So, where the hell is Spring? Its now almost May and I have yet to see a significant amount of sunshine. My sprouts are still sunning themselves under a fake bake light. I have minimal produce growing in the ground. The only thing remotely happy about all of this rain are my onion plants, who, I might add, have withstood hurricane-like conditions this past week like little champs. COME ON ALREADY! Give me some fresh air! Part those clouds and lets get on with this thing. I think my Winter depression is being pulled through April by a string of dreary weather forecasts, day in and day out.
My belly is growing a baby girl sprout. I would love to introduce her to gardening before she arrives. I want to tell her all about the dirt under my nails and drowned caterpillars from the broccoli that I plucked off and tossed into a bucket of water. I want to be pregnant and sweat out this summer picking tomatoes and making jams. Anyone can 9 to 5 it, but can a preggos hang with the big dogs and still produce dinner? I want to test my strength. I wanted to take on bees this year. This will be far more challenging and exciting.
This Spring, and I use the term "Spring" very loosely, has proven a challenge for my current adventure in meat birds. I started with 25 of the little mates. And, shamefully so, I am down to about 12. Princess, albeit a lady by design, is nothing of the such. After a warm few days, I moved a few of my meat boys out to the coop for an afternoon of playing in the dirt, only to find that Princess had obtained re-entry and left a massacre of 6 week old baby chicks. I was too shocked to be heart broken. I can't and won't describe what I saw, only that if I had a chance to punt that bird, I would have. She is wretched and mean to the other girls and I hope that my rooster will grow up and put her in check. I don't even want to look at her. I don't think this is normal chicken behavior. I understand pecking order. This was NOT that.
The rest of the flock is doing quite well, but getting way too big for the brooder. Escapees greet me everyday at the bottom of the stairs. Can't lie though, I think its hilarious and do nothing to stop it. The boys' combs are already turning red. My girls are starting to show their true colors and are absolutely stunning. My three bantams are about to get their own personal condo this week. I'm going to separate them from the big girls for a few more weeks because they still have puffy fluff on most of their bodies rather than feathers. And, they are just so tiny that I'm afraid that Princess may seek them out. I will be keeping a close watch on the other babies and if there is so much as a stink-eye given, Princess won't be dinner, but she won't be hanging out here anymore. Anyone want a silver-laced Wyandotte with a royal attitude problem?
Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention that Ms. Gertrude is happily laying a blue egg just about every day. Maisie is quite the overachiever and I swear leaves two beautiful tan-brown eggs sometimes. Oh yeah, and Princess, when she feels like it, lays one about every few days. They are pretty eggs though...kind of a creamy pale brown. She is such a p*ss ant.
