Paradise in Disguise Hobby Farm Blog

No, I have not "fallen off the face of the earth"! But, I have not had the time to write a blog post recently, though it's been on my to-do list, it's not a top priority. We had a great time on May 30th at Chickenstock  - sold about 35 chicks and 4 baby rabbits; plus swapped and bought plants (veggies & perennial flowers). I also brought home two new bantam broody hens and three bantam Cochin 5 week old chicks. Since that time, we've been busy in between getting sick with a strong virus that won't let go! Just when we think we're getting better, I feel exhausted again & have to take several naps. As a result, the garden isn't 100% planted, though there's lots of lamb's quarters volunteering themselves. We're planning on freezing and/or juicing them, as they're good to eat, just they get too big and crowd out other "wanted" plants. I have another batch of eggs going into lockdown today - I believe it's the 10th ...

On April 29th, we actually finished putting up the aviary netting! It was a big job, with lots of "snags" (literally), but it's now ready for the paddock fences to be put up, so the chickens can start eating the grass. First, we had to stretch it out, attach it to one side of the fence under the pine trees. Then, we ran into issues with the aviary netting getting caught on the Bielfelder's fencing, so we had to call in reinforcements. Photo taken my me, while on the ladder leaning up against the Biel's coop. We enlisted Jacob's & Nancy's help again, but we did not invite Gordon, who decided he needed to get his nose into everything! Thankfully, he remained on the outside of the fence! View of the future grass paddocks between the Bielefelder & Swedish Flower Hen's coops. View of the aviary looking back towards the rooster's coop, once we'd progressed enough to start pulling it taunt. See ...

These are a collection of the best photos I took while taking McDoogle & McDuffy for a walk up Rider Hill Road. I almost made it to the top, with a few stops along the way. What a beautiful Spring day! Gordon, the "lovable nuisance" of the neighborhood was present on this walk as well, running up and down the road, through the woods and back to "pester" my dogs. But, even for all the "trouble" he causes, he somehow is still lovable!

Remember all those cute little chicks from the Easter Hatch-A-Long?  Well, these chicks from the 3rd 2015 hatch have quickly  outgrown the brooder in the "chicken room", plus they are eating through that one chick feeder really fast! So, I loaded them all up in two bins, and introduced them to the older chicks (1st & 2nd 2015 Hatch) already in the shed brooder. I didn't know how the transition would go, as there was considerable size difference, but I think it helped that everyone was hungry, so they were pre-occupied with feeding their face! Yes, the younger ones were a little scared of the older ones, but they did surprisingly well!  Remember "Muffy"? Well, it's definitely a cockerel, and just as out-going as he was at one week old! I tell you, I'm learning more all the time, and this year I've noticed that most of the rooster chicks are way more outgoing. I'd estimate 80% of the chicks that come r...

The seeds I planted 10 days ago are starting to sprout and germinate! It's so exciting, as this is the first time I've ever direct-sowed seeds this early in the year. Yes, there's no guarantee we won't have more frosts or cold temps, but I chose varieties that should be able to withstand some of that. I believe these might be the spinach seedlings. I love watching the little seedlings poke their heads through the ground, and all the diverse textures in the compost/soil. This also provided McDoogle & McDuffie an opportunity to run free, yet stay safe within a fenced-in area. And of course, Gordon had to visit, bark and harass them, even if it was through the fence. Here he is checking out a log that must have been on the side hill. The next thing I know, Gordon picks up the log and runs with it, down Rider Hill Road, and onto the neighbor's property! I know he loves sticks, but this was a pretty good-sized log! The boys also had there share...

Summary: I'm trying to not get my hopes up too high, but so far so good!  Detailed version: The introduction to Mom & Dad last night went pretty well. He went right up to Dad and put his paws on his leg, and this morning Dad got down on the floor & gave loving to both of them! I don't think he's convinced yet, but he didn't say anything about taking Eli back, but nether did I offer! He'd been very good about not "marking" inside, except for a few times I caught him "in time". But, when I left him for a moment with Dad & Mom, he did mark right in front of them. I think he may have been "testing them", to see if they'd respond the same way I have. He's still pretty calm & easy-going, yet enjoys the walks we've been taking.  Yesterday, I had them outside on the tie-out while I was outside, and when I checked on them, Eli's leash was no longer attached to the tie out. But, he was by t...

Friday morning, as I passed the dog kennels at the Heart of the Catskills Humane Society, I noticed two new small dogs, but kept walking as I was there to work. On the way back through, I did briefly pause to take a 2nd look, and they both looked to be Schnauzer/ terriers of some type. I honestly didn’t think too much about it for awhile, as I’ve been content with just one dog for the past 2 ½ years. But, later on in the morning, I walked over to the door where I could look out & see the dogs in the “puppy run”. Just like I had done with McDoogle, I wanted to take a closer look at these new dogs, as they had a similar cute “scruffy, homeless” look. They seemed to stay together most of the time, and as I watched them, I found out that both of them were males. McDoogle has generally gotten along with female dogs better than males, so I knew the odds were stacked against me, not to mention that I knew Dad was most likely not going to say “yes” to a 2nd dog. I tried to put the little ...