We have chicks!

It's alive!

From Jan 26th to Jan 28th, our first batch of chicks were born.

We did pretty well. Only 3 chicks never saw the light and one died 12 hours after being born from a broken yolk.

Our chicks are now in their maternity, a place where it's warm enough for them. They are growing well and their are already showing some feathers. Chicks grow to the speed of light.

It was an amazing experience. I will surely redo it and I loved to see them getting born. They are born fighters.

Now they think I am their mother, reacting to my every sound and move. It's funny.

The Memorial Project

As Pirouline was driven to her last resting place that I won't talk about 'cause I don't think it's legal :-/ ... I was telling myself that I have to find a way to "dispose" (I don't like that word) of the animals' body when they pass.

I don't want it to "insensitive". I want it to be something we can see, a place when we can remember but I also want it to be a place where we can go to remember them.

In winter, it's impossible to bury the animals, the soil is deep frozen and it's quite hard to deal with.

I want a place that would be like a sanctuary. A place where I could go and think about them and show them even if death, how important and meaningful they have all been to me.

I am thinking of different ways. If one of you, my dear readers, have a suggestion or a solution for me. Please comment in the comment section.

Things in perspective ...

Everything is relative.

It's just hard for me to be able to put things in perspective. It has always been.

For each deaths, I question myself. I try to find a cause, most of the time being me.

I am afraid not being able to deal with the deaths.

When I saw Pirouline like she was asleep in her lil cat bed my heart just stopped. Well not my heart, more of my brain. It's like my brain is in concrete now. It is tired of being sad or in pain so it just stops.

The timing is bad, with Vanille eminent passing it's hard already ... we don't need more.

But I have to put things in perspective. Those cats that are in the barn were all but 4 (the 4 who were born here) due to die or to have a very harsh life. I am not saying the life they are living here is perfect. It's a barn after all ... but it's better than death ... I guess.

Rest in Peace Pirouline

Pirouline - May 2012 - January 25th 2013

You were a good cat Pirouline. You were caring, gentle, peaceful. We are sorry you had to go that soon. We didn't know you were about to go. I hope you have fun in kitten heaven.

We love you.

Vanille has cancer

Yesterday all was fine. We were bringing the cats (indoor ones) to the vet for annual immunisation.
The three of them lost weight. I was glad about it.

Vanille though, lost 2 pounds in like 2 months.

"I am worried about that" I told my vet.

At the same moment he looked at me and said

"Me too".

Vanille had a lump on the belly.

They ran tests this morning, it's intestinal cancer. 10 cm long tumor. There is nothing to be done. She will slowly die. Of course we won't let us suffer (it's amazing the number of people who seem to think I would let her do so.) at the moment she is fine according to the doc. I'll take good care of her, like I always do.

I think the hardest part is to think that even if she looks fine now, I'll have to understand that soon she will be gone.

As she will come to my bed tonight to cuddle with me to sleep, as she always do, I will have a hard time not to cry. She has been my friend for 7 years now. She chose me that day in the basement of the shelter I was visiting. She was with me as I was suffering my big miscarriage in 2007, as I was going through depression. It's just so hard to deal with the fact that now, soon, she will be gone.

Me, the chicken and Freud

I don't know how the chicken mind works. To be honest I would love to be able to decode chickens as I can decode cats.

Yesterday we transferred some laying hens in the laying hens sector ...

Fight! ... yeah fight! Between two hens.

The new one and the old one you'll say...

No ... between two that were already there?!

Of course Casanova, our police rooster rapidly intervened so now all is nice.

But why? I mean why the hell suddenly the fact of a new hen will bring too already coexisting hens to fight? And by the way a hen fight is not that nice to check!

I haven't written the end of the vacations simply because ... I ended it in the hospital. I had a relapse of my disease and spend a day and a night in the hospital.

Though, if we made a recap of all we did during the holiday season ... it's good. Three new cages for the rabbits, a water heater, a heating system, some food canned.

Next step will be to plan a cage for that Plymouth rock that is now alone ... :-( I really have to find a "hen for him" ... I don't know where I could go for that really at this time of the year ...

We will also build a cage for the Anconas.

Then, we plan on starting the demolition of the second floor at last. Recently we bought a second-handed bath for the bathroom that will be on the second floor. It's not a clawfoot bath like I wanted at first ... but I came to realize that it won't be that simple. Clawfoot baths are often very expensive or simply too small. I've also been told that they are not very good to keep water hot.

I just have to hold on and it will soon happen.
I have to admit I am a bit tired to live in a constant chaotic place.

That's for the news ...

These are the days...

Days 6-7-8 where a sort of mix between canning food and repairing the various components of the home that broke down (heaters, water heater).

We canned quite cool food: minestone, French onion soup, Pea soup (my personal favorite) etc.

We had some extra carrots from our recipes that we will also canned tonight.

Days 9-10-11-12 were a mix of parties (new years ... well should I say party? We went to my parents and that's it nothing too extreme) and building cages.

Our Phoenix has now a more appropriate place to live (due to his amazing tail) and our Light Brown Leghorns too.

We prepared our incubator today and some clients went for a visit (kids love to see where the eggs come from). Starting this Friday, we will put our first eggs in the incubator! I am super excited about it.

We didn't work on the house, besides the water heater and the heating in general. Let's say that this being bought our budget for other things was gone.

We sold our first couple of Ameraucanas, I feel like a mother letting her children go. We will deliver them to our friend Bernard this Friday.

 I will have to get used to it.