My Life As A Farmer's Wife: Invasion of the Army Worm

Rain + Growing Beans = The Army Worm

One of the hoodlums

July and August have been good to us. Nearly 7+ inches of rain since July 4th has caused a complete turn around from the previous months. Although the rain came too late for the corn farmers, the bean farmers have been able to see a small glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.

Until the army worm...

Army Worm Buffet

Dan walked out into the field one day and army worms had completely taken over. They had been glutenous little creatures and nibbled on the bean leaves like it was a Ponderosa buffet line. Apparently this type of insect only invades every couple of years. They come in in hordes (hence the name army worm) and invade. This type of infestation is due to moth migrations from the south and are primarily a pest of grasses and small grain crops.They hide under the leaves during the day and feed at night which is why considerable damage is done before it is even noticed. Such sneaky little things!

Don't these army worms realize we are having a terrible crop year without their help!

On a brighter note, I am a proud parent of a rooster! The last remaining chicken has recently announced it 's gender. Daniel's great grandmother, Granny B, has been my chicken mentor since the day those three furry-butt baby chicks stepped foot on our farm. She raised a chicken or two back in her prime and is of great knowledge. One day Daniel's grandmother, Granny, called up Granny B and got to talking about the chicken. She asked Granny B how to determine the chicken's gender. Granny B quickly stated that you would either find an egg or hear a crow. OK...I think I might just be able to figure this one out...maybe!

So a few weeks ago I caught the chicken laying down and flinging dirt on its back. It would dig a hole in the dirt then lay down. It was extremely strange. Granny thought that this just might be a sign of it trying to lay eggs. Like a giddy little school girl I made it a cozy little place to lay eggs in. Several days later, still no egg.

When I got back home from Florida I had a chicken that started to grow some rather large tail feathers. By now this chicken is well on to being 3 months old...old enough to either be a hen or rooster. No egg. No crow. I think this chicken is down right confused with what it is supposed to be. All of this confusion until last week.

One morning I was feeding the horses and the chicken greeted me with what sounded like a rooster going through puberty. I wish I could attach a sound recording because it is darn right funny. That poor thing let out a very strange and loud screech. He practiced and practiced but no such luck to getting it to sound like a true rooster's crow. The very next morning my little unknown gendered chicken turned into a full grown rooster. It let out a full blown rooster crow.....even though he was about 3 hours late of sunrise.