Growing Up & Fulfilled

Warning:  Lots of pictures in this post so grab your favorite beverage & snack before reading!

My girls are seven weeks old now and are showing signs up growing up.  My chicks that is!  Up until this week, they've done a lot of sleeping, eating & pooping and staying in the coop.  Occasionally, they'd run outside and do a little scratching and get a drink but then they're right back in the coop for a nap!  I was getting a little concerned about their lack of desire to be outdoors, scratching for bugs and taking dust baths.

This week, the girls are beginning to stay outside for a good part of the day now AND they're discovering dust baths!

If you've never seen a chicken taking a dust bath, it's a little unnerving because it looks like they're having a seizure!  I freaked out the first time I saw a chicken taking a dust bath!  I thought she was having a seizure and I was trying to figure out what to do for her... must be the EMT in me, *laugh*!

Here are two of the girls enjoying a dust bath!

What?

A couple of the other chicks came over to see what was wrong with these two!

Chicken Mama, what's wrong with them?

Sun-bathing beauties

They've also discovered that green stuff is yummy!

Country Boy hung a swing on their front porch and the girls love it!  They'll jump on the seat which starts the swing in motion.  Then they'll either stay on the swing or hop to the porch railing.  Reminds me of the song by John Anderson, Swingin!  

Little Charlotte she's as pretty as the angels when they sing.

I can't believe I'm out here on her front porch in this swing,

Just a swingin' (swingin')

Yeah, and we'll be swingin'. (swingin')

Yes, we'll be swingin'. (swingin')

Little Charlotte she's as pretty as the angels when they sing.

I can't believe I'm out here on her front porch in this swing,

Just a swingin' (swingin')

Do you know it?  If so, you'll be singing it the rest of the day!  Your welcome!

This girl is blurry because she's swingin'!

And last but not least, my alleged rooster!

He was cracking me up while I was trying to get this shot!  He was moving his head along with the swing (and he was swingin')!  

Chicken Mama is very happy that her girls have been spending more time outdoors and beginning to perform normal chicken antics!  Whew!

They have also graduated to eating out of the feeding trough and drinking water outside.  Ah, such big girls!

And this boy...

Hunter

...can't stand it when I'm in the chicken run with the girls.  He wanted in the there too!  He's such a jealous boy!

In other news, I spent the last two days in the kitchen.  Literally.

I used an early Christmas present to myself...

... and I made some bread.  Yum!  Can I just tell you how much easier making bread was with this baby!

I also made some turkey stock and turkey vegetable chowder, and I canned some crushed tomatoes.

One jar of tomatoes did not seal for some reason so I made chili with it.

Then last night after supper, Country Boy and I made some strawberry jam from the strawberries we picked over the weekend.  How much faster and easier the canning went with some help!  He LOVES making jelly so I let him run the show while I did the smaller jobs like prepping the jars, measuring the sugar and cleaning up after him.  Wait, cleaning up after him in the kitchen is a big job!  Oh well!  It was still more fun and easier with two people!

Even with the modern conveniences in today's kitchens it was still exhausting mostly from all the standing which bothered my back more so than my feet.  But, I survived!  And it is very fulfilling when I open up my pantry and see all the home canned goodies in there or slice a piece of fresh, homemade bread!  I love being a housewife!

With my pantry filling up, I guess the next step would be to figure out a way to fabricate a root cellar of sorts for Florida!  We've been tossing ideas around but haven't come up with anything that might work yet.  Do y'all have any ideas?  Don't forget, we're in Central Florida where it's hot and humid and things mold up fast!  I would love to hear your suggestions!

Happy Friday!  I hope y'all have a great weekend!

Linking up with

farmgirl friday

Till next time,

Sights Around The Homestead

A Morning Glory meandering up the chicken wire...

Dianthus in bloom...

Our Fall garden tomatoes... 

Green pepper plants (from compost) still producing from Summer garden...

The chicks are getting bigger and bigger...

Miss Shirley

In about four more months these girls will be giving me some delicious, farm fresh eggs!

If anyone is interested in swapping buttons for this month, please let me know!

Linking up with

Farmgirl Friday

Till next time,

Glamour Shots

Do you remember 'way back when' when Glamour Shots was all the rage?

I never did get a Glamour Shot made but I've seen photos from several people who had it done and they were gorgeous!

See what you think about these Glamour Girls...

and possible Glamour Boy!

Aren't they gorgeous?  My glamour girls (and possible boy!)!

~~~~~

My brother and sister-in-law left this morning *sad face* but I'll see them again on Thursday for Thanksgiving before they head back up north.  We spent many hours on the front porch chatting, ate lots of food, sat by a campfire and simply had a great time!

I also have some exciting news to share with you... I've sold two items from my Etsy shop this past week!  That has encouraged me to make and list a few more things on there.  I was reminded today, in Jayme the Coop Keeper's post, that I have one week from today before Cyber Monday so... I'm going to be busy this week if I want to get a few more items made by then!  I also have two orders for my casserole carriers that need to be done before Thursday, yikes!

I'm in the process of pre-washing the fabrics now so that they'll be ready to go when I am!

Till next time,

Chick Update

The girls are growing up.  They are starting to fly up to the lowest roost in the coop and just today, one or two of them jumped into the nest boxes to check them out... not yet, girls, you have about five more months before you need a nest box!

Since they've been very active during their play times in the coop, I decided to open the door that leads to the chicken run.

Talk about being chicken!  I know where the term comes from now *laugh*!  They would stand right at the edge of the porch for the longest time.  Eventually, one would get brave and step across the imaginary line!

They're waiting to see if that brave girl survives!  I love the one 'peeking' around the wall!

"What's out here?  Is it safe?"

Some of the girls are looking pretty rough right now.

Checking out a leaf.

I have a feeling the chick below may be a rooster.  It's the only one whose coloring is different (besides Miss Shirley, the rare, exotic chick the hatchery sent us) and it's a tad larger than the others.  Time will tell!

Look at those thick legs compared to the other girl.... hmmm!

Exploring new territory is exhausting...

Several of them have walked right off the end of the porch because they were looking at me!  They're always shocked and they stand perfectly still like a statue for a few seconds until they realize they're still alive.  

The dry, crunchy leaves probably feel quite strange to them.  After a bit, they'll hop back onto the porch.

Peek-a-boo!

After exploring and playing on the porch for awhile, it's time to go back inside for a nap!  Eat, sleep, poop, and play all day long! 

I'm hoping one day they'll get brave enough to go beyond the porch!  Then again, they are chickens!  "We must be cautious!" they say.  I say, "what a bunch of chickens!"

I've enjoyed watching them become big girls these past 3 1/2 weeks and am looking forward to watching them become bigger girls over the next several months!  They're so entertaining!

Till next time,