Sunday, March 28, 2010

Come with me to the peacock farm...

 I went to my friend Jack's peacock farm to see what was new there. It was too cool to spend much time outside today so was a good day for a visit.



Don't you love this. God is such a Creator. Only He could create this kind of beauty!


Jack had a friend who is now deceased that made him some of these peacock whirligigs. Wish I had one.

And look what is new. Little kittens playing around the wood pile.

And I think he called this a Sebright Rooster. I must have one of these too.


But the turkeys were my favorite. We passed one of these up this weekend at the swap meet for $25.00. I'm kicking myself now.  They were so beautiful doing their strutting thing.

This one is called Bourbon Red Turkey. Lordy, he was gorgeous. Jack said when he gobbles you can hear the wild turkeys answering. Cool!

Here is another turkey he had. The third one was white with some black speckling on it.

Here they all three are.

Another view of the black one. Why would anyone want to eat something this beautiful? I may never eat another turkey!

I can hardly wait to buy me a incubator and get some eggs to hatch of all the different chickens and turkeys and even peacocks I am finding. Why not try to hatch them from eggs is what I am thinking?

Saturday, March 27, 2010

a tour of the local feed store.....

Grandsons Mark and Koda and their Poppy went to the local feed store...





OK Mark lead the way in. There is lots of good stuff in there.


And good people!

Boots for her.


Boots for him...
and shoes for your horses. Can't get that at Wal-Mart can ya.


A new Lariat. Maybe he could rope something from the  motorcycle? Oh that thing in the red box by his elbow, that's for pulling calves.


Hmmmmmm Rabbits.

Talking with a well trained and extremely knowledgeable staff. If you have animal questions she has the answer.


Dredlocks for your horse.


Not sure what was going on here.



More feed store stuff. Koda is fed up with having his picture taken. Why is one kid in a winter coat and the other in a T-Shirt?

Rabbit chow. Can you get that in NEW YORK CITY?


No Mark we are NOT going to get a rabbit.


The heavy lifter.


You buy and they put it in the truck. good deal I need to borrow him for a few days. Well that concludes our shopping trip to the feed store.

Small Animal Swap Meet

The fourth Saturday of each month starting in March is the small animal swap meet in Fordland, Mo. and since Rachel and Baby Kaden had made it home from the hospital and everything was going well, we decided to head for Fordland. We packed a couple cages into the back of the truck and off we went. Off seeking something exotic. We love the chickens that are just a little different than the average joe. Ha. Ha.

And the wind was blowing like crazy and it was COLD. The swap meet started early and we arrived around 7:30 in the morning. We followed the signs taking us out to the field-fairgrounds where the meet was to be held. And the parking lot was filling up fast with both those coming to buy and those wanting to sell.

There was goats, and puppies, chickens and turkeys, pheasants and things I didn't even know the names of, as well as the prettiest roosters. And ducks and geese and guineas.

But I found the best buy of the day. Two peacocks. One was all white and one was the usual color of a peacock. And the man said he would sell both for 60.00. They were about a year old or a little older so were pretty good sized. I had priced peacocks before and they ran about $75.00 for adults or $25.00 for new little chicks. So of course I bought them.

Aren't they beautiful? Don't know a thing about raising peacocks but I'm about to learn. And I don't even know if they are boys or girls. Gonna get back home and get on the internet. And I know a man who has lots of peacocks and is a barrel of information so will be picking his brain.

Had to go into town and buy a tarp cause the wind was so sharp and not about to let these birds catch cold on the trip home. Just hope they can still breathe in there.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention we also  bought some chickens that lay blue eggs. They are called Ameraucana Chickens.

When we got home Mark especially could hardly wait to climb in the truck and go see them. By the way while we were gone Mark is the one who went down and took care of the chickens. His mom and dad would take him to the chicken house but he is the one that climbed into the pens and shut the door at night and he is the one that also called me at 6:30 in the morning and told me he had opened the door and let the chickens out already. He also told his mom and dad how to mix the feed that they eat. He's the same boy that took my Poultry Magazine to bed to read before he went to sleep. A real animal lover he is. So he was really excited about the peacocks although he was trying to convince me I needed to buy a baby turkey at my local Orchelin's store a couple days earlier.


Him and Poppy cleaned up the pan so they could add some feed for the peacocks to eat.

What is there about little boys and garden hoses?


One thing about chickens laying blue eggs. Comes in handy just before Easter. Won't have to dye them.

Mark's Poppy  put them in the little chicken tractor he had built last summer until we could get them a roof put over the dog pen that I had bought last year for the chickens. But I needed something to cover the top so the peacocks could not fly out. We were told to keep them penned up for at least a month so they will get comfortable in their new home and not wander off.

Still too small but won't be for too long.

Notice the other chickens are checking them out.

Poppy went to the barn and gathered up some metal he had left over from building the roof on our house and some lumber that he would be needing.

Notice he's wearing the latest fashion. Gonna be a farmer must dress like a farmer! And we have had so much rain lately that it is muddy down there!

And from the look of this sky, it's about to pour again. So we must work swiftly to get a roof over the top of the pen. Part of the pen holds the little banties, silkies and guineas. The other part of the pen was awaiting the arrival of the newest addition to our "little flock."


He threw some 2 x 4's up there, laid the metal across that and dug out the old power tools ...


and screwed it all down. We're suppose to have 30 mph winds tomorrow and don't want it blowing off and my peacocks escaping.

I threw in some straw, added a waterer and put in some feed.

We added a board across it for a roost and we were done for tonight anyway.

Doesn't he/she look beautiful?

This will make them a nice pen until they get bigger which probably will be a while.

Now my prayer is that nothing gets into the pen and kills them.  Please God, look after my "little flock"!
And now we have to take the boys and go to the local feed store and buy some feed that peacocks will eat. But that is another story!! 

Friday, March 26, 2010

Baby Kaden has been dismissed from the hospital!

We are celebrating today cause the cardiologist seen the report from the echo cardiogram and did not see any change from the last one he looked at and has dismissed him from the hospital. Isn't God good?
Here he's celebrating by eating some sherbert with Poppy.
Foot still looks painful where the IV was jerked out.
He truly is a gift from God.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The best son in law in the world

Baby Kaden had his echo cardiogram this afternoon but we haven't heard the results back yet. Think he will remain in the hospital until Sunday or Monday. He does seem to be feeling better although his cough still sounds wicked. Keep him in your prayers please.

Isn't this pic more precious than words??

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Baby Kaden is getting his first ambulance ride...make that second...well anyway...

Rachel woke me up early this morning and Kaden's little heart was about to beat out of his chest and his breathing was rapid. He had been to see the Dr. yesterday but he was pitching such a fit that the Dr. could not hear his lungs etc. And he seemed to be doing fine yesterday , then in the evening more he started coughing. Then this morning.

She took him to the Emergency Room where they felt he needed admitted to a hospital. Since he had his open heart surgery in KC at Children's Mercy, Rachel wanted him admitted there. In the meantime they are taking blood and had him hooked up to oxygen. And Nana was singing the Barney song to him to make it all better.
They strapped his car seat on the gurney and off they went. Looks like he slept the biggest part of the trip. Notice he has his little brown teddy bear that Children's Mercy gave him when he was born.

So he was loaded up into the ambulance and his mom rode with him in it and his dad followed behind.
Hopefully he will be back home in a few days. I talked to his mom on the phone and you could hear him coughing in the background. Sounded terrible.


Keep him in your prayers please. And his momma who has had problems with her gall bladder but is pregnant so cannot have surgery.
The fact he is drinking from his bottle means he is getting some liquid. Hate it when they tape things to his face cause you know that will hurt when they take it off. Bless his heart. Hope once again God wipes away his little tears and erases all this from his memory!!