It blew a gale all day yesterday. Hot and wild. Typical prairie weather. I have a problem with weeds growing in the new fields so I put Minty and Meadow in the middle paddock to do a light graze.
But like everyone else they found a tree to rest under.
Here is the flaw in my piggie plan, they got as far as the winter dung heap and lay their fat selves on it. So I will finish clearing that away today.
The Peghorn Leghorns still take shelter in their small cage in the big coop. They have two tiny doors in and out that are only big enough for a tiny chicken so they can go out into the chook house run but they know exactly where their safe space is and spend the majority of their time in there. I still feed them in there too. Big chickens don’t share very well. This system has worked very well.
Corn is coming up..
The inside of the coupe has a cover of undercoat.
And look what they found as they were working under the new verandah. A beautiful soft downy nest. The birds work very fast. No eggs yet though so the builder brought it very gently down so they could cover the rafters.
Good morning. Last night we had Spring rolls with all the greens out of the garden from TasteFood. Absolutely divine. Followed by a Spanish Tortilla from Hot Cheap and Easy. Both of these recipes use good fresh home grown food and can be made with whatever you have on hand. Lovely.
In the night we had a massive storm, very loud, thunder and lightening and high winds and an inch of rain came down in a matter of minutes. But nothing compared to the terrible tornado in Oklahoma City. This is such a harsh continent. So hard on its people.
Well I had better go and see if everything is OK outside though it seems fine from the windows.
You all have a lovely day. And do take care.
your friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
44 responses to “Birds get busy”
Came on in the middle of my nighttime TV to see how you all were. Just so you know half of our news tonight Down Under was about Oklahoma and what you call the ‘prairie weather’ and we are getting updates about every 1/2 hour whatever programme is on: this is kind’of ‘worse’ than our bushfires and 46 C temperatures of the summer just past. And it does seem that more wild weather may be coming your way . . . all the way up to Chicago. So DO hope the forecasts are all wrong and that you all will be all right! Nice dinner you had last night 🙂 ! sent with heaps of love . . .
we think we re going to get a bit colder over the next few days, so this will calm the storms down, not so good for cutting hay though!!
The hay can wait!!! Oh, I seem to have a new blog to visit thanks to you – loved it . . .!
The guinea feathers make the nest quite stylish. And that’s not nice to take their dung heap away! I have a question maybe you or one of the family can answer. My potatoes were slow coming up. Practically overnight they needed hilled and some were 10-12″ tall before I could work in the soil again. Now within a week of hilling them they’ve grown so fast I feel like I should hill them again but they’re getting blooms already. Michael thinks maybe we should pinch the buds off since it’s so early in the year. Anyone have this happen before? Have a great day, Celi!
It won’t matter whether you take the flowers off or leave them on. The flowers mean the potatoes are forming underground so hilling them up is more important at this stage, so more can shoot out from the stem. Sounds like you might be going to get a bumper crop! Mine are still at the slow stage but last nights rain will have helped them along! c
Thanks, Celi!
Agree with Celi, just keep hilling those guys. The deer eat the tops off mine, so no flowers anyway, but enough left to hill more good dirt on and hope for the best.
Bloody deer, one leapt up out of the creek in front of the mower the other day and I was so enthralled i nearly drove into the ditch.. a magnificent animal!
Glad you didn’t hit it! I have trouble with my chickens – they like to run in front of my mower (luckily a push type) and catch the bugs I am disturbing. I spend most of my time shouting “bib bib, get out the bloody way!” which I am sure my American neighbors think is highly funny!!
carry a gun dinner on the hoof great food
that is a beautiful nest. our nests are all filled with teddy hair. you got rain again? not a drop here and soaring heat. i can’t believe how much watering i am doing this early in the year. the corn looks very exciting! have a wonderful day!
Those birds are opportunists aren’t they!
Such thoughtful, thoughtful builders.
sweet wasn’t it, but each part of this nest can be tracked back to the farm so it was looking kind of special, not to mention comfy! c
Oh I don’t like heavy wind like that C, it disturbs my soul.
Have a beautiful and happy day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Stay safe in the heavy bluster Ms. Celi! So glad the tortilla came out well. You’ve inspired me to try your spinach feta variation!
I cannot think of a better place to lay ones’ body than in a dung heap. Those girls really do appreciate their luxury life
Stay safe
You know what they say about pigs and being happy 😉
t looks so restful, I know it’s not really! Poor old Oklahoma…
The windows of the coupe look lovely and all the wee animals snuggy! Well pigs aren’t wee but still snuggy. Have a wonderful day!
I need to get another photo of them standing next to me, they are really quite tall!! c
Hi Celi! I love the idea of a safe place for the chicks inside the chookhouse! We have 12 chicks and a guinea in the brooder right now. It will be awhile before they join the others, but I will work out a space just for them in the henhouse when it’s time for them to join the others. Super idea! Thank you for that!!! We are getting some lovely rain down here, and after last summer, I am so thankful for every single raindrop!!! o
I hope this little heat wave we’re having isn’t a sign of things to come this Summer, Celi. You got the sheep shorn just in time. We, too, got about an inch of rain, judging by a bucket in my yard, and there was an awful lot of lightning as the storm passed. I would have expected far more thunder than what we had. Today’s cooler and we can all be thankful for that. Have a great day!
Lovely wee nest. I put all my thread ends out for the birds to use in nest building. So sorry you’re back with the nasty weather. I’s still nasty and cold and wet here. I spent most of the night and half the day in hospital again (unstoppable bleeding gums) so I’m all behind with visiting.
Love,
ViV
I think your blog is hilarious. The droll pic is killing me! I just started a blog too, and hoped you would follow me. It may be boring and kinda lame right now, but I’m still learning. I promis it will get better!
PS – I think your pigs are super cute!
Glad everyone there on the Farmy is safe. My thoughts and prayers go out to those in Oklahoma City…….