Today we let Runner, our Bourbon Red turkey hen, take "her" chicks outside. She's been a great momma to this motley crew of baby chickens. Altho I think she was surprised they hatched before turkey eggs do... she has really been a winner. She puffed herself up and chased off the geese, the guineas, and the chickens that tried to nose around the little ones. See her upright stance? She is on high alert. The babies are a crazy mix of everything. I love the one with the wild look in his eye in the very front...
Baby's first day out
Tonight I had a treat - fresh radish and butter sandwiches! I know! That's what I thought at first.. (ick) but they were kinda good. Nice and crunchy... snappy and smooth. I think I'm hooked. These were the french breakfast radishes that I planted early in the season...they are kinda small but having that first bite from the garden was heavenly. I also had exactly one pea pod, which I ate standing in the garden. Yum!
Farm Notes: (My own record keeping of activities)
* Nibbles has been incarcerated - I cut her foot yesterday when I was hoof trimming. It was a good "lessons learned" so stay tuned for how we got her fixed up. She hates me now.
* Tons of planting - sweet corn that I started in flats went into hills in the square garden and hillside garden. I include cucumber starts in the square garden as well as sunflowers. The hillside garden corn hills were planted with seeds for the purple beans (whoot!), and butternut squash. This combination is often called The Three Sisters and is a great companion planting strategy. Sunflowers (BOSS) were planted behind them.
* Yesterday I planted the sweet potatoes in the blueberry hill garden.
* Today I tacked up the fence around the new front garden. The fence defeated the chickens except for the littlest hens who just hopped thru. Dang!
* Bee notes: wild flowers are starting to bloom, iris (purple and yellow) are also in bloom.
* We lost that struggling dinner chicken. Unless they are the best dinner we've ever had we probably won't get them again. Honestly I wouldn't even touch her without gloves - and I'm not sure a person should be that grossed out by their food. An interesting question about perception for sure. But that's why our Red Broiler rooster, Legs, is still out there... he was too gross to eat. But he's doing his rooster duties and hopefully Miss Dash will hatch some Red Broiler x mutt "home grown mutt dinner chickens" soon.
* In neighborly news.. they have been as quiet as church mice. Someone turned on a radio but it was quickly turned off. I think they had friends over but they are like a church lady bridge club over there. Quiet and well behaved. Paying all that money for the survey might just have been worth it. I still haven't ruled out a buffalo. Not yet.
We are calling this little one "The Eagle" -- isn't he a charmer?
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6 comments:
He is a charmer! I love the picture of the turkey taking care of her "babies." How cute!
Runner, the turkey hen, is really doing a great job. Really I thought she'd get bored with them but nope, she is very vigilant and takes good care of them. Poor Runner had a 4 failed clutches last year - so she is making up for it in spades this time!
The chicks are getting big already. I love how many different looking babies you got.
Before I read this I thought my grandma and me were the only ones who liked radish and butter sandwiches.
Tell your grandma that she was right - they ARE delicious! I can't remember where I read about them... but I'm sold. The French Breakfast radishes are really mild and an oblong shape. Just stunning and oh to have just that first crunchy bite..
Stay warm tonite, Chai Chai!
We love radish sandwiches! We use mayo, but the butter sounds yummy! Wow, The Eagle is extremely handsome. Runner looks so proud with all her chicks. That's really sweet.
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