Horseshoe Glen Farm & Apiary

04/28/2026

Clara was the adventurer. My sister was the first one of us to fly up to the highest places inside our cabin. I am Nicole. I was not the adventurous one among my brood mates. I am more like an empath or counselor.

Whereas Clara would walk on top of the fence. I was the one warning "Pickle" about the importance of staying close to the group. When "the man in the black boots" came to visit, I was the one who would jump on the counter next to him to see if everything was all right.

As you may guess, Clara left us...it about two years ago. "Daddy" had left the two doors open for us to forage. That's a big word that means scratch around and look for bugs, worms and seed. Sometimes we also eat grass. My favorite ones have little purple flowers and leaves.

Well, that day there were two dogs that came to visit. I flew up as high as I could. Others hid in the bushes and tried not to make any sound. Clara, on the other hand pulled out some ninja-like moves (mind you. with a Clara-san finesse).

Three casualties and one missing in action. I was there to help everybody mourn. I had to hold it together. Of course I missed my brood mates, but I missed my own sister the most. I really needed a whole lot more hugs from "that guy who brings us food and freshens our water".

About a year later another one of my sisters became ill. We could all tell. One night she couldn't jump up in the rafters in the cabin. "Daddy" helped her up. I slept right next to her that night.

The next day she went outside, however she did not eat anything. She decided that she was going to sit down inside one of the smaller, outdoor "summer cabins". Daddy brought some food and water. Her name was Caramel. She and I looked nearly alike - only I have a gray fluffy butt and hers was a light-caramel color.

That evening she did not come into the shed. I had no idea until it was too dark and Daddy had closed the doors. (Author note: He closed her up so no one could get into where she was.)

The next morning she was not feeling any better. Daddy opened her doors so we could take turns sitting with her. Nobody could do anything for her. I decided to stay in the Summer cabin with her overnight. In the morning...she had left us. I was there. I tried to tell Daddy all about it. He just hugged me and sat with me on a lawn chair.

I am an old lady. I still lay an egg a couple times a week. Not as important as the role I play proudly as the emotional caretaker of our flock.

04/26/2026

August 2021 - We arrived in our box, completely cozy. We had been moving, yet none of us knew where we were going. Though I could not count, I knew there were several of us. Somebody was peeping so loudly.

There was a lady's voice nearby. I could tell she wished we would be somewhere else. When one of us started peeping, nearly everyone joined in. Nobody knew what to think. Light shined in through holes on the side of our box. I tried to keep everyone calm. Even if I was the smallest of all my brood mates, I was determined to hold us together.

Soon somehow our box was lifted and then set back down again. Only a few minutes later, we were again moved somewhere. That person would soon become referred to as the man in the black boots. He lifted us gently and set us down carefully inside of a room with very tall walls. The floor was soft and smelled nice. Each of us took turns running around, cuddling and taking naps right there on the floor. Life was good.

It was a weird feeling...walking around with our bulgy tummies. Then for no known reason, that big guy picked us each up and pushed our beak into something shiny. "Hmm...?" Whatever it was I needed some more. Everybody crowded around this shiny stuff, each feeling a sense of satiation. "I know. Big word for a young Chickie."

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04/25/2026

I took a walk around our property today. Year-old walnut and black locust trees are everywhere. I have my old, empty hives set up as swarm traps. Patience.

This afternoon when I arrived at the chicken shed, I came around the back side by the run. Strangely,no one was outside. It wasn't too hot, plus there is an evergreen tree nearby providing a nice shadow.

I imagine they had heard me, or otherwise sensed my coming. I wasn't singing or whistling...Hmm?

Everyone was at the door. Food and water - just like always. Check for eggs. Looks like I missed one egg yesterday because there were two carefully placed on the fresh pine shavings in the open package that was sitting on the work table.

I haven't seen our cream-colored egg layer lately. I thought she had passed/disappeared. One of the two eggs on the pile looked like hers. This is a mystery. I wasn't there yesterday. Alongside the mystery egg was one from Chanel. She lays an elongated egg that is symmetrical on both ends. Also her egg is off white & tinted gray.

I left the girls alone for a couple minutes. When I came back, quite a few of them were outside in their run. Merida, who is the Alpha hen for now, was standing watch. Dottie, the former mayor and present social chairman, was enjoying scratching around for bugs and seed.

My phone alarm went off thus reminding me that I had been outside long enough for an old guy. On this signal everyone who was outside in the run went inside the shed. Customarily, I have observed that the Alpha hen stays until everyone has gone back inside. This was not the case. Instead - Nicole rounded everyone up and jumped up on the ledge to go into the "pop door" last.

I set up the signs for an "egg sale" today. I set the driveway alarm. It has gone off only once..."thank you wind for blowing over the box".
We'll see on a Saturday afternoon. The other thing is that these eggs are from chickies who are not exposed to chemicals. The yolks are darker yellow. Their taste - don't get me started. I can never stomach an egg anywhere except from our farm. Having spoiled layers leads to yummy eggs. (Thanks also to my niece and her BF for taking care of them when we're gone.)

04/25/2026

Layers were waiting for me at the doors when I arrived. Nobody was in any of the laying boxes. I went to open the run and most of the girls followed.

I went back to fill up the feed bin and check the water level. It was slightly raining outside. Their outdoor water bin had fresh water. The "top of the pecking order" chickies stayed outside for the fresh air.

The other girls who stayed in the shed, got first dibs at their food bin. Yay for them. "Ooh, pretty eggs today!"

I was going to finish up taking out the vines on the front steps to the house. However it was raining. I'm guessing I could put together the w**d eater indoors. I'm pretty sure I have the battery for it already charged. Hmm...?

Wahoo! 12 followers until I reach 100.

04/23/2026

Sneaky Old Nicole

In one hand I was carrying the galvanized pail lined with fresh pine shavings for collecting eggs. In the other hand I was carrying a two gallon, plastic bucket of water. When I opened the door of the chicken shed, Nicole sneaked out.

I set down the egg collecting pail and closed the door behind me so that the rest of the girls wouldn't get out. Then I poured the water into their rubber water bin. Everyone came to drink out of the bin inside the shed. I turned to go outside to collect Nicole. As soon as I cleared the doorway, everyone else joined Nicole at the outside water dispenser.

"Oh well" I said to myself. "I'll fill their feed container and they'll come running." Success! Except Nicole stayed outside drinking.
I went to pick her up to bring inside the shed. That is where I took the picture. Actually I took three...she just wouldn't look at the phone/camera.

04/22/2026

It's official - my honey bee colony swarmed. They left plenty of honey and pollen. Strangely - the queen did not leave with the colony. There was about half a cup of dead bees in the hive. I could tell she was my old queen because she had the blue dot on her thorax.

There were no wax moths. There were lots of empty brood frames. Thinking of starting again sometime in June. All of the uncapped nectar had been consumed.

It was easier to take when my mentor said that winter was hard and that he lost lots of bees as well. Sorry, Guy...

"Keep Moving Forward" (credit Meet the Robinsons)

04/22/2026

With Happy Acres Homestead – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

04/20/2026

Going to be below freezing tomorrow here in Indiana near the Michigan border. Chickies will be okay. They're inside with no draft. Also we have deep method pine shavings. They are heavily feathered creatures, unlike their extinct, distant cousins, who had only a few feathers on their wings.

They made it through the cold winter - they'll be okay.

On another note...I went by the beehive the other day. It was a warm day with the Sun shining. Also it was early afternoon. There was no activity coming out of the hive. I did not open the lid or move the entrance reducer. I did not make any loud noises. Nothing...

I left them until another day. Maybe they were sure there would be another cold front coming in a few days. This time, not wearing even my veil, I got closer. I stayed still near the hive for a minute just listening. Again no activity coming out nor entering the hive. I slowly moved the bricks from on top of the telescoping cover, then the cover itself. There was no activity. I removed the one inch thick, blue insulation that was stuck to the inner cover with propolis. Still no movement.

I put everything back together...not knowing if they were just all balled up. By now I imagine the queen to have a really great brood pattern and the workers feeding the baby bees. Like Schrodinger's Cat... The colony existed in both states - alive or dead. Until I open it up all the way and observe and verify...?

If they swarmed...Wahoo! They were so healthy when I saw them last. I'll check some other time this week after it warms up again. It will be freezing over night.

04/20/2026

It was another gray day here in Northern Indiana. When I visited the chickies today, they all wanted to be near me...especially Merida. She is the Alpha hen for now. However, she does not like to be picked up. The older girls all love being picked up, standing on my shoes, jumping up on the table where I might be working.

Not Merida. She is younger. Maybe she doesn't want the other girls seeing that she can be cuddly...keeping up with appearances and all. Maybe I wasn't as affectionate with her during some early bonding/imprinting period? Maybe i'm just reading too much into it?

She is a Rhode Island Red. She is stocky with a really fluffy back end. Among her brood mates are Easter Eggers, Dominiquers and Gold Stars. All of them are pretty easy going. Except if you catch Zoe on the nest.

Today there were no eggs to be found...that is without checking under Zoe while she is in the process of laying an egg. She is not broody, per se, she just doesn't want to be bothered while she is concentrating. She will try to take your finger off.

I walked around the shed, looking in the usual hiding places for eggs. Zero! Okay let's get the girls some fresh water and add some feed to their feeder. After I walked away, Zoe finished her business. One warm, fresh laid egg...and four other slightly warm eggs - due to her sitting on them for however long. I gathered them all and finished up in the shed to head back to the house.

I had to be quick because Nicole wanted to sneak out to eat fresh grass. Door closed. "See you all tomorrow!"

04/20/2026

How long will it take for the two loads of laundry to get finished?

On the cruise ship...about a day and a half.
At home...? Getting the basket off the couch to empty it...? A couple hours. Collecting the dirty clothes from both piles in both bathrooms plus in the bedroom...? A couple hours. Going downstairs to put the first load in the washing machine...? A couple hours. Waiting for the cycle to finish...? A couple hours. Remember to go & flip the laundry into the dryer and start the second load...? A couple hours. Next day - re-fluff the clothes in the dryer because they're wrinkled. A couple hours later, remember that you already fluffed the clothes in the dryer, so put the clothes in the hamper and set it aside to flip the clothes from the washer into the dryer. Realize that you forgot to use the fresh scent beads. Run the whole load again. Wait until the load is over...? A couple hours. Later that afternoon realize you need to put the laundry into the dryer, having forgotten to bring the dried clothes upstairs. Put the first load back in the dryer for a twenty minute fluff. Go back upstairs to set a timer to remind yourself about the dryer. Go outside to check the mailbox. On the was back you realize there are some branches down in the front lawn. Pick them up and decide it would be better to put these on our brush pile than on the curb. They will not pick up for a couple weeks. They will break down in the brush pile on top of where the woodchuck lives.

Come back inside and realize you need a shower. The dishwasher nor the washing machine are running. Realize after the shower that your timer went off an hour ago. Forget the wrinkles. Flip the laundry and bring up the basket with wrinkled clothes. "Oh, well. No one will care if I have wrinkled clothes. I'm not going anywhere.

The next day Elli asks where her other sock is that should match the one she got out of the clean/dried clothes. "It must have been in the other load that's in the dryer downstairs.

How long does it take to do the laundry at home...? Three days.

04/19/2026

The "wild" plum trees we planted a couple years ago have leafed out already. They must be close enough to the house or the leaves are not tasty for the deer. Both trees are shorter than waist high but look healthy

I would venture that I could cut back the old blackberry canes. At this point this year's canes that should bear fruit are barely budding out.