Thursday, June 4, 2009

Growing chicklets

Well, Sorry I haven't sent any updates in a while, it's been crazy. First, we had 18 inches of rain in a week and a half. There was so much water standing around that the chickens were building stilts. You would think a bird that can fly would have better balance but those chickens trying to walk on stilts was a sight. Also, not to be outdone but the chickens ingenuity, the squirrels built some canoes to get from tree to tree. what next eh. As you can see the chicklets are getting bigger. They go all over now. We had several incidents in the last 2 weeks and 2 adult hens were lost. One broke her neck and the other was a predator. A hawk got one of the chicklets also. the next day we heard a commotion and checked and the sharp shined hawk had a chicklet pinned on the ground. I ran hollering and Ginger went running and barking at the hawk and he decided that it was better to leave then face an angry Ginger. He flew up on a branch to see if we would go away. After a bit he decided we were not going any where he flew off and Ginger promptly went roaring and barking after it. I didn't know she could run that fast but she wanted a piece of that hawk.The bees are doing fine as well. They didn't like all the ran and rented movies all week. I don't know were they got the dvd player but they had a party in the hive 24/7. After it dried up for a day they were back to work gathering nectar and pollen. I tried to get a picture of the pollen laden bees but they all arrived before I got the camera. When you see them landing tail heavy they are loaded with nectar, the hungry ones fly more level.