Summer Wrap Up - Part 1

What a summer! I'm really glad that school starts this week for the little Misters! :) Mr. S. headed off to 5th grade and Middle School this morning. Mr. M. starts on Thursday. I'll get the usual back to school picture then. :) For now, here's a picture from our recent county fair - to be written about in the near future. :)

The chicks have all survived - nearly as big as their "Mama" now. :) Fairly certain there's a rooster or two in the mix! Genetics have always interested me. Looking at the chicks, I can see what breed their real mamas are. The Americauna/New Hampshire crosses are growing the cheek "tufts" typical of their mamas. The Welsummer/New Hampshire crosses are a darker brown and have smooth faces.

See the cheek tufts on the one in front? :)

Americauna/NH Red x

Welsummer/NH Red x

Sadly, we've lost two hens. One was an old girl (though not as old as "Mama"!) and I knew her time was coming soon. The other, "Goldie", was a complete surprise! Mr. M. is in charge of egg collection and found her in the house. We think it might have been the heat. :( So now we are down to six layers and King George.

The drought across the midwest has affected the cost of layer crumbles that I feed to the chickens and chicks. This last bag I bought cost $16.27/50#! King George and his girls are back on a free-range foraging schedule. I'd locked them up in their pen a while back when I kept finding hidden nests containing up to 2 dozen eggs! They are very happy now. Here they are this morning:

King George

King George & Americauna hens: Honey, Roady, and Dove

Free-range foraging heaven!