New life on the Third Hill

It has been awhile since I have updated our blog.  The good weather hit and I got our garden ready and as soon as I had that set I went for back surgery.  After that I was starting to get back on my feet when canning season hit and I got really busy with that.  we did over 200 cans of tomatoes, salsa, pickles, spaghetti sauce  and beans then right into Peaches, pears and apple sauce.

When that was done I had to have a bunion on my foot operated on.  I am now recovering from the foot surgery and in between times we have been spending tons of time getting out online store ready for Christmas.  During all of this as fall set in several things happened that were sad, uplifting and joyful.

I will update you on them in the following entries.

We keep a small flock of laying hens and a few Bantams on the hill for farm fresh eggs and the bantams keep the ticks down around the yard.  Our laying hens have their fenced yard to stay in for their safety.  The Bantams on the other hand are small enough to fly into the chicken yard and out of the fence to hunt and peck in the rest of the yard.  

As fall was setting in a couple months ago and I had to get the hen house ready for winter.

I was out in the garage this morning looking for some plastic to put over the chicken coop door and I kept hearing one the the chicks squawking in its little high pitched peep. 

I went over to the brooder where we have a mom with two chicks on the top floor and  on the first floor where we have 5 little chicks that our dear friend Ilene hatched for us.  I am standing there looking into the two layers trying to see what chick is making a loud peeping.  I could not see anything wrong with any of the chicks so went back to looking for the plastic. 
I no sooner got back to work and there it is was again.  It sounded like a chick was unhappy or in distress and letting the world know about it.  I went back over to the brooder and was standing looking in and still could not see any chick in trouble.  While I was standing there it sounded off again and this time it was coming from between my feet. 

I had forgotten about the little bantam hen that laid her eggs on top the the plastic bag of pine shavings that I was standing over. She had been silently sitting on this nest for 21 days and it paid off.  When I looked down I saw mama hen and one little black chick behind her tail that could not figure out how to get back under his warm mothers feathers.  I gently lifted her tail and shoved him under and all was quite again. 


There is a tiny black head sticking out of mama's feathers next to her head.

I lifted mama hen while my partner took a picture of the little ones.

Mama was soon back on nest and kids were happy again.  They they discovered their food in the dish and started eating for the first time a couple of minutes later.  It is cool here today so they had their first meal and scooted back under mama with their little bellies full.

The brooder is full and all the other chicks are feathered out now I have to find a way to keep mama and these guys warm and safe as winter moves in.  It is supposed to be a low of 39 degrees but mama is well insulated and her body runs a 100 degrees so even though it is cold they are safe in their pine shavings under their 100 degree heater.  I even hung a light over them so they can sneak out for a snack when they want to. 

Hope you all have good warm night.
Roy and the Third Hill Gang.