It is the end of June with temperatures and humidity like mid-July. I have been outside several times today to run errands and to check on the chicken flock only to find that the heat is unbearable if you're in it for too long. I don't know how our 2 Golden Retrievers can stand wearing their winter coats in this brutal heat. We try to keep them well hydrated and we have a plastic pool that we replenish with fresh water daily ~ I may join them in the pool later today. It is calming when the sun sets and the moon is coming up on the horizon, the fans are buzzing away & all is quiet in the barnyard. I love that time of day no matter what the weather. Tonight, there may be a hubbub in the yard since we have a broody hen with about a dozen eggs that needs to be relocated to a private coop. The chicks are due to hatch this week (if they are truly fertile) and I want Mother Hen and babies to have a place of their own without interference from other potential Mother Hens. We have already had another hen vying for position on the eggs and that didn't go over well ~ a lot of screaming in the henhouse which led to a trip down there to calm them. Females!!!!!(as my husband would say).
Last weekend, we added to our menagerie when we bought four Bourbon Red turkey poults from a local farm. They are cute but I don't want to get too attached since they might end up as meals. We are mulling over the possibility of breeding them to sell future poults (if there are hens in the mix). The lady that sold them to us told us that she did not know how to find out whether they were toms or hens so it's in the hands of fate right now. We got a chance to see adult turkeys at the farm ~ they are a heritage breed and very pretty.
Our vegetable gardens are doing well since the rains stopped and the sun came out for more than a few hours. We're hoping for a bountiful harvest so that we can share with family & friends as well as the local food pantry. We have lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, pickling cukes, blue hubbard squash, zucchini, potatoes, onions & strawberries. We also have a 40' row of zinnias & a 40' row of sunflowers ~ my favorites.
I just looked out the window and it looks like we're in for a thunderstorm so I must go and close my car windows. Have a wonderful week, friends.
Pretty photos! It has been very hot and humid here as well and it is just miserable! I try to keep fresh water out for my dog and chickens as much as I can. They seem to be doing pretty good because the coop and run is in a heavily shaded area. I just had a broody hen hatch out some chicks so I know what you are going through right now haha. We moved her and the chicks to their own separate enclosure so she could raise them on her own.
ReplyDeletePS - Thanks for entering my giveaway! I'll let you know if you are one of the lucky winners :)
Thanks for visiting Moose Hollow Farm's blog. Our hen is still setting ~ not sure if the eggs will hatch but I'll give it a couple more days. I will let you know if I'm a Gramma again. Thanks for launching such a great giveaway ~ good luck to all those who entered. Enjoy the day..........
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