pasture-raised chickens – Living de Good Life

Farm Funnies – More Stories of Odin and Merlin

If you have animals, whether they are in-house pets or farm animals, you will agree that they can be so silly. Watching them can bring waves of laughter and lighten your countenance. So it is for me. Here are some farm funnies that hopefully will make you chuckle.

Odin – King of the Pasture

So, if you have been following me for awhile, you know that Odin is already the star of two of my farm books: My Name is Odin https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Odin-Good-Life/dp/1952894980/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+name+is+odin&qid=1636402786&sr=8-1 and Odin and Merlin: The Amazing Team at de Good Life Farm https://www.amazon.com/Odin-Merlin-Amazing-Team-Good/dp/1639840745/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=odin+and+merlin+the+amazing+team&qid=1636402872&sr=8-1. He continues to earn top billing here at the farm.

His most important title is “Livestock Guardian” and he performs it so well! We have not lost a chicken to a predator since his arrival at the farm! He OWNS the pasture! He always has his eye to the sky.

The other day I saw him flying from one side of the pasture to the other barking his loudest and fiercest bark. I followed him and couldn’t figure out what he was so upset about. Jeff was out there and I asked…he pointed up. A JET! Odin saw the jet as a predator from the sky!

He has learned to protect the chickens from whatever may pose as a danger to them, even if that “danger” is Freya. She is going to be a great teammate for him someday, but she can’t yet be trusted with the chickens off-cable. He is so serious about his duties, whether the perceived danger is a flock of geese, a jet, or even a hot air balloon! The important thing is that he pays attention and does his job!

Anyway, back to my farm funnies! You know that I love writing stories about my animals. Their antics delight me! Last night, while I was in the barn, their entertainment was no exception. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take many pictures. I am hoping that my story-telling abilities will be descriptive enough that you will feel like you are watching them from wherever you are reading this blog post.

Get Out of My Space!

While I was milking Mocha, I heard a chicken squawking. That typically means one (or more) chicken has been dumb enough to go into Odin’s kennel. I heard Merlin quite upset as well.

When I had a chance to get up and look, my suspicious were confirmed. There was a chicken in Odin’s kennel and bless his heart, Odin was being as careful and as gentle as a 140ish-pound dog can be with a creature approximately three per cent of its body weight.

And Merlin? He was talking up a storm in a reprimanding tone, but not at Odin…at the chicken! It was almost like he was saying “You stupid chicken! I have told you time and time again not to go in there!”

The Backstory

(NOTE: This is not the first time I have seen this scenario! Several weeks ago when I was on the tractor and we were moving the meat chickens, I could tell Odin had his mouth on a chicken inside his kennel. I instinctively yelled “No!” to try and stop him. Then I watched. His intentions obviously weren’t malicious! He was trying to get that chicken out of his kennel. I continued to watch and he was using his paws and his mouth trying to get it out.

Finally, in amazement, I watched him PICK UP THAT CHICKEN and carry it out of his kennel just like a mama dog would carry her pup! Then he literally spat it out of his mouth! The chicken ran away and I looked back at Odin and he didn’t seem real pleased with what was left in his mouth! You know how you stick your tongue out and try to scrape out a nasty taste or sensation? That is EXACTLY what he was doing!! I absolutely howled…then praised him for being such a good boy!) Now, back to present…

Back to the Story

As I continued to watch, he tried to pick her up by her neck (like he had done with that chicken before — same one?? Who knows!) but he couldn’t get a good grasp, even using his big paws to try and hold her! I wondered what he would do. I stared in amazement as I watched him catch her by her tail and literally push and shove her out of his kennel. When she was clearly outside of it, he released her and she ran away! I laughed out loud and praised him for being such a good boy!

Do-Over! Really?

Soon after finishing milking, I heard the scenario repeating itself. I watched Odin trying to get that “stupid chicken” out of his kennel AGAIN but he didn’t seem to be making any progress. I went over and tried to help, but every time we (yes, Odin and I were working together as a team) got her near the door and I thought she would make a run for it, she headed back into the kennel!

Since I didn’t seem to be helping the situation, I went back into the barn. Odin, however, did NOT give up. As I heard her squawking again, I turned to see him with his mouth on her tail again! Only, this time, he picked her up by her tail and walked her right out of his kennel! He took her as far as his cable would allow (we cable him during chores to keep him from causing havoc in the barn with the cows going back and forth) and then dropped her. I absolutely howled with laughter!

Odin’s intelligence continues to amaze me and his understanding that 1) he is their protector, but 2) his kennel is his space and he has a right to protect it! Again, I praised him over and over and told him what a good boy he is! Of course, he LOVED that!

Merlin’s Territorial Battles

Merlin, who also is the star of two of my farm books, My Name is Merlin https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Merlin-Good-Life/dp/195045472X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+name+is+merlin&qid=1636402959&sr=8-1, and Odin and Merlin: The Amazing Team (referenced above), is an amazing creature! He is now in the process of training his fourth flock of hens and he, too, takes his job here at the farm very seriously!

We had a totally unexpected upset to Merlin’s world when I stupidly accepted three “free” chicks in June when I picked up this batch of layer chicks…and of course (I later I was told by a friend that if you are offered “free” chicks from a hatchery…they are almost assuredly going to be ROOSTERS!). Anyway, I digress… we discovered a few weeks ago that they were, IN FACT, roosters!

They didn’t seem to upset the balance of power too badly until this past week. Evidently, they matured and that fact made them decide to claim some of Merlin’s hens for themselves. Actually, it seems it was only ONE of the roosters that decided to help himself to the hens and Merlin was well-aware of which one it was!

Get Away from My Hen!

One evening, I heard Merlin carrying on something fierce and I looked out from the barn just in time to see Merlin running his fastest…wish I had a picture…in attack mode, toward that rooster who was with one of Merlin’s hens. The rooster saw him coming and ran away, but Merlin didn’t stop the chase! He chased after him all over the pasture till he was far away from the hen.

Merlin’s House…Merlin’s Rules

So, that evening, as is our usual practice, after milking and chores I checked to make sure all of the chickens were safely in the coop. I saw one of the roosters hanging around, so I walked slowly behind it, which normally will encourage it to go in the coop. It tried to go in! As it began to enter the door of the coop, Merlin came FLYING out of the coop door, yelling and screaming at this rooster. I don’t know what words he used, but there was no doubt in that roosters mind that he wasn’t allowed in the coop.

I told Jeff what I had witnessed and we agreed that we respect Merlin enough that we would allow his rule to stand. We weren’t sure whether he was disciplining that rooster or banning him, but Merlin is too important to this farm to upset him, so we did nothing. We were unsure what would happen to the rooster for the night with Odin and Freya both loose at night.

Another Day…Same Story

However, the next evening, I witnessed the same thing. This time, Merlin was obviously QUITE upset and frustrated and not only did he run after the rooster, he attacked him and kept at it until that rooster decided the hen wasn’t worth it and ran away. So, I thought that was the end of it!

Nope! Later on, that rooster was at it AGAIN! This time, what I witnessed amazed me! Not only was Merlin carrying on as he went after the rooster, but he was so loud and upset that Odin, who was investigating something way in the back of the pasture, came running full-stride and barking to see what was wrong. Odin came to Merlin’s rescue and helped him get that rooster away from the hen. I stood there in total amazement! They truly are a team!

Banished From the Coop!

That evening, again after chores, that lone rooster was left outside the coop. Again, I walked behind it trying to get it go into the coop, thinking that perhaps Merlin was just teaching it who was BOSS! The rooster seemed hesitant and was kind of like “don’t force me to do this!”

As he was loitering outside the door of the chicken coop, Merlin was inside reprimanding him and whatever Merlin was saying, that rooster understood that he was not permitted to enter. I decided not to force the issue, hoping it would find shelter for the night. It did, under a board leaning up against the barn.

Peace Reigns Again

Yesterday afternoon, Jeff caught the three roosters and put them in a cage. I transported them to a local guy who has chickens and roosters and sells them to people who need or want them. It’s funny how the removal of these three roosters have restored peace in Merlin’s world…and therefore, peace in the pasture!

These animals are absolutely amazing to me! I wish I knew their language, but I can read their behavior enough to guess what they are saying. The balance is perfect: Merlin owns his hens and Odin owns the pasture and whenever there is anything that upsets the balance, they are still an amazing team. They work together to protect the pasture and its inhabitants from predators and to restore peace!

Non-fiction Children’s Picture Books

If you enjoyed these stories and you haven’t read any of my published books about the animals here on the farm, please check them out on the “Books” tab of my website: https://dianeorrauthor.com/books/ Each book is described on that page as well as upcoming soon-to-be-released works. I hope you enjoy them!

Farm Life Is a Good Life!

Farm life is a good life but a hard life! We have lived here on de Good Life Farm for almost seven years! It hardly seems possible! I still remember dreaming about the days from our home in a nearby subdivision. We talked for years about what it would be like, what animals we would raise, and I did a LOT of research! However, no amount of dreaming or research prepared me for the constant ups and downs!

We Must Replace the Poly Tape Electric Fence – Escapee #1

We began talking about replacing the electric poly tape with field/cattle fence after taking our last batch of meat chickens to the processor. It was that week in June that Odin decided he was going to take a vacation. I guess he missed the chickens or didn’t feel needed? Who can know, but three nights in a week, he escaped the back pasture. One of those nights it took us an hour and a half to find him. From that night, we knew we had to cable him for his own protection until we could figure out a way to keep him from escaping.

Thank goodness for good friends!

We made plans to purchase field fence and on the hottest day of the summer, two friends came to help Jeff get that big job started! Brutal was the weather but our friends’ desire to help was just as strong! The three of them worked for hours on that extremely hot 90 degree Sunday to get two parts of the fence put up! Their help was amazing and gave us the momentum we needed to get the job done!

Escapee #2

Then another animal decided to taste freedom — Fred, a 9-month old Jersey/Hereford cross steer. I don’t know what it is about the number THREE, but he also escaped three times in one week! After the third time when someone had to call and let us know he was out, we decided we had to contain him in the barn until the fence was completed.

This however was difficult to execute! When we found out he had escaped, he was down by the road trying to get into the pasture with Mocha, Jersey and Daisy. I’m sure he just wanted to play but his entrance to that pasture would have created a whole new set of problems!

I have to say my husband’s years of being on his dad’s farm definitely have come in handy for many situations here at de Good Life Farm! He stayed calm. Me? I wanted to run around behind that steer and chase him, yell or cry…SOMETHING! but Jeff wisely told me to calm down or go in the house. Needless to say, I chose to calm down!

Gradually, Jeff worked Fred toward the house and we got him cornered between the milk room and the propane. “Now what?” I asked. Jeff told me to go to the barn and get the lead rope, which I did…running!

Jeff did an amazing job getting the lead rope around Fred’s head but I have to admit I thought it was a lost cause. Amazingly, Jeff’s patience and methodical tenacity won out! Again, I thought, “Now what?”

One Against Two

We began the trek through the gate and across the back yard toward the barn. I wish I could have taken a picture of the process, but honestly, we had our hands full! Jeff is a strong man, raised on a farm with steers. He instinctively wrapped that lead rope around his waist and started to walk. He COULDN’T MOVE! That steer was STRONG and he had NO INTENTION of moving!

Here I am, standing behind the steer, and I decide to push on his behind to help Jeff gain some momentum! HAHA! My 125 pounds made NOT ONE IOTA of difference in the distance between us and the barn! So, being rather resourceful, what did I do?

I began putting my boot on the back of Fred’s leg which forced him to take a step. So we began our trek to the barn, literally ONE STEP AT A TIME! But, we made it!

We got him into Jersey’s stall, and made sure there was hay and water and walked out. He wasn’t happy but I breathed a sigh of relief! He couldn’t escape from there even though his head-banging indicated he thought he could!

Chain Reaction

milking Jersey in the middle of the barn

As is true in life, for every action, there is a reaction. The reaction to the fact that Escapee #2 was now residing in Jersey’s stall meant that everything had to change when milking time came! This really wasn’t an issue for me. It gave me access to the cross breeze and I didn’t have to sit lopsided in the straw! However, it did impede traffic in the barn while she was there.

Fred looking out the crack in the barn door between head-banging episodes

Meanwhile, we realized that until the rest of the field fence was put up and whatever was making the electric poly tape lack in charge was figured out, Fred had to remain in the barn. That gave us the necessary motivation to work tirelessly (that’s a weird word, because we were exhausted and muscles we had never heard from before were screaming) to accomplish the task at hand.

Git-R-Done!

So, back to getting the fence done. We worked on the back fence which was easier in some ways and harder in some ways. Rather than pounding fence staples into wood posts, we had to connect the fence to metal t-posts which meant taking a weird little metal apparatus and affixing it around the t-post to the fence. Not as easy as it sounds! While working on the corral fence, I had become efficient at being the “fence stretcher”. However, now I was the “apparatus attach-er” and Jeff was the “fence stretcher”! We completed that side of the pasture in one day.

The next morning, when I tried to get out of bed, I couldn’t. I could barely ROLL out of bed. But, one thing farm life has taught me is that it doesn’t really matter whether you FEEL like it, what has to be done, HAS TO BE DONE!

So, I took it easy for awhile that morning, rested my back and took Tylenol (something I don’t take very often at all). By noon, I felt that I could again be the fence stretcher. So we began again and completed what was necessary that day to enclose the back pasture. This meant we could set Escapee #1 free. It thrilled me to see Odin’s happy face and watch him once again bound across the pasture!

The amazing thing that has happened is that by putting up the field fence and taking down three of the four strands of electric poly tape, and replacing one strand of worn poly tape, the electric current on the fence through which Fred had escaped suddenly jumped to 7,000 volts! He will certainly feel that if he attempts another escape!

Inmate Released Back into Society

Fred returned to the pasture with his family

To date, no one has escaped again…and so I can definitely breathe a little easier.

Confused Chickens

Chickens wondering how they USED to get through but no longer can!

The last phase of the pasture transformation was putting hard cloth on all the gates to prevent the chickens from leaving the pasture. This accomplishes two things. First, they now have to remain in the back pasture where they can be protected 24/7 by their capable livestock guardian, Odin. Secondly, they can no longer get into the back yard to eat my grapes and flowers, as well as they can no longer get into the neighbors’ yards.

They have tried every which way they can to get through, but they are now truly “pastured chickens” and not “backyard chickens”. This makes me very happy. If you haven’t read my most recent de Good Life Farm book Odin and Merlin: The Amazing Team at de Good Life Farm, you may buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Odin-Merlin-Amazing-Team-Good/dp/1639840745/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Odin+and+Merlin%3A+The+Amazing+Team&qid=1631722987&sr=8-1. After reading this book, you will understand how important it is for the chickens to remain in an area where Odin can protect them.

The End….??

Daisy with her new friends Merlin and his hens

So, this is the end of this very long post. But, it is definitely NOT the end of the tales of the tails, trials and ticklers here on de Good Life Farm! I hope you have enjoyed reading. If so, check out the Books page and see which stories you would like to read…and you may subscribe to this blog. You will find a variety of topics to interest and amuse you! Thanks for visiting! Enjoy your day! I’ll leave you with a sweet picture.

The rest of the rest of the story

I have been thinking and planning to write this post for several days now…and now it has an ending different than it would have been had I had written it then…but I will tell the story as it has unfolded.

Over the next several days after my last post, I became totally amazed at the intelligence and self-preservation this “stupid” chicken possessed…totally dispelling my beliefs that she was “stupid”. She got into the habit of waiting until it was dark when her flock was all settled in the coop into their spots on the roosting bar and in their nighttime “trance” and she would sneak into the coop and find a spot on the roosting bar. (If you don’t know chickens, they can be very ruthless, especially when one of them is ostracized for one reason or another, or when one of them is weak or has been injured). When I would go out in the mornings to feed them, she would patiently wait until I fed them and they were all busy eating. Then she would sneak out of the coop while I cleaned and filled the water. I would then put some feed on the cinder block outside the coop and she would eat in peace. She spent the days in the pasture finding worms, eating grass and taking care of the manure piles she found. This continued until yesterday!

Chicken (nka “Tenny”) eating feed off of block after escaping the coop

I found that if I went out too early at dusk to shut them in, she would get left out of the coop. She would wait until it was very dark to be sure they were all settled down for the night, deep into their nighttime “trance”.

This particular night, I watched her from the kitchen window. I saw her hanging around the coop, no doubt waiting for her flock to settle down so she could go in. It was nearly dark and I didn’t see her anymore, so I headed out to do my “chicken count” and shut the coop up. As I got to the door, I saw her huddled right in front of the door. I experienced simultaneous sadness and anger! She appeared at first to be dead, then I realized she must be in shock. There was blood spattered and feathers scattered all around. She must have been brutally attacked by one (or more) of her flock as she tried to enter the coop. Bless her heart! She looked so defeated. It broke my heart.

I didn’t have my gloves on (and I have this thing about picking up chickens without my gloves), so I headed back into the house to ask for Jeff’s help. He came out and as he reached down to pick her up, she ran away toward the corral. I was relieved that she was moving, however, in hindsight, I should have followed her to make sure she was safe in the shelter. I didn’t.

The next morning, when I came out to do chores, she wasn’t hanging around anywhere near the coop or the barn, like she usually is. I looked around and she was just inside the corral fence but out in the open, looking pretty bad, but still breathing. I felt immediate remorse. Because I hadn’t secured her safety in the corral last night, she had been beaten by the pelting rain, hail and wind during the night. I was thankful a predator hadn’t taken advantage of her condition. I felt so sad for her.

I gently carried her to the shelter farthest from where the chickens could find her and settled her into some hay. I honestly don’t think she will make it, but I wanted her to be comfortable. Bless her heart…she has fought hard against the bullies of her family and I am angry at them.

Chickens, by nature, are ruthless…which is one of the reasons I am not a fan of chickens themselves. I love having them, seeing them in the yard, and gathering and enjoying the eggs they provide, hearing my rooster greet the morning…but I am reminded again how mean they can be. It’s a sad day here at de Good Life Farm. Farm life is hard. Some days are good and rewarding and fun. Others are filled with hard and sad things…this is one of those days.

But, just so I don’t end on such a depressing note…Spring has sprung here at the farm and we have begun acclimating the cattle to the fresh, lush spring grass. We must do this gradually…so for 3-4 days now, they have been enjoying the pasture grass and sunshine for 30 minutes right before milking time. They are so cute. They romp and play like big puppies when they leave the barn and then settle down to the business of eating!

I have noticed an increase in their milk over the last few days…don’t know if that is coincidence or just the result of them being happy to be outside some. They amazed me by responding to the “dinner bell” when it was time for them to come into the barn for feed and milking. Such good girls!

The calves (Snickers and Hazel) have become quite vocal when they think it’s time for them to be let out into the pasture. They almost sound angry if I don’t respond by opening the gate!

UPDATE!!!

Before this post got published, there has been an amazing turn-around in the health and well-being of the chicken who has shown herself to be tenacious, brave and have more stamina than I would even have imagined. I am going to name her “Tenny” for “tenacious”. Yesterday morning, after I found her, we got her all set up in one of the shelters with straw bedding, food and water. I didn’t want her to become a hawk’s free lunch just sitting in the pasture and I wanted to protect her from her flock when they got out of the coop.

She was so weak and listless when we put her in…I suspected when I checked on her at chore time, she would have died. But, NO! She was sitting up in the coop! Didn’t appear she had eaten anything, but she seemed more alert! And this morning when I went to the shelter to check on her, she was STANDING UP and it appeared she had eaten some food! I am absolutely flabbergasted that she is bouncing back. The wounds on her head are healing and she seems to be regaining strength!

And, in conclusion, I have to include this next photograph! Snickers and Hazel…once cattle get the taste of fresh spring grass, it must be like a drug to them…they want more and more. Of course, my job as their caretaker is to carefully manage how often and for how long they have access so that I can keep them healthy. But, every time I head to the barn for midday chores…or, for that matter, go outside for anything…they start yelling as if I have forgotten they want to get into the pasture. One day it’s Hazel, the next day it’s Snickers. Today it’s Hazel. I wish you could hear her. It isn’t a sweet, imploring “moo”…it is a very disgusted and demanding “moo”. Anyway, you can see her mooing at me in this photo!

Snickers and Hazel screaming to get into the pasture.

I know these are frustrating times. I sense a “covid-19” post in the near future. But, just keep safe…and find things to make you smile and always, count your blessings!

Laughter is Good Medicine at de Good Life Farm

My pretty girl, Mocha, eating lots to build up her energy for birthing!

I know my last couple of posts have been pretty heavy, but that is because life around here has been about heavy stuff…death, beefing up protection and trying to catch a cunning predator, etc. But, I thought I would share with you some of the joys of this morning.

First, I am pretty bleary-eyed due to the fact that Mocha began the early stages of labor on Friday. So, for the past two nights, I have set my alarm and dragged myself to the barn multiple times through the night to check on her. To date, no calf, but it’s only a matter of time! Her due date is actually Wednesday, but when I saw the beginning signs of labor, I thought she might deliver early.

Each time I go in there, I muck her stall so the baby has a soft, clean place to land and I love on Mocha. I love spending time with her during this phase because she is especially responsive to my loving. I rub her side, and this morning I talked to her calf as I was feeling her/his hoof and told him/her that I was so exited to meet him/her and that she/he has a sweet uncle who is eager to play with him/her. I hope he/she was listening! Feeling that little hoof move under my touch is just about one of the coolest things!

By the way, if it’s a little heifer, her name will be “Elsie”, after the Borden milk cow. My grandpa used to bring Borden milk home from the company store where he worked and I just loved the picture of that jersey cow. If the calf is a little bull calf, his name will be “McQueen” and that simply because we named Herbie, not after the VW Bug, but it is also the name of a famous car…so I thought I would continue the trend to this calf and name him “McQueen” after “Lightning McQueen”! So, we shall soon see which name applies!

Big boy Herbie has only a few days left to enjoy his mama’s milk.

The second laugh I had this morning was while was mucking Herbie’s stall and had his back to me, I was startled and might have let out a little yell when HE TRIED TO RIDE ME!!! That’s the first time he has tried that but Oh! my word!

Merlin and some of his girls enjoying being outside.

Thirdly, I was in the chicken coop feeding and watering them. I keep them in the coop for the first half of the day so that they lay their eggs in the coop and not in various hide-outs they find around the farm. Anyway, behind me there was quite a ruckus and squealing! Now, since the attacks on our chickens, I am a easily startled to sounds of squealing in the hen house. But, when I looked to see what the noise was all about, I laughed out loud to see Merlin desperately doing his little dance, trying to stir up some romance with his girls and NO ONE wanted a thing to do with him!

So, as I head into the house, I hear Mocha and Herbie yelling from their respective stalls in the barn and Jersey yelling from the shelter in the pasture. They do NOT like being separated, even if it’s for a very good reason! But, I know I have done my best to love and care for the animals who have been entrusted to my care! And, I love every (well, almost every) minute of it!

I hope you have enjoyed my tales of laughter here at de Good Life Farm this morning. Watch for news of the arrival of Mocha’s calf! It will, no doubt, be very soon!

Predator Woes – Life on the farm

It has been a nerve-wrecking and stressful week here on the farm. If you follow my Facebook page (@dianeramseyorr), you already know that last Sunday morning, as I was feeding the chickens in the coop around 7:15 a.m., I heard a strange noise behind me. I spun around to discover that the sound I was hearing was one my layers expelling her last breath. I was heartbroken and the tears started flowing! It was a gruesome sight. Besides my sadness at her death, is my disappointment at my own inability to protect the creatures entrusted to me!

We buried her and I think I was in shock and disbelief. We had believed that our coop was pretty safe. After losing our entire flock in the span of two nights two years ago, we installed a solid wooden floor in it and covered the outside in half-inch hardware cloth three feet high. But, when it happened again the next morning, I knew something had penetrated the security and I was on the warpath!

A dear friend who who is part of our herd-share program and her daughter helped me inspect the coop to determine where it had gotten in. Her experienced eyes quickly found the points of entry. I spent the day making a plan and gathering supplies.

Because it was such a big job, we loaded up the chickens into dog crates and drove them around and settled them into the safety of the garage for the night. Then, we proceeded to spend hours in the coop installing hardware cloth on the inside and repairing the hole that the unnamed predator had made. We were exhausted and just could do no more that night, so we stopped.

heading back to the pasture…rattled, but safe after a night in the garage

The next morning, the flock was loaded back up into the back of the truck and I drove them around to the pasture so they could lay their eggs and eat and drink. Understandably, they were not so keen on spending much time in the coop. I spent that day researching and gathering more supplies so that we could finish the job that night.

By the time we finished chores Tuesday night, the chickens had already put themselves to bed and since the side of the coop that needed finished was on the opposite side of their roost, we decided to leave them in the coop, hoping that the light, the talking, the drilling and pounding wouldn’t bother them too badly. They were so cute! A few of them slowly opened their eyes to see what we were doing, but overall we didn’t seem to disturb them much at all!

Thankfully, we finished a little earlier than the previous night and although we had covered the holes and now had a good layer of hardware cloth between them and a potential predator, I still didn’t rest easy that night. I was so rattled and concerned. It’s tough to protect against an unknown enemy that can decimate your entire flock in one night.

So, since both of the attacks happened between the hours of 6 and 7 am, right after Jeff finished chores and before I went out to milk, I decided that I would sit in the coop with the chickens and drink my tea until daybreak and the time of the greatest threat was passed. The first morning, they seemed a little confused why I was sitting in there with them. The second morning they weren’t sure what the sounds were when I played music and talked on the phone. As I prepared to leave at daybreak, I sang the famous Carol Burnett song “I’m so glad we had this time together….” They cocked their heads and listened!

In addition to the improvements we made to the coop, I have been setting a trap each night. Tuesday night we put some salmon I had on a cardboard and set the trap. Each morning, the trap was empty. One night it was tripped but the bait hadn’t been touched and every night after that, it wasn’t touched or tripped. I was a bit discouraged but I was determined to do all I could possibly do to protect our flock and trust God for what I couldn’t do!

My practice has been to set the trap only once Ollie and Gandalf (our sweet barn cats) were safely secured in the barn for the night so they wouldn’t get trapped! But, last night I couldn’t find Gandalf! I called him from every side of the barn and he never did come. So, again…I almost didn’t set the trap, but was afraid not to! I have struggled much with where to place the trap, but settled on putting it right by the coop in the area the predator gained access to the coop on Sunday night. Finally, I got it set and headed in.

Last night, I was so tired. We worked to winterize Odin’s kennel, just the two of us doing a job that really needed three pair of hands, but we persevered and got it done. After dinner, around 8:30, I told Jeff I really didn’t feel like going outside to set the trap, but I was afraid not to!

In addition to all the things I have mentioned, I also started letting our golden retrievers out into the back yard between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m., so that there was some deterrent until I got to the coop. I was just trying to cover as many bases of protection as I possibly could.

Then, this morning, Jeff forgot to leave the corral light on and I was so concerned…but when I got out there, I made the discovery that thrilled my heart and I ran all the way to the house saying “I praise you, Father! I praise you, Father!”

we caught the murderer of my two morning layers!

“Micah, are you awake? Get your gun! We got him!! We caught a weasel!”, I breathlessly squealed, my voice shaking as much as my knees were! Actually, we had caught a mink, but until I had done my research, I didn’t know the difference! All I cared about that WE GOT HIM! I am telling myself that finally we caught the scoundrel that decimated our flock in November, 2016 and had killed these two layers this week! I felt so thankful and victorious!

Now, I have continued the practice of sitting in the chicken coop and drinking my tea each morning since, EXCEPT today, when as I approached the coop, I saw that there was something in the trap I had set. I couldn’t tell what it was but I knew it wasn’t a cat! I ran to the barn to put the feed back so it wouldn’t get wet and headed for the house, literally saying “Praise You, Father, Praise You, Father” the whole way! I burst into the sliding door and called for Micah to find out if he was awake and to tell him to grab his Henry Golden Boy and come – we had caught something in the trap!

Micah came back in a short time later….it was a neighbor cat! Bummer! However, I have continued to set 3 traps each night since then and to date, we have caught nothing! I am relieved…I feel sure if there were others out there, we would have caught them, but I will continue to set traps for a few more days before I will be convinced that they are out of danger…for now!

Merlin with some of his girls enjoying a sunny day in the pasture

Now, the chickens seem less afraid and settling back into their normal routine! They are enjoying days in the pasture seem to be feeling safe again. I take it very seriously to care for all our critters here on the farm. I may start relaxing again soon….BUT WAIT!

As of this morning, Mocha is in the beginning stages of labor! We will soon have our newest resident here on the farm! Stay tuned! Big announcement coming soon!

Dueling Roosters

So, you might be familiar with our beautiful rooster, Merlin. I have written a book about him (available here: https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Merlin-Good-Life/dp/195045472X/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=my+name+is+merlin&qid=1564484646&s=gateway&sr=8-3). He has a beautiful, strong crow that is often the first wonderful thing I hear in the morning. With all of the important benefits he provides to the farm, waking to his beautiful crow is probably my favorite.

Some of you may not realize that in 2017, we lost our entire flock of chickens and “Griffin”, the sweet, beautiful rooster we had then, to a predator or predators (likely weasel or mink). We went all of 2018 without any chickens because we were concerned how we could protect them, if the electric poultry fence hadn’t done the job of protecting our flock.

Then, in July of 2018, we brought home Odin, a Great Pyrenees, who trained for the first twelve weeks of his life with his parents to be a livestock guardian dog. He is now fifteen months old and still has much training to be accomplished, but we are hopeful that his presence on the farm and in the pasture has lessened the presence of predators looking for a free chicken breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Last summer, we brought Merlin, then just sixteen weeks old, home to our farm. We gave him the coop to make his own and then we brought several hens we purchased from a neighboring farm to keep him company and to be his “girls”. Well, they ended up picking on him, as chickens are known to do. He was afraid of them, and rightly so! They wouldn’t let him eat or drink. When we realized this, we went out several times a day and stood over him and protected him while he ate and drank. He seemed so appreciative of that.

Eventually, last fall, we butchered those hens because they just weren’t nice hens and had taken to breaking and eating their eggs. We then purchased four ten-month-old hens from another farm just to keep him company for the winter. These hens had never been out of their pens, so we watched him teach them all kinds of things (further explained in Merlin’s book).

In May of this year, we bought 16 female just-hatched chicks. They were a nice variety of Golden Comet (great brown egg layers which now are the majority of our flock), Easter Eggers (for their beautiful eggs in varied shades of blue/green, Wellsummer and Cuckoo Maran (both of whose eggs are a dark, chocolate brown). Sixteen chicks added to our flock of four hens would make a nice round twenty hens for Merlin. Well, so much for my love of things being all neat and tidy and in round numbers!

Well, a couple of weeks ago, my son, who to date, has a 100% accuracy rate, predicted that one of the “pullets” was in fact a young rooster. I rushed out to see what made him think that, and after looking at them and comparing them all, agreed that he was probably right. Then, just a few days later, I heard a squeaky, weak crow. I smiled! Micah was correct…again! We had a cockerel among the pullets!

Now, each morning, Merlin wakes up the farm and I love the sound of his crow. But, shortly after he crows, I hear this little guy crow…still weak-sounding, but definitely growing in strength and volume! It’s beautiful! They crow back and forth. I wonder what they are saying! Maybe Merlin is just doing his thing and then “Kellogg” (as he has been named by his new family) tries to emulate him. But, regardless, it makes me smile every day, every crow.

Tomorrow Kellogg will go to his new home where I hope he will grow to be as good a rooster as Merlin is for us. I will miss his squeaky little crow! But, I will still smile because when I hear Merlin crow, I will think of him and know his crow will be making a new family smile!

WANTED…CAPTURED!

I felt like posting a WANTED poster. Several days ago, Merlin disciplined a hen (not sure why…) and she refused to go back into the coop where he was. She was obviously afraid of him. She took up temporary housing in one of the cattle shelters and made the grain/mineral bin her nesting box. I had been feeding and watering her out there, hoping she had found some peace. I was kind of ok with that as long as she was safe and I could gather her egg-a-day. Then, yesterday morning, I couldn’t find her and realized I hadn’t seen her since the morning before when I had taken pictures of the cows in the other shelter…no eggs in her new laying place…and she wasn’t roosting where she had settled in. I figured something killed her, which made me sad.

Then this morning, as I was scanning the pasture, again, trying to find her…I spotted her!! She was over at the neighbors hanging out with his chickens who are in a coop and never get out. So, I coaxed her (well, I started coaxing her and she was playing hard to get…so I turned off the fence, climbed through and strongly encouraged her) to head back to our property where I had food and water waiting.

Once I had her back in the shelter, I realized she wasn’t going to stay there, so I cornered her, picked her up and put her in the empty broiler tractor sitting in the barnyard. I then provided food, water and even a perch/swing for her enjoyment. Ha! I don’t think she’s impressed.

But, at least for now, she is safe from predators, safe from Merlin and I am able to gather her egg-a-day, which is pretty important when you are only getting 3 eggs from 4 hens.

Moral of the story…YES! It’s a good life! Is it easy? Is it stress-free? The answer to these questions is a LOUD and resounding “NO!!” But, I do have some satisfaction knowing she is safe and I don’t have to worry about that anymore! Even checking off ONE WORRY from my list is well-worth the time and effort spent!

I do think Merlin knows what has transpired. He is aware of most of what goes on with the hens and seems to feel it his responsibility to take care of things concerning them. Maybe, he’s not happy that she is in a separate coop and not with him. Maybe, he’s happy he knows where she is. I don’t know, but I do know that by the look of him watching out of the door of their coop, he does know what has transpired! Bet he will have a thing or two to say to her from the outside when they are released from the coop later today! Wish I could speak “rooster/chicken”!

“One Bad Day”

This life we’ve chosen isn’t an easy one, but as you know if you’ve followed my posts for any length of time, that it is a good life! Not only is it a good life for the humans here on “de Good Life Farm”, but we do our very best to make sure it is a good life for the animals we care for here on the farm, regardless of how long they are here.

Last night we loaded up the meat chickens we have been raising for a little more than seven weeks. Now, I am not really a fan of these chickens, other than for dinner, but I have taken very seriously the care I give them. Each morning after milking and other chores are done, it’s time to move them to a new spot of pasture. We have done this from their very first day in the pasture, so by now they are used to the routine.

Now, I say that I’m not a fan, but I absolutely love chicks! They come to us in the mail, in a box, only one day old! Their cute fluffiness is irresistible to me! We carefully count each one and introduce them to feed and water and settle them in the brooder box with a heat lamp since they cannot regulate their own temperature and they don’t have a mama to sit under to keep warm. They are so adorable as they begin to examine their new surroundings.

They grow and change very quickly. Within a week or so, they begin to get their adult feathers and get very adept at running around the brooder box and over and on top of any other chick that might be in their way! They have voracious appetites and are so much fun to watch! As they begin to “feather out” (get their adult feathers), they become less cute, in my opinion, but it is a rather quick metamorphosis.

By the time they are three weeks of age, they are feathered out so that they no longer need the heat lamp and can be moved to the pasture and this begins their daily routine of fresh pasture grass and learning to walk with the chicken tractor each day.

Micah gets the tractor and fresh water and I get the feed and we meet at the chicken tractors. It didn’t take very many days before the chickens recognized that the sound of the tractor meant it was time to get fed. You see, we put the feed in the feeders, remove the waters and hook up the chicken tractor to the tractor and start moving. They are so interested in the feed that they compliantly walk along as the tractor moves the pen. When we have moved one section ahead so that they have new grass, we stop, unhook the tractor and put the fresh water into the pen. This has been our routine every day for four and a half weeks, until yesterday.

Since yesterday was the day they were to be delivered to the butcher, we did everything the same except that after we moved them to new grass, we removed their food, per instructions from the butcher. They had fresh water and fresh air and fresh grass. It was a pretty nice way to spend their last day. Then, last night, we loaded them into crates and took them to the butcher.

The chicken tractors seemed so silent where just hours before they were bustling with chickens looking for their next meal. I have to admit that it pangs my heart a little bit. I don’t think you can care for something, even for as short a time as seven and a half weeks, and not feel somewhat emotional when you know their lives are over, even when it’s been planned from their hatch date.

Now mind you, I am not crying. I am so thankful that they will provide healthy and delicious meals for our family and for other families who choose to buy from us, but I recognize that creatures that came to us just a day old and lived a good life here on the farm, had their one bad day and are now in our freezer. Just one bad day! That’s actually a pretty good life, don’t you think?

Maybe I just think too much, but I think all life is valuable. They were hatched to be raised, to be butchered for our food, but I do feel somewhat pensive and so very thankful for their sacrifice! But, in the meantime, I will completely enjoy the delicious nutrition they will provide for us!

Chicks Have Arrived!

Our broiler chicks have arrived! They are so cute and noisy at this stage of their lives! They were hatched just yesterday morning and shipped via the United States Post Office. “How can they do that?”, you may ask. The expert at Meyer Hatchery says that they absorb the yoke while they are in the egg and that nutrient-dense meal sustains them for seventy-two hours! It truly is amazing!

So when they arrive, they are typically twenty-four hours old (occasionally they won’t arrive for another day but that hasn’t been our experience) and are huddled all together in the box. We ordered fifty “straight-run” Cornish Cross chicks. “Straight-run” means that they are not sexed at the time of hatching. “Cornish Cross” is the breed, known for being a fast-growing, fast-feathering meat bird.

They are extremely “talky” on their trip home. Usually there is one peep that is louder and more demanding than the others. Often, this turns out to be a male. (No kidding!)

It is extremely important that they stay warm, which is one of the reasons they are shipped in such tight quarters. They huddle together to keep warm. Our job, once we remove them from the box, is to create a warm environment which enables them to be under the heat lamp if they need warmth, but also gives them access to feed and water.

Our routine when we take a chick out of the box is we gently “dunk” their beak into the water and then into the feed and then set them down. This helps them know there is food and water but by doing it in this order, the water allows a little feed to stick to their beak which entices them to find more. When we set each chick down, we call out the next sequential number. The hatchery from where we order them, usually sends an extra couple of chicks in case one or two don’t make it. We have had some years where all 52 made it and some years when we lost three or four. If we lose more chicks in the first couple of days than the extra chicks the hatchery included, they will replace them, so it’s important to know how many we start with.

Micah introducing them to their water and then food.

Gradually as they mature, they will need the heat less and less and when they are about three weeks old and feathered out, if the weather permits, they will be transferred to chicken tractors in the pasture and have access to the nutrients the pasture grass and the sun provide. A chicken tractor is basically a bottomless chicken pen that gets pulled around by the tractor to new pasture grass. This way, the chickens have new grass every day.

three week old broiler chicks just put into the pasture (2017)

These chicks will be ready for butchering between 7-8 weeks. Their “one bad day” has already been scheduled for the second Saturday in June. Because they are meat chickens they will mature more rapidly than laying breeds and they will be nicely filled out by that time.

Meat chickens in their chicken tractor almost ready for their “one bad day” (2017)

So for now, we keep their brooder box clean, fresh water (with electrolytes) and feed available and make sure the temperature is right for them. The first couple of years, I was out there with a thermometer checking the temperature frequently. However, now I know that I can tell by their behavior whether the temperature is right. If they are frantically huddling together all the time, then it is probably not warm enough. If they are scurrying to get away from the heat, sometimes going to the extreme of the opposite corner of the brooder box, then I know they are too warm. What we have found is that at this stage, they will want to be under the warmth of the heat lamp but will run/hop out to get food and water and then back to the warmth. This behavior indicates that they are fairly contented with their environment.

One of the wonderful things about the way we farm is how the animals here nurture the ground as the ground nurtures them. The chicken and cow manure, because they are raised in the pasture, provides nutrients to the ground to make the pasture healthier. Likewise, the grass in the pasture, because it is so high in nutrients, gives our cattle and chicks the healthiest diet which in turn, enables them to grow strong and healthy. There is a beautiful order to the way God created His world!

We didn’t raise meat chickens last year and I have really missed having my own delicious, pasture-raised chicken. In my opinion, there is nothing as delicious as a chicken raised here on the farm. I am really looking forward to reaping the rewards of raising these chicks in the best and healthiest way possible so that they can provide health for our bodies as well as for other families who choose to purchase chicken from us.

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Tag: pasture-raised chickens