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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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 Posted - Jul 08 2015 : 12:38:21 PM
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My 9 yo son has spent the last two days outside for hours, using a power drill, slap stapler, and a crowbar. He bought his own screws after figuring out himself what screw length he needed. Owen told me that he needed to buy a box of them because it was cheaper in bulk (he has done the math!). He built a chicken coop using pallets. His plan? He wants to breed certain hens with a certain rooster ... a geneticist in the making?! And a carpenter?
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I am so thankful for the opportunities that living on our farm give our kids. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Jul 08 2015 : 1:04:09 PM
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That Owen, he's got it if you know what I mean. Fortitude, brilliance, stick-to-it-ness, not to mention every woman my age wants to plant kisses on the top of his head. Congrats Mom. Job well done. Oh and yeah, the chicken coop. It's beyond adorable. I would keep that thing for the rest of my life. Much better than a photo album.
I have a pair of rickety back steps to our bunkhouse that my son built at a young age and they are not to be replaced no matter what, even though they ain't all that great:) And a 4' x 4' smoke house he re-roofed to turn into a library so people from town would drive way out here to browse maybe 50 books max. When he was a tad younger than Owen, he set up a lemonade stand at the end of our road (he had only two customers that day) but I still have his sign that says, Fresh Poured Lemonade. How's that for entrepreneurial? He couldn't offer fresh but fresh poured from a package works, right?
Tell Owen we love his coop. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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NellieBelle
11217 Posts
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Posted - Jul 08 2015 : 3:02:22 PM
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| Adorable Charlene, and way to go Owen. Can't wait for his first chicks to hatch. ;) |
To laugh is human but to moo is bovine. Author Unknown |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Jul 08 2015 : 3:25:31 PM
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All this talk of special little guys wouldn't be complete without photos of Janet's Colton. Our boys are our baby boys forever, even when they tower above us.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jul 08 2015 : 9:09:26 PM
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Thanks, all. And, thank you for sharing photos of Colton ... yes, sons are a special blessing and create lots of memories in our hearts.
Owen just let me know that tomorrow will be moving day for those extra special chickens that he has singled out. :-) I expect I will see him out in the chicken yard before 7 am tomorrow morning finishing up the final touches. He wants to make a sign ... so maybe I'll have a sign to keep like your fresh lemonade sign, MaryJane. I hope so. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jul 11 2015 : 10:25:45 PM
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And now Owen has created the yard to his little chicken coop. That boy has worked hours this past week! I enjoy watching his problem-solving skills, architectural designing, perseverance, and ability to work with tools. He has been so proud of the eggs being laid in "his" coop. He keeps asking if I think they are fertilized yet with "King" his rooster ... but I think to be sure we have to wait a couple of weeks. He is enjoying figuring out the genetics of it all as well.
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
Edited by - CloversMum on Jul 11 2015 10:26:53 PM |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Jul 12 2015 : 01:39:01 AM
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| Charlene this is great! he's really got initiative. i'll enjoy following the adventure as it progresses. |
_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Jul 12 2015 : 06:05:09 AM
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My favorite picture is the one of Owen inside the coop peeking out. What a clever guy! I'm surprised he hasn't been watching for fertilization to happen. When we were picking eggs to put under our broody hen my ten year old son, Garrett (AKA Chicken Man), was telling me which ones to pick based on who the rooster seemed to "like." That means he regularly spies not only to know which hen is laying which egg also. Did I mention all of our chickens have names? :)
The pictures of Colton are just awesome! I would expect that with his mom's photography skills. He was quite the builder as well. Janet's still using rabbit hutches he made. |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Jul 12 2015 : 10:24:14 AM
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| Is the young man for hire? |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jul 12 2015 : 5:23:35 PM
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Oh Keeley, I laughed at your comment! My guy has most definitely been watching to see if his rooster is capable of mating ... the rooster is. But I had read that in order to be sure the hens were not laying eggs still fertilized by other roosters, you had to wait a few weeks. Living on a farm makes life facts just regular stuff which I so appreciate. My son lets me know if the cows or goats are in heat, too. He was watching closely to see when his rooster "King" started mating so he could start this coop. He is such an observer.
Ron, so far I'm trying to keep my son around here ... there's too much work here! :-) My older son is also a hard worker and is hardly home any more as everyone else wants to hire him! A good problem to have, I'm thinking. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Jul 13 2015 : 05:20:54 AM
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Always nice to be able to figure out how children can make a living off the farm....
One youngin east of here grows a massive garden and sells produce out of the back of a truck in several towns different days a week...makes about 30k a year.. |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Jul 13 2015 : 9:33:45 PM
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That makes perfect sense, Charlene. They say that a hen can lay fertilized eggs for about two weeks after mating, so to make sure the chicks are Kings progeny it is probably best to wait. Then Owen's flock will be "pure".
We had a lesson on all of this tonight, but with cows. Our Red Angus heifer is in heat again, so we hauled her over to a friends to get serviced by their bull. When we put her in the pen with the other cows and the bull he was on her tail in a matter of about a minute and it was a pretty big pasture. Ruby meet Tank, Tank meet Ruby. She wasn't willing to stand for him yet since today is her first day of heat, but that didn't stop him from trying. The kids had all sorts of questions, that once again just make it all seem like regular stuff. It will be interesting to see what questions arise from Elli's AI session when it comes. |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 04 2015 : 10:17:59 AM
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My son has definitely got some entrepreneurial genetics in him! He is refining his flock and ordered four pullets and one cockerel. He wants to raise Light Brahma Chickens for their eggs, fertilized eggs, and chicks.
The chicks are to be delivered tomorrow and he already has the brooder ready for them. When they are big enough, they'll get to use his chicken coop. He's decided it would be more valuable to have a pure breed and not mixed chicks. He already has eggs in the incubator from his first mixed flock abiding in his coop.
And, here I have been trying to downsize my flock ... he'll end up with a flock bigger than mine! But I do enjoy watching him figure things out and set up his own little business. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Sydney2015
1156 Posts
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Posted - Aug 05 2015 : 09:10:58 AM
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| What a great coop! That sort of sounds like me. I bred my polish chickens, I was going to sell them, I didn't, they were in the pen of ours that got eaten, poor little chickens. Does Owen plan on selling them? It took a lot of work for me to hatch some, I had to help most of them get out of the shell, and my first batch wasn't fertilized. |
A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder
I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter! |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 05 2015 : 11:38:54 AM
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We got a phone at 5:45 am from the post office letting us know that Owen's chicks had arrived. This has got to be one of the best ways to get a boy out of bed! Man, he was speedy this morning. We picked the chicks up by 6:30. Owen has announced that these chicks will be very spoiled chickens and he's already figuring out which ones must be the roosters (we are supposed to have 2 cockerels and 4 pullets).
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 05 2015 : 11:41:05 AM
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Sydney, My son wants to sell fresh eggs for eating, fertilized eggs, and chicks when these chickens are old enough. We've hatched several batches in our incubator successfully so we'll try it again and I think he would love to have a hen go broody and hatch out a batch herself. We will see where this all leads ...
Aren't Polish Chickens a bit harder to raise? I think they are so funny to watch with their poufy head feathers. Do you have any right now? Owen ordered Light Brahmas which are supposed to be fairly hardy and super friendly, even the roosters! We shall see! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
Edited by - CloversMum on Aug 05 2015 11:43:00 AM |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Aug 05 2015 : 6:01:42 PM
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this so warms my heart, wonderful. be careful or we might have to bring that little man out to texas as our farmhand and adopted son.
can't wait to follow this thread for updates. thanks for sharing. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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Sydney2015
1156 Posts
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Posted - Aug 06 2015 : 5:17:22 PM
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Right now I have one three year old golden polish hen, a two year old silver polish rooster, and two two year old silver polish hens. They are very hard to raise, they are non-setters, they lay eggs very spotty(if you know what I mean), and the chicks need help getting out of their shell when they first hatch. They can't get out if you don't help them.
I hope Owen has good turn-out, and luck too!🐓 |
A good laugh overcomes more difficulties and dissipates more dark clouds than any other one thing - Laura Ingalls Wilder
I live on a small farm of seventy acres called Green Forest Farm, with 10 horses, a donkey, 5 beef cows, 2 beef heifers, 3 Hereford heifers, around 60 chickens, 8 dogs, my amazing cow, AppleButter, and her little Jersey calf HoneyButter! |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Aug 07 2015 : 06:15:03 AM
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| I think Light Brahmas are some of the most beautiful birds there are, Charlene. We ended up with a couple of Columbian Wyandottes this year because they were more the size of the rest of our mixed flock, but have the coloring more like the Brahmas. I can't wait to hear how Owen's flock does and how you like your Speckled Sussex chicks. My daughter loves our Speckled Sussex because they are very quirky pet-like chickens. They are very tame and personable with her. |
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Ashley
167 Posts
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Posted - Aug 07 2015 : 06:28:22 AM
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| This is so cool! I've really enjoyed watching Owen's operation evolve, and totally dig his entrepreneurial spirit. I look forward to reading more updates. If he does end up with some Light Brahmas he wants to sell, Brian and I might be interested in a couple chicks. :) |
Ashley (MaryJane's DIL)
MaryJanesFarm Food Guru |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 13 2015 : 10:20:06 PM
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Oh, Ashley, I am slightly afraid to let Owen know this ... but he already has plans on breeding his purebred flock! And now this will just increase his enthusiasm... such a little entrepreneurial, he is. And, let me tell you, this flock is already quite tame! He took one of the roosters out this morning while he watered the big planters on our front porch. I thought he was going to hold the little chick ... "No, mom, I just set him down on the concrete and he watched me."
The big excitement today was that an egg hatched that he had collected from his original flock. Owen says that this chick is part Black Australorp, Light Brahma, and Americana.
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Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Aug 14 2015 : 08:58:44 AM
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| i think within a year we will all be directing any chicken related questions to owen. he's going to be the expert around here quick. |
Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 14 2015 : 10:16:01 AM
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Owen moved his flock of Light Brahmas out to the garage into the bigger pen he built all by himself (!) using old wooden pallets. I told him that they needed moved since they were jumping out of their brooder in the mud room. We had free ranging chicks in my mud room ... had to draw the line somewhere!
Here he is with one of the rooster chicks. Cindy, I already ask him questions about the flock and he is such a great little observer, he usually knows! I love the lessons learned through farm animals and being able to live out in the country. Truly a wonderful blessing! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Aug 14 2015 : 10:17:41 AM
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| I think that chick is even more adorable because he came from Owen's flock! Plus it has two out of three chances of having a small comb. We're trying to head more that direction around here. :) |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 14 2015 : 10:39:54 AM
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| Definitely yes to smaller combs! Less chance of freezing ... hard to think about frostbite with the heat wave we've been having! But Ron keeps reminding and promising us that winter is coming! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Sep 15 2015 : 9:13:10 PM
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And the coop adventure continues as my son decided that his coop needed a sloped roof to help shed the snow. My husband explained about roof trusses and off Owen went. This is what he designed completely on his own! He told me that he is creating an opening so that the hens can climb up to the attic space! His imagination and developing engineering skills are fun to watch.
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He is getting ready for winter, Ron!! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
Edited by - CloversMum on Sep 15 2015 9:16:04 PM |
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