Crazy Friday

For two days I have been building a brooder cage for my broody hens inside the coop. To keep them on their nest with their chicks away from the flock in peace. Sometimes hens hatch 1 chick and abandon the rest of the eggs. I want maximum chicks hatched without me resorting to an incubator. My game hen hatched 2 chicks in winter but abandoned her last 2 sets this spring. Very frustrating to lose eggs and chicks from a flaky hen. The broody cage idea was recommended by the old timers to force the hen to sit on her nest.

This morning as I worked I heard peeping from under one of my barred rock hens. This is her first brood this year as she was born in October of 2010. I knew she would need to be moved into the brooder box ASAP. So I finished and moved her, the chick and the unhatched eggs. Mama hen was pleased and setting in peace. Then I heard squawking and upset hens in the horse pasture. Hens were running all over the place and out pops a red fox with a mouth full of feathers right in front of me and my horses.The horses ignored the fox so I yelled and the fox ran. I grabbed my dog who was asleep to get the fox. Useless, she ran back into the kennel back to sleep. I thought about releasing my other dog, but he would have just gone after my hens too. I was warned the fox will return and kill all my chickens, and the locals were right. Foxes are smart and hungry. This fox only wounded my red hen and got feathers.

This is going to be a busy summer for me and that fox.

Car Nesting

One of the not so wonderful aspects of farm life, mice, rats and voles nesting in our cars. A vole decided to place our car Kleenex in a shredded pile under the trunk by the spare tire. We discovered this as we were needing a tool for the car and found the white pile. We had noticed the Kleenex box look mangled earlier. We did not find the vole but think our cat dispatched it last week seen here wounded in the grass near our cars. And in my vintage Volvo wasps have tried making a nest in my door jam and in our mailbox too. Fun never ends out here in nesting season.

Mg, Ca and Fe, Oh my!

It has been raining here for almost a solid month in the Ozarks. We needed the rain after the dry summer last year. But this had me doing heavy wet chores outside and I got worn out, crampy and partially deaf. I took aspirin and it did nothing. So my husband took me to our small town doctors office. Turns out our well water is high in Ca but low in Mg. I drink only tea and coffee from our well water. Low Mg in the water causes fatigue and cramping. My husband drinks store bought drinks like OJ, milk and soda so he was not affected. I was drinking to city water before this and not used to well water.

Next my blood level was low and I needed a blood count. The Dr said I can't give blood anymore. I need Fe to boost my blood. Low Mg can starve the blood of O2.

Next my loss of hearing was caused by sinus problems. There was scaring and signs of problems in my ear tubes; a vacuum had been created and sounds were not getting through. I was given a steroidal nasal spray to clear my sinus. If that does not work I will have to see a specialist.

So after a trip to the doctor I am feeling better, no more cramps nor migraines. And the sun came out and I can get my muddy chores done without pain. Guess I needed a 10k mile checkup after all.