Yesterday the chickens and I played musical chairs. Well musical pens actually.
Watched closely by a very muddy Sheila. 
Lulu came wandering around the corner and did a very fast about-turn! Horrors. Filthy pig, she said. Sheila was unapologetic.
Until my new chook house is built we are still pressed for space for chickens. I flatly refuse to put them back in the old Chook house that the bastard Mink had turned into his private hell. In fact I don’t even like going in there still. I am probably suffering from some kind of post traumatic chicken mass murder condition.
And as it is taking a while to get someone to help me build a chook house, I am going to be playing musical pens for a while yet.
Next years layers are now too big for their brooder box. 
I took the big layers and moved them slowly across to the wooden ark. Which I can move across the grass myself. 
This has a tarp cover. Then I put the Baby Layers into the Fort Knox tin shack vacated by the Big Layers that is parked in the shade of the barn. The dogs are camping out beside it, Ton especially gets all aflutter when animals or birds are shifted about so they are well guarded. 
Of course in two weeks the chicks in the basement ( the meat chickens) will be ready to come out from under their light, at that point I hope to have the new chook house and we will gently shift everyone about again. I wish I had some extra time to go and learn woodwork then I could build some of these things myself. 
I love how the chicks have such big feet. FOUR Peghorn Leghorns are proving un-catcheable (I am never buying that breed again they are so devilishly disobedient).. but I know where they are laying so they are Ok for a while.
All the pigs wanted yesterday was a little food and a lot of mud. 
Today we will be cutting the hay. Then we watch the sky and worry. I am a rain magnet though even when it is forecast to be clear, so we will see.
Have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
35 responses to “Shifty Chooks”
Chooks, chooks, everywhere! Sheila needs a bath! I know she likes the mud and Poppy is quite the copy pig…tweedle dee and tweedle dum.
Keeping my fingers crossed for no rain!
If you are a rain magnet please come visit me! We have had 90 degree weather, high humidity and big storms, and every one of the storms has gone round me! I must be the opposite and drive them away. My garden is so dry and my rain barrels are empty!!
i have a net, bought in the sports[fishing] departmt, with a broom handel extesion, it is easy to catch unruly poultry with less stress to them and me
but there was 1 time, wild chickens, new unstreached net, i invented chickenmitten
John has a net he uses to scoop leaves out of his pool, I have used that in the past. But don’ tell him.. I will look into finding a fishing net, sounds like a most excellent idea.c
Yes, I totalling agree with Ron, the fishing net is a huge help for catching birds, both chickens and ducks! xo
Now that you have that lovely Coupe, have you thought about registering with WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms)? I believe you can specify that you are looking for someone with certain skills (such as carpentry) in exchange for room and board for a 4-6 hour a day commitment to work on your farm. There are so many young people out there who would love the opportunity to learn about living a sustainable lifestyle. Read this: http://www.wwoof.net/how-it-works/ We just built a cabin on our farm that will be used to house summer help during the growing season. You and I both need to learn carpentry! I need someone to build me some outdoor hand washing stations, but no one has time here! So much to do!!
Actually, you want this: http://www.wwoofusa.org/
We haven’t used this organization yet, but we have hosted a couple of young people on our farm who have been WWOOFers in the US and Europe who had good experiences.
I will look into it, but I am just not sure i am up to the extra cooking and cleaning and organising. Plus I do have my farm stay people who PAY to come and visit, and work. But they are already part of the Fellowship so I know them a little and they only stay a week and I hope it is more of a retreat than work experience. Though the thought of a chippie working for 6 hours a day sounds very tempting. I will read it, just for you Maggie.
Darling young chooks with their big feet and wee beaks… And I’m still lost in admiration of your chook tractor.
The fishing net sounds like a good idea for catching chooks. Fingers and toes crossed for the rain to stay away from the new mown hay!
Sheila looks very chic – I see she’s been showing Poppy how to apply the make up 🙂
Good morning, c! Fun photos today. Lots of smiles generated from the muddy piggy shots. I’m hoping for a shot of sun this afternoon, just enough to catch all the slugs off guard and melt them into goo where they stride. All this rain we’re having is turning my garden into a slug factory! Happy wishes to you and the farmy today. xx
I always thought “dirty pig” was an undeserved insult until I saw that picture of Sheila! I’m glad Tonton is on guard – where was he when Boo frightened the ducklings to death?
I’ve not come across Peghorn leghorns, but just after the war we had 6 black Leghorns which were master escapologists. Their run was between the garage and an 8ft high wire fence, and even with their wings clipped they somehow managed to get out, and most evenings would meet Dad at the station a quarter of a mile away. Then it was a long strenuous task to get them home and penned again.
Praying for dry haying. x
love,
ViV in a wet and miserable northern France.
Gorgeous, happy muddy Piggies. Laura
Your got your hands full. How many people help you with all those chores? I love your photos.
I help me.. John works 6 days a week 12 hours a day .. so it is me.. c
I think I’ve asked this before, but how do the pigs get clean again? Do you turn the hose on them?
I do hose them just for fun and when it is really hot, but I guess they just stay dirty .. especially sheila as her bristles are quite long, she will be grubby all summer..
You have become my favorite summer read, so much great information and funny to boot!
Robin🐥
Looks like spa day for the piggies on the farmy. Lots of chickens to keep track of, and always more work to be done. Hoping the rains stay away just long enough.
Well, all proper ladies use mud packs, don’t ya know. Good for the complexion. (smile). Can’t believe you are already doing first cutting of alfalfa. Ours is barely up and growing.