Introducing New Chickens to the Flock and a Summer Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

                                        ~There is always enough, when love is present~

The long, lazy days of summer are still with us but our roosters are not. It was a sad day when we had to say goodbye to our three roos. Knowing they were going to a good home in the country made us feel marginally better.

Our two remaining hens, Sadie, (aka, Sweet Girl) and Cocoa seemed to breathe an audible sigh of relief as the three rambunctious boys left the coop. I thought they would be sad to see their brothers go. I felt so bad, so on the following day of saying goodbye to the boys, I finally let them out of their coop/run to free range our yard for the first time. If they felt any sadness, it was soon forgotten as they explored the yard, nibbling on fresh kale and jumping at butterflies.

We happily watched them become brave adventurers. Each day they ventured farther afield, to the playground, under the trampoline, up the stairs to our kitchen garden where sweet herbs and a few lettuces were trying valiantly to grow despite the mass families of quail visiting our yard this year. I had to laugh one day when our sweet Sadie chased some quail out of our yard. As she ran with her wings straight back, she seemed to say, get out of MY yard. (There really is enough growing for all)

Sadie and Cocoa check out the playhouse

And that got me thinking about adding a few more hen friends. One of the reasons for adding to our flock was that chickens are social creatures and they do well in groups of at least three. In fact, I don't think you can say you have a flock of chickens unless you have three. Also, even though the nights are balmy now, I know in the not too distant future, it's going to get very cold in our part of the world and we are going to need several chickens huddling together in the coop to stay warm through the winter.

It took a week for us to find new sisters for our girls. I put the word out on Facebook with a chicken loving friend who is also into sustainable living. Also, we tried to contact a local hatchery but after several phone calls and even an email, our request for two hens must not have been enough to warrant a call back. Finally, I found a Kijiji ad offering 6 month old Rhode Island Red hens for sale.

Perfect!

I contacted the owner and he was happy to sell two hens to us. I gathered together my laundry basket and D secured some hardware cloth to the top and we headed out to the country. A lovely flock of 10 Rhode Island Hens were happily scratching and clucking in a shady run. How does one go about finding two hens from a group of constantly moving chickens?

I told the owner, we would like hens who are in the middle of the pecking order so we don't bring home two bossy boots. Also, I was hoping to get the darkest red hens I could find as I LOVE this breed of chicken and I thought they would fit in nicely with our girls. Our beautiful girls are both a rusty dark red and although I'm not a chicken expert, since they both came from greeny blue eggs, they are what is called Easter Eggers. This is a mixed breed with one parent carrying the coloured egg gene.

I'd like to say we chose our two new girls, but really I think destiny chose them. We took the first one I picked up and the owner's daughter, Haley chose the other one. I would have loved to have brought all 10 hens home, as I knew the owner was moving and needed to find homes for them all but two was a good number for us and our urban setting. It's a good idea, if you are introducing new hens to bring at least 2 from the same flock so they have a friend as they adjust to their new surroundings and new coop mates.

David carrying our new hens into our backyard and the kids are beyond excited

  So here is what I have learned about introducing new chickens to an existing flock. 

You can't just let them run loose with your existing birds, due to potential health issues and also of course the whole pecking order has to be rearranged in a controlled situation. Thankfully, we have a hardware cloth door that can be closed to create two runs and we let the new girls have the larger run. There is a nice roost in this run and I put a pet carrier inside for their nesting box since the new chickens are laying eggs. (Yipee)

After three days we had 1/2 dozen eggs from our new hens

Our girls, who were free ranging when we brought their new sisters home came running over to see what we had in the laundry basket. They were very interested and excited but I'm glad we had them separated as the new girls were larger and I was worried about our 15 week babies/adolescent birds. After all, these new girls were used to being in a larger flock and dealing with the pecking order, and our girls had put up with 3 big brothers but no big bossy hens. Another tip, in introducing new chickens to the flock is to make sure they are all about the same size as the smaller ones will get picked on for sure.

Here are the new girls moving into the run for the first time.

In the first week, I made sure they had a lot of greens and lovely things to eat to make them feel welcome

After a week of keeping the new girls, who we finally named, Clara and Annie, in their run/coop, one beautiful afternoon, I let them out to join Sadie and Cocoa. Since there was lots of space to explore, there was no confrontation, although both sets were wary of each other. That night I separated them in the coop/run again but the next day I let them out and they have been free ranging and sleeping in the run/coop without any barrier. The new girls did stay on the run roost each night up to now but tonight when they were all starting to settle into their respective places, I picked the new girls up and moved them into the coop with our younger girls. There was some unrest but then they settled down obviously too tired to worry about who was sleeping where. I will get up nice and early and let them out to avoid any issues.

I have heard that there can be vicious attacks but so far, there has only been a move towards a peck, which has been avoided since there has been the space for all to roam. I think that is the key with adjusting new chickens into an existing flock; to give them space so they don't feel stressed. If there is no stress for food, or roost space, or places to scratch and move, then there really is no issue. They can easily transition into a comfortable pecking order without any violence.

Reminds me a bit of bringing home a new baby  to join an older brother, sister, or more. If the existing child, or children feel that they are not losing anything, just gaining a sweet brother or sister, then the adjustment is easier. In fact, our children all felt we had given them something very special instead of  anything being taking away. That shocked me as I had never thought of it that way. I was worried they would feel as though they were losing a bit of their relationship with their mom and dad and then I realized, they were being given a new relationship that WE were not a part of in any way. I'll never forget our oldest daughter oohing and ahhhing over her baby brother the first time she met him."My baby brudder," she said as she held him in her tiny arms.

Here's  our daughter Grace feeding one of her twin baby sisters. She was so excited to finally have not just one baby sister but TWO

Here's Clara, one of our new hens exploring her new yard..so far she is the BIG SISTER and realizes there is enough to go around for all the hens, food, room to explore, attention, and companionship

Victoria getting to know the new girls, Clara in front and Annie in the back

There is a lot of room for the hens to roam on our 1/3 acre urban lot, here you can see the two separate runs/coops we have set up. The one on the right is the one our older girls lived in as we adjusted our new hens to their surroundings. The new girls lived in the run on the left. There is a nice roost and a nest box in that run. Hopefully, after tonight they will all sleep together in the little coop space in the upper run

All of this has been going on at our homestead while we were also saying goodbye to our oldest son, who left for London mid July to spend the summer with his sister traveling around the U.K. The same sister who taught me there is always enough love to go, when we introduced HER baby brother to her. Now they are all grown up and are traveling partners in life.

Before Clark left though we harvested our strawberries and our rhubarb and made a delicious crumble. I've been  waiting to write a blog and share this recipe with you but it's been a really busy summer. Are you finding it's flying by too? Our second big crop of rhubarb is about ready to harvest again.

Btw, the crumble is the British term for the American crisp, which I thought was appropriate as our son headed off for Britain. Here's my recipe for a Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble (adjust the sugar depending on how sweet you would want it)

Hope's Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Ingredients

3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or toasted almonds
3 cups of cut up strawberries
2 cups of chopped rhubarb
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Directions

Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix in with a pastry cutter. Add nuts and mix with a fork. Set aside this topping for the crumble.

Mix the strawberries, rhubarb, white sugar, and vanilla and place in the bottom of an 8x11 inch pan. 

Sprinkle the topping on top of fruit mixture. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 40 minutes 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream on top...delicious

Although this crumble went fast in our house...it's easy to make so there is always enough!

Saying goodbye to our oldest as he heads off for his summer adventure to the U.K.

 
 
                           ~There is no lack. There is always enough~

I hope to see you again soon,

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

P.S. The girls slept together well last night and seemed to be even closer this morning as they roamed around the yard together rather in two separate groups. Also, BIG News, there was the usual two eggs, one in the coop area they slept in last night and one in the old nesting box which is still in the run. The BIG news though is that I found two shelless eggs which means our younger girls, Sadie and Cocoa are revving to lay REAL eggs soon. Exciting day and a big step towards having a harmonious flock.

 

 

 

 

The Chicks are Growing Up...and Lemon Squares

                   
       

Before you were born I carried you under my heart. From the moment you arrived in this world until the moment I leave it, I will always carry you in my heart. ~Mandy Harrison
 
What devoted blog readers you are to come and visit today.

 Thank you!

I'm sorry I haven't been posting much this spring and early summer. As you may know, if you are a follower, I was blessed again to be rehired back at my gardening gig for 8 weeks this spring. Between work and my mom/homestead duties, my days have been blissfully, abundantly full.

As much as I enjoyed every single moment of my time at the gardens, (I have amazing work buds, waving "Hi"if any of you are reading today) it's nice to take a moment to contemplate life, my dreams and the summer ahead. Before another season flies by though, I wanted to take a moment and tell you about our baby chicks.

News Flash! Chickens grow up REALLY fast.

They are not sweet, fluffy 'lil chicks any longer. Nope! But they are sweet big pullets and cockerels. Yes, that's right, it looks like we have cockerels, as in roosters. I was pretty sure a few were turning boyish, as they were growing alarmingly fast and getting red combs and wattles. Also, having raised 8 kids myself, I know the chance of having boys is usually a 50/50 chance. In my case, for many years an 75/25 chance, until Grace and our twin daughters evened things out. Anyway, we took the risk that we may have a few roosters, as we did the "hatch a chick program" at my son's grade 1 class. As far as I know there isn't a way to determine the gender before the egg has hatched. 


The inevitable happened this past Monday morning. I was half asleep, pouring breakfast cereal for my three little ones when, "Cock a doodle Doo" floated in loudly from our open kitchen window. Now, this wasn't an adolescent learning to crow. Oh no, this was a full blown doodle. For a moment I smiled as this is what I would love to hear IF, I were living in the country but no, the reality is that I don't live in the country. I live in an urban type yard and I needed to muzzle that sound or we would quickly be discovered as having chickens. Even hens are not a welcome backyard pet in our area....yet.

Ahhhh! I quickly, pulled together an enticing tray of yummy food for our chickens; rolled oats, raisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, some left over brown rice from our dinner the night before and then as I flew down to the coop wearing nothing but my nightie. I gathered a few strawberries along the way and some herbs; parsley, lemon balm, oregano, thyme and finally sweeping by my lower garden gathered up some of their fav grub; kale leaves. I was figuring a chicken eatin', ain't a chicken talking. When I arrived at the coop all in a flap, my 5 chickens were all gathered at the door, looking innocent. No one particular was fessing up over calling the alarm for breakfast. Every day since, our roos voices are growing stronger, thankfully never at the same time. Sadly, it looks like we are going to have to say goodbye to our three beautiful boys. I will not be able to keep them in our urban backyard much longer. (Thankfully, I may have a country gal willing to take them)

Bittersweet really.

I have wanted chickens for so long. I've read everything I could get my hands on regarding their care, that I thought I would enjoy the experience but I had no idea, I would LOVE just being close to them. They are meditative of sorts and funny to watch as they have big personalities in their little feathered bodies. It's interesting as they go about their day eating, socializing, scratching, being curious about the world and what is going on around them.

The little dark one we called Coco Chanel and it looks like she is going to be one of our hens

Aren't they the cutest! Here they are all 5 of them, spending some morning time with the kids in the family room...they are getting their little feathers

Will just loves holding them and it has been interesting to see how the various fluff balls matured over the last 3 months. They really do grow up FAST! Those aren't droppings on the paper towels, just little pieces of parsley.

Our little fluffy feathered babies remind me why I love being a mom to little kids so much 'cause little ones are the same in so many ways. They love to experience eating new foods, socializing, making new friends, and are curious and interested in everything happening around them. Watching babies grow is like discovering the world for the first time through their eyes. Magical!

 Here they are at last out of the house and into their new home. It's been such a ride. They lived in our laundry room in the brooder box for about a month as it was cold outside when they came to us at the end of April. Then we moved their brooder box into the garage for another couple of weeks and finally at 6 weeks old we moved them out to the coop. They were fully feathered and getting really big at this point.

Here's a picture of the two roosters enjoying their new coop with the cool birch branch roost my husband D made for them...the white one we called, "Pearl" but it looks like she is Captain Pearl now.

Here's the new coop and run. Since our yard is sloped we had to build it in two sections. The first section holds their coop which is really cool and has some easy to clean features. This was put in place first and then D built the run to the left. For those of you who are interested, I am going to do a post soon ALL about the construction of the coop, as when I was in my quest for chickens, where to put them was a biggie You can see how big they are now

As our chicks turned a month old, our twin daughters, Kathryn Mira and Victoria Hope turned 5 years old on May 20th (The Victoria Day long weekend here in Canada). As I write this they are 5 years and 2 months old yesterday. I've been meaning to write this blog for 2 months! I can't believe my babies are growing up and will be off to kindergarten in the fall. It just seems like the other day I was carrying them around in each arm.

Sadly, I've lost a lot of baby pictures of the girls (on a flash stick somewhere) but here is one sweet picture. Victoria is on the left and Kathryn is on the right...back then they were almost identical

Here's Victoria still snuggling into her twin. Kate is on the left here and Tori on the right 5 years old

Kathryn and Victoria on their birthday....a kitty for Kate and a puppy for Tori are in their new bike baskets

So this blog is really about how fast our chicks grow up, enjoying the journey and celebrating the moments.

When my family celebrates an occasion we usually do so with a dessert and I thought this was the PERFECT time to share my lemon square recipe. I started making this years ago when our older kids were in our local Carriage house string Orchestra. The moms would take turns bringing snacks for their "break bread" and socialize aspect of their practice.  When it was my turn to feed the 20 something group of kids, I always brought healthy veggies, hummus, fruit, taco chips and various dips but the big hit was always when I brought my delish brownies (stay tuned as I don't think I have posted this recipe) AND these lemon squares.

I've had so many people over the years ask for this recipe so I thought I would finally include it in this blog, even though it's not the healthiest of desserts. Sometimes dessert is just SWEET. Summer time is also THE perfect time for lemon desserts don't you think? Light and tart....goes great with Greek type food. If you are looking for an easy dessert square for a special occasion, check this recipe out.


Lemon Squares

(This recipe is from the Company's Coming Cookbook by Jean Pare)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated Sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 eggs
3 tbsp of lemon juice
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup coconut
1/4 tsp salt

First layer: Crumble first 3 ingredients until mealy. Press into un-greased 9x9 pan Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes

Second Layer: Beat eggs slightly. Stir in remaining 6 ingredients. Spread over first layer. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until set in the center and light brown in colour. Cool and frost.

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp butter
4 tsp lemon juice and if you like you can add some real lemon zest

Directions:
Combine all together in small bowl Beat well, adding more lemon juice a bit at a time as needed for easy spreading. Spread over cooled bars. Allow to set. Cut 36 small squares.

Thanks so much for coming by for a visit. Before I close though, I wanted to share a song/vid that I have loved for years now. 

WAY back before our daughter Grace was born, I wanted another baby. Hopefully another daughter. We had our oldest, a daughter and then were blessed with 3 beautiful boys. Our oldest daughter asked for a baby sister for every birthday and holiday. It was a LONG journey though, as I was over 40 at that point and my fertility had taken a nose dive. We lost a baby along that journey and after that loss, I realized ANY baby would be welcome, not just a daughter. So many people have preferences over gender and having a loss made me realize that boy or girl, it doesn't matter. Our babies are precious gifts and teach us so much about life. (And I guess that is why I love my Roosters so much too) I just wanted to be pregnant again and hold another baby in my arms. When I heard this song by Leanne Womack before we finally got pregnant with Grace,  I cried and cried.  I was surrendering my dream of having anymore children and yet the Universe had other plans.

Now I am the blessed mom to 8 children. Four beautiful boys and four lovely girls and all I want for them is to live fully and experience all this world has to offer them. I want them to dance.

Our girls dancing together through life

 

The girls had their very first ballet performance in June. The theme was circus and they were dancing ponies

 I hope the experience I went through losing a baby, trying to conceive for years, also influences all of our children. They know they were wanted long before they ever came to earth. Hopefully, that energy flows from me and feel deeply loved and wanted.

So before you close my post, check out Leanne Womack's video, "I hope you Dance." If your dream is to have chickens, get chickens....best experience EVER. And if your dream is to have a child but you are facing infertility, hold your vision and move in the direction of your dream, staying positive and trusting the Universe to show you the way. WHATEVER your dream, "allow miracles to happen," move in that direction and most of all, I hope you dance. That is what I wish for you today. (if you can't see the video below, check out the hyper link above)

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Brooding Chicks....Happy Earth Day!

                   

Yes, I know, April 22th, the official earth day was several weeks ago but don't you think everyday should be Earth Day?

A day to celebrate our home. It continues to give us clean water in many parts of the world and enough food to eat. The earth continues to amaze us with its' beauty and reminds us to flow with ease, through the seasons of our life.

Spring came early in my part of the world; the North Okanagan valley. It's just early May and people have had their tomato plants in the ground for several weeks now. Normally, the Victoria day long weekend, (3rd week in May) has been the time when we safely plant our gardens.

 


But this year, we are hitting record high temperatures. Global warming? My oldest son, who will be graduating from University this June, with a Science degree majoring in Environmental science, would say climate change is real. Some people don't agree with that. I started working at the Garden center on earth day and while at the check out, several of us were chatting with our customers about the unusual warm weather and an older gentleman came by, over heard our conversation and scoffed at the idea of global warming; saying it's not unusual to have an early, hot spring, quoting another similar season 100 years ago.

A co-worker of mine, is big on reusing items and reinventing them in the garden...see unique planters above

A view of the garden center from the veggie section

I know scientists, like David Suzuki, has been trying to educate the world for over 40 years on the damage we are creating using fossils fuels etc and although we are still driving around using gas powered vehicles, I hope that in growing more food in our backyard it is one step towards our independence from outside sources. ( Check out the David Suzuki Foundation's 30x30 Nature Challenge for the month of May.) The more we become connected to the earth, the more we realize we can make a difference. We just need to get down and connect.

Victoria and Kathryn spend time observing a snail on our front walk....they wanted to feed it to the chicks!

Then decided, it too had a special place on the earth

                                                                    


Guess what is happening, FINALLY at our homestead?

My dream to have chickens has finally come true and as I write this blog post, two sweet little balls of fluff are dozing in their brooder box in our laundry room. They are wrapping their little newly feathered wings around each of us and their peeps are endearing.

It all started when I heard about the Hatch a Chick program put on by our local "Teach and Learn," store. They provide 7 eggs in an incubator and all the necessary equipment you need once chicks hatch. Our family decided to sponsor this program for our son Will's grade 1 class. Once the chicks hatched the class kept them for a week. The whole school was excited over the hatching chicks. Even the BIG grade 7's came in and lost their cool over the baby chicks. We were able to bring home the chicks that hatched. It was an exciting April around here and at Will's school.

Will checking out the eggs....21 more days!

All good right?

Well not quite.

The downside is that in our rural sub-division the current by-law does NOT allow chickens. We have decided not to wait for the slow moving political system to grind it's gears. We are moving ahead and if anyone protests, I'm going to write our local paper's editor and start ruffling feathers. (Holding the vision that it won't come to that) We do have a 1/3 of an acre and we will position our chicken coop on our property in such a way that it will not affect our neighbours. Our baby chicks have been in our house for 24 hours and even our cat hasn't clued in. Hopefully, our neighbours will not hear a cluck once they are in the yard.

Our province's capital city of Victoria (which is a beautiful city if you haven't visited) allows chickens, our largest city in our province, Vancouver (which is becoming a role model for one of the greenest cities in the world) allows chickens, and even our nearby city, Vernon, of which we are closely connected allows chickens.

The motto as you drive into our area is "Rural Living at it's Best." I don't know what this is suppose to mean but if our chickens become an issue, I'm ready to educate people on the benefits of having chickens.

As far as I'm concerned they are pets with benefits. They of course will provide my family with delicious, organic eggs but I get rather excited thinking about having some help in the garden. Turning over the soil and readying it for the garden season. Nature's rototiller, ridding our yard of pests, weeds, etc without doing any harmful spraying. (which affect our bees...we are all connected) Also, I know this may sound funny, unless you are grooving in the garden too, but chicken droppings are excellent for amending  soil....and I LOVE improving my garden fertility. ALSO, did I mention we are thinking of dropping our cable T.V?  I've heard chicken T.V. is way more interesting.

This was Victoria today....she spent a long time sitting and watching the peeps

Then there is the whole locavore and being sustainable movement. (Which I'd like to think I support by my actions) Keeping chickens is the next natural step, after growing our own food. Several winters ago, the highway to the coast was shut down due to winter weather conditions and our grocery stores were pretty bare after 3 days. I know in my neighbourhood, which is affluent, there may not be the heightened concern over food security, but no matter how much money you have, if there is some sort of energy crisis, or weather emergency, we are on our own as far as feeding ourselves. I'd like to think that taking steps to grow some of our own food, along with keeping chickens may assist us to weather that kind of crisis and become a stronger community.

If you are thinking of keeping chickens too, here are a few great books I would recommend.

 

and





and finally,

 

In the last several years, I think I have read every book written about chicken keeping, and there are a lot of books out there. It's been a bit of an addiction to keep growing my knowledge. So when we decided that we were going to move ahead with the hatch a chick program at my son's grade one class, I started gathering stuff for brooding our babies.

Of course the number one item was a brooder box. Which can be a simple as a rubbermaid container but baby chicks grow really fast and they would quickly outgrow this so I thought we would start off with the right size brooder box. I gave my husband a sketch of what I wanted and here is what he came up with. (This box can also be used if you ever need to separate chickens short term, due to illness or if one is being picked on)

My husband D, making the brooder box

The kids got in the box and started peeping. The top lifts off and the front door opens too

Then, like gathering things for the arrival of the newborn, I visited Buckerfield's, a farm store, and picked up a chick feeding dish, a water dish, a heat lamp and red bulb, some chick starter, some grit, ('cause chickens don't have teeth and grit is needed in their crop to grind their food) and of course, some paper towels and some pine shavings for the bedding,

Out of the 7 eggs in the incubator at my son's grade 1 class, only 2 hatched at 21 days. One came from a green egg, and one from a brown egg. One is yellow, and one is a beige. I'm hoping one is a Rhode Island hen.  We were sad that the success rate was so low but happy with our two little ones who are currently without names. They are still being called, "the peeps."

The Teach and Learn Store says there may be some other chicks hatching at other schools and we may be able to add a few more to our flock. (Is two a flock?)

Here are our peeps,  the day they had hatched.April 27th, 2016

Since our garage is still quite cold, we put the brooder box in our laundry room

I thought this was a cute quote above our chicks....especially since they have wings

Here are the peeps, safe and sound in their new brooder box. 1 week old, they are getting their little feathers on their wings

Kathryn and Victoria LOVE their peeps

Well, that is the latest around here. It's going to be a busy spring with me working full time and we have a lot going on, soccer, golf, music, swimming, ballet, and I'm trying to build a bigger garden area.

Expanding my veggie garden, digging up more grass and edging with stones

 

I hope you follow along on our chicken journey. It's such a small thing but something as little as keeping chickens can help to heal our earth. We all play a symbiotic part on this planet.

I am the Earth
And the Earth is me,
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone,
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.
And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs,
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.
That's why we
Celebrate this day.
That's why across
The world we say;
As long as life,
Is dear, is free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
                                   ~Jane Yolen~



Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope