father's side and most of them on my mother's side were nurses. I think I might take the LPN course next year once Easton is steadily in school and I can do part time LPN. It might take me 18 months to complete, but it's another step up, and maybe get sent to RN school. I don't know tho. I really do enjoy being a CNA. I'll see....


Toodles,

TnChickHen

It's an EGG!!

We have a mysterious egg layer on our hands! We have finally been getting about 2 eggs a day and it's great!! We think it is our Buff orpington girl. It's fantastic to actually have almost a DOZEN eggs the past week. We must be doing something right or it might just be the weather. We have a few other ones that need to start or should start laying soon. Hopefully by next spring we can get our little business going. $1.50 a dozen for FRESH eggs (we will even ship them too) ;o)

I've finally started my new job, CNA and I love it. There's nothing else I'd rather think about doing. I'm glad we don't need to pay for a sitter, and I'm glad I had some help from Bri Maray for watching the boys when I took my test. I couldn't have done it without you! Thanks so much girl!

Amanda Reese, CNA (feels great to put a title behind my name!)

New amateur photographer... and she's a fantastic friend!

A friend in AK has started a new website with her photography!! She's darn good at it, and has finally gotten a copyright for the photos!! I'd like to introduce, Mrs. Rachel Kahler!!

She is a fantastic mother, wife, and worker. She was in the Navy, and I watched her little boy, Jeremiah for her. I had so much fun with him and my oldest son playing together. I feel like I've gotten to know her more than ever. Even though we are far apart (I'm in TN, just a little ways apart), we still stay connected. We ask each other opinions on matters in the home, how the kids are doing, what school has brought us to, and hopefully we will meet again.

Please, check out her website. She has some fantastic photos!
 www.thesearethemomentsak.com

Good luck with your future photography Rachel! :o) miss and love ya'll!

Toodles,
TnChickHen

Super irritated day....

Today is not the day to mess with momma. I am very irritated today. The boys won't listen to anything anyone says. They keep messing around while eating lunch. Sam is on this kick where you tell him to do something he says no, and gives you a little evil smile. UGH!

Anyway, back to my little chicken adventure. Henny our little cochin has begun laying eggs again. Just little things, but boy do they taste swell! Our oldest RIR, I'm not sure what is up with her. She's just not laying. But we should have a buff orpington laying pretty soon. Just need her to do the chicken squat.

I've got 2 eggs STILL in the incubator. They have been in there for 27 days now, and have not hatched yet. I've been told it was probably an issue with the heating when I first put them in, so I hope they don't delay too long. They are still moving around in the egg, so I guess I'll see. I'll let them go until at least the 35th day, than out they will go if they don't hatch by than. I sure hope they do.

Our little Jersey Giant is getting bigger and friendlier by the day. He does really well when you pick him up. His name, of course, Cheese. Yeah, we really didn't name him, the kids did. Haha.

Klara is finally back from cremation, and hopefully we can pick her up tomorrow. I'm so ready to have her home. Her place is here, not behind a desk waiting for us to come pick her up. I sure hope that she is enjoying her time on the rainbow bridge. It was really hard for me to watch her have a dying stroke, but than again, life is a cycle. There was a reason for it. She had her time here with us and taught Sarah what she should know about being a good dog. And Jack sure does miss her. I can tell it in his face. He will only sleep and lie down most of the day.... poor boy. She was pretty much his mommy when we first got him. He slept with her up until he was about 6 months old in her kennel..... RIP dear Klara. I miss you baby.

Toodles,
TnChickHen