New Release from Mimi Matthews!!!

Tomorrow is the DAY!!!

Return to Satterthwaite Court 

releases from highly acclaimed author Mimi Matthews.

I pre-ordered my copy from Audible because narrator Alex Wyndham is one of my favorite narrators.

Do you enjoy audio books? I had to train myself to listen to them during the "year no one wants to remember" took place and we were all told to stay shut up in our homes. No library access, and publishers weren't mailing books for such a long time that it was excruciating for this avid reader. So I signed up for Audible and I think one of the first books I bought was by Mimi Matthews. I was hooked right then and went through every one of her books she had published at the time. Long days of sitting on porch with a sewing project in my lap and a historical novel in my ear was just about perfect in spite of the chaos going on in the world.



If you haven't read any of Matthews' books, I highly recommend them. They are considered clean Victorian Romances and quite intriguing, especially her Parish Orphans of Devon series. I've listened to the third book, A Convenient Fiction, about 5 or 6 times. 


My Review on Goodreads:


"Excellently done!!!
A Convenient Fiction is a beautifully romantic story with fabulous narration!! It was a pleasure to listen to. I loved it."






But if you aren't an audio book fan, that's ok! They're published in traditional print and e-book as well. 


I don't get any revenue from you using any links on this blog. I'm just sharing because it's easy and quick to get to Matthews' profile on Goodreads. And from there, you can decide for yourself! 
 
I sincerely hope your spring is off to a good start! I've been very busy tending to my chickens, grandbaby and family.




I love the color variations from light cream to reddish brown to blue to green to olive. Life is better with chickens!! 

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The Good Old Days of Raising Chickens

Smithy & Gracie

A Chick Magnet

The Chick Inn

Heavy Traffic

 

Gracie

Smithy

No Place Like Home

The Rewards

Review ~ The New Rules of the Roost: Organic Care & Feeding for the Family Flock by Robert Litt and Hannah Litt

Paperback, 196 pages

Expected publication: July 11th 2018 by Timber Press

New from Robert and Hannah Litt—the owners of The Urban Farm Store and authors of the bestselling A Chicken In Every Yard—comes a hardworking guide to backyard chicken keeping that goes beyond the basics.

The New Rules of the Roost addresses the real problems that crop up when keeping backyard chickens long term. It covers a wide range of topics including guidance on organic health remedies and disease prevention, pest management, organic nutrition, the best breeds for specific needs, and the simplest and most effective options for daily maintenance and feeding. Readers will also learn how to introduce new chickens to a flock, how to manage aggressive birds, how to deal with a mature flock, and much more.

The New Rules of the Roost distills the Litt’s twenty-five years of personal and professional experience keeping chickens and is a must-have guide for anyone looking for deeper information on keeping a healthy and happy flock.

#TheNewRulesOfTheRoost #NetGalley
Pre-order link: *Amazon   *I am in no way affiliated with Amazon and do NOT earn any monies if you use the link provided.*  

 
My Review 5 STARS!!!

I raised chickens for over 15 years on a small hobby farm in the foothills of NC so I’ve read my fair share of books on raising fowl. I was anxious to dive into this book and see what I could learn about keeping chickens in the city now that I live in coastal VA. The New Rules of the Roost is full of terrific ideas for anyone even remotely thinking about wanting to start a flock whether in city or country. The authors are comprehensive in their study of chickens and raising them with sustainable initiatives.

From choosing just the right breed of chicken for longevity, friendliness, egg production, to nutritional facts and desirable feed, to coop design and poop disposal, how to be a successful urban backyard chicken keeper will not be a problem after reading this book. But…it is a profusion of densely packed information that needs to be absorbed over time. I want a paperback copy of this book because I can see spending hours and hours combing its pages, planning how to establish a new flock as a city dweller, making copious notes and enjoying the full color photos of all the beautiful birds.

I was provided an electronic copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. Opinions are my own. No compensation has been received.

~Happy Reading~

Time for Treats

My chickens love treats! I mean, who doesn't, right?! With our family eating melons several times a week during this abysmally hot weather, there is a never ending supply of really cool ways to beat the heat in the summer for our chickens!

They don't mind it when I toss the rind quarters out there but what they really love is when I freeze scratch grain, melon pieces and seeds, and cut up veggies in the rind.

Aren't they pretty? The one on the left just has some various pieces of watermelon, honeydew and the seeds scooped out of the middle. I didn't even add water, just tossed the whole thing in the freezer for a few hours. The middle one sort of speaks for itself; water melon chunks and scratch grain in a honey dew rind. And then the one on the right was filled with the inner scoops from the two melons and some water, then frozen.

The baby chicks are four weeks old and not too sure about this foreign food in their pen. But once one of them tried it, they all came running and tweeting, feverishly vying for a chance at the tasty treat. Of course, the old girls know what is coming when they see one of these rinds in my hand and this day I had two! 

I love backyard chicken keeping. Even though we live in the country, we can't let them run wild because of critters. We are in the process of figuring out how to re-model our two year old coop to include these dozen new chicks. But in the meantime, I am happy with them in our front yard where I can keep an eye on them, plus they are such fun to watch! They are learning to spread their wings and fly so I have to be careful when I open the pen door or they get loose! And trying to round up a dozen wild & crazy baby chicks is not something I want to do on a daily basis. Today, I managed to entice them back in with a treat, so yeah, they know what's coming now and can anticipate the cool refreshment heading their way.

Are you a backyard chicken keeper? Or do you have other animals? What cool treats to do you make to give them during the heat of summer?

~Happy Summer~

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Random 5 Friday

I decided I needed a bit of spring after all the snow and cold we've had this month, hence the new blog header and background paper. It's kind of girly but I'm a girl, so I'm going with it ;)

Mr Smith aka Smitty, at 9 months old

1. Smitty has some strange coloring to go with his gorgeous green tail feathers and looks nothing like he did as a chick except he is still the largest of all 26 chickens we bought last year. His favorite place to be is just beneath the bird feeder. Pretty smart, huh?

2. I saw Daffodils blooming at a neighbor's house this week, and shoots of them at my MIL's. Spring really is coming!

3. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster is a charming and hilarious book. 

4. My not so annual eye exam was this week and I will be sporting new specs next week. 

5. Warm, cold, warm, cold = sick. Need I say more?

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All in one...

This post cover several meme's this week because I'm tired and in pain. More at the end on that.

For the Clever Chicks Blog Hop, this is The Boss.

All 22 pullets follow him around the yard. 

The other three cockerels don't stand a chance with those girls or challenge him anymore. He is a good protector of the flock and has enough authority to break up any squabbles!

Nobody messes with him.  

For Tuesday Muse, a photo from my trip to Raleigh in July. 

Echinacea Purpura at JC Raulston Arboretum

And for Rurality Blog Hop (which starts Wednesday) I found this one in the archives.

Another old barn in our area

I'm not sure I like the final edit, but hey, I can always go back and do it again. 

That's the beauty of editing and it's not like I don't have time on my hands, right? :)

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SURGERY UPDATE: Appreciate prayers. After basically being bed-ridden for two weeks, if the swelling in my foot is down enough to satisfy the doctor, I will get my cast tomorrow. That has got to be better than this splint and not being able to go anywhere for fear of damaging the work that has been done to my foot. But what do I know. I have had neither before. I just know that the splint is annoying. As the swelling goes down it loosens and twists while I am sleeping, causing it to feel as if a hot poker is being jammed into my new heel :(  The doctor's office has re-wrapped it twice, given us extra padding and showed my husband how to wrap it correctly should I be in agony in the middle of the night, which has happened a several times. Not fun. I'm sorry if I sound like I am whining. Obviously, I am not good with long term pain :)

And I miss spending time outside with my husband and son's in this gorgeous weather, snapping photos, taking care of my chickens, and playing with my grandchildren. 

After typing that pitiful diatribe above, the Lord clearly impressed upon me I need to learn to be content where I am. I need to remember I chose this surgery option so that I can have the hope of walking relatively pain free when the healing is done. I want to always be honest and truthful, not glossing over the pain and despair but always pointing to who I depend upon, who I place my Hope in, and that Christ! He is my constant companion in the darkest of night when the pain is so great. I have spent many hours crying out to him and he has held me fast. He has given me glimpses into what my daughter must have felt like, all those years dependent on others, needing help to the bathroom and with bathing, simply needing someone to carry her drink because she couldn't do it and hold on to the walker with both hands. He is giving me time to ponder and pray. In the midst of my pain, I am gaining a whole new perspective on life!

~Psalm 69:13~

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
    At an acceptable time, O God,
    in the abundance of your steadfast love 
answer me in your saving faithfulness.

Gender reveal and Coop trouble at The Chick Inn

Warning!!!

This is a long post about chickens J

An adorable little chick named Smithy

Smithy @ 1 week

went through this funky looking stage,

Smithy @ 3 weeks

and we had no idea if he/she was a pullet or cockerel,

Smithy @ 5 weeks

or if he/she was going to be a hen or a rooster.

Smithy @ 9 weeks

At this point in Smithy's development, I posted about him/her and several 

thought a pullet based on the comb.

Well, now we know for sure. 

Smithy is in fact a...

Smithy @ 11 weeks

ROOSTER because he CROWS!!!

Although every time he sees the camera, he stops. 

I cannot sneak up on him! 

He is a wiley dude :)

Now the big question remains...

Smithy @ 14 weeks

What breed is Smithy? 

Look at those saddle feathers! They are awesome.

Here's a close look at his neck feathers, which are changing color!

It is the weirdest thing. I promise he is not dirty! My son managed to catch him, which caused a major ruckus in the run. I thought those brown blobs on his sides were injuries or poop but you can see they are brown feathers. Here's a close-up of his wing feathers.

He was a rare breed bonus chick included in our order from McMurray's Hatchery this spring. After searching high and low on their website and on the internet, I think I have his breed narrowed down to two or three possibilities. The most probable is a Silver Leghorn but his legs have a slight slate tint to them. They are not the yellow color of the other chickens. Not that his breed really matters. We're just curious. If you know anything about breeds of chickens, what do you think?

Here he is a few weeks ago before the feathers started changing, with Gracie, his 'chick' friend. She is definitely a Silver Leghorn pullet and as a chick looked identical to Smithy except much smaller. He was huge compared to all the others!  

But we also have a problem. 

Smithy and Gracie and the four Barred Rock pullets are so different in color, they seem to get picked on a lot by the Rhode Island Reds. They have all been raised together from the time they were put into the box at the hatchery and shipped to us. I was told there wouldn't be a problem with several different breeds being together but we just are not seeing it with our flock. 

Gracie @ 13 weeks

My husband has decided that he and our youngest son will make an addition to our already brand new coop and move the six black & whites over there. Big sigh...I am not happy with this as it is an added expense but I really don't want these beautiful birds to be picked on anymore and eventually end up sick or dead. And I am not getting rid of them. They are the least friendly of the birds (maybe because they get bullied) but so pretty and I love them! 

Also, we ended up with three Rhode Island Red roosters. Two of them will be getting their own little Quonset huts to live in pretty soon. One will remain in the main coop. I'm trying not to stress over this but we are on a count down to egg laying time and I was really wanting one single friendly flock.

Hindsight being what it is, if I had to do it all over again I would not have ordered a variety. The Rhodes are big and supposed to be great layers, so I would have exclusively ordered them. Even though they aren't exotic looking, I would rather not have so much dissension in the flock. 

Has anyone else ever had this problem? 

If you read this whole post, you are awesome!!! Thanks for sticking with me! 

Have a blessed day!

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A cool treat on a hot day

Proverbs 27:23 tells us to know the condition of our flocks and to give attention to our herds. I am trying to care diligently for my flock of chickens. With the extreme temperatures that were predicted today, I was concerned about my birds. I want to do all I can to keep them comfortable and cool. When it's 79* one day and 97* the next, they have a tendency to get stressed and overheated. A few months ago, I saw this Confetti Ice Wreath on the Fresh Eggs Daily website and decided now was the time to try it.

 They converged on it immediately, enjoying the corn, peas and raspberries!  

Yes, a couple of them decided to cool their heels a bit, too :) 

This is such an easy way to offer the girls some treats while keeping them from overheating and possibly getting sick or dying. I enjoyed hearing them clucking and cackling, as if they were saying Thank you, Mom!

My husband and youngest son installed the automatic chicken watering system today. There's a dozen poultry nipples supplying fresh water inside the coop now. The bummer...they're too low! Saturday he will raise them up...big sigh.

I switched from shavings to sand in the coop yesterday. Boy, was that a stinky job! The girls seem to like the sand better though. It's cool and absorbs moisture so it's supposed to be more sanitary. It's also easy to scoop the poop. I just think about it like it's a great big litter box. 

And here's my Smithy. I do believe he is a she as the saddle feathers are rounded, not pointed. It doesn't matter to me but I do wish the other chickens didn't ostracize her. Here she is, sitting quietly in the coop while the others enjoyed the cool treat. Next time I will have to make her a small Confetti wreath of her own.

I really don't have any idea why they treat her this way. Does anyone have any suggestions for getting the others to let her be a part of the group?  

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Coop De Ville {Unofficially}

A quick photo tour of my husband and sons building the girls their new digs. It's not completely finished but is completely secure for them now. Unofficially we are calling it Coop De Ville until we come up with a permanent name. That one may stick but we haven't voted yet :)

My guys worked whether the sun was shining brightly or a storm was brewing. Of course, that's the way it goes when you only get one good day a week to work on a project.

My son's Roofing 101 class in the fall of 2010 came in handy!

My son's shirt says: 
Of course I don't look busy. I did it right the first time.

Lots of room for the chickies to grow

Added some shavings (haven't found any river sand yet) and then put those baby girls in there and they were so happy. Lots of room to explore...

All tuckered out and catching some z's while Smithy keeps an eye on any dangers that might be lurking outside ;)

We kept them inside the coop until the weather warmed up and they got more feathers. Then it was time for their first foray into the enclosed area.

It took forever but once they made their way out and discovered "real" food (bugs and ticks), they clamored for release now. 

The boys enjoy watching and playing with them. 

The coop had more work done on it but I haven't taken more pictures. The area above the front is now covered with wood so nothing can climb up the chicken wire and get in.

I'm looking for a Rooster Weathervane to go up on top.  

 It doesn't look very big but it's actually much larger than our last coop. We scoured the internet for ideas and sort of put together several different ones to come up with our own design. At least I think it is our own but of course someone out there probably has one almost identical. 

The run has to be completed but we are still in the design stage. We keep changing our minds on how we want it to look and how accessible it needs to be. When they are out in the open I want to be able to watch them and make sure no predators get a hold of them. 

Recently, we noticed a hawk spending an inordinate amount of time flying over their house. I know, the photo is grainy but it's a hawk!

After two weeks the shavings needed changing today. 

That's my job...ew!

One of my four Barred Rocks. Isn't she pretty? 

But they are not friendly.

Smithy is so gorgeous! 

Not sure if he is really a he but I hope so :)

Ok, the tour wasn't quick but it was fun, right?

Do you keep chickens? If so, are they 'cooped' up or free-range?

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