Our New Rooster

IMG_2073

Yesterday was a big day for our chicken flock. We got a new rooster. We didn’t want to just keep breeding within our current flock of Dorkings. Dorking are hard to find around here so we opted to get a rooster from a different breed. He’s a Dominique/Barnevelder cross. I was looking for heritage breeds – dual purpose and good foragers. I made a contact in Stafford through Craigslist. A ways to go for us – over 2 hours – but I wanted to get this done. It also worked out that Samantha and her friend Luca were able to come over and help process our current rooster and our lone drake. Our last female duck was killed last week. Our drake spent the week in the backyard. He didn’t seem too distressed, but they really don’t do well as a single and there was no need to keep him. So in the morning we processed and later in the day Damian and I went to Stafford to get the new rooster.

IMG_2078

He spent most of today in the barn. This hen stayed with him. I wonder if she was the same hen that was sitting with the duck under the patio table 2 days ago. In the above photo the rooster and hen are trying to get back together. She finally figured it out.

IMG_2081

You can just barely see his tail feathers to the right of the hen. He was pended up previously so we hope he soon gets used to open forage. I looked in on him again this afternoon and he was in the compost with the hens so that is a good sign.

IMG_2083

Early Lenten Rose

Organized Kitchen Nook

I always forget the before photo!

IMG_2068

Here is our newly organized kitchen nook. We purchased two metal shelves (OMAR) from IKEA.

IMG_2065

Before, this table was on the other side of the nook and it was piled high with stuff. Now it just has our seeds and seed catalogs. Time to start planning. Though part of the plan this year is to not spend so much time planning!

IMG_2063

Next year we will store our harvested butternut and sweet potatoes here. We’ll keep the window shade down.

IMG_2069

When we keep the quilt hanging at the doorway it keeps the nook very cool and the kitchen relatively warm. A couple weeks ago I measured the temperature in the nook at 50 degrees – 20 degrees less than the kitchen.

 

Chickens Out and About

IMG_2016

IMG_2017

Cats, too. I wonder if they miss Eartha like we do. Eartha was the tortie, daughter of Freda (left) and sister to Smokey (right). We haven’t seen her for about a month. I like to think she found another family but the reality is she probably was found by a coyote.

IMG_2023

I love the coloring of this hen. Probably a mix of the colored and black dorkings.

IMG_2027

IMG_2028

IMG_2029

IMG_2032

IMG_2037

IMG_2039

Taking lots of photos of our remaining rooster. We sold Leo last fall and processed, sold or gave away all his male offspring but this one. I hope to find someone on Craigslist willing to trade him for another heirloom dual purpose breed roo. He is at least a half brother to most of our hens. Not a good idea to keep inbreeding.

IMG_2042

I took the kitten I shared in my last post to the animal shelter. They have a 95% save rate and make it very easy to bring in a stray animal.