{Farm} Introductions

I realized that I have never done any kind of post that explains who’s who. So here is a list of the people you’ll hear about in the blogs and even on the YouTube channel.

At the Flying V.S. Farm

 

Gran

This is my grandmother’s code name on the blog. Gran is my maternal grandmother. She was born in the 40’s during WWII. She lived during the original green movement and knows how to do all the good things like canning and sewing. She teaches me as well as any book could.

Franklin

Our nutty black and white cat.  I am not 100% sure how old Franklin is. When gran adopted him from the SPCA, he was supposed to be my cat. As is often the case, the cat chose his human and it wasn’t me. He adores Gran and is her cat… I am ok with that though. He is an absolute nut! We laugh at him quite often.

Gabe

Gran’s adopted 6 year old Border Collie from a local rescue. Gran has an affinity for animals with issues. Gabe only has 3 legs. He was hit by a vehicle before we adopted him. He can get around as well as any dog. I hope to possibly start training him to herd because he has a natural desire for it.

Linus

 My 4 year old Border Collie mix. When Gran adopted Gabe, we couldn’t only have one dog. So I talked her into adopting a second. The same rescue had two 4 month old puppies listed on their website. We went back to pick up her dog and met them both. I settled on Linus because his personality stood out. Little did I know what kind of personality I was getting into.  He is a bit bouncy as you will see in the future. He also talks- a lot. 

Woody

My nine year old Miniature Dachshund. While I am a supporter of the adopt don’t shop movement, I am glad to have Woody. He balances out the size ratio in our home. My parents bought my brother and I dogs back in 2008. After losing his brother, he was the only dog in our house. He needed a canine family. When my parents moved to their apartment in the city, they couldn’t take him with them. That was fine and he became my dog. He is the class clown here on the farm.

My Family

 Mom & Dad

My parents are, well, my parents. I haven’t come up with any creative code names for them yet. They live about a half hour north of Gran and I. When they moved from their apartment to a house, my mom became a little keener on the idea of homesteading (at least having a garden and a few chickens anyway.) I am hoping to get Mom to contribute a bit to the blog. and maybe even Dad.They were the original creators of the Flying V.S. Farm. To keep them as a part of the farm, they have become the Flying V.S. Farm North 40.  I attribute my love of animals and history to them. 

Mom

This is usually the view I have of Mom.

Mom is a fantastic photographer. I will be sharing some of the period inspired portraits she's taken of me lately on the blog soon.  There are somethings you just can't learn from a book. My natural affinity for photographing life comes from her. When she isn't crafting or cooking. she works as an elementary school teacher. 




Dad
Dad is retired going on 10 years from his job as a state employee. Now that he has all this free time, he works as a US missionary associate with the Assemblies of God church and is an AG certified minister. His heart lies with the intercity people, particularly the homeless.  

Scooter

This is the code name for my “little” brother. Even though we live apart, we are still very close. When you grow up in a neighborhood where you’re the only kids, it’s bound to happen that you become best friends with your siblings.  

The G’s

My code name for my second cousin’s family. They moved to the area a few years back and it’s been nice having them closer. Family dinners and shared holidays, what could be better?’

Mrs. G

Mom’s cousin on my grandfather’s side of the family. She is a stay at home mom and homeschooler extraordinaire with their two kids. She loves doing Pinterest projects in her spare time.

Mr. G

 I don’t mean to point out the obvious, but this is Mrs. G’s husband. He works as a guardsmen and a pastor.

Lil’ Sis

My 5 year old cousin who feels like my little sister, thus her codename. She enjoys playing with Legos (they are actually Duplo blocks, but hey, what is the difference?) She started dance last year and is really good. And her sense of humor… wow. Lil’ Sis also enjoys the animals and we have great fun when she visits the farm.

Lil’ Bro

My 2 year old cousin. Now that this kid has started walking (and running) he is into everything. He has also started talking. If he isn’t running away he is telling you what he thinks. When they visit, his favorite toy is a wooden Ark that I had when I was a kid. It is attacked with great fervor and within 5 minutes there are giraffes and lions scattered about.  We introduced him to the chickens this past fall and he kept trying to feed them… constantly.He seemed to enjoy it.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of who everyone is when you are reading posts here on the blog. I know it can get confusing sometimes. Hang in there!

Ms. B

{Farm} Flock Update

Hello Friends.

Today I wanted to share a coop update with you. The flock has been through quite a bit of change in the past few months and I wanted to share them with you.   

First Clutch to Hatch

 In August, I was fortunate enough to have one of my Rhode Island Red hens go broody. I wouldn’t have jumped at the opportunity if I didn’t have a rooster in my flock (more on him later.) Sweet Pea had a successful 100% hatch rate with the 6 eggs in her clutch. Sadly, it was her last hurrah as we lost her a week after hatching her babies. Then, about a month or so ago, I lost one of the teens to the dogs. The fault was entirely mine because it was accidentally left in the dog’s pen during an emergency situation with my grandmother’s cat. Mistakes happen though and we learn from them.  The other 5 chicks are doing well which is good news- that is except for the fact that they might all be roosters… As of right now, I only have two confirmed roos. My grandmother wants to put them in the freezer, but I don’t know if I can do it because they are my first group hatched out by myself. We will see what happens. 

2nd Clutch to Hatch

Two months after the first batch hatched out, I had one of my Black Sex Links go broody. I tried to put her off, but she wasn’t having it. I finally gave in and allowed her to set a few eggs. She hatched out 3 chicks. Unfortunately we lost one early on that wasn’t quite finished. The other two survived and are thriving with mom. It is so much fun to watch momma bird interact with her kids. She shows them food, keeps them warm and wards off any threat to her chicks – the wrath of a mother hen is a sight to behold when her chicks are in danger. We have several hawks and a falcon that reside in our neighborhood. The falcon seems to have taken an interest in the chicks. It has made several attempts to capture the chicks. The first time was thwarted by my grandmother seeing it and knocking on the window, scaring it off. Its second attempt was near the fence. It came down out a tree in the neighbor’s yard after them. She pushed them into the chicken wire around a plant and set herself between them and the falcon. She puffed herself up and let out this horrible screech! Needless to say, the falcon changed his mind and both chicks are still with mom. All this work on momma hen’s part, I hope at least one of her chicks is a hen. 
 

 

Bertram

Our other defender in the flock is our addition of a rooster back in February of this year. Bertram has certainly earned his keep as man of the coop. He has provided us with fertile eggs (as is evident by the success of the two clutches that have hatched out) and kept the girls safe from the hawks in the neighborhood by getting them to a safe hideout until the hawks are gone.  
 I have come to understand the different calls he has. When he lets out this growl of sorts, I automatically turn my eyes to the sky to see where the hawks are. It never fails. Aside from that, I enjoy hearing him crow. It is just a bit of the country life in the city. 

 Winter Wonderland

As winter settles in here in the Sierra Nevada range of Western Nevada, I have begun the task of winterizing the coop. The girls have slowed their egg production and are packing on a little fat store for the winter. Winterizing the farm isn’t too complicated with only chickens and bunnies. Getting the coop ready consists mainly of adding more hay to the floor to add a bit of extra insulation. I also load up the nesting boxes with Timothy Hay. The hens like munching on it while they are laying. This year I have decided to give the girls a proper rest. I won’t be adding any artificial light in regards to putting a lamp in the coop. Some will say they need it to stay warm, but I don’t subscribe to that theory anymore. If you are worried about your hens, put your cold hands under a hen in the winter to warm them up and you’ll see just how warm they stay on their own. If the weather gets down below 0, then I will consider adding hot water bottles to the coop for them to snuggle… But with a mild winter forecasted, I don’t think I will have to worry about that.

I hope you enjoy this little update.

Love Always,

Miss B