New Chicks

On February 10, Mom and all the kids decided to get chicks early (as the weather had been rather mellow this year),and went to the Dayville hay and grain store. Usually we get chicks at the Bothell feed store so the variety's a bit different then usual. Dad had wanted to get all Rhode Island Reds,but due to his absence, we only got two Rhodes (out of eight chicks). Only one chick death (Emma's chick) and the rest are all healthy and growing fast. In fact we have had to expand the chick box and soon we'll have to move them out to the garage. This works out in our favor because on March 22 we are getting more chicks and by then the first ones will be out in the garage and the box will be free. Then again we only have one heat lamp....
-Caleb

Racoon Hiaku

After taking out three chickens in three days we finally caught the rascal. Gail could bear it no longer and wrote this 'coon Haiku to honor his relocation.

Coon roams, Goliath!
Kung Pao chicken in the coop
Cherry blossom bright

Racoon 6.5.09

The possum cach

Earlier this month,we began to wonder why our chicken feed was disappearing too quickly.Then this week, we figured out that a possum had been getting into the coop and was stealing little by little. Once we figured out where the possum was getting in, Dad put a trap in front of the hole and put feed in it. Then on Monday, April 28 we caught it! It was a girl possum. Then Dad took it over to a garbage can full of water and drowned it. Later that day,(when I was at the gym)the boys found out that it was a mom! It had three baby possums in its pouch. Unfortunately Mom and I didn't get to see them. When they told us. Mom felt really sad, even though she hates possums. -Emma