Incubators filling again, slowly

After a long emotional week after the fire,  we are finally starting to rebuild our flock.  Today we put the remaining eggs into the incubator a total of 120 eggs,  hopefully hatching out about 100 chicks.

We also want to thank a number of customers who had ordered chicks before the fire,  which hatched this week.  Through the generous actions of several customers we retained about 40 more chicks that were hatched on order. 

That brings us back to about 140 chicks in the new flock.  The genetics are not the same as the ones lost, and the timing is wrong for winter layers,  but its something to start.  In another 2 years we will be about where we were.

So the week ends,  time to move forward.  We will be needing to build a new brooder within the next week or two.  I have not yet decided on the architecture. 

We would like to say a big heartfelt thank you to everyone who called,  emailed,  and otherwise shared kind thoughts and encouragement this week. We truly appreciate each word and deed.

Update on the fire - pictures

Today was a long emotional day. Lots of paperwork, phone calls, scheduling, and then manual labor.  After we received clearance from the insurance company, we started the process of cleanup.  With so many free ranging birds here I didnt want to leave the remains of the burnt  coop for the birds and small animals to scavenge.  We ordered a dumpster, removed all the charred wood and burnt plastic or fiberglass, and then  scraped the top few inches off the deep bedding.  Underneath was beautiful compost, which we scooped up and placed in a large compost pile behind the bug barn. By the end of the day, not much was left except mud, a few posts, and a half wall or two.

Special thanks to everyone that has sent kind emails, calls, and facebook notes . It is heart touching to see so many people willing to help and donate.  Thank you!

In retrospect, we ask ourselves why is this experience so emotional? As I finished the milking tonight, I strolled by where the coop was yesterday full of hundreds of growing baby chicks, only to hear silence and see emptiness.  It's only chickens and an old coop , right?

Wrong.

First , these were special chicks, our own cross breeds that, unfortunately , we can not reproduce easily. Due to many factors, it will take one to two years to recover where we were.

Second , the full grown chickens were our original chickens... the ones that launched Little Sprouts. The little flock that were the first farm animals we ever owned, the ones the children made us promise never to process.

Third, and most importantly, is this. ... a farmer (small family farm with lots of animals) is given these animals as a charge to care for, responsibility for them rests on the farmer's shoulder. they are not tools, not inventory, not "things", they are living animals  that deserve respect.  We, "I" was responsible for these animals and, whatever happened in the coop last night was my responsibility.  I accept that, embrace it, and feel it. No animals on our farm is expendable, they all deserve respect.  So, bottom line, we , "I" let these 400 chicks and chickens down. Its one thing to make a mistake and pay for it.... something completely different to make a mistake and watch other dependents pay for it.

So it was an emotional day, and still is.  Perhaps a good night sleep will help.

Here are a few shots of hte action last night. Didnt get many,  kinda busy.

Fire trucks everywhere in the circle drive

The smoldering fire almost out

Here are some shots of the coop this morning:

A shot from the pasture side

Here is the third stall where the custom built brooder / hospital that bradley built was. Now its a small pile of ashes towards the back

Here is the center coop where 300+ baby chicks lived. The heaters  that might have been the cause of all this are not even visible, completely disappeared into the ashes. 

Here is where the old birds were.. the ones that started it all, in the coop that was the very first farm structure we worked on, 5 years ago. Where I learned to staple chicken wire with a hand stapler. 

A shot from the road

Here is a view from the end

this is what is left of the custom built brooder / hospital

the back side of where the chicks were

The back side of the older chicken coop. Notice the amish made rollaway nesting box on the left, warped beyond repair. 

This is where the heater batteries sat on a shelf. The little box on the center left is the battery charger. 

Fire at Little Sprouts

making this blog post, heart still heavy with loss, hands shaking,  I tried several creative titles. But no. sometimes it just is what it is. We had a fire.

The front chicken coop caught on fire around midnight.  Cause undetermined. I have my strong suspicions, but there is so little left, it can not be determined with certainty.

What I am certain about is the death and destruction. All of our original chickens, and all of our recently hatched 4th generation birds are gone. The building and all of its contents a total loss.  Fire has the ability to destroy so much, so fast.

The weather station we just installed was mounted to the top corner of the chicken coop. around midnight the temperature started rising. It reached 129 degrees at 1:22am and went offline.  I woke up about 1:30 with a strange feeling inside. An old feeling, long since forgotten. Fire truck. They have a particular sound. As a volunteer fireman in texas for a number of years I got accustomed to that sound. Tonight I awoke with a dread in my stomach because that was the first sound I heard. Firetruck. Sure enough, the units were just rolling into the front drive as I ran out to see the building about half gone. My heart sank as I ran back inside to alert all the sleeping children and my wife that we needed to wake and prepare for the worst, just in case.

Fortunately the fire was contained to the coop, the light rain helped to keep it from spreading.

Nevertheless, after the fire was out by the experienced efforts of our local fire department, It is heart breaking to see about 400 chicken bodies on the ground-- trapped,  burned, cooked. not a one escaped.

Tomorrow will be time for retrospection, cleanup, paperwork.  Tonight is time to consider the delicacy of life, how easily it can be taken from any of us in an instant, how powerful nature is in spite of our best efforts, and how human we are.

Learning to Shepherd the flock, today at little sprouts

Last week was such a fun success,  we have decided to repeat the experience ,  perhaps indefinitely.

I am of course referring to the "shepherding the shepherds that Shepherd the flock"  post last sunday.  We decided to do our family bible study in the neighbors pasture with the sheep out,  and help the kids learn to Shepherd the sheep while we read bible scriptures.  It was a fun,  enlightening,  and moving experience.  So much so....

We are heading out again this morning to repeat.  Might even take the ole guitar out and have a few songs.

The most exciting part is..  You are invited!  We would like to share the experience with anyone interested.  Just come by the far between 10 and 12 this morning and look for the little clusters of chairs in the pasture on the left.   Dont dress up...  Be prepared for mud and perhaps bring a chair or blanket.  Bring a bible if you have one. 

Shepherding is the central theme in the bible concerning mans interaction with each other and with god. Learning to shepherd sheep,  just like so many patriarchs in the bible,  is full of life lessons.  Truly our creator is the good shepherd who can show us the way to those green pastures.

Just so you know,  this is not affiliated with any group,  church,  denomination,  it is literally our family bible study opened up to you.  We invite you to join this morning.

Stubborn goat? ... Grab a wagon!

What do you do when a stubborn goat refuses to move?  Yes...  Its true....  Just like in the movies...  They are stubborn!

This one is Patty,  and it's time for her to retire from the milking group and rejoin the breeding group.  But she had other ideas and just stopped halfway.  So...  Wagon!  She hopped right up and enjoyed the ride!

Might look a little strange...  But...  Well...  Not strange for this place!