Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I Learn Something New Every Day

After several days of yucky rain and damp cold, the sun came out and the temperature warmed up enough for me to take the chicks out to their play pen today. As you can see, they are getting way too heavy for me to carry this tub from the barn to their pen, so here comes the wagon. They were soooo happy to get out. I feel so sorry for them being in those boxes but I want them safe. It just so happened that RFD TV had a show that had a segment on Ideal Poultry in Cameron, Texas. That's where I got my chicks. Of course, I was yacking on the phone when they had the part about sexing the chicks. It was about feather sexing. Apparently the primary feathers are noticably longer than the secondary feathers on the hens while the males are basically the same length. I did not know that! But it takes a keen eye to decipher this. On the other hand, there is vent sexing. Chickens have their genitals internally so if you squeeze out some poop, you look for a little bump in the "vent"for the males. I'm here to tell you right now that you will not catch this girl squeezing the hineys of my chickens! Either they are hens or roosters and at some point in time, I will find out. In the meantime, it's a guessing game and I'm guessing that Big Hilda is O'Henry. That's Big Hilda in the bottom right of the picture towering over the others. Time will tell.


Mud, mud, everywhere mud. But we needed the rain terribly. We have been near drought around here so of course it rains when we're ready to start on the house. The trusses and lumber was supposed to be delivered yesterday but it was a welcome downpour. So it's all been put off til Friday.




So the sand on the pad for house awaits the tractor. Hopefully by Friday things will start hopping around here and some semblance of a house will start taking shape.
I still have plenty to do around here to keep me busy...like filling in holes that the dogs have dug. Silly me! What was I thinking that this wonderful fence would contain my dogs?! They have created their own doggy door!
Happy Trails...

2 comments:

  1. I like waiting to see if they are roosters or hens...no squeezing for me either. I remember a turkey we had once that I said was a tom & my husband said was a hen. When he started to TRY & gobble is was so funny but the turkey had to perfect his "gobble" before my husband really believed he was a young jake! Your house will come along soon enough. That is one process I am glad is over for me.

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  2. Oh I'm so not a farm girl, so the visual in my head is pretty funny. I can only imagine. Thanks for visiting my blog. You will have to email me so I can respond to you since you are no-reply. Take care!

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