Time Has Wings - Six Baby Chicks! It's a long visit today catching up!

 The days are passing quickly into weeks and it has been a month since I've blogged!

The update is so much with the raising of the chicks. It was filled with joy & heartbreak the first few days.

My girlfriend Jocelyne & I picked up six one-day-old chicks, precious Rhode Island reds for laying eggs. They survived the night but by the afternoon three had become paralyzed and passed. I was beside myself with grief. The Alberta son said I should have vaccinated them as they came from a commercial hatchery & the Marek's virus probably weakened them. I was overwhelmed with losing these babies so young. I decided when ordering them not to have them vaccinated a retreat I now carry.

I was told the hatchery was in Ontario & they were flown to Fredericton and then transported to the Miramichi Feeds where we picked them up. So much travel for one-day-old chicks.

I gave them electrolytes in the water & an antibiotic first feed but it wasn't enough for the three that passed away the next day. The other three are doing great!

You can see the wing feathers coming in and this was last week. This week their tail feathers came in!

For the first two weeks, I used the half bathroom as the heated room, now with the weather warmer they have moved to the sunporch & into the playpen that my girlfriend Heather gave me for the Boston terrier puppies seven years ago. Wow, time does fly by!!

There was a farmer from northern New Brunswick selling chicks, ducks, & turkeys from the back of his truck. We had seen him each time we were at Miramichi Feeds & Jocelyne & I saw him the day we picked up the chicks. Long story short - Bill purchased 3 Plymouth Barred Rock chicks from him to make our Hen House of six hens. These chicks were 2 1/2-3 weeks old and very hardy chicks!

The washroom was too warm for them so their bin was set up in the hall with the cozy warmer on top.

What a difference having farm chicks versus hatchery chicks, these girls are so calm, maybe it is the breed? These chicks are going to be lovely when they mature!

They have such big feet! I have never been this close to chicks and this is new for all of us, so far so good.

Here are today's photos!

This is the setup for the next couple of days. Bill is building a big box with a divider between them so they can mix & mingle to get to know each other. Then the divider will be removed & hopefully, it will be a peaceful pecking order in this flock of six chicks. There is a approx 3-week difference in age so it should not be too bad...I hope.

It has been quite the production for Bill & Donald in the woods to remove trees & have a landfill brought in to raise the area and level it out.

Here's the area where the Hen House & covered run will go. The cement floor for the house has since been poured.

Several trees were removed from this area next to the firepit/barbeque pergola, which is just beginning stage, the Hen Hous area is first. The chicks will be in the house for several more weeks.

The treed area to the left will be fenced for their outdoor forging & the path down the center is for walking. This area is very close to the house and the front porch, so we can watch & listen to the hen's party. lol

At the site of the barbeque pergola, Mitchell and Nicole were visiting from Alberta this long weekend along with our friend Mike from ON, for their annual, guys' fishing trip. Mitch levelled out the area while he was here, spending time playing on a digger. lol

Wood was stacked everywhere from the cut-down trees & the bad wood was burnt. I made another orb from the leftover dried grapevine.

Bill & Donald are also making a small lean-to for coverage for firewood & small recreational vehicles.

 

This little Rhino has been so handy & now it can carry a big jug of water to water the different gardens.

The grapevine and herb area will be coming to life soon. All three birdhouses are occupied and the birds love to sit on my clothesline even when I am hanging out the laundry, they hang on & move with the line moving. lol

It was a busy weekend with the fishing trip to Upper Oxbow NB. Here are some excellent photos of that adventure for the guys.

The guys at the lodge having breakfast together. The day before, between the 5 of them they caught 200 plus fish!!!

Bill with his striped bass.

Mike with his striped bass.

Donald with his striped bass.

Mitchell with his striped bass.

Nicholas with his striped bass.

A weekend filled with memories and all those fish stories too!

I was gifted a lovely surprise from Mike's wife Carrie! She really surprised me with this!!

Welcome to our Coop! This is so sweet & unique, just like Carrie!

And the hat on the hen is interchangeable!!

OMGoodness it is so cute and fun, like dressing up my geese, only indoors with the fun hats!

Thank you, Carrie, it is the bee's knees!!

I've done some crocheting with Lori Holt on Granny Square Circles, new to me!

This is a little runner as I used Dollar Store mini yarn & a 2.5 crochet hook. I love how the yarn colours coordinate with her fabrics!

I finished & quilted a table runner with her house pattern kit, I made two more & joined them together!

The backing is from the Calico Garden collection of Lori Holt. I'm working hard to finish the Calico Garden quilt that finishes at 90" x 90", her colour pallet is so happy and colourful. It is so out of my primitive, historical reproduction comfort zone & I love it!

Lori Holt, to-do list when I'm finished with Calico Garden. It's called How To Build A Scarecrow!

Donald's Mother's Day gift is beautiful but I will bring it in this fall before the frost, it's a zone 6 & I'm 4b.

I think the bee's will love it!

The sun porch is livable again with winter behind us! With eight windows and a garden backdoor warming it up nicely on sunny days.

This is Rexton's favourite spot even with the six chicks invading the other end of the porch.

She is turning 10 years old next month & is as playful as ever. 

This was the first photo I took of her when I saw her. Rexton was a rescue cat from the Bonar Law farm in Rexton NB. Yes, I named her after where she was found, she was such a sweet kitten, look at those back legs & her Manx tail, what's not to love?

There is a window screen placed on top of the metal grid...for good reason, I could see her with the arms reaching in if given the opportunity!

Bored with the chicks, she's watching the outdoor birds. lol

Now they have her attention again. I'll be happy when the Hen House is done & they are large enough to go in it, I'm sure they would like that too as I'm bringing in clumps of grass & dirt for them every day.

I made three more chicks from the Chicken Salad quilt fabric. They are going on a birch ladder that is going to be made to decorate the outside of the Hen House. lol

Thank you for stopping in, life has surely gotten busy living and caring for the 9 pets in the house.  As the saying goes, 'This too will pass' just as summer is in full force.

Take care, wishing you health & happiness always!

Hugs,

Cynthia