These are a few of the clutch of chicks known as The Mob. This group of ill-hatched chicks has the most interesting collection of colors and patterns you've ever seen. They are starting to get big enough to sort themselves out into factions and different groups. Some of the roosters are starting to emerge as leaders - and some are volunteering for our next Rooster Day. Mr. H, that brown and white speckled roo in the front of this pic is your guy. His fate is yet undetermined... and he might just turn out to be a hen!
Remember Little Baldy? She, I'm hoping she's a hen, is doing great. You can see her in the first picture - she's the lovely all brown hen with the dark necklace. And just the other day I found Ginny's chick in the tumble of chicks. She's a beauty for sure but I couldn't snap a picture of her this morning. She's one of the groups that head directly for the tall grass to look for bugs.
In other news, that plink plink plink you hear in the background is my apple butter sealing. I'm also working on cooking down some pumpkins and finally...some pear sauce. And bread. And I have to find something to make for supper. And that's my timer so I have to go....
Hope everyone is having a great Thursday! Whatcha canning today?
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I hope you haven't cooked my girl and giving me a "come by later" story :o( if not, just shows you how smart my girl is ..looking for some juicy fat worms :o)
Crabapple jelly and grape jelly - all while not murdelizing the children. Raining here, too, so I can't even kick the beasts outside. Did take a Mommy time out and wandered around in the rain.
Great. Now I want apple butter! LOL The Mob looks great. They are just beautiful. Not canning anything these days, but I am thinking about going to the store to picking up some pumpkins since I didn't get any planted. Maybe I can cook them down and can'em up!
Do you have a certain rooster:hen ratio you try to keep? I'm going to be reducing my rooster population very soon, likely this weekend. They are tormenting my poor hens and big enough to take a really hot bath. I should probably thin out the ducks too, but I get kinda attached to them. We'll see... On an off topic, you should see my fall garden. It's totally redeeming that weed-filled plot I called a summer garden. I just hope I can get the hoop house built in time...
I LOVE that ping noise! I'm hoping to gather enough persimmons this weekend to make a few pints of persimmon jam. Nothing much else wild (blackberries, choke cherries, grapes, plums) put out anything because of the drought so I'm putting all my last hope in those persimmon trees!
Apple butter, yum! Our church used to make Apple butter up until recently. What apples did you use?
Oh wow, the brown and white speckled roo/hen is gorgeous!
Ha! Ginny, I laughed a lot. Nope, she's out there. I'm trying to tame her so I can give her snuggles.
Hey B! All that jelly makin' should calm them children down.
;-)
hi DOC! I love the way pumpkins smell - and wow so many wonderful things to make!
Jeff, your pix are gorgeous! Post some garden shots - and I'd love to see your hoop house. As for the roosters, we arent exact about it. We evaluate our roo's on ability to lead the hens, physical features, and that they dont try and kill us. Our hen base varies but we normally keep 2 or 3 roos. I believe the "right" ratio is 1 roo to 10 ladies. But we've had um... "vigorous".. roos that have "adequately provided services" for twice that many layers. We know this because our hatch rates were good and the roos called all the ladies into the hen house at nite. Does that help? ps.. "goat on the lamb".. HA! You're the best, buddy!
Hi Carolyn! Persimmon jam - have you had a frost? Or does cooking them take out the bitterness?
Autumn, arent these chicks just beautiful? The most lovely roo, tho, is meaner than a snake. Drat! I love Grimes Golden apples the best - but I think I used Jonagold this time.
Glad to hear that you are taking good care of my chick, she is looking fine...give her a pat on the head for me will you.:) It's not the dreary days that get to me so much as is how darn short they are...I need more daylight. I was out picking berries with a flashlight last night.
You said it, Mr. H, it seems like I just get started on something.. and then its dark. We've noticed its getting dark really really fast also. I'm usually in just in time for Wheel of Fortune! (hee hee hee)
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