Chasing Chickens

Well, it's been so long since I've posted that I pretty much had to learn how to do it all over again!  Life has kept us very busy here at MoonCat Farms since I last checked in many moons ago.  There's too much to cover in one post so I'll just start fresh with one of my favorite and frankly, most time-consuming interests. My chooks...


Mr. MoonCat's parents call them their "grands".  When they come up for a visit, they enjoy helping me with the little feathered fiends.  In fact we're looking forward to a visit next month when I will be enlisting their help in vaccinating the flock and accomplishing a few other chores that seem to need a few willing extra hands.  Plus, we just have fun playing with the birds and spending time outside.  The chickens reward their "grands" by sending them back to Arizona with a bunch of beautiful farm fresh eggs!

Rudy Roo - Barred Plymouth Rock

Rudy Roo is called a Barred Plymouth Rock or just a Barred Rock.  He runs with my laying flock of mostly Rhode Island Red hens and a few girls of questionable parentage.  He's a very gentle bird that takes great care of his girls and is pleasant for us to be around.  (His neck shouldn't look all fuzzy like that, he's been sticking his head through the fence to reach the rosebush and messed up his feathers. I will be putting up more chicken wire soon, as Mr. MoonCat accused me of trying to strangle poor Rudy!)

"I'll Be Back..."   Iowa Blue hen

This little gal giving us all the stink-eye is an Iowa Blue hen.  She's a smallish bird that lays a small creamy colored egg.  They are a personable breed that is enjoyable to be around and as you can tell by the up close and personal photo, very nosy!  (BTW, they aren't blue..just those Iowa people coming up with a name for their birds... :)

Boo - Blue Andalusian rooster

This pretty guy is one of my favorite boys here at MoonCat Farms.  He is Boo, a Blue Andalusian rooster which comes from Andalusia, Spain.  Blue Andalusians actually show up in three color variations:  Blue, Black and Splash.  They are all the same bird, they just carry the blue gene differently.  I will do a post on each of the breeds I am raising and go a little more into the colors then.  

The fluffy butts in the photo above belong to my lovely Giant Blue Cochins.  That is one of the two roosters with his head up while the others were pigging out on a pumpkin. They lay medium-sized brown eggs, but not in large quantities.  In spite of this and in all honesty, because they are so darn cute, they came to MoonCat Farms with a purpose - to sit on and hatch the eggs of the Blue Andalusians.  Andalusians are notorious for NOT sitting on their own eggs while Cochins are notorious for being broody and wanting to spend their time raising chicks - instead of laying eggs!  It's a perfect match :)


If you haven't noticed yet, I have a bit of a theme with the BLUE chickens.  This has become quite the endeavor and I am truly hooked on my birds.  I look forward to sharing more about this journey with you.

Ernestina Hemingway - Our Polydactyl Cat

Just a quick post to introduce you to the baby of the house.  "Ernie" is a polydactyl cat with extra toes on each of her paws.  She actually has little "thumbs" on her front feet which makes her two times the menace of  the other cats ~ she can open drawers and latches like a person!  I'm baby-proofing several cabinets now.  I did try to get a better photo of her feet, but she kept swatting at me so I'll wait until the monster is asleep for that.  You can see a bit of her thumb in the second photo.

As for her name, it obviously stems from a beloved and well-known figure in American history.  What isn't quite as well known is that the Nobel prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway had a his house full of these "abnormal" polydactyl cats.  In fact, even decades after his death his home in Florida is still a haven for the descendants of his original six-toed cat that he received as a gift from a ship's captain.  


These type of cats are said to be much more common on the East Coast than here in the West.  I personally hadn't come across one until we adopted Ernie after someone dumped her at our non-pet friends' house.  At the time we had a hard time telling if she was indeed a girl, so I called her Ernie and Mr. MoonCat was calling her "Hemi".  Got a little confusing since we already have a "Hammy" in the house.  

Happy Father's Day

to all of the Dads out there including

my own dear Daddy!



Pops and Pete



While I've Been Away..

As usual, I can't make any excuses for the severe neglect that this dear little blog of mine has been suffering.  My only excuse is that I've been super busy in the great outdoors.  Mr. MoonCat and I have been working on expanding the chicken runs and temporary coops.  I have great things planned and my hardworking, ever-suffering hubby usually is the one to make them into reality.  Good thing he loves me...

 A few pics to show why I've been preoccupied elsewhere:


My two-day old babies



Are YOU talking to ME?



My baby blue roo



Voracious appetites

When I am inside the house I spend a lot of time:

Saying "Aren't they cute?":

Then acting as referee:



She's MY mommy & I want to lay in her lap
~Notice my normally rotten Porkchop just
ignores them & continues with his nap


And, trying to convince a large hound that I can still see him behind a tiny pillow:

"Maybe she'll think I'm part of the sofa.."

So that's just a tiny peek at what we're doing around here.  I won't make any promises as to when I'll see ya next ~ I'm not very reliable that way lately....

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all,

whether your kids have skin, fur or feathers.

I miss you Mama