Summer In...December?

My thermometer recorded a maximum temperature of 74 degrees today. It was so warm and balmy that I managed to spend a few hours outside enjoying the break from single digit temps. I enjoyed watching the ducks digging in the muddy bank of the pond and the chickens grazing in the lawn. Just a few days ago the chickens wouldn't even come out of their snowed-in coop! All the snow is gone now. They were catching frogs by the pond this afternoon!

We took advantage of the warm weather to get some outdoor chores done. Derek cleaned the chicken coop while I rinsed and squeegeed the cement floor in the garage and hosed down the garage rugs. The coop was pretty messy after the ducks spent a night in it last week. They emptied out the water and made a wet mess of the floor. Now the chickens have some fresh, dry straw in their coop.

It was so nice outside that I fired up the grill and made one of our family favorites: Man Burgers. I put my brand new food processor to work shredding cabbage and carrots for homemade coleslaw to go with the burgers. The bread maker did the work making a batch of dough for a baker's dozen of honey-wheat sandwich rolls to hold my gigantic burgers. Jim was busy with a customer in the shop so I plated up two burgers and some cole slaw and some Jello squares for them both and took it out to them. Less than a minute after I got back in the house I got a call from Jim on my cell phone. He just had to tell me that the burgers were the most awesome burgers ever! That made me feel good.

If you want to try a Man Burger, here's how to make a batch.

2 lb. ground beef or ground sirloin
1 heaping Tbsp. of steak seasoning--I use McCormick's

1/4 cup fresh French bread crumbs
1 egg
Big splash of A1 Steak Sauce or Worcestershire sauce

Form into 6 big patties and grill till they'd done the way you like them. I also like to grill some onion slices while the burgers are cooking. They're great on top of a big, juicy Man Burger! Also, a half-and-half mixture of ground turkey and ground beef will make a leaner burger if you'd like to eat less fat. You can't taste the turkey at all! I've been known to mix in a bit of minced onion or minced green peppers into the beef mixture too. Yummy!

The warm weather isn't going to last. It's going to be in the 30's tomorrow, but that's still better than 4!

Frog Legs Anyone?

The rains in Ohio have finally subsided. However, the impact of the excessive rainfall is easily observed all around us. Alfalfa and corn fields have areas where the plants rotted to the roots. Instead of level corn fields we see undulating crops due to the low spots holding water and stunting plant growth. The wheat harvest is in full swing and it appears that little damage occurred to the wheat. It was finishing just as the rain began in June. The farmers simply had to wait for the ground to dry enough to harvest without getting their combines stuck in the fields.

We have an abundance of frogs this year. All one has to do to find them is walk in any grassy area. Young leopard frogs leap out of the way when we walk in the lawn at dusk. Tonight I saw one fall into the basement window well on the south side of the house. When I looked into the window well I could see it was filled with baby leopard frogs. I asked Jim to help me get them out. We checked all the window wells and filled the bottom of this ice cream pail with them, along with three crayfish. How many frogs can you count? Tomorrow I will feed them to the chickens for a protein boost. I watched one of the Buff Orpington pullets catch a little frog Tuesday morning and was amazed at the predatory instincts chickens have. It's a darn good thing we're bigger than them or they'd eat us for sure!

We went to the county fair this evening after enjoying a good meal at the Chinese restaurant in town. When I was a kid, the fair seemed much larger. I had goats and rabbits entered and I spent the entire week at the fairgrounds. I slept on a lawn chair next to my dairy goat, Nikki. I loved fair week!

We enjoyed looking at the 4-H chickens tonight. There were two equally impressive roosters; one a Rhode Island Red, the other a very large Black Australorp. Derek kept saying that he wanted to keep Achilles, one of two of our Black Australorp cockerels. I said "Don't get your hopes up." But after seeing that big shiny black Australorp with the huge bright red comb and wattles, I decided I've just got to see how that boy Achilles turns out! I told Derek we can keep Achilles with one stipulation: if he ever shows aggressive behavior toward any of us, he's dinner. This applies to all of the chickens though, so he accepted that. Achilles is already the tallest member of the flock. If he adds meat and feathers to that frame, he's going to be at least a 10 pound Australorp! He does something that none of the other roosters will do. When he finds food, he announces it and the pullets come running. He then lets them have first choice. I'd heard about this behavior but hadn't seen any of the roosters do it until this week. I wonder if the other roos will eventually do it.

While I'm on the subject of rooster behavior, I've made some observations about each one. (I have way too much time to sit and watch chickens on my days off!)

• Roo - (Barred Rock) Appears to be the top bird in the flock. Crows very loudly and with gusto, "RRRR-RRRRRrrrrrrr" throaty three-part rhythm. Largest bird in the flock. In regards to food it's every chicken for himself. Gentle with the girls. Very hard to catch, hates to be held anymore. Vigilant of danger and announces any threats.
• Silver - (Silver Spangled Hamburg) Appears to be second in command beneath Roo. Crow is higher pitched, clear, loud four part rhythm, "Cock-a-doodle-doo". Only rooster with a four-part crow. Gentle with the girls but keeps them in check. Friendly with us but wary of being approached. Seems to be concerned with flock cohesion and acts as lookout, sounds danger alert. Can be held on his terms. Shares food with the others but doesn't announce it.
• Achilles - (Black Australorp) Vies for second in command with Silver. Firm with the girls but not vicious. Role is protector of the flock. Any bird in distress will make him come running to investigate the disturbance. Shows little fear of us and might have a tendency toward aggression if not reminded of who's the boss every day. Gorgeous, big, black cockerel with huge red comb and wattles. Can be picked up and held. Crow is throaty and deep "RRRRRR-RRRRRrrrrr", three part rhythm. Announces any food he finds and lets the girls have first pick.
• Rudy - (Buff Orpington) Lowest in rooster pecking order. Very sweet natured and friendly. Likes some attention and will stand calmly while being petted on the breast. Very nice to the girls and us. Easily handled. Gorgeous, shiny golden rooster. Has not crowed yet. No clear role within the flock. Shares food with the others but doesn't announce it.

I have two more roosters but both are slated for butcher so I'm not making mental notes on them. It is interesting to see how each one has his own personality and how they interact with each other. Anyone who spends any amount of time with his birds can tell you about each one. It's a lot like watching children grow up but at a much faster pace. Tonight at the fair we saw a pen of chicks that must have been less than a week old. I said, "Remember when our chooks were tiny fuzz butts?" I can't believe how fast they grow.

I Toad You!

Today was very hot...hot enough for me to reluctantly turn the central air on. Thankfully, an afternoon storm blew through and cooled us off. Rainfall often makes the amphibians that share our pond leave the pond's edge and venture further up into the yard. Sometimes a few frogs or toads will get stuck in the basement windows. After the storm, Derek rescued two such amphibious vagabonds--a pair of American toads. I took the opportunity to snap their photos for posterity. They're quite colorful! One was noticeably smaller than the other. Male and female perhaps?

More information about the American toad as well as its call can be found here. During the heat of the summer, these toads fill the air at the Twelve Acres with a pleasant nightly chorus.