Ruby’s Blackbird Grove

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First vender show of the year! At the Benson community center from 10-2! Come join us for lots of handmade crafts with o...
05/09/2026

First vender show of the year! At the Benson community center from 10-2!
Come join us for lots of handmade crafts with over 20 venders!!

04/27/2026

As promised here’s the duckies first swim! They only get about 10 minutes a day to enjoy the water and they take full advantage of it now!

I should not go into runnings this time of year 😓 I always walk out with a new project or critter. This weeks additions:...
04/24/2026

I should not go into runnings this time of year 😓 I always walk out with a new project or critter. This weeks additions: DUCKS!!
Yes, I thought it would be a few years before I got new species on the farm but I did think it inevitable that I would try ducks. Just didn’t expect to fall in love with the little spotted cutie here. And of corse she can’t be alone! So three it is… at least to start 😋
I have a few projects to make the existing coop duck friendly but not too many. I planned ahead 🧠
I’m sure to learn many lessons from these three and perhaps they’ll be the only ducks I ever get (if they’re too much of a hassle) but in my heart… I know the truth…

Meet the new additions:
This is Sprinkles the Magpie, Puddles the Pekin and Splash the Swedish blue

I’ll have to upload their first swim later (it was too cute)

Sorry this news comes late but it’s been hard to deal with…Saturday the 31st, I went to check on the chickens and found ...
02/09/2026

Sorry this news comes late but it’s been hard to deal with…

Saturday the 31st, I went to check on the chickens and found a massacre… something had gotten in and killed 8 chickens on site… many more were missing. Thankfully Brandon was there with me and he helped me find four alive that had scattered around the farm.

By the end of the day I had 8 bodies and one still missing, lilac, she’s presumed dead as well…
The chickens I found dead were: maple, larkspur, lacy, gardenia, salvia, iris, tulip, and chanterelle

Three of my six original chickens… my larkspur… gone. It’s still so hard to believe.

The surviving girls have been barricaded in ever since. It’s been too cold for them to roam around anyways.

As for what did this… I have no clue, I found some scat in the coop but it’s hard to identify. At first, I was thinking raccoon but now I’m leaning more coyote. The live trap I set out, only caught a stray cat so that’s no help.…

Here are my favorite pics of the girls I lost

So I’ve been recently free ranging my chickens, letting them run around the yard durring the day. It’s fun to see them s...
03/22/2025

So I’ve been recently free ranging my chickens, letting them run around the yard durring the day. It’s fun to see them scratching around, though it does come with a degree more danger… and not always the dangers you think.
March 13th I realized I was missing a chicken, Gardenia, my white egg layer. I had seen her the previous day by the garden but hadn’t checked to see if she was in that night. I looked around the garage and tractor shed but there was no sign of her. After a few days it was clear she was lost and most likely gone for good. Sad, but it happens to the best of us, I moved on and got some replacement chicks.

Today I was going to clean out the coop and I went to grab a metal tub that I use to scoop debris into. I lift it up and there she was, moreover she was actually ALIVE!! I was stunned, baffled!

I caught her and took her into the house to bath and assess her. She was definitely skinny and drank a lot of the bath water but all in all she was alert and feisty. I set up the chicken med tent in the basement and got her some food, water and scrambled eggs! She’s doing really good but I’m not letting down my guard untill she’s back with the flock. Chickens are apparently a lot tougher than you’d think but also more fragile too so I’m just going to monitor her for a few days.

It’s a miracle shes alive, one lucky chicken!

A few weeks ago I noticed Zeus was limping on his front leg. Upon inspection I saw an egg sized lump on the inside of hi...
03/06/2025

A few weeks ago I noticed Zeus was limping on his front leg. Upon inspection I saw an egg sized lump on the inside of his right leg. I got him to the vet and my fears were confirmed. It was a cancerous tumor… I was deviated and anguished over the choices. We could leave it and hope it dosnt get worse, we could pay thousands to a specialist to have it removed (which might not get it all and it could come back) or we could amputate the whole leg…
There was no good option but after a long and hard discussion with friends and family and an even longer and harder debate with myself, I decided it was the right time to have it amputated. With me not working I could be there 24/7 to support his recovery and have less worry about all the what ifs. He’s 8 years old and as healthy as he’s ever going to be…

So on Tuesday he had his full front leg removed and yesterday I got to take him home. I was much much more distraught than he was. He was up and walking right away, figuring out his new circumstances. He’s obviously been inside and will likely stay inside for the rest of his life (sorry not sorry) he’s loving the new giant bed we got him (the other animals love it too so they can have a big snuggle party).
Zeus has been so strong in all of this, just two days after surgery he’s trying to run outside with the littles. He’s still recovering his stamina but seeing that has put my mind more at ease… it’s a lot to get used to but we’re here together and striving to live life to the fullest!

My first craft fair at Sebeka highschool! From 9-noon, come see the felt and flannel creations from Leah and Anne Graham...
12/07/2024

My first craft fair at Sebeka highschool! From 9-noon, come see the felt and flannel creations from Leah and Anne Graham!

With the help of mom and dad I was able to mount my hand painting mailbox. It was so fun to design and paint and I think...
06/27/2024

With the help of mom and dad I was able to mount my hand painting mailbox. It was so fun to design and paint and I think it looks pretty good! Even managed to level the pole so it’s up straight again

Had a nice fire with Anne Dineen Graham last night. Burning up the big pile finally, along with many sticks that fell in...
05/13/2024

Had a nice fire with Anne Dineen Graham last night. Burning up the big pile finally, along with many sticks that fell in the last wind storm. Zeus dug out a gopher hole so mom and I decided to trap it

Meet my new problem child! This is Hops aka hop-along, she’s a Rhode Island Red and she has a bad leg!At first I thought...
04/26/2024

Meet my new problem child! This is Hops aka hop-along, she’s a Rhode Island Red and she has a bad leg!

At first I thought it was a vitamin deficiency like so many others… but the miracle tums wasn’t doing anything.

She had a swollen hock joint which I didn’t understand why until I gave her an Epsom salt bath, trying to give her some relief with the warm water. I noticed a small anomaly, at first I thought it was skin and she had a very serious wound. Upon further inspection it appeared to be something that was wrapped around the leg.

After pulling it off I realized it must have been part of the egg membrane that had been twisted around her leg. I removed it… the damage was done however and I don’t think the joint will ever be the same. But, it’s not infected and she gets around pretty well.

I’m trying to correct her cockeyed walking with some vet wrap like you do with splayed legs… it might be too late as she’s now two weeks old but it dosnt hurt to try. If anything she’ll just walk a bit funny as she gets older

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De Graff, MN
56271

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