The Turkey House
Yesterday it was raining so we moved to building the Turkey House. I call it the turkey house but really it is for the chicks as they transition to the pasture. Some of the chicks will be turkeys we hope. Today I will call and see where our turkey eggs are.
Much to John’s relief Federico is proficient in building as well and the first stage should be finished by tomorrow he thinks, then we can move these broiler chicks out of their nursery and into a larger space. This will be our brooders space now that it is warmer. 
Tima and Tane just lay about looking smug all day. Though for much of the day he wanders off and leaves her asleep. Sometimes I think she is fat, sometimes I think she is pregnant. Time will have to tell us!
Because of the rain I spent more time on housework than usual. I am always grateful when I have done it, not so grateful to BE doing it. But the spring really does encourage de-cluttering.
The freezers are starting to look quite empty. We are into the last few bays of meat and all the tomato and vegetables are gone. We never have enough tomato, no matter how much I bottle or freeze.
There are still a few nice fat tasty chickens left though – we had one last night with fresh egg salad and fresh broccoli. Almost all food from the farm.
Good morning. Things are gentle now. John, Federico and I are getting the summer in order. Getting the brooder space (Turkey House) finally built is a blessing. The gardens are coming together and the animals are quiet. I hope this lasts a little longer – it is very nice. We walked in the evening and the air was alive with the sounds of frogs. Last year there were hardly any but this year they are back in force. What a relief – they are a very important part of our local ecosystem.
Lady Astor is milking nicely once a day, I take the calf away about lunchtime, then milk in the evenings. Yesterday to my horror I say Aunty Del having a drink. So she is now separated from Lady Astor. They will have to lie together with a fence between. This is a very boring development, though not uncommon. She can hang out with the calf in the afternoons.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Your friend on the farm.
celi
38 Comments on “The Turkey House”
Leave a Reply
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER:
DO A LITTLE SHOPPING:
Thank You So Much For Your Kind Help with Maintaining This Blog
thekitchensgarden 
I’m sure it will be a turkey palace. That cat is lucky all the branches didn’t snap and Auntie Del is very sneaky 😉
those two piggie -winkles are un-endingly gorgeous… I suppose I’m biased because they’re kiwi pigs !!
Everything ticking over just lovely.
Have a super day C.
🙂 Mandy xo
Cheeky Aunty Del. Laura
How lovely to read that you’re getting some breathing space. Thank goodness for your multitalented Wonderful WWOOFer. And as for those naughty kune kunes, they just go to show what a very hard life a piggy has on the Farmy.
Aunty Del made me burst out laughing!
Tima looks so happy laying there in her enclosure, sleeping contentedly. Nice to see everyone out for a walk in the evening. Aunty Del just wanted to see if dutch belted milk tastes as good as her breed does, perhaps hoping for chocolate. 🙂 Glad things are so calm on the farmy. Good to have help. Have a good day C.
Opportunistic cows…..can’t turn your back….made me laugh too 🙂 A good “off to bed ” giggle.
Naughty Aunty Del. Great that Federico is handy with building – to have some help must be a huge relief for you. I look forward to kune kune babies playing and turkeys gobble gobbling around and maybe the odd baby peacock.
Enjoy the pause while you can,
love,
ViV
I’m glad things are going so well your meal sounded wonderful.
I wonder if the cat and bird were having a conversation, or if the bird was merely laughing and waiting for the fall…
Personally I think the bird was laughing!?.. c
I am sure this is a stupid question…but what is your process for cooking your chicken in a cast iron pan? I would like to try it.
I cut the chicken in half, and place the cavity of each half over half an onion and handfuls of thyme in the cast iron pan, squeeze the juice of a lemon over the chicken and roast it basting every now and then. Sometimes I push butter up under the skin for extra yumminess.
You have some pretty large and colorful catbirds in your neck of the woods. When you mentioned that Tima was loosing the hair on her back and sides, I wondered then if they might be mating. Hopefully yes because cute little piglet pictures will be greatly enjoyed. Maybe, if need be in the future, you know that Lady Astor will nurse other calves than her own.
Yes .. it was interesting that she even let Aunty drink.. useful information.. c
I love that last image. Look at the muted colors of that beautiful prairie sky, the flatness of the land. This makes me homesick.
Tima and Tane look like the perfect couple! What a chancer Aunty Del is? But thenwhen you have fresh milk on tap, who can blame her! It will be difficult to let Federico go at the end of his stint with you, but then he may want to return, just as you did many years ago.;) Fingers crossed that he will want to return again.
Oh, hang on to Federico! Gee, if I were a few years younger I would be already on my way out there to snap him up and we’d be married in the morning! lol….
What I know about farming you could put on the head of a pin… but was just wondering if your water table is really high, if you experience flooding? And I ask that as I see the drainage ditches and after yesterday’s mention about field tiles. I have seen similar ditches and been aware of tiled fields in areas here with dangers of flooding. I am so unfamiliar with such flat land that I really don’t know the nature of it.
Aunty Del is a naughty young lady… but then she is still a youth, is she not? Perhaps The Lady A will teach her a few charms.
I really don’t know how you do everything that you do. Do you sleep?
Hope your day, wet or dry, is a loveRly one too. Mame 🙂
yes this is a big drainage ditch, our property used to be a swamp, is very low lying and sometimes the water table is quite high, I am not a great fan of too much aggressive drainage just so the farmers can get the VERY big and heavy equipment onto the land earlier.. having said that even with the drainage there are areas that take so long to drain that they drown the seed.. good question mame..
I have a feeling that Our John is also enjoying having another hard working man on the farmy!!! So wonderful!!! xo
John hates to build, he will feed an army of hard working boys if they want to do his building for him.
Makes sucha difference to have a good all round helper..and what a good job he is doing.
Just look at the smile on the face of fat or preggy pig..a real relaxed smirk…
Have a great day, enjoy your spring cleaning, then you can come to do mine!
Just wanted to say how much I love reading this each day. I rarely leave a comment as you have so many to read already. Reading each day the progress is like there is promise to life.
I may not answer every comment due to the time restraints but I LOVE to read them no matter how busy things are.. so comment as often as you like..much love..c
Thanks so much for the tour this morning. Lovely !!
It is lovely to have normal days sometimes. BTW: My hubby is in Gurnee IL this week. He arrived there yesterday and has already had Giordano’s pizza and will be at Lou Malnati’s tonight. That man loves his pizza! This is week 1 of a 5 week run of travel for him sadly. Gurnee is the furthest travel, but still it is 5 weeks of him only being home 1 or 2 nights a week. BOOOOOO!!!!!!!! HISSSSSS!!!
On other news: We are adopting a beagle. She is 7 years old and named Chloe. We are putting up a new fence before she comes home with us, so hopefully only 1 week more of waiting. We have a wonderful rescue group here for Beagles!
Happy Tuesday!
Gosh, you already have broccoli! It’s raining here. Again.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
silly cat! The cat needs to be in the barns catching mice! Cheers- all looks so great on your farm!
What a pretty walk along a dandelion strewn path. Ton and Frederico look to be getting along. So good that Frederico is multi-talented. The roast chicken looks delicious, so he is being well rewarded with lovely food & shelter and good company 🙂
Bad Del! Well, I suppose everyone else was having a go. Federico is doing amazing work, tell him thank you from us who worry you will be overwhelmed! Still – If it were me; the experience and the food, plus lodging would be more than worth it 🙂
Wonderful to see so many prior plans coming to fruition! Hope Federico is staying another little while . . . Tima and Tane look a very happily married couple so hope they are not just playing you along 🙂 ! [Del: so easy to giggle from across land and sea . . . ]
yes, sometimes Tima looks pregnant and other times just fat
That chicken looks so yummy. It made me long to drop in for a meal of your fresh produce!
We all love the pigs, especially of course, Sheila, the beautiful. I happened to be reading the Essex Farm blog today. This is a giant organic, draft-horse powered (mostly) farm in NY State, headed by a human fireball. His wife wrote the lovely book The Dirty Life about their first years together, very worthwhile reading. But ANYway, I was amazed to see on the blog a photo of the most enormous pig you can imagine! This pig makes Sheila look very dainty indeed. Check it out for fun. The man standing behind the pig is about 6 ft 5 inches tall. http://www.kristinkimball.com/blog/ scroll down to see the pig that will knock your socks off. It is deeply inspiring to read about the farms of every one of you wonderful brave generous souls, working to build a more sustainable world and reclaim our food. Thank you and every dirt-spattered farmer out there.
Oh thank you – i shall zoom over and have a look the moment I get my cup of coffee.. wonderful.. thank you so much for the support and the link.. c
Even Aunty Del needs a nip now and then. There are very barbaric devices hanging in a local museum that are basically collars with enormous spikes, designed to keep the cows themselves from taking a drink at their own bar.
Tima and Tane make such a cute pair. They really are the best of buddies. What a blessing to have Frederico and his talents! Love the cat in the tree.