Still Kicking and Clucking

It's Alive....

After a way too long hiatus, I'm back. In a way, a lot has changed and nothing has changed - if that makes sense. It will take me some time and many posts to bring you up to snuff. I appreciate you all still being here.

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and sharing our little world again with you lovely people. I've missed you!

Here's a clue on what I'm still doing....

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.

Sunday Selections

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.

- Chinese proverb

Happy World Forestry Day

What I See Wednesday

Mr. MoonCat's new Honeysuckle & my old Lavender

Our new "resident" Hawk

4 year old Cyclamen

Xena - Warrior Princess

Mom's Geranium

Spring Sights

It is starting to look like Spring around here.  The wild thing is that both the lavender and the Lion's Ear (or Tail) both decided to start blooming at the beginning of February - I am just now getting around to showing the photos of the two of them..

I couldn't believe how early they both got started, or the fact that they actually survived the move last fall.  I wasn't very optimistic for many of my plants since the move was so rushed and haphazard.

We're starting to get many more of these pretty little guys coming by the feeders.  My birdseed bill is starting to get pretty high as they keep bringing more of their friends.  The photo below isn't a great shot, I just liked how I caught him mid-flight with his wings on the downstroke.

This Celtic design birdbath was a Happy Black Friday gift to myself.  I'd been wanting a new birdbath for quite a while and handn't found one that I really, really liked.  We were wandering around Lowe's at about 7am on Black Friday (ticked because we'd missed out on the TV at stinking Walmart..) and out in the garden section we ran upon this little beauty.  At $39.00 I should have bought two!

The birds love it.  It is a pain to clean as it's very heavy and in two pieces, but it's worth watching the little feathered fiends splash around and have a good old time.

The birds are getting friendlier all the time as they have discovered I am the mysterious being that refills the bird feeders - daily.  They used to all leave the yard when I'd walk out.  Now they sit about two feet from me, chirping to each other and at me to "Hurry up!"

And finally....THIS is what I see when I am outside looking in.  Little furry faces that really, really want to be after those birds.