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When your friends know you’re crazy, but help you anyway, because they love you.

The other day I entered into a photo contest for one of my chickens… that’s right I said chicken … not kid! LOL I started out the day by asking everyone who I knew to vote for the chicken photo I had submitted of my Ayam Cemani hen. I was very proud of the picture I took. As the day went on I found myself in between running errands, making meals, getting our school room ready and checking the votes… I was so happy that for the first part I was in the lead!

Then after nap time I lost the lead… this is where the name crazy chicken lady comes into play. I texted my friends asking them to please ask THEIR friends to vote. They already know my passion for my chickens. You know what, I have some pretty amazing friends in my life. They went and asked their friends for me. I was truly moved by them helping me. I didn’t win , I lost by 15 votes but I did come in second place!!!! I won a painting that is going to made from the photo I had submitted. I would like to thank my friends who know I’m crazy about my chickens, get texts with photos of my chickens, and still love me for me. Hugs to each and everyone of you. #hobby #backyarding #friends. you can also follow my page on MeWe

Mjbackyardingwithkids ( Delicious Cluckers Farm)

https://mewe.com/p/mjbackyardingwithkidsdeliciouscluckersfarm.

Turkey

Today, I was cleaning out the turkeys.  One of our hens likes to sit on the top and look down on me as I clean them out. Today, she decided for the first time that my ponytail looked like it would be fun to grab.

She did this about 2 times, but the 3rd time she was successful in ripping out my hair tie jumping off the roof. I chased after her around their run area I did in deed get the hair tie back.

My advice would be to watch your hair accessories and that turkeys can in deed run fast when they want to.

🤣😅🤣😅🤣

#mjbackyardingwithkids #hairtie #turkeys #homesteading #running #turkeyscanbefast ponytail

Cleaning

It’s been a long week of yard work, and it’s only Wednesday 🤣.

We have gotten a lot done. Cleaning out the weeds from the front area where the pumpkins will be planted.

Before photo

I know in the photo they don’t look long but they are. There was also dead sun flower stalks.

( after) Still have some weeding to do, but the big stuff is gone.

Wel also got the raised garden beds built and filled with soil. I added some worms to them but forgot to take a photo of them 🤣.

And got the fencing done around the garden area.

Now, to get the ground ready for planting and let the fun begin! 

I got some cute little solar mushroom lights. 🍄

I planted flower bulbs around them. I can’t wait for those to come up.

#mjbackyardingwithkids #homesteading #gardening #needamassage

Snow/ planting

We had a little bit of snow today. Mostly rain, though. I took this time  since  everything is muddy to do some planting!

Chocolate cherry sunflowers

Mongolia giant sunflower

Emily basil

Cinderella pumpkin

Mint mountain

Spinach

Pepper ashe County pimento

Sweet corn

Lemon balm

Corn hopi pink

Brown sugar tomato

Tatsoi

I get my seeds from bakerscreek. The brown sugar tomato would be the one I’m most excited about. The other one I would be excited to try is the pepper ashe County pimento.  I’m looking forward to trying to making pickled eggs with them.

Today, my daughter pulled one of the beets to give to the livestock, and it was the biggest one we have grown yet.

Tomorrow, the livestock will be very happy to get this big one.

#mjbackyardingwithkids #homesteading #deliciouscluckers #thanksforvistingmypage.

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Doris

Doris is my Red Shoulder Yokohama hen. I’ve been wondering when she would start to lay.

My friend and I thought it would be around May, but I had a wonderful surprise today when I went out to check on things.

Doris laid her first egg! 

1639 to 1854 – almost all of the Edo period – Japan was effectively closed to foreign trade. Under the Convention of Kanagawa of 1854, there were  five ports  that were to be constructed for trade with the rest of the world. One of these was Yokohama!

Seven  among the goods exported to Europe were  traditional Japanese long-tailed chickens; the first documented export was in 1864. In that year, some of the birds reached the Jardin Zoologique d’Acclimatation in Paris, where they were named Yokohama for their port of origin.

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Getting ready

We are to have another storm where I live. They are saying 3 to 6 inches of snow. I could care less about the snow. Every homesteader knows about getting work done in the snow. For me, it’s the wind storms. I can’t get work done in wind storms.

Everyone is always asking how to keep their runs for their girls/ guys ( chickens hens / roosters) to not move/flip during a wind storm. I love the idea of using cinder blocks on the outside of the runs. Planting herbs in the cinder blocks. I have this project for my homestead for during the spring or summer. Until then, though, I use
Eurmax USA U-Shaped-Rebar-Stakes-12-Inch, Ground Stakes Heavy Duty.

I put two on each side of my longer runs and one on each side of my shorter runs.

The girls/ guys didn’t care about me adding the stakes. The turkeys did, and they tried to help.

This is Monica.

This is Janice

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#mjbackyardingwithkids #homesteading #deliciouscluckers #coops #monica #turkeys

Hurry spring

While most wait until after the frost date to start planting, there are a huge amount of us who plant now!

I was excited to see my Pink Dandelion starting to srpout!

This is my first year growing these ones. I can’t wait to make jam, tea, and, of course, getting seeds to plant more of them. 7 to 21 days for germination. 60 to 95 days until it blooms. I have started mine in the greenhouse, and I will be planting them in the outdoor garden area. I just haven’t decided where yet.

This blog post isn’t just about planting. I do have to show off my Dark Brahma cockerel.

I love the Dark Brahmas, but I would love to get some Isabella Brahmas. Show me your chickens!

#mjbackyardingwithkids #homesteading #deliciouscluckers #planting #chickens

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Russian Orloff

I’ve loved the breed Russian Orloff for a long time.

When we lived in the city, I received two chicks not knowing anything about the breed.

The Russian Orloff was considered to be a product of Russia and Orlov. Modern research has discovered that the breed first appeared in Persia and was distributed across Europe also Asia by the 17th century.

In 1884 that the first Orloff chickens were imported to Central Europe from the Russian Empire. The breed then reached the Saxon professor Friedrich Zürn (1835-1900) in Leipzig. The breed then came to possession of Baron Ludwig von Villa-Secca Navarro d’Andrade (1822-1894) to Vienna-Ottakring.

Orloffs were first introduced to Great Britain in the 1920s. Germans created the first miniaturized bantam Orloff by 1925. The breed was once included in the American Poultry Association’s breed standard, the Standard of Perfection, but it was removed due to a lack of interest from breeders. In the 21st century, Russian Orloff remains a rare breed in the West. The Livestock Conservancy lists the breed as critically endangered.

I love being able to help this breed!

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#homesteading #deliciouscluckers #Russianorloff #chickens

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