"Going to the Birds" was a great trip, man!

Things around here are 'goin' to the birds'! 

I have canaries!  :)   Waa-hoo!

After several years of  'if I find one, I'll buy it'..... I determined to get a bit more serious.
Pet stores were clueless, and the various 'grapevine' sources of information came up empty-handed.
Finally, I got the name of a breeder in Billings.

Thanks to Anne, I had a phone number! 

After a few weeks of phone conversations, and some planning.... we had agreed on the birds I wanted, and a money order was sent! 

BUT.....

Many of you know how hectic things are around here... and how there never seems time to get away from the ranch!  Now you know it really is true:  I couldn't see how I would have even one day free to drive to Billings!

I made arrangements with a local trucker, who makes regular trips to the Billings Livestock Yards... to pick up the birds.  But that wasn't very satisfying!

Besides, Bruce Thompson (the canary guy) sounded interesting, and I wanted to see his Sanaan goats, chickens, and other animals!

Winter hit Montana mid November, and the road conditions hadn't been great!  There were days and days of 'emergency travel only' in either the Billings or Harlem areas!

BUT WE MADE IT!

Last week, everything seemed as fine as could be expected, and with an approaching storm due to arrive the next day, we took off for Billings.  My son went along to share in the driving!  We left at 6 am and got home just after 8 pm. We didn't do a single other thing than drive and visit with Bruce AND LOOK AT THE CANARIES! :)

Bruce said let's go look at the canaries.. .and a blind man would have been able to find his way to the canary trailer! :)

You could hear the singing by LOTS of canaries from some distance!

The three of us went in the trailer... and found ourselves in the first little 'bedroom' filled with double and triple stacked cages with a narrow U-shaped aisle between!!!! Later, we went through a little bathroom crowded with supplies, etc. trash... into the 'kitchen/living room' where there were even more canaries. Bruce said a friend was in advanced cancer stages, and Bruce had 'adopted' his canaries.

Bruce apologized for the 'disorganization'... saying he had been spending time with his other barnyard animals, getting them ready for the cold weather, and had much to do in the canary trailer.

Yes, I saw seed on the floor, and lots of cages stacked up willy-nilly....... but every water dish was sparkling clean... and the birds just never stopped singing.... EVEN WITH TWO STRANGERS in the cramped quarters! I don't think the trailer has many visitors other than Bruce, but those birds were not scared a bit, and kept talking/singing even as Bruce caught the ones chosen for us!!!

He said 'disorganized', but actually, he knew each and every cage... which hatch it was, and from which parents, and how each cage was related to other cages. He had a breeding/hatching chart for this year.. on the back of a seed sack... and he used it for reference once or twice.... but he didn't need to refer to the records of band numbers to know which were hens, males, and which month they were hatched in!

He will soon put all the females in several large flight cages, and the males (singers as he calls them) in individual cages. He does a fall 'deep clean' and assessment of birds.

We had sent a money order for 7.... but I found a Gloster male that gave me a 'flirting look' and I was in love... so also bought him and a female Gloster.
Here is what we came home with....

• A white male and a grey/white female for my mom.
• A yellow male and yellow female for my cousin.
• A yellow male and two females for me... one solid yellow, and one with small variegation on the head.
• A grey/white Gloster male (consort plain headed) and green/yellow crested female for me.

After delivering everyone else's on Friday... I have 7 canaries in my house.  :)

Mom and I compared notes tonight, and all the 'singers' had sang today!!!

They settled in very nicely and have surprised us with their conficence and calmness... while being so alert and busy.
They are different than the canaries we had before... these are not spooked by even the dog shaking himself a foot from their cage! and these are so alert and happy!

A few more photos:

There were BEAUTIFUL reds: 

 These four cages were Bruce's friend's canaries:

Catching up with other work besides 'chickens'!

My 'extra' chickens are all sold, and most of the fall work with the chickens will be the fun process of selecting which ones to keep!  :)
So, it is on to other work!
I didn't do much, if anything, with the yard and garden this summer.  It 'feels' like fall, with cooler temps and rainy, wet weather.  I am clearing weeds, pulling and digging grass, spreading manure and mulch, and generally 'catching up'.  I won't be able to go back and redo the summer in the yard, but I can make sure I am ready to go ahead in the spring!!!
I have taken time to try a few new recipes, start violet leaves, root other houseplants, and read a book or two!!
Computer time is also easier to find... so am back to my 'online' fun, such as The Violet Voice group, and working on the group's webpage, this journal and the AfricanVioletFun.com website!!!
Oh, and my camera is working again!  Expect new photos soon!

Updated list of what is for sale: (8/25)

Silver Leghorns

These I purchased from McMurray Hatchery... not sure why they have grey legs!!! I am betting the flock owner was working on improving color, and is in the process of using some other breed to bring in desirable traits. AT ANY RATE... these are not show quality Silver Leghorns!!! In fact, I think they act like a cross between the leghorn and Silver Phoenix!!?????
But, color and type aside, they are very quiet and curious, not easily spooked. They do not appear to want to be pets, but they are gentle. Overall, their body size will be larger than the Phoenix, and with much of the Leghorn look. I am keeping about half, to see what they do this winter... they should lay like a whiz in the winter.. as both the Leghorn and Phoenix were great layers for me last winter.
I have (10) pullets and if you buy all 10, you may take your pick of rooster from the 8 males.


The Black Without A Name pullets are GREAT!!! Even though they aren't part of my plans for breeding/mating next spring, I am keeping one of these Black SexLink cross with a grey rooster.
Read about these here. Very worth reading.
There are (4) of these pullets.

Austra White/California White.... second generation.

These have been very nice... and I am changing my plans a bit. I HAD planned to order first generation cross chicks again in 2011... but I think these 2nd generation pullets are so nice, I am going to try a third generation! :) I have 4 month old Austra White 2nd generation pullets that have begun to lay like crazy!
I have (2) 3-3 1/2 month old pullets, and (7 to 8) 2 month old young pullets... several are barred, which would be one side of the California White cross.


My 'handed down' speckled hens
You can read about these here. I am keeping several of these along with the grey pullets. My year, and 2-year, old speckled hens were my best setters and mamas... plus layed very well as soon as warm weather settled this past spring!
I just found that there are at least three farmsteads in the surrounding two counties that have descendents from 'Mom's chickens'... a testament to their value!!!
These are 2 1/2 to 3 month old pullets; I have (2) extra for sale.

Updates and Redesigns... Coming Soon!

Montana Ranch website has moved to a new server, and the website and this Journal will be given an update and a new design!  Watch for changes coming later in August!!!

An African Violet TEASE!

It's been FOREVER since I have posted something about African violets!!!!  Well, 12 + months to be exact!
The truth is, my violets have suffered from neglect.  My mind and efforts have been elsewhere.
July 1st, I had three AV plants... THREE!!!  Shocking!
I ordered a few leaves, and several plants.... so now have 10 plants and 30 leaves... looking nice and healthy.  By the end of August, I may see little babies!
My camera is 'on the fritz', so here comes the tease!!!
Here is a photo of my African violets.....

..... in July 2009!!!!   That's the tease!!!
I'll be back with violet photos, I promise!!!

Chickens For Sale!!!

It was inevitable!  I had big plans and now I have big flocks of chicks, pullets, and hens!!!
You name it, I have it!!   Grey, white, speckled, barred, solid, and shaded.
Young, old, and everywhere in between.
I do have most of the young pullets chosen for my own personal flock this winter, and am ready to sell any extras someone may want.
I have yearold hens of Austra White, California White and Black Australorp.  These are purebred that I ordered from a hatchery last summer.
Here is a photo of several Austra White hens for sale:  I have an orange band on any hen that I find laying in the nest, and I will sell the ones that are laying.

I have 5 Black Australorp year old hens, and one 4 month old pullet that is 1/2 BA, and 1/2 AW, that looks and acts like BA.

I have 6 young AW and CW pullets (aged 3 1/2-4 months), as well as 2 1/2-3 month old Grey/Black Star pullets..... Later, I will have Silver Leghorns and Partridge Rocks as well as more AW and CW.

I also have 2 week old chicks, if anyone is interested.  They are with hens at the moment, but they are not breeds I want to keep and if someone wants them, without the hen, let me know!  They are:  3) Buff Orphington and 7) Silver Laced Wyandotte and SLW/Dark Cornish cross.
Here are four of the SLW/Dark Cornish or SLW:

The story behind these late chicks is that I wanted to take a 'hen and chicks' display to the Phillips County Fair, so asked my sisterinlaws and their mother for eggs, and set three hens with four different breeds of chicks.  When they hatched, I moved the chicks around until one hen had three of each breed, and took her to the fair!