2008 September | Feathers Fins and Fur

Archive for September, 2008

Breeding Corys

For me, corys are one of the most fascinating fish there are. My attraction to corys started when I was younger. I didn’t have any idea what they were or where they came from except for the fact that they live in the water. Later on, I learned that corys are actually Corydoras aeneus and are native to Trinidad. After some time, the corys were the only ones left in the tank after my family’s interest in fish waned. So, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that there were five corys when there were previously three. This is after...

Girls Only

As TK wrote three weeks ago, there was a rooster in our group of 17 chickens. (If you are questioning the count of 17, you should read A Confession.) Watching our group of birds, it became apparent that we actually had 2 roosters. As the organizer of day-to-day strategies, I began making calls and visits to local farms to see if anyone wanted a rooster or two for their barn. Interestingly, the first farmer I contacted wasn't interested. Who wouldn't want 2 handsome roosters? Well, besides us, I mean. Luckily for me, the second farmer with whom I spoke was interested,...

A Confession

I have been harboring a secret from most of the world for almost a month. I have decided that I need to be honest and disclose the truth. One of our chickens was killed by a fox. In the middle of August, with hot nights and late sunsets, we began to close the coop later and later at night. With a false sense of security and a bit of laziness, we didn't close the coop at all. At 2:00 a.m., I was awoken by a scream-like sound. I knew it wasn't any of our children and hoped it was just a...

Chickens and Grits?

Having chickens, we have learned that they are similar to garbage disposals. Watermelon rinds? They will eat them. Remnants of a flax seed wrap? They would love that, too. Stale crackers? Oh my gosh, these are a coop favorite! Last weekend, we had no kids at home, so we started Saturday with a lazy breakfast of eggs, sausage, grits, pears, and mimosas. When I was transferring the grits to the baking dish, I decided to save a little for the "girls". Because the grits were still wet, I poured them into 2 small dishes before placing them in the pen. Standing in...

On missing my cat, perhaps vice versa?

My family has owned our cat Buzzie for almost thirteen years. We got her as a little kitten and have seen her grow from this tiny fur-ball to a fifteen pound cat. We've picked up I don't even know how many birds, chipmunks, and moles off of our doorsteps and continue to thank her for them. I'm not quite sure how she still does it, though. At such an old age and heavy weight, sometimes we think she kills her prey by suffocation; either that or she has this area where she stores deceased animals that she'll bring home...

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