Chickens and Burning Christmas Trees

First Smoked Ribs!

$8.00 worth of Beef and Pork ribs for this evenings Smoking adventure! First time I have tried ribs on the Char-Griller 2-2424 Table Top Charcoal Grill and Side Fire Box.




Two hours later and it worked like a charm! Video evidence below.

Chicken no come out.

Chest of drawers repurposed into chicken coop video.

Molting Chickens

Honey and Raisin our laying hens have been molting (moulting) for the last three or four weeks. The process uses lots of protein and calcium so egg productions comes to a screeching halt.

The birds start looking very bedraggled until all the pin feathers have lost their sheaths. After a good molt they really look like new birds.

While humans do not strictly moult, an important part of the skin's defense against fungi is stratum corneum turnover that removes the microbes by shedding the old skin surface. This is increased by the immune system detection of dermatophytes (skin living fungi) such as Trichophyton rubrum.

Another amazing and intricate design that declares the glory of God. A process like this could never just happen over eons of time, there would be no way for the creature to survive even a week without every aspect of it’s form functioning in harmony. God said let there be and His Word instantly called it into being!

Skipper Caterpillars on Green Bean Plants.

Today I plucked several Skipper caterpillars from the Green Bean Plants. I fed them to the laying hens!

New Bird In The Flock

While at Shell’s Feed getting the months supply of chicken pellets I stopped by to visit the chicks. Much to my surprise they were selling a breed that I have always wanted to raise, Buff Orpingtons. This is the breed that originally re-awakened my interest in have back yard chickens .

  These are described as big fluffy, friendly birds and after all the drama that goes on in the pen with our laying hens, I am looking forward to a kinder, gentler bird wandering around the place. I have enjoyed the laying hens I ordered a few years back but I regret not holding out for Orpingtons. I gave a lot of the birds I away and people liked them but if they had been Orpingtons I think they would have really been pleased over the years!

So far our Orp has proven to be a plucky little hen. She is growing fast and likes to be close. You really have to watch if you let here walk on the ground. She tries to scurry under foot every chance she gets.

Funny Little Chicken

Today our funny little hen is broody and has been sitting on a nest with no egg for hours. Of course she has not laid an egg of her own in years. I took her out and used the opportunity to snap some posed images!

She is a kick I tell you.

Chick Magnets …. I mean Maggots.

I was turning the compost when an apple tumbled out. In this apple was a squirming mass of maggots. Oh chicken will you come over here for a moment I have something I want you to see!

Morning Somewhere In South Tampa

A friend of mine is out of town and his four hens are over for an extended sleep over. If you know anything about hens you know they do not like sleep overs :)

Manduca quinquemaculata (Tomato Hornworm)

 

Manduca quinquemaculata

Tomato Hornworm       They make me so mad!!!

   

Chicken Nipples

Today I installed a new watering system for the Chickens. I ordered something called chicken nipples from ebay user cconly.

They are great little pressure valves and the chickens like them very much!

No more dirty watering containers!

April 2011 Garden and Chicken Update

We are having a great summer this year here in Tampa, Florida and I am trying to make use of it like never before. The gardening experiment is going very well and the chickens are entertaining and productive as well

Lettuce is my favorite crop and I have been using these tasty leaves for sandwiches of all kinds. All I am missing is red ripe Tomatoes and Lord willing they will be making the scene in another three weeks!

The chicken now live in two tribes the old and the young free roam most of the yard while the rowdy hens in their prime are keep in the henitentiary busily producing eggs. This is the new coop for the elderly hens it is a chicken convalescent home of sorts!

Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Hen

It is raining here in Tampa Florida and this brings joy to my heart!

The hens are wet but they are not mad. Maybe a little perturbed but not mad.

Poultry Show Arcadia Florida!

Central Florida Poultry Breeders Association show at the Tuner Agro-Civic center, Arcadia, Florida.

Here are the two I brought back!

Jersey Giant

Poultry Show This Saturday

 

 

Central Florida Poultry Breeders Poultry Show
March 19, 2011
Turner Agri-Civic Center
2250 NE Roan St,
Arcadia, FL 34266

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Here is my first chicken show experience.

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How Does The Garden Grow?

The seeds I planted in the last few weeks are spouting quite well. Arugula, Cucumbers, Bib Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, Carrots, Beets, Green Peas, Black Eyed Peas and Three varieties of Tomatoes are all on the future menu if these seedlings continue to thrive.

The chickens are also producing almost enough eggs now to completely supply our daily needs.

Great job girls!

Hen Fights

Two of the girls are laying and the leghorn layer is fighting with all the others.This afternoon one of the other hens must have had enough and things got bloody.

Eggciting news

We have eggs!

Chicken Update!

3:16 Sermon Series Behind The Scenes

I have had the pleasure of tagging along for the last three sermons series productions with Tyler Johnston the man behind the magic. This latest series focused on the one way to the kingdom and we had a great time of fellowship shooting all the bits and pieces.

We spent some time precariously close to vehicles travelling at high speeds but the most exciting part of this series was the use of chickens. Not just any chickens but my expertly trained and wrangled chickens. 

For the grand finally at Davis Islands Campus we dispensed with the typical snake handling and brought out the chicken! So take a breath and hit play on the video below to see our very own chicken in church!

Here is the professional version viewed during the services! Tyler’s new Canon 60d!