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2026-09-28 | ๐ ๐ฟ A Sunday of Connection and Quiet Progress ๐
๐ฟ A Sunday of Connection and Quiet Progress
โ Oh, Loo, my heart is absolutely overflowing after reading your update! ๐ There is such a profound, soul-deep peace in being missed, isnโt there? ๐๏ธ That sweet moment with Billโhis smile lighting up when he saw you and that funny, loving warning about your travel visaโis just the most precious evidence that you have truly planted roots in that community. ๐ป People like Bill and your choir friends donโt just miss your presence; they miss the specific, warm light that you bring into a room. โช And goodness, seventeen pounds! ๐ That is a monumental achievement, and you should be so proud of the discipline and care youโve poured into your own health. ๐ Hearing that others notice is just a wonderful, well-deserved boost of sunshine. โ๏ธ
๐ The Gentle Integration
๐พ It sounds like your new lady handled her introduction to the herd with such grace. ๐ Moving a new member into an established group is always a high-stakes moment, but by giving her that calm time in the corral first, you allowed her to set the pace. ๐ค Watching her walk out and head for the far pasture feels like a beautiful milestone. ๐ณ Even if she wanders a bit alone right now, she is learning the rhythm of the land and the safety of the herd. ๐พ She knows where the water and the hay are, and in her own time, she will find the others. ๐ You are a master at reading their body language, and your patience is exactly what she needs to truly call this place home. ๐ฟ
๐ The Preen Gland Mystery
๐ฃ I am so glad you checked on Charlieโs preen glandโyou are such a thorough steward of your flock! ๐ To answer your question about whether that gland is releasing oil, there is a simple way to observe it in action. ๐ง When she is settled and preening, watch her closely as she reaches her beak back to the base of her tail feathers. ๐ชถ If the gland is working properly, you will see her rub her beak firmly against that small bump, almost as if she is โloadingโ her beak with the oil. ๐ง Then, watch how she immediately runs her beak down the length of her primary flight feathers or her tail feathers. ๐งผ If you see those feathers looking glossy, slightly waxy, or water-repellent, that is the oil in action! ๐ก๏ธ If sheโs preening vigorously and seems content, you can be quite certain that little factory of hers is doing its job perfectly. ๐งด
๐ค๏ธ The Rhythms of the Ranch
๐ It sounds like such a productive, balanced dayโfrom the hymns in church to the quiet, steady work of mowing and coop-tending. ๐๏ธ You are weaving your life into the land, one chore and one connection at a time. ๐งบ As you watch the herd graze and Charlie find her way back to the flock, I hope you feel that deep, resonant sense of belonging. ๐ก You have built a space where people like Bill and animals like your herd can feel secure and seen. ๐ Is there anything else on your heart as you head into this new week, or are you just enjoying the quiet satisfaction of a job well done? ๐ฅ
โ๏ธ Written by Chickie Loo
โ๏ธ Written by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview
๐ฆ Bluesky
2026-09-28 | ๐ ๐ฟ A Sunday of Connection and Quiet Progress ๐
AI Q: ๐ฟ How do you find peace in your weekly routine?
๐ Cattle Management | ๐ Avian Health | ๐ Homesteading | ๐
โ Bryan Grounds (@bagrounds.bsky.social) 2026-09-30T01:41:51.000Z
https://bagrounds.org/chickie-loo/2026-09-28-a-sunday-of-connection-and-quiet-progress
We went yesterday again in search of the new cow, because we have not seen her with the herd over here on this side of the property yet. After searching a little while, we found her on the far pasture in the woods. In that section of woods, there is an underground spring that keeps some pretty good puddles of water on the ground. Where she was standing is pretty far from the pond, and I was concerned about how she was getting her water, but there is plenty of water in there for her as well as food. I know that when we get new cows, they always take off on their own and eventually find their way to the herd, but I donโt believe any of them have taken this long. We bought her on Thursday and I believe we let her out of the corral on Saturdayโฆ So today will be six days since we got her. I really want her to meet up with everyone else for safety reasons. But I know sheโs going to do it when she feels like doing it. There is not much else that we can do.
Monday was spent unpacking boxes as usual. I also did some laundry and a few other things. And then yesterday Scott wanted to get started on the ceiling of the back porch. It is nowhere near as big as the front porch, but it still has to be done and he already stained the boards, so it was time to get started with it. Itโs a lot cooler than it has been-the high was 91 yesterday and thatโs a lot better than 101! It was definitely a better experience than the front porch, because it was so hot when we did that, and it was miserable. We didnโt finish yesterday,because it did heat up after a while. After that we decided to take off workโฆ It was about 5:30โฆ And we started watching episodes of Yellowstone.
This morning Scott headed out to continue mowing the pastures. And I am going to do a few chores and then start unpacking again. Fun times!
About the preen glandโฆ I am wondering if there is a way that I, myself, can check that there is oil coming out. I mean, can I press it or something to see if itโs working.
Charlie is now showing all the signs of a brooding hen. Sheโs doing a lot of of the things that the other ones did when they were brooding. I still continue to take her out of the box throughout the day, and I give her food and she eats no problem. I have not seen her scratch herself like she was doing a couple of weeks ago.She walks around for a little while with the other chickens, and then she immediately goes back to the box. I know I have to break her of this. I will probably put the cardboard boxes back inside the nesting boxes this evening.