Around the Acre

The usual spring sprucing is underway with lots of small improvements here and there. I got new rugs that match way better (and cost way less) than the ones I got last year (which Muriel chewed the corner of on day two). These ones aren't as heavy and kind of bubble despite repeat carpet taping, but I like them!

Late spring baby chickens moved to the garage after three weeks. Just long enough for all those moths to hatch in the house. The garage temps are warm enough to help them transition to living outside, and I got to thoroughly clean chick dust off of everything in the laundry room--and basically the rest of the house.

Out at the coop, we did some touch up painting, experimented with a new lid to the hay bin, buried a swimming pool (Muriel's broken model from last year) and filled it with sand for the chickens to take their dust baths without tearing up their yard. Gabby built a wooden frame and put in a concrete slab to hopefully prevent some of the ice, mud, and water puddle challenges we had getting into the coop over the past year.

Our lilacs and peonies looked lovely for their one special week, lol :)

And at five weeks, the baby chicks got to move outdoors! This was yesterday, actually. One of the bigger bluebells immediately swallowed (?) something she shouldn't have and now is breathing super loud and raspy. She made it through the night, but we brought her in and gave her some olive oil with a dropper to try to loosen up whatever is in the way (if that is the problem). I hope we don't lose her, she seems like the leader of the baby flock.

We did lose a big chicken last week during our sprucing up. She was one of the originals, Josie, I think. She had matted feathers under her tail and was walking splay legged. So, I decided I'd cut some of the feathers while Caelan held her. It seemed like this would be a good thing for her. But as I was cutting Caelan said, "She's dying! She's dying!" and sure enough, Caelan set her on the ground and that was it. It was very traumatic. I don't know why Josie chicken died, maybe something was more wrong inside than we knew. Maybe we stressed her to the max. Maybe she was just old and wanted to go while someone held her? IDK, but now we're back to counting odd numbers of chickens which just makes everything seem off. I suppose I could go get more . . . ;)