FINCHES (AKA OLD ENGLISH BARRED BANTAM HENS) MAKE EGGS

 These little eggs are so small and cute, they look like dove eggs. The photo does not adequately show the difference in size but it gives you a little feel for how small the eggs are from Old English bantams. 

Check out these eggs. The large ones are from our standard size Leghorn hens. The tan intermediate size eggs are from standard size Speckled Sussex hens. The smallest eggs which measure only 1.5-inches long are from our two birds we refer to as "The Finches" (because when they were small and very young they sang like little finch song birds. 

HURRICANE MILTON 2024

 MILTON WAS NOT NICE

This second hurricane of 2024 brought a lot of wind, more than we've known in previous storms. Fortunately our only damage was some screens torn by falling limbs. We rolled down all the hurricane shutters and felt pretty secure in our home. It's very dark inside with all the shutters rolled down. 

The Starlink antenna was not damaged in the storm so we had excellent internet throughout the ordeal. 

In anticipation for the storm we removed the canvas covers from the chicken runs. 

A massive dead pine tree fell over during the storm, the loud wind masked the boom of it hitting the Earth. 

The storm passed directly over us around 2AM, when we got up in the morning all that was left was the mess to clean up. 

We're safe and all our chickens made it through the storm safely so we're blessed.

LITTLE JOE MANNIX OUR BARRED ROCK ROOSTER HAS LEFT

Sporting a stylish 70's Botany 500 matching ensemble, it's Joe Mannix, The Rooster!

Cackle Hatchery included an extra chicken in our order (just in case one did not make it here in shipping). Our extra chicken turned out to also be A ROOSTER. We love roosters, so much so that we've made a home for 10 of them but Joe pushed us over the limit, 11 is too many! We definitely have enough crowing here. So a CraigsList ad began searching for a new home that our little guy could have an exciting life with filled purpose and meaning.

Thank you to Leisa for taking our spare rooster, Little Joe. He's a beautiful Barred Rock Bantam who needed a good home. It took almost three months to find but yesterday, Oct 19, 2024, Little Joe climbed into a box and headed to his new home in Okeechobee Florida. His cute high pitched crowing of "I'm Joe Mannix" will be remembered. 

Good luck little fella. 

PS: We named him Joe Mannix because his barred rock feathers looked a bit like the Botany 500 jackets warn by Mike Connors in the "Mannix" TV series from the 70's.