Chicks – week 2

They may have started out all cute and helpless, but now they are quickly changing. The chicks are quickly feeling out the limits of their world. The new activities include bickering with each other, playing chick of the mountain by jumping up on the mason jar feeders, and jumping up and banging their heads on the wire top to their habitat. In addition, if you give them a scrap of bread or fruit they get really excited. I gave them six small bits of bread. Now you would think that there are six chicks and six pieces of bread, everyone’s happy. Nope. First they all stand to the side waiting for a bomb to go off or something. Then one tip toes over and grabs a piece. At that point, pandemonium ensues. The five other chicks chase the first chick until one steals it. This goes on and on until another chick picks up a new piece of bread. Then you have two races going on simultaneously. I just sit and wait for the head konking that brings everything to a halt.

They are pretty funny, but we are only at week two…you are supossed to keep them contained with a heat lamp for TEN WEEKS or so. How long till they are busting out and it is me that is chasing them as they run around in glee. I’ve seen how fast they can run now. Please let it not be me that gets her head konked.

Next thing happening – our timber harvest is moving along…at Oregon pace, but moving along. At this point, the trees have been marked and the sub-contractor is going to walk the property with the timber manager in two weeks or so. After that, the trees will start coming down. I have to say I am a bit sad about the trees having to come down, but our forest needs help. It was not cared for properly. Trees are not all thriving and the blackberry is. Not all the trees are going, fear not. We have several large ones staying and there are already many small and medium sized trees that won’t be touched. By next year, more baby trees will have been replanted and the brush will have been cleaned up so they can grow. We will also end up with nature trails to make more of our land accessable. It is a good thing, but I will appreciate it more in about ten years when the medium trees are big ones and all the baby trees are taller than I am.

Here’s something that you don’t see every day. I am not sure you want to either..jury is out. I walk into K’s homesteading class as they are wrapping up for the day. In front of the teacher are several arm bones from elk and deer. I hear the teacher explaining what the plan is for the next class. Basically, the plan is for the kids to work the bones to make fillet knives (the sample was a bit wicked looking) and the knives would be used while they go fishing to gut and fillet their fish. I guess I can’t complain too much because they will probably cook and eat the fish at the same time. I am just not sure I will enjoy the ride home with a fishy K and all the smells and funk that goes with that.

Lastly – I am thinking that we have some fun planned for this weekend. AG-FEST! Our area’s agricultural festival. I know. I know. You are so jealous! I can’t help that we get all the adventures. It is just the way it is. We were planning on working on our chicken coop and we probably will get started, but I think we will be going to Ag-Fest to get some additional ideas and maybe some specialty chicken supplies. We are also going to check out the Re-build center to see what building materials we can get out hands on for the coops construction.

The clock is ticking, the chicks are plotting their escape, and we need a coop very soon. Hopefully, it will all work out without konked heads.