Back in January, Ed and I pre-ordered one hundred Chukar's (quail) on-line. We had to wait until spring to receive them. Because of the weather they were not hatching as early in the season as they normally do. We finally received them about two weeks ago. When we received them, several had already died in the container they were shipped in. I did call the hatchery and they explained why that would happen and said we would probably lose more during the night. They were right. I went out the next morning and more had passed on. It just broke my heart for them. OK, I am getting ahead of myself here. When I opened the container and saw how small these little birds were, I knew they could not be put in our chicken pen as they could pass through the chicken wire. I had to find a cage with smaller wire, in order to keep them contained. I did find a large cage in the barn. But, guess what? They still were able to escape. Cardboard is handy to line the outside of the cage, and love that duct tape. Then I had to hook up the brooder lights. Everything was set up for them, but they were too small to use the normal size waterier. Had to find a smaller waterier. We knew we couldn't keep them in the cage for long. So, we went and bought some nylon screening. Lined the inside of the chicken pen with this screening and duct taped all of the seams together. Thought we had done a good job and would keep them safe. Didn't anticipate them finding a way to escape. Went out the next morning and noticed several were over in the adjoining chicken pen. I just sat down and watched; sure enough two more got out and went through the chicken wire to the next pen. We had placed a board at the end of the pen to staple the screening to, since the floor is not level, they scooted underneath and out through the wire and in through the wire to the adjoining pen. More construction had to be done. I knew several had disappeared, thought it was only about three. Didn't find out how many had actually escaped until the following morning when we went to check on them and found twelve more were in the adjoining pen. They don't have a brooder light in that pen, but we did sneak water and feed in there. They are very skittish, so didn't want to scare them and have them leave the pen they had found their way back to. So, now we are just waiting for those escapees to get a little bigger to try and catch them and return them to the rest of their relatives. Ed grew up on a farm, but I am an urbanite and I am having a ball on our little farm. We both have learned so much, just from trial and error. We have hatched and raised Pheasants and chickens, now trying our hand at these little Chukars.

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Ed and I attended the Ice Cream Social at the Methodist Church in Escalon on Saturday night. Saw several Farmington residents also. They served several different flavors of homemade ice cream along with cakes and pies. If you didn't go, you missed a yummy good time. Two of our grandchildren went with us and they had to have seconds. Hopefully next year we will see more Farmington members.

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Happy Anniversary to Frank and Wanda Perry on Monday the 15th.

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Farmington Elementary School starts on Monday, August 15th.

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I would still like to hear from you. Have you taken a trip? Have you had out of town visitors? Let me know of family birthdays, anniversaries and new arrivals to your family. Whatever you want to add to the Farmington News is welcome.

Please contact me if you have items for the Farmington News column. E-Mail me at farmingtonnews@gmail.com or phone 896-6697.