February 28, 2009

Barn News - February 28, 2009
February 27, a daffodil is blooming in the front yard! Snow is predicted for tonight with temperature in the 20's.
Feb 28, the daffodil is completely buried under a snow drift. We've had about 3” of dry, fluffy snow, it's difficult to know the precise depth because there was some wind moving the snow around.
Ah! Kansas! Never a dull season.

There are three Rhode Island Red roosters in the chicken house, having arrived there because Jesse, now Pfc. Jesse Walburn, after sticking his finger up their butts, determined that they were not cockerels, but pullets. Pfc. Walburn is now learning to be a warrior, a skill which I sincerely hope he is able to develop to a higher degree than his skill in determining the sex of poultry. Anyway, some varmint made off with my Bantam Golden Sebright rooster, Claudius, so the eggs now being laid by the Rhode Island Red hens will be fertile and of a good breed. There are ten hens in the hen house, five of whom are aging, and I would like to add five to ten more hens next summer.

By the way, I am proud to be a friend of Pfc. Walburn. I was in the US Army for eighteen months before I made Pfc. I hope he keeps up the good work, and I hope the “don't ask, don't tell” policy will allow someone with his history of poultry sexing to remain in the service.

The Rhode Island Red hens are laying four or five eggs every day, so a week's production should provide thirty eggs, a nice load for the incubator. It would be nice to involve some kid in the incubator activity for the season, somebody to turn the eggs when I can't be here. With Jesse off learning to be a warrior, it's time to find another unsuspecting youth and introduce him to being manipulated, ridiculed, and hustled by an old man. It's the American way.

Sally Rabbit has passed her 28th day of pregnancy, she should have bunnies soon. I put the nest box in her cage on the 28th day and stuffed it with shredded paper. She seemed pleased with the installation, at least she didn't run off to a far corner and try to hide. I hope it is Sally in that cage. I can't tell the difference between her and Red, so when I put her in Red's cage to be bred, I almost certainly took Red, the wrong rabbit, back out of Red's cage and put him in Sally's cage. Three days later I discovered my error when I put Red, who I thought was Sally, back into Red's cage, with Sally, who was already there, for a second breeding opportunity. Red took the opportunity immediately, making me aware of my earlier error. If the rabbit in in Red's cage starts pulling fur in the next few days, I will know that I failed to correct the error.

Once I am sure of the placement of each rabbit, I think I will put a ring in Red's ear, marking him as the chief stud of the rabbitry. With only two does to service, he leads a quiet life, well fed and in a comfortable cage. A ring in his ear might give him the panache that seems to be lacking in his life.