I have been ‘doing the paparazzi’ with this little peeper for a week now. Finally I have captured an image of him for you. My oldest barn chicken hatched this wee fella in the loft, he fell through a hole in the floor, she found him again and he is still going strong.
I think it is a he as he is growing very fast. She is a viciously protective mother so everyone steers clear of her. I live in fear of her wandering into the milking parlour at milking time.
This plonker is growing fast too.
And these two are following suit but at a more dignified pace. Number Three (Debs youngest named him Sasha, ‘Yes, yes!’ she said, as the grown-ups spluttered ‘I know we are growing him for bacon but I will call him Sasha. ‘ Anyway he is fully recovered and is obviously the bigger of the two.
I put my bee hat on and went down the back to recover the travelling box from the beehive. They were all very calm and good. I could see bees going in and out of the Queens entrance, eating away at the marshmallow plug trying to release her. Their calmness leads me to believe that they have accepted her now. there was no aggressive behaviour around her teensy box. I replaced the frames, covered the super and put on the lid. They will be left alone now for three more days then I will check to see if they have let her out. There is a rightness that falls across the farm when the bees are here. It is a though we have been accepted by a higher being. It is hard to explain, it is as though a praying mantis with his long glorious folding legs and slow elegant manners came to sit with you at your table to share a cup of tea ensuring that you bowed your head to hear grace first. And of course you would if a praying mantis were sharing your pot of jasmine tea. Say grace that is.
Daisy has been free of the mastitis for more than a week now, almost two I think, I need to look at the calender. But this is the longest that bad quarter has been healthy so far. I think a lot of this has to do with being on the pasture and out in the light and sun all day. Though not in the last few days, we are getting a lot of rain. Not unusual for this time of year, though the cold is. But no cows on my pasture when it is this puggy.
Oh and no sign of the mink for a while either. Probably got something to do with two pigs sleeping in their hunting grounds! And the dogs are out all night.
The chicks and the three remaining ducklings are back in the basement under their light. The glasshouse heat was just too hard to regulate, they were overheating. They are all settled now, though with all this rain the basement is flooding and I said to John I should just let those ducks out, they could happily float about amongst the boxes and tools down there! 
Good morning. My friend across the way and her gaggle of children helped me shift all the big old chooks, in their ark, right into the barn yesterday, (the ground was just too sodden to leave them out) the weather is too inclement, and shortly I am going to release them into the big barn anyway so they can begin their housework.
Do you feel up to date? I think I do.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farmy
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
37 responses to “A miniature surprise”
I’m glad that things are good, you deserve it, too many bad things last year. We found a praying mantis at my Aunt’s cottage when I was a child and he was not well. My Mom fed him bugs and bacon off the back end of a wooden spoon. He was so gentle and I think he knew we were trying to help. He stayed for a week and then he left. It was the first and last praying mantis I have ever seen.
Oh that little tyke is soooo cute! Does the mother feed him just like other birds? (I’m watching the eagles feeding their eaglets on that live cam.)
no, chickens and ducklings and turkeys for that matter are born able to feed themselves, he just follows along and pecks at whatever his mother is scratching at, she calls to him if she finds something interesting and he will rush to her feet.. interesting that they are so different.. c
Those ruffled piggy ears just make me laugh. (Pigs are quite fierce protectors. Your pups have some reinforcements now)
If you get time hop over to wed. post – the art car parade was last weekend…there’s a hen car – and a bat car you might get a giggle over.
Such a great update from the farmy. Yesterday I went out and saw the bitter brush blooming and amazingly the pear trees, too. Not a bee in sight! Not even a Mason Orchard Bee. We make nest boxes for the mason bees, but maybe they all froze with this harsh winter. No bumble bees, either. It is worrying. I read that if someone in a beekeepers family dies, the bees must be told. A black strip of cloth must be laid across the hive or they will all fly away. There is a lot of alfalfa grown here….no bees are a huge problem. It always amazes how fast young animals grow.
I heard that story about bees and death in the family. Mind you I never discovered if it was true.
slowly catching up to date, slowly 🙂 And how are things springing in your part of the world – springy I hope!
Hey Celi, I know what you mean about the bees. I don’t know what it is but there is something that feels different when they are about. Maybe it is the comfort in knowing, that nature us working and plants are being pollinated. They are such tireless workers too!
Sounds like all is well in your world – what a relief that Daisy’s mastitis has eased up! All hail the new queen! 🙂
We LOVE honey. I wish I could do some bee work, but I’m a bit frightened of the whole thing. Silly owie childhood memories.
I can’t imagine you being scared of anything, you are The Brat remember!.. c
Is that Marmalade in the last pic? So cute! And I love the Mama hen and baby!! 🙂
yes that is our marmalade, looking like a growing up cat. c
Seems that Celi is just as tireless a worker as the bees are!
We are beginning our own chook adventure! An elder friend is raising sixteen baby hens – many different and rare breeds ordered from Murray McMurray. I visit them every couple of days, to help her and to get them used to being handled. It will be quite the flock someday! Got the chicken house mostly built already … xo
What a cute baby chick! Glad to hear there’s been no sign of the mink. The pigs look healthy.
Wonderful update – now I miss my chickies!
I love the frilly ears on those little black and white pigs. And I love what you say about that feeling of blessing that comes in with the bees.