Chicks again

It's difficult to capture a pic of the chicks looking up when they're outside, because all you usually see is fuzzy butts and bent heads. Above is Rosie, searching for a tasty morsel and enjoying not being in the box inside. Today they were stuck inside all day due to rain and our absence, and were peeping madly when we got home. So we covered the rug in the living room, made a little pen and we all sat down to watch Shrek 2 together while the chicks ran about and got some exercise.

Bandit and Fly are really feathering out. And having a blast scratching in the thinnings from the pea teepee.

Now that we took the planks from our temp pen to build the nest boxes, this is what we're using to contain the girls outside. Not too sturdy, but does make it easier to catch them at the end of the day. And the love the shelter Dante built them -- they like to roost on top of it too when they're tired.

Meet the cows that make our milk

After spelunking at the Bushy Hill Nature Preserve last Friday, we all headed to the Deerfield Farm in Durham for a homeschool field trip to learn more about cows and raw milk. We got to meet the calves, who really enjoyed licking all the kids' salty hands, their moms, and the dairy farmer, a 24 year old woman named Melynda who graduated from Middletown's Vo-Ag program, and UCONN's dairy program. You can find more info at http://www.realmilk.com/

Above Dante is getting licked by one of the very friendly milk cows who was chained in the barn that day. Below is Lucia with one of the 3 veal calves. The poor things were getting sent in for "processing" next week. They were so cute and friendly, licking all the little kids, and loved getting petted and having their neck and ears scratched.

Where in the world is Dante Petruzziello?

Can you find Dante in the picture below?

Or how about in this one?

Ok, maybe you can see him in this one:

Uncle Tommy took Dante out to call turkeys in the wee hours of the morn a couple of weeks ago. They got all rigged out in camouflage and brought several types of bird calls. They ended up coming over a hill and nearly stepping on their quarry, which responded by freaking out and roosting in a nearby tree. Poor lil turkey thought he was on his way to a lovely day with a willing female, and found two guys dressed in leafy shirts instead.

Having gone to bed late and gotten up at 4am, Dante nearly snoozed through his piano recital later that day. But he woke up in time to play The Wigwam song and eat tons of cherry tomatoes and celery at the reception afterwards.

monkey see, monkey do

We went to the playscape in town yesterday, and after coating our faces with french fry grease and ketchup, we hit the equipment.

the great outdoors

Today was 80 degrees outside, and so we made a new makeshift pen (as our old one was cut up for nesting boxes in the coop below) and got the girls out on the lawn. They make the sweetest sound of contentment when they hit the ground and start hunting for tasty morsels.


With some of the scrap wood from the coop, Dante built a small shelter for them. Here you see the lovely Lucia showing off this fabulous structure.


A close up of the girls enjoying the shade. Look at those fuzzy butts! And everyone has names now -- Rosie and Speck are the Gold Laced Wyandottes, the two in front, Fly and Bandit, are the Speckled Sussex, and you can now start to see the white speckles on their wing feathers; and Ping and Pong are the all-black Silkies with the feathered feet. The two Silkies are still much smaller than everyone else.


Rosie takes a break from scrounging to sunbathe.


Bandit shows off her new plummage, while Ping eyes me warily in the background.

hotel fowlyfornia

So Tom generously donated his time this Mother's Day to come over with Lil and Jo and build our gals some outdoor lodgings. It's almost done, and I am left with a serious case of power tool envy.
This the basic frame, with the nesting boxes in the back corner, and space for the chicks to get at our lawn underneath. As it turns out, it's awfully heavy, so we're rethinking the purpose of this building -- perhaps a LoveShack for a lucky rooster and hen?

Here's the shot of the still-open back once the top, sides and front were added. This is going to be hinged so I can get in to change food and water, and to get yummy eggs.

And finally, a shot of the front, with the window over the roosts to let in the light and wake the girls up in the morning. It still needs ventilation, and some staining or painting, as well as wire mesh underneath to protect from wandering carnivores, but it's way more done than I'd expected! Thank you Uncle Tommy! Honorable mention goes to Grandpa and Auntie Kathy for their generosity as well. I can't wait to get the mesh on so the girls can get out there!

Chicky, Chicky, Chook, Chook

This week, it was so beautiful that we were able to let the girls flit about on the lawn. Dante and I constructed a temporary pen for them with crates and scrap wood, and put out their feeder and waterer. They were chirping happily the entire time, and peeped in protest when we had to bring them inside again.

One the left is Rosie, accompanied by the two Silkies, one in front and one behind (pun intended). Luke felt so bad for the one Silkie we'd brought home, he sent me back to get him/her a buddy.

This is a close up of Speck, Dante's Gold-Laced Wyandotte snoozing happily on his arm. She adores him, and likes to hang out with him where the other birds most often try to escape our attentions.

Dante makes a good mama hen.

Lucia is very excited to be holding Bandit, one of the Speckled Sussexes. Say that breed name ten times fast...

Awwww..... doesn't our neighbor's nearly month old Rhode Island Red look adorable?