First Roost

Backyard Poultry

Miniature Roost

Maybe you spotted another change in the last picture of the brooder as well: the chicks' first roost. It's amazing to see the roosting instinct come out even in these tiny birds. As soon as I put in the low bar of wood (only a couple inches off the floor). the chicks started hopping up onto it. They crowded for spots to perch, and promptly fell asleep. It was so funny to see their little heads slowly drop down to the floor as they nodded off! The little birds still seemed to prefer sleeping on the floor in a heap at this point though. Of course, many chicks do not receive a roost at such an early age, and must be content with sleeping on the floor. In fact, a number of chicks (broiler chickens) never have a roost to sleep on, even into adulthood. So, it is certain a roost is not essential for a chicken's survival; happiness is a different question.

Expanding Quarters

Backyard Poultry

Expanding the Brooder

Feathers were not the only thing growing on the new chicks. In three days they seemed to have nearly doubled their size at arrival, and doubled their needs as well. They soon graduated from little quart-size waterers to the large one-gallon water fountain. The feeder had to be refilled every other day now with chick starter crumbles, and wood shavings refreshed nearly every day. But most importantly, I was already able to expand the brooder guard (ie that piece of cardboard you see in the background) to allow the chicks more room. Not only did they need more space to run and peck in, but they were just a little less dependent on warmth from the light and thus could be allowed further away. More space also allowed the timid chicks to get even further when threatening human hands appeared overhead.

First Feathers

Backyard Poultry

Snowflake Sampling Squash

The little chicks grew faster than we could imagine and soon little feathers were beginning to show. Did you spot the black and white feathers peaking out from under the down on this Barred Rock's wings? That's where the baby feathers first come out. This chick is still only a few days old. Perhaps the growth was expedited by the chicks' rich diet, which included everything from chopped dandelion leaves to mashed squash. Yes, that's what the chick above is sampling: cooked, mashed butternut squash! I assure you, it was only from the kitchen scraps, not cooked especially for the chicks. The Barred Rock above, Snowflake, was tamer than the rest of the bunch and often proved to be the guinea pig for new experiments.

Golden Buff Growing Feathers

There were also new feathers showing on the Golden Buff chicks; white on the ends of the wings (they're hard to see) and darker brown around the shoulders and tail. I told you those cutie chipmunk stripes wouldn't last long! You can see now the mixture of two breeds in the Golden Buff now: mahogany brown of the Rhode Island Red and ivory white of the White Rock.

Happy Easter!

Do-It-Yourself Decorating 

Easter Garden

May this Easter be a blessed time for all my dear readers! This little garden is a perfect reminder of the significance of Easter. And it was easy to make at home! It started with spray painting a little clay pot gray. Then we turned it on its side in a flat plastic pan and heaped potting soil all around. The crosses were made from little sticks broken and glued together, stuck into a piece of florist's foam behind the pot. Teasing out green moss to cover the dirt was a challenge. A small piece of white fabric for the grave clothes and a round stone rolled away from the tomb finished it off. It reminds us of the wonderful proclamation that first Easter Sunday:

 

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus Who was crucified. 

He is not here;

for He is risen, as He said.

Come, see the place where the Lord lay."

Matthew 28:5-6

Spring Bridge

Artist's Gallery

Spring Run Wild

 My last greeting card is another cheery spring scene. It was one of those leftover paint jobs as well--definitely blue and white run wild! I used a number of scrubby brush strokes to create all the trees, and used such brilliant oranges, yellows, and purples that I had to tone it down with white. At first it seemed it was going to be a fall scene, but I decided to make those brilliant colors into buds instead of leaves. And then the seeming blobs of red and blue in the grass are nice suggestions of tulips and hyacinths. The little white bridge and bench seem to add a personal touch--a much-needed calming effect. This would be perfect for any spring birthday or anniversary.

Birdhouse Card

Artist's Gallery

Bird Bath, Bird House

Pleased with my success on the first try, I attempted another painted card for a second pen friend. This one was a blue and yellow scene. After sketching in a brilliant blue sky and animated grasses, I nestled forget-me-nots into the greenery. I loaded the brush with various shades of brown to get the wood-grain look of the birdhouse, and then used a blend of the same browns for the fountain. It was fun to paint the water in the fountain, although it ended up looking more like an overflowing bucket of paint!

The birds were a bit difficult, but came out decently enough, though I've never actually seen any completely yellow birds! On this one, I used the same yellow paint to write my pen friend's name (rather than calligraphy pen), and then added color-coordinated plastic hearts again. I really like the free-handed look of the painting, with so many different colors each remaining a bit distinct. And best of all, it was so much fun to create!

 

Waterfall Card

Artist's Gallery

Spring Waterfall

Tired of painting greeting cards, I began to look for other ways to create a gift from a painting. The waterfall above was part of a sort of greeting card/postcard combination for one of my pen friends. For this one, I chose a sort of mottled, parchment-look card stock that I wanted to show through on the finished painting. I started with a pile of rocks and ran a waterfall down the front. Then I searched a flower seed catalog for suitable flowers to surround it. I don't know if the blossoms I used are actually a real type of flower, but they do look like trilliums turned pink and yellow. Once that was all dry, I used a calligraphy pen to write my pen pal's name in fancy lettering, and added a couple thin plastic hearts as embellishments. I was really pleased with it! It made a lovely gift one step up from a greeting card.

Cosmos Card

Artist's Gallery

Summer Farm

Now we move into summertime with another cheerful scene. The corn is tasseling and the summer flowers are in peak bloom. This scene came straight from my front yard, with the old barn and silos in the background. I used a liquid acrylic wash to paint the sky, grass, and barns and let it all dry. Then I used thick paint straight from the tube to create the bright spots of color in the foreground. This painting was a greeting card, but looks almost identical to a framed painting I had done a while before called "Summer Afternoon." You can check it out here. They're both the same size but I think this one has brighter colors.