Well, it's been awhile since I last posted. Rather than try to catch up for the period of the last year...and a half, let me just say I've been busy. So have the birds.
We still have the Jersey Giants. Triple Wide (his name denotes his size and I'm not talking turkey--or maybe I am) is still captain of the Giants team. He has had many roosters come and go under his watch. Currently we have two younger Jersey Giant roosters and a beautiful white mixed rooster I named "Coyote dinner". He has managed to avoid being Coyote dinner so far so I'll just have to rename him CD. The egg production was up around 30 a day for a while until dogs, racoons, and/or a coyote decimated the flock to a manageable few producing about 17 eggs a day. Enough to supply the locals, but not much else. My two Rhode Island Reds are still running around, their names are Penny and Half-Cent. Something about Henny Penny. They are very friendly having been escorted out of the garage by Gary 6 times in one day while trying to sneak in to lay eggs in the wonderful dark cabinetry.
One of the bigger concerns about living in the Sierra toe hills is the fire threat. The chickens have done an amazing job of clearing out the property of debris and brush...at least where we allow them. Due to dog roaming concerns both ours and others, we installed a new electric fence and were very happy with the results as the chickens stayed safely inside with our dogs, and the dogs, coyotes, skunks, racoons, and other creatures stayed outside. Especially when they found out the fence was electrified.
It was somewhat of a surprise for my husband to come home after a windy day and discover the fence glowing. He hurdled the main fence to get to the back yard, wrenching his knee, to rush and put out a fire caused by debris that had blown into the fence. The damage from the fire could have been extensive if the wind had kept up and the birds hadn't gotten the brush down to manageable levels. It also helped that it had rained and the ground was still too damp to burn.
To add insult to injury he was in a car accident about 3 weeks later that required stitches, further injury to the knee, and an injury to his shoulder. My car was totaled.
His business, which was just starting to take off with many requests pending his attentions, has had to be put on hold and he is undergoing a painfully slow process of healing that is frustrating in its length.
As we wait for Spring--did we ever have winter? Where was summer from last year? And wonder what further craziness the climate will offer, I tentatively make plans to hatch a new batch of birds hoping for a future replacement for Triple Wide. His girth makes him too valuable to eat and only worthwhile to breed. Way to go TW!
