Sweet Virginia Breeze - I hope Sallie stays there, too. And we really did spread a lot of gravel - and my muscles really are still complaining. But no one is listening. And the chickens are complaining louder anyway. They do NOT like being blocked out of the garage!

Frugalmom - Bernie reads these comments (and for some reason always loves yours - maybe because you mention him so much?) so maybe he’ll get the hint from you. Want me to send Sallie to you? I’ll trade you fair and square for Darby or that little boy with the baster. Whichever you chose. It’s up to you.

Charlotte - We had a nice time at your cook out, and it was worth leaving the homestead for it. By the way - I cooked the Pattypan Squash you gave us. I sauted it in bacon grease with onion and garlic. Oh my! It was delicious. And Tex IS a turkey

And wow. The garage looks great. I know every muscle in your body has got to be calling out for a nice massage. Maybe if you wait till this weekend then Bernie can help you out with that.

Poor Jack. You know, I never did figure out what happened to my Black Spanish either, and why she suddenly couldn’t walk. I strongly suspect some sort of back damage, but I guess I’ll never know. I hope Jack recovers. Good roosters are hard to find!

Hopefully, having her own area will be good for your broody. If you have somewhere to get day old chicks, once she’s in her secluded area, you could just slip a couple of the chicks under her at night and if she’s a good broody she’ll just take them in as her own, just as though she hatched them herself. It’s just a thought, but that way the poor thing won’t have to set for 21 days more before she gets her chicks.

I wanted to update you on my Momma chicken. The other chickens were able to get inside of her enclosed nesting boxes and destroyed the eggs again. My husband and I talked it over and we have decided that when we put the babies wich are now 3 months old in the big coop with the adults then we will let Momma have the baby coop all by herself and that way she will hopefully have babies soon. OH and she is actually sitting on eggs, big surprise.

Remember Jack my baby rooster that is also 3 months old, he had the wing issue a week or so ago. Anyways, my hubby told me on Saturday that he was acting funny and tripping and stuff and of course when I went to look at him he was fine. I check on them numerous times during the day and he seemed fine all day. when I went to close them up at bedtime, he had fallen down between the waterer and the door to the coop and he could not get up. I brought him in the garage and made him a nest and food water in a rabbit cage that I was gonna use for momma until we got the babies in the adult coop. He still is doing the same and we took him to our avian vet and they took xrays and nothing is broken and they wormed him, gave him a calcuim shot, and put him on an antibiotic. Anyways 105.00 later he is still not walking and vet had no idea what could have caused it. My husband wants him to be our main rooster and wants to get rid of our 2 black and white hamburgs and our Rhode Island Red “Jake”. I am not sure I know what to do, it is heartbreaking and I have been working with him and his legs each day and massaging them and helping him to stand etc…. I kinda feel at a lose because he is such a sweet mild tempered bird and definitely my favorite of my boys. so now I am at the point of deciding if I want to get rid of the Hamburgs or get rid of Jake because he will certainly KILL any other rooster in there with him. It makes me feel at ease because he is aggressive towards predators, and unfortunately us as well. But on the other hand the one bigger hamburg is ok, and he is the boss in the baby coop and the smaller hamburg has got to go regardless because I just don’t like him being so aggressive to my girls and he is the one that tore up my girls neck.

Sorry to be so long winded. You always have such great insight.