MetalSmitten! - my truant journal

[Javamama]

They are very cute and I agree - I like the mutts the best usually.

 

[framing fowl]

Pretty! My favorite are mutts too, I love the sight of a mixed flock. So if 15 are extra, how many do you try to keep around normally?

Glad you decided to start a journal!

 

[MetalSmitten]

thanks! i've actually got a couple favorites in the group who i didn't take photos of since they're not for sale, but they're absolutely gorgeous.

we try to keep roughly 10-12 permanent members in our laying flock. we have one coop attached to a BIG run (as far as runs go, about 50'x30') where they live, and then a hoop-style tractor out in our fallow field with some volunteers trying to kill weeds and fertilize i hatched out about 50 chicks late this spring and then AFTER that, THREE of my hens went broody, so. uh. we've got spares. but we use about 3 eggs a day (2 for me, 1 for the dog) and give away to neighbors too. and we've got about 20 little roos that are in a temporary grow-out area. some of them are super pretty too, hah, i always feel bad eating the pretty ones.

 

[MetalSmitten]

okay, i can't help myself, here's a couple more photos of my permanent chicken setup we've since added another run on the left of the coop, for the grow-out pen.

and then these are our current layers, with their roo, Timmy.

(he's really a sweetheart, he's just very good at stinkeye.)

 

[abifae]

I love your work on etsy!

 

[Denim Deb]

If you weren't so far away, I'd be interested in taking some of your mutt birds off your hands.

 

[MetalSmitten]

I love your work on etsy!

aw, thank you! this just made my day hehe. do you make crafty stuff too? i'm such a craftnerd.

If you weren't so far away, I'd be interested in taking some of your mutt birds off your hands.

well i appreciate the thought! i actually just sold them all, they're gonna go live with the family of the woman we got our goats from. i'm beyond thrilled that they're getting such an awesome home, i love my little mutts. of course, one of our hens just hatched eight bitties last week, and two other hens are on the home stretch on their nests... so looks like we might get even more spares soon, hah. if you're ever in indiana, or want mutt eggs for hatching, just let me know

 

[Wifezilla]

I'm a craft nerd, but abi is learning to be quite the seamstress. Her stuff improves all the time.

 

[MetalSmitten]

I'm a craft nerd, but abi is learning to be quite the seamstress. Her stuff improves all the time.

that's awesome, what kind(s) of craft do you do? and sewing is one of those skills that i'm in total awe of, i'm kinda jealous of people who can do it well. i keep meaning to try to teach myself again, but i keep failing at it. i could make a tiny quilt if you forced me to, but i don't think i could hem a pair of pants if my life depended on it.

 

[abifae]

I mostly cook. I'm good with flavors, but I'm still in need of finesse. I would LOVE to afford Johnson & Wales . It's near me. So I yen.

Learning to sew. I can make my own basic patterns (pants - NOT fitted yet, dresses - NOT tailored yet, basic tops - not blouses yet, skirts - not tailored)... See a pattern here? Basics, I have down. Finesse... getting there. Slowly.

But I'm planning on some online classes by autumn.

I also do cross stitch and embroidery. I can knit and purl straight lines (so scarves and I suppose I could knit a bunch of squares and sew it into something). Basic bead work.

I don't think I do anything else very useful, but it's a start! heh