A Friend of Man and Protector of Chickens

 

Keeping the farm in line would be chaos without mans best friends and we have four such friends

 

  

Charlie is our American cocker spaniel. He was our first chicken dog and he taught
Bridget to herd and care for the chickens, now that he has passed the torch to
Bridget he enjoys sleeping the day away.

 

 

 Bridget is our Border collie/Aussie mix she protects the flock from
stray dogs, hawks, ravens, and other wild life, when she is not patrolling
the yard.  She enjoys playing with her tennis ball.

 

 

Molly is our mixed breed chicken dog in training, at night she helps alongside Bridget and Charlie to put the chickens to bed. although  it is a work in progress Bridget is trying her best to be a good teacher. When she is not tagging along with Bridget she enjoys playing in the sprinklers.

 



Dixie is our diva Papillion. Diva's don't have much time for chickens. She would much rather be lounging on the couch, but once in awhile she will give the chickens a chase.



 

 We have five mouser cats who protect the property from rodents.
This one is Mr. Goldie



 

 In the evening we let the chickens out to free range and get their fill of
 bugs, grass, and seeds. As a treat I spread corn out in the field for them.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed and have a blessed week



Introduction Of My Flock

I would like to introduce you to my flock.

Let us start with our main event when people come over to see the chickens. Meet Tuffy our mille fleur cochin,  While we were staying in Georgia a friend of ours gave me eggs of assorted breeds for incubation. We boxed them up and flew home to Colorado, placed them in my incubator and Tuffy was the only one to hatch (hence the name). 

 

next up is Mrs. Tuffy. Mr. and Mrs. Tuffy now live together in their humble home,

Helen Keller and the twins board with them. 

Grace Kelly is the daughter of Mr and Mrs. Tuffy, she is now living in the silkie's coop.

 

Helen Keller is my brave blind chicken, it is difficult for her to get around though you never hear her complain, she enjoys her days soaking up the sun. She is faithful to contribute her large white eggs.

 

The twins moved out from under their mother's wing, and now live with Mr. and Mrs. Tuffy to cut down on living expenses.

 

 

The big pen is where the majority of the standard breed chickens live,

 it includes a room full of

perches, laying area, and a large fence.

 

The Silkie Pen is where we keep our silkies and a small assortment of breeds.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed this introduction of my flock.

Drop by next week to see what's clucking at the pioneer farm.

 

My Chicken Beginning

I bought my first set of chickens back in 2009 from an elderly woman in our area who had an incubator made from an old dresser in her basement. My sister and I picked out eight of the chicks that we thought were the cutest.

 

We hadn't brought any thing with us to take them home in, so the lady gave us a brown paper bag to bring them home in. The paper bag just happened to come from Kentucky Fried Chicken.

 

 

She gave us instruction to care for the chickens and we headed home, KFC bag in hand.

We didn't know what we were getting in to...

 

 

We picked up a bag of chick starter and some feeders at a local farm supply store and made a makeshift brooder out of a cardboard box.

 

I have learned so much in the last five years about poultry farming and I continue to learn something new every day. I now own over seventy chickens and three ducks.

I got my own incubator for Christmas and hatched around thirty chicks last year.

I sell farm fresh eggs to locals I call it The Pioneer Girl Farm.

 

 

I'm Ramona,  thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you enjoy my stories of farming.

Have a great day and God bless.