My Limping Chicken

Posted on by jessibloom
My chickens don’t get injured or sick very often, so when something is wrong, it is very obvious. A few days ago one of my girls started limping.  I first checked the most obvious: bumblefoot which is an infection in the pad of their foot.  No signs of scratches or problems anywhere on her feet.  She seemed very balanced while she hopped around on one leg, had clear eyes, ate and drank with no hesitation and other than the limp, she seemed totally normal.  This is my 3 year old Easter Egg hen “Cheeky” who happens to be missing a toe (she got stepped on by the horse) and that healed beautifully.  I assumed it might be a strain or injury from jumping off the roost…. or other crazy chicken acrobatics…but no, it was from a legband!

this was the culprit...for sale at a feed store. Never again ...

In the past few years I’ve had trouble identifying specific hens as we add younger birds of the same breed to the flock.  I wanted to make sure I could identify the ones that were of different ages, so I got some of the older girls leg bands – the little plastic spiral kind.  Cheeky had one and it had gotten so high up on her leg that her feathers covered it.  People.. chicken legs are not round like the little plastic spirals (which don’t give) and they ride up the leg!   This thing had cut into her leg deep enough that when I removed it she started bleeding. Oh the guilt!  I cleaned and treated her wound then separated her from the flock for 24 hours.

She seemed to enjoy isolation in the brood box... she even laid an egg just a few hours afterwards

After dinner that day I took her out for a "walk" with her bandage on & she was already putting weight on her leg

 The next day she was up and running around when I let her out of the box, so I let her range with the rest of the flock.  All is good now.
I’ve heard of people using zip ties and coloring them to identify hens, but the bottom line is they need to be monitored.   Also, it is a good idea to keep on hand medical supplies and somewhere to isolate a bird just in case of emergency.
Posted in Chickens | 1 Comment

Edible Flowers

Posted on by jessibloom
I love this time of the year, not only because gardens are at their peak, but because it is when some of my favorite flowers are blooming AND we can eat them!  It is also a great time to introduce children to the idea of eating flowers because they get so excited about it.  In fact, I have to watch out because my kids will eat all of the flowers leaving none for me or the bees.  They also have a fun time showing other kids when they come to visit.

Here are daylilies, nasturtium and borage flowers- all edible!

Edible flowers can make a salad more delicious and beautiful - I made this yesterday for dinner with a friend and it all came from my garden (well, with the exception of the almonds)

Here is a list of other edible flowers/part and links to more info (from wikipedia):
Do you have a favorite edible flower?
A few words of caution: if you don’t know what a plant or flower is, or you don’t know if it is edible, do not to eat it.  If you have allergies or medical problems,  do your research.  I often use this great site to check on the edibility rating of specific plants.
Posted in Food, Gardening, Kids | 2 Comments

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

Posted on by jessibloom
I’m really proud of myself for making something so pretty and delicious.  This is a simplified recipe from a book I checked out from the library, and is super quick and easy to do if you are having a BBQ and need a quick side dish.
The ingredients you will need (the quantities depend on how many people you are feeding):
  • Sweet potatoes – sliced into 1/3- 1/2″ pieces
  • Onion- thinly sliced
  • Cheese – a crumbly mild one (I used feta)
  • Cilantro- fresh and finely chopped
  • Lime juice
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper
To prepare:  Slice the sweet potatoes and brush with olive oil, then sprinkle on the salt and pepper and set aside.  Slice the onions so they can be thrown on the grill too!  Have cilantro, cheese and and lime ready.
To cook: Place the sweet potato on upper rack of the grill and let cook for about five minutes on both sides or until the BBQ marks are present.  The onions only need half of that time so add then when you flip the potatoes.  Also check to make sure the sweet potatoes are soft.  Place potatoes and onions in a large shallow bowl then drizzle lime juice and toss.  Then add cilantro and cheese on top!  Easy peasy!
Posted in Food | Leave a comment

Virtual Homestead & Garden Tour

Posted on by jessibloom
This photo was taken in mid-June when things were *finally* starting warm up.

This gallery contains 20 photos.

Recently I went on a garden tour extravaganza and was totally inspired! Stay tuned for several blog posts on that event…  But one thing that I kept thinking is that I could never have my home on an actual tour- … Continue reading →

More Galleries | 3 Comments

Finding my Queen Bee

Posted on by jessibloom
look closely...

This gallery contains 3 photos.

I tend to worry.. sometimes a lot.  I think its the Mom in me and I can’t help it.  The honey bees were a concern a few weeks ago because after doing several hive inspections  the queen bee was no … Continue reading →

More Galleries | 4 Comments

New Garden Portfolio

Posted on by jessibloom
Several times a year I put together portfolio books of our latest projects and maturing gardens that we’ve designed, built and some of which we maintain and I thought I would share the latest one online.  There are some special gardens including a veterans memorial, several rain gardens, some chickens, a couple of show gardens and a peek into my garden.  Although the pictures are small -I think you get the idea.

Click here to view this photo book larger
And if you ever wanted to look closer at some of these projects from the “before” photos, during and after feel free to take a look here:  N.W. Bloom EcoLogical Landscapes Project Album
Posted in Design, Gardening | Leave a comment

White Alpine Strawberries: my new favorite edible plant

Posted on by jessibloom
Several years ago one of my design clients offered me some white alpine strawberries (Frageria  vesca var. albocarpa) from her garden.  These small creamy white berries have a distinct taste, much like the candy Sweetarts.  She told me wild birds don’t bother with them since they are white and look unripe to wildlife.  Since then, I have been on the hunt for these little babies to grow in my own garden.  So this spring I found them, both as seed and in 4″ pots, so I tried both.  The seeds were a limited success – inconsistent germination, but I got a couple of nice healthy plants growing.  The 4″ pots were pricy but are thriving and have been fruiting non-stop since late spring.  These plants produce runners unlike some other alpine strawberries making it a great groundcover, but prefer the soil on the moist side, so they are not recommended for hot regions.
Every day I snack on these in the garden – no one else seems to notice them- even the slugs!
Posted in Design, Food, Gardening | 3 Comments

Sad Times on the Farm – saying goodbye to Malakhi

Posted on by jessibloom
stormy and malakhi 2

This gallery contains 6 photos.

The past few months has been rough in many ways.  The weather for one,  has sucked.  My health has left me incapable of doing many things I love – like gardening, horseback riding, running, or even standing for more than … Continue reading →

More Galleries | 5 Comments

Sorticulture: Garden Arts Festival

Posted on by jessibloom
A sphere of horse shoes... yeah, I think I might need this for my farm

This gallery contains 7 photos.

This weekend, Everett WA is holding its annual Sorticulture Festival which is a FREE family event at the Legion Memorial Park located just north of town and looks out over the Puget Sound.   Today was my first time going to … Continue reading →

More Galleries | Leave a comment

Toys for chickens?

Posted on by jessibloom
OK … so there are chicken diapers, hen saddles and now toys for chickens.  At first I was skeptical when I heard about a new chicken toy made by www.lixit.com.  Afterall, the idea of a round egg-ish shaped toy to peck is just asking for trouble… and maybe eventually egg eating hens!   Basically you fill the toy with feed and the ends have small openings that spill a little bit of food out at each movement.  My girls don’t really need toys or get too bored because they free range and can do what ever they please- spoiled brats, I know.
During my trial run of the toy, the oldest hens (RIR & Barred Rock ages 6 years old) took charge of the toy and gave a warning peck to all other hens that even *thought* about pecking at it.  The two old ladies were pecking and scratching at this toy and didn’t give up until it was empty- which took about ten minutes. It does not seem to be easy to wash (has a thin bungee to hold it together), but is fairly cheap retailing at $3.99 and might be good to use from time to time, but in all honesty I think it might be more entertaining for humans and slightly frustrating or even troublesome to chickens.

However, most chickens living in confined systems (like a coop and run) may need to have some sort of stimuli to keep them entertained (and for exercise) and this could be one way for them to have something to do. Other ways to keep chickens entertained includes:
  • use hanging food for the chickens to jump at.  This can get old for them and for you to change out, but it works.
  • add different bedding like leaves or woodchips (or a similar mulch material) for them to dig through and throw in some corn scratch for them to hunt for daily.
Do your chickens have “toys” to keep them entertained?  Let us know!
Posted in Chickens | Tagged | 1 Comment