This Barred Rock mother is watching over her chicks as she takes them along a garden path. They are 25 days old and are confident enough to venture a ways on their own. But, she is always watching out for them. With eyes on the sides of her head, she can see nearly all around her without moving her head. So she can see what chicks to the right, chicks to the left, and chicks behind her are doing.
Month: June 2014
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On the Trail
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Out of the Garden Today – June 10, 2014
So what should I make for supper tonight? It’s an answer we all answer day after day. For some it’s going to a restaurant. For others, it’s take out. For others, it’s what is in the fridge or in the cupboard. For others it’s what they picked up in the grocery on the way home from work. For me the answer is in the garden.
Tonight I found raspberries, Chrysanthemum greens, garlic scapes, shallot greens, arugula, choy, sage and rosemary. Everything but the rosemary is going into a stir fry. The rosemary is going into rosemary crackers.
After “grocery shopping” out of the garden and making meals with just-picked produce for years, I’m spoiled. It’s nearly impossible to find food so fresh when we eat out. Very few places have gardens full of produce, which the chefs can go into and gather the produce they need to make your meal.
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After a Morning Shower
The Stewartia 夏椿 is opening its flowers this dewy morning. This is a tree that is beautiful year round. In the fall, the leaves are a dazzling red. In the winter, the silvery bark stands out.
The Styrax (Snowbell) エゴノキ is also opening up its fragrant flowers.
And the Iris are always spectacular, especially covered with drops of rain. It’s a great morning to do chores like scooping duckweed out of the pond for the chickens, planting beans and corn, weeding, and just being outdoors.
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Eggs Are Art
I see eggs like this every day. Still, I have to stop and take pictures of them from time to time.
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On the Roost Already
A blurry picture, but when I went to make sure the chickens were OK for the night, I saw that two little chicks, five weeks old, were on the roost. Their mother is still spending the night with two of the chicks. You can see her head peeking out to make sure the two chicks roosting above her are safe.
So what’s the big deal? As a rule, it’s the mothers who leave their chicks and go back to roosting with the rest of the flock. When she does this, sometimes the chicks follow her up to the roost. More often, the chicks huddle together where they used to sleep with their mother.
This is the first time that I’ve seen chicks take to roosting before their mother is done caring for her chicks. I’ve observed over the years that cach chicken family is unique. They tend to follow a general pattern, but within that pattern there is great variability. Each mother hen has her unique way of raising chicks. Some are strict. Some are lenient. Some spend a month. Others take two months or more to raise their chicks. Each chick has its own personality. Some are shy. Some are curious. Some are outgoing. As a result, there is an infinite variety of chicken families.
Each year, each month, each week, each day there are surprises in store. You just have to be open to experiencing them.