Oops! I Did It Again!!!

Have you heard the old joke, Sarah goes into the local TSP for some dog food and ends up bringing home 26 additional chicks?!?!

lol 

Assorted Clearance Chicks :)

It seems to be a bit of a running joke around my house especially lately since the stores seem to want to practically give away their remaining chicks :)

And today the deal was 2 for $.99!!!  Who could blame me for taking advantage of such a deal?!

So 20 Bantams and 6 Pullets will be meeting the rest of the flock in about 6 weeks, hahaha :)

 

THIS IS SPRING in WEST MICHIGAN!

Once I get these guys settled in with last week's Clearance Chicks, I'll update with more pics :)

 

Have a blessed day!

 

Sarah of Simply Creative by Lily C

http://simply-creative-by-lily-c.myshopify.com/

The Short Story of the Inedible Rooster Which Lived on the Van Cunningham Hobby Farm

 

The Van Cunningham Hobby Farm - managed by SC and Lily C of Simply Creative by Lily C has two, loud and silly white Silky Bantam Roosters. They were raised with all of the original day old hatchlings on the hobby farm and were always a bit skittish yet non-aggressive. 

 

One day on a particularly freezing Michigan Mid-February day, the smaller of the two rooster brothers got out of the coop and refused to be placed back with the girls...so SC left him out until he came back in willingly.  Turns out the newly nicknamed Roo was particularly stubborn and silly and disappeared without a trace! Where could he be they wondered!

Lily C and Charlie M ensure Roo is okay

 

Luckily Charlie, the recently rescued mutt, came to the rescue when he began barking and whining by the back corner of the main coop.  Upon further examination, Roo, was discovered coughing and nearly frozen solid underneath the cold metal coop wall. 

 

SC rushed him in to the house and lovely gave him his first warm bath.  He perked up immediately!

 

After spending several hours swaddled in an Egyptian cotton bath towel and set in front of the warm pellet stove, Mr. Roo, was better than new...however, it was discovered that his waddle had a few spots of frostbite and it seems that he had lost the tip of a toe!!!  So of course he just had to recoup for the full night in luxury....see pic of a very satisfied little male Silky :)

 

Now lets get to the "Inedible" part of this story....If you hadn't already guessed it, there is NO way that Mr. Roo could be designated for the stock pot or roasting pan. We had bonded and he was a proven survivor of war...hen-pecking war, but a survivor for sure!  Call us sentimental or silly, but we are happy to know that Mr. Roo will continue to wake us with his insistent and ill-timed crowing daily!

Natural Pest Eliminators or Flesh-Hungry Savages?


Pest control was one of the reasons I chose to raise chickens, right? I didn't realize the carnage I'd release on the neighborhood insect population ;(




One-Eyed Sphinx Moth

I live in Lower West Michigan and recently found this beautiful moth near the chicken coop.  I never knew how quickly the innocent-looking hellions would tear this winged beauty apart.  Let me just say, it would have rivaled any of the bloodiest horror flicks circa the 1980's.

Who knows how long this beauty measuring approximately 2.5" from tip of wing to tip of wing, but they can get as big as nearly 4"! Which I'm sure my ladies would have rejoiced if I can presented a larger treat :)

For those of you who enjoy details, they go by the scientific name Smerinthus cerisyi, but I like the One-Eyed Sphinx name better...reminds me of Cleopatra's exotic beauty. I can see the eye pattern at a 20's style masked gala, can't you?




Horn worm Caterpillar = Sphinx Moth

 

So what did my flock consume, and ultimately what I and my family will be consuming, when they ate it? Basically nothing but juicy sawdust! ;) The favorite meal of the caterpillar is Willow and Poplar trees!

I have noticed the very heavy mosquito population that Michigan is experiencing this Summer has been greatly reduced around the chicken coop, so there's a plus to their blood lust :) Good for the entire neighborhood if you ask me, but I might be a tad bit bias!

Check us out this Friday when the chicks stretch their wings in free air for the first time!!! Should be interesting I think! 

Thanks again for sharing and commenting on this subject and future posts!

Sarah of Simply Creative by Lily C!

  







Lily C gets a Chick Kiss - See how she reacts ;)



Simply Creative by Lily C's Backyard Chicks

Lily C was born a natural mother and while she'll never have the opportunity to have her own pups, she's taken to "mothering" her feathered babies like white on rice!

Being a mix of Rhodesian Ridgeback and Black Lab, I've realized quickly that her prey chase instinct, esp. for birds is very high and this had me worried for their safety.  But much to my relief she's always been very gentle with her little ones and only very lightly nips or licks them when they try to escape from the safety of their netted run.

Lily C of Simply Creative by Lily C Kisses Chicks

Today, much to my own Mother's delight (laughter heard in video), Lily finally got a taste of her own medicine when one of the bigger Dutch Red Roos gave her a much deserved kiss on the nose :)

Lily C of Simply Creative by Lily C Gets Her First Kiss!

The chicks might be feeling their oats today as evidenced by their perky chirping - the recipe is GMO free and always made at home with as many garden treasures as possible!  I'll share the recipe here soon! 

  



Homemade Chicken Feed Recipe





Egg or Chicken First? The Chickens Came to this Hobby Farm First!!!

Bought an assortment of day old chicks from the local feed mill hatchery!

Very excited to see how the Dutch Reds, Asst. Bantams, SummerWells and Ring-Necked Quail develop!!

The plan is to only feed them non-processed foods and never chemically feterlized grasses, etc for all natural eggs and meat.

They are going to be 8 weeks old on June 16th!! Just starting to stretch their wings and looking for high perches!

7 week old Ring-Neck Pheasant

More from the chix soon :)

The Hobby Farm Gets Started

I've been wanted to start a composting bin for years and much to my surprise and joy, my supportive parents gave me a starter rotating composter for my birthday!!!

Can't wait to turn my table scraps and yard waste into rich soil!

What will I grow first?

Living Simply Creative by Lily C

Simply Creative by Lily C is a line of all natural, home-made cleaning supplies, beauty products, and other treats for you, your home, and your pets.

This blog will be to share my experiences from the early days of getting back to my roots in rural Michigan. I hope you enjoy and learn something from my experiences.