Updates...

Well, we've been having  much more frequent communication with our adoption worker recently.  We just found out that we have been officially "re-assigned" to her.  Yeah!!  We love her and she has been working hard for us since our PRIDE training classes (November I think?) anyhow.  Well, she is our official licensing worker and will soon also be our adoption worker.  That is good news.  She has a big heart for kids and goes the extra mile for us and them.  Right now our home study is in the hands of the workers of 3 individual boys/teens and she is trying to contact 2 more.  These are just initial inquiries to see what their situation is and to get more information.  I still believe that God's hand is orchestrating everything that is playing out and there has been a reason for the silence for so long.  Whether or not anything will come out of one of these inquiries...well...we'll just wait and see, but I know God will make it very clear and He will bring him to us.  If now is still not the time, I am okay with it.  I have finally gotten to the place where I can say that.  What progress!!  I am okay with God's timing!!!  Now that is freedom! 

Ok...so the fun little update on our chicken adventure.  I cannot believe how quickly these girlies grow!  We've had them for 2 1/2 weeks and they look completely different from the first pictures I posted.  I'm so glad I'm documenting this process through pictures or I wouldn't believe it.  The construction of the coop is complete...well, at least the actual building.  This weekend, we will finish the chicken yard.  Tim has been reading several articles on coyotes and is quite concerned that they will gain entrance to the chicken yard if we only bury extra fencing around the kennel.  So...I suggested burying about a foot or so of concrete (making a wall) under the kennel so if anything tries to burrow under it, they will hit cement.  I think that is the route we are going to go. 

I put in about 14 hours of painting on Saturday....who knew there was so much trim on that little chicken house??  Sunday rained most of the day, but I persevered and still got about a half hour more in so I could finish the red trim.  This weekend is calling for sun (at least no rain) so I can roll the rest of the red on.  

We had to get the girls in their coop in an emergency situation on Saturday night.  We planned on moving them on Sunday, but after a long day of work on Saturday, we went to check on them one more time before bed and found one chick had been pecked.  That was not pleasant.  She was bleeding on her wing and was bloody under her wing.  I don't do well with hurt animals.  :-(  We immediately separated her into another section and made the decision to get the largest birds out in the coop.  It was just getting too crowded.  Golden Comets are hybrid birds and their growth rate is unbelievable...we've read that they may start laying at 16 weeks!!  Well, now we believe that she (the wounded one is one of the smaller white Leghorns) was picking at herself first and opened up a wound...then once there is a wound, all birds will start pecking at it.  On Sunday we ended up moving the rest of the girls out to the coop and put her brooder (scaled down version) in the coop as well.  She was quite lonely so we added a mirror (thank goodness for internet learning!) and she is absolutely in love with herself!  She stares at herself and even cuddles up next to herself when sleeping.  It is cute.  We put some Blu-Kote on her to help heal her wound and cover up the blood...she wouldn't stop picking at  herself! and she is now healing up very nicely.  I honestly thought we were going to lose her.  Hopefully soon she will be able to move back in with her flock and that they will be accepting of her.  They like to sleep on top of the chicken wire covering her brooder under the red heat lamp so they still know she's there! 

Well, here are some pictures of the coop and of our girls! 

This is MY favorite chicken...her name is now..."Chicken".  I know...so creative! 

She is the sweetest little girl.  She loves to be by you and be held.  She'll let you pet her!

I can't wait until she goes outside.  I bet she follows us around the yard.  Oh..this was at 4 weeks.

 LOVE this picture!

This is Napoleon at 4 weeks.  Wait til you see what she looks like now (below!)  She's the

most mature girl we have.  She's quite observant and always looking out for everyone.  She acts

like the mother of them all. 

Tim is actually holding a bird...Chicken! 

Napoleon at 5 weeks.  Getting her head feathers.

Moses (Leghorn) at 4 weeks old.  Leghorns are 1 week behind the Goden Comets.

This is one of our lighter colored girls with the "hawk beak". 

Napoleon at 5 1/2 weeks!!!  She looks like a real chicken!!

THIS is the same chicken who is peeking at you in the pic at the top of my blog! 

Our Leghorns at 4 1/2 weeks

The bird on the right is Chicken (5 1/2 weeks)! She has turned a beautiful rust/golden color.

Whatcha' lookin at?  (Hawkeye 5 1/2 weeks)

This girl is kinda weird...she's really fat and has really ruffly feathers

around her neck and head (has no neck really).  No name yet. 

Farmer Mieke LOVES visiting the chickens!

Tim's chicken door

Mieke's homemade sign of our coop's name

Bubbie's Birdies  (Capone's nickname is Bubbie)

Mieke's homemade perch for the chickens.

Me painting the coop

Tim's homemade automatic waterer (inside and outside)

Inside of coop before pine shavings on floor

Trim is done!  Thanks for visiting!!!