Spring Has Sprung

Flowers, Reflections, spring

According to the calendar spring officially arrived today and the weather today was very spring-like. So, what’s a girl to do to celebrate the arrival of her favorite season? For this girl the answer is get her hands in the dirt.

Here in Michigan the ground is still partially frozen and the part that is not frozen is mud, so getting into the garden is out of the question. However, several weeks ago I planted some Johhny Jump Up seeds in small peat pots. (Johnny Jump Ups are also known as wild pansy.) My husband has been nurturing the little seedlings – making sure they have enough water and light.

Today I decided to transplant some of them into pots.

We’re hopeful that they are hardy enough to survive the cool/cold (early)spring temperatures, but I didn’t plant them all so if we lose some, I can replace them.

I also set out our bulb pots. These are some pots that I had planted daffodils and tulips in last year. When the foliage died back and the soil dried up we stored the pots, with the soil and bulbs still in them, in the barn for the winter. When my husband brought them out of the barn last week some of the bulbs were already beginning to sprout.

I set the pots in place beside the deck and will let nature takes it course.

I can’t wait to see spring flowers.🌷

Have you seen any spring flowers?

Have you or will you be planting any flowers?

Spreading Their Wings

Chicks, Reflections

We moved the chicks to their new dwelling on Monday. Having raised chicks several times over the last 10 years we knew it was time for the upgrade, or stage two as we’ve called it in the past. Being in the stock tank is fine when they are very young, but eventually, within a couple of weeks, they begin getting curious and more active. We see them craning their necks – wondering what is up and out there. They also begin using their wings to fly up and sit on top of their feed or water dishes. Past experience has taught us that before long they will fly up to the top rim of the stock tank, and from there the sky is the limit (or they could get into some serious trouble anyway). These chicks are just too young to be out exploring the world on their own – that will come in due time.

Chicks 2018

For stage two we set up this hutch where we can still keep them contained, but they have a view of the outside world. The lid assures that they can’t fly out, and we put a roost inside because even at this age they like to roost. Since the weather is still too chilly for these chicks to be comfortable outside, we covered it with a large piece of canvas and set up the heat lamp inside. This provides sufficient heat to keep these young ones alive and well.

White Jersey Giant and Black Jersey Giant Chicks 2022

The chicks first huddled together under the heat lamp.

Wing feathers grow in first then tail feathers begin to come in next

Before long they began to explore.

The roosting instinct begins early
Curious about the outside world

The chicks are now content in their new digs where they will spend the next few weeks while their feathers grow in and the weather warms up.

Thanks for visiting and Happy Spring! 🙂

Another Sewing Project

Reflections, Sewing

Hello and Welcome.

Buttonholes, collar stand, placards, interfacing, French seams, pleats and top stitching all in one project. If nothing else it was a learning experience. I took my time and read the directions carefully and tried to follow them. After two failed attempts at attaching the collar stand I found an online video tutorial to assist me. After I finally got it on I called my sister and said “I HATE COLLAR STANDS!” She laughed before offering encouraging words. “I don’t cuss often,” I told her “but in my mind I was.”

At last, it’s finished. The fit is decent and from a distance it doesn’t look too bad.

I do like the combination of fabrics.

It will be nice for working around the house or farm or perhaps even sitting around a campfire on a summer evening.

Thanks for visiting.

New Arrivals

Chicks, Reflections

This morning my husband received a call from the farm store – the shipment of black Jersey giant chicks was in. He was soon on his way to pick up our six chicks.

When we put the new ones in the brooder, the chicks we brought home on Friday no longer looked so tiny.

Though only a few days older the white Jersey giants are about double the size of the black ones.

It was interesting to watch them get acquainted.

The bigger birds kept pecking the beaks of the smaller ones.

I’m not sure what they were saying, just establishing the pecking order perhaps.

Ranger also wanted to get acquainted. I am sure he has no idea that these little things will someday become part of the flock he has become so friendly with at the farm.

I dipped all the beaks in their water and these little ones were eating and drinking within an hour of being in their new home. We now have this year’s dirty dozen.

Six Chicks (Something to Make You Say Aww)

Chicks, Reflections

We decided we would like to add more Jersey giant hens to our flock this year. Our second choice was buff orpingtons. We like both breeds but have found the Jersey giants to be a bit more cold-tolerant than the buffs.

When my husband went to the farm store Friday to see what breed of chicks they had in stock he did not find the black Jersey giants like we already have. They also did not have any buff orpingtons. They did have some white Jersey giants and told him they would be getting some black Jersey giants sometime this coming week. We decided we would get 6 white Jersey giants and he would return this week to get 6 of the black.

I would guess they were only 1 or 2 days old when he brought them home. Other than peeping, all they wanted to do was huddle under the heat lamp to stay warm.

Even though I dipped their beaks in the water, they ignored their water and food and pretty much stayed in their huddle.

The following morning, after I again dipped their beaks in the water and showed them their food, they began eating and drinking.

We discovered the smallest of the group had pasty butt (dried feces stuck to its butt). We had to soak it a few of times in warm water in order to remove all of the feces. If not taken care of that condition can quickly become deadly for the chick. Thankfully this little fluff ball seems to be doing well.

Thanks for visiting.