It’s always so exciting whenever we have babies here at the farm. Inside my stable feed room we currently have three peachicks, two chicks, and five keets, plus more youngsters in an outdoor enclosure.
I’ve been raising chickens and other fowl for quite some time. I love keeping chickens for their fresh, delicious eggs, but I also enjoy raising other birds and learning about the different breeds and varieties. Earlier this week, five keets and a peachick hatched in my kitchen where I keep a small incubator specially designed for eggs. My friend, Christopher Spitzmiller, also gifted me with two Burford bronze peachicks, eight young Buff Orpingtons, and four lavender Araucanas. They will all be great additions to my flock.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
Whenever we’re expecting baby birds here at the farm, my stable manager, Helen, who is very experienced in raising chickens, sets up my large bird cages with bedding, feeders, and proper heating elements. These cages are located in the feed room of my stable.
The feeders are filled with organic chick starter for the first six to eight weeks.
This feed is kept wet, so it is more palatable for the babies.
A heat lamp is placed into the cage to keep it warm – chicks less than a month old do best in temperatures around 80 to 85-degrees Fahrenheit.
Helen adds wood shavings for strong footing. It is important that growing chicks don’t slip. Slippery surfaces are the most common cause of spraddle leg – a condition where the chick essentially does splits and has difficulty walking or getting up.
And here they are. In this photo – a baby lavender Araucana chick and a baby Burford bronze peachick. Baby chicks need constant monitoring until they are at least four or five weeks old. Here in the Stable feed room, they are checked several times a day. This room is also free from drafts.
Burford bronze peafowl are bred from a color mutation. The origins of this breed date from the 1980s when they were developed by Burford Abbott of Marysville, Tennessee. Full grown, the males will have stunning dark olive green iridescent necks and dark iridescent bronze trains with touches of copper. These two peachicks from my friend Christopher hatched within hours of each other, which is good so they are not lonely.
Here, one can see the markings on the peachick – already so beautiful. Peachicks, or baby peafowl, are difficult to sex until they’ve reached roughly five months of age, when more of their physical characteristics are visible.
This is a lavender Araucana. Araucana chicks are strong, fast growers and mature quickly. This one is also quite curious. All these chicks have clear eyes and are very alert – signs of good health.
These chicks are also from Christopher. They are light gray in appearance.
These chicks all get along wonderfully and are already learning to roost together.
This yellow peachick hatched in my Winter House kitchen. And because it was raised around humans from the moment it hatched, it is very interested in people and just wants to greet everyone who comes in to visit.
It wasn’t long before the peachick came up close to say hello.
And here is one of the beautiful baby Guinea fowl, also known as a keet. Guinea fowl keets are cute, chirpy, curious and somewhat clumsy at first. This one will mature to a dark gray color with tiny white spots. Enma holds it up for a photo before placing it in the cage.
This one will be a lighter gray in color when full grown. Right now, these keets are nothing short of adorable.
It is very difficult to sex Guinea fowl. The best way to tell males from females is by their cry. When they’re older, the female Guineas will make a two-syllable call that sounds something like “buckwheat, buckwheat”. Males can only make a one-syllable sound similar to “kickkkkk kickkkkk”. The males also have larger gills or wattles.
Guinea fowl enjoy being with their own kind and will always maintain their own social groups even when integrated into the coop with the other chickens and geese. And do you know what a group of Guinea fowl is called? The collective noun for guinea fowl is “confusion” or “rasp.”
I’ve raised many different chicken breeds and varieties over the years – they are all so fun to observe. These gold colored chicks are Buff Orpington chickens. Introduced from England in the late 1800s, they became one of the most popular farm fowls in this country. It is also Christopher’s favorite chicken breed. These birds will grow to be large and stately with quiet, friendly dispositions.
These birds are a bit older than the others and are residing in an outdoor coop. Every chick is personally shown where their food and water sources are, so they know where to find it. All my chicks get a balanced diet of medicated chick crumb with some treats and fresh greens from my gardens.
At first the chicks are a bit unsure of their surroundings, huddling together in one corner.
But after a few minutes, they’re eager to explore the space. A slightly older lavender Araucana perches on the water container while the young Buff Orpington watches nearby – maybe he’s hoping for a perching spot too.
These young chickens will stay together for several weeks. And then, once the chickens are old enough, they will be moved down to the first coop in the chicken yard to join the others.
Right now, they’ll share their space with my stunning Silkies. I wonder what the Silkies are thinking about their new friends. If you’re unfamiliar with Silkies, underneath all that feathering, they have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot. Silkie chickens are known for their characteristically fluffy plumage said to feel silk- or satin-like to the touch. I think they’ll all be very happy here at Cantitoe Corners.
The clematis is blooming so beautifully here at my Bedford, New York farm this season.
I have always loved these flowering vines and over the years, I have grown many varieties of this exquisite plant. When I moved to this property, I knew I wanted to build a long, winding pergola and have clematis growing all over it. After the pergola was constructed, I concentrated on creating a palette of blue-flowering cultivars. Each year, the floral display gets better and better - stunning lavender, blue, and purple clematis. I also have some growing across the carriage road on the trunks of the majestic bald cypress trees.
Enjoy these photos.
Right now, these beautiful flowers stand out as soon as you near the winding pergola. There are several different clematis varieties planted here, but each pair of posts supports the same kind.
Wire is wrapped around each post, so the climbing tendrils of the clematis vines could attach easily. The uprights for this pergola are antique granite posts from China originally used as grape supports. They’re perfect for use as posts because they don’t rot over time like wood.
Clematis is a genus of about 300-species within the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. The name Clematis comes from the Greek word “klematis,” meaning vine. (Photo by Ryan Mesina)
They are native to China and Japan and are known to be vigorous, woody, climbers. (Photo by Ryan Mesina)
Clematis leaves grow in pairs along the stems. The clematis leaf shapes vary with different varieties, but knowing how they grow can help differentiate them from other vines.
Most species are called clematis, but it has also been called traveller’s joy, virgin’s bower, leather flower, or vase vine. It’s also been called “Old Man’s Beard,” because of the long fluffy seed heads that look similar to an old man’s beard.
The standard clematis flower has four to six or seven petals, measuring five to six inches across. Colors range from lavender to deep purple, white to wine red, and even a few in yellow. (Photo by Ryan Mesina)
For this area, I chose various shades of purple, blue, and lavender.
Some of the flowers are very light colored – almost white – with interesting centers.
Many clematis are lightly scented. Flowers vary in shape and sizes. They can be flat, tubular or bell-shaped and can be as small as one-inch wide.
Some clematis cultivars will bloom in partial shade, but to really thrive, they need at least six-hours of sun each day. Just think, “head in the sun, feet in the shade.” The vines like sun, but cool, moist soil. (Photo by Ryan Mesina)
Once established, clematis should be watered about an inch or so weekly, and more deeply during dry spells.
Some of the cultivars grown here include ‘Parisienne,’ ‘Blue Angel,’ ‘Jackmanii,’ and ‘Eyers Gift.’
This is Clematis viticella ‘Betty Corning’, which has slightly fragrant, bell-shaped flowers that bloom from summer to fall.
Here is another bell-shaped clematis variety in pink.
Known as the “Queen of the Climbers”, Clematis plants will train onto trellises and fences, or arch gracefully over doorways.
It can take several years for a clematis vine to mature and begin flowering prolifically. To shorten the wait, purchase a plant that’s at least two-years old. Clematis also prefer soil that’s neutral to slightly alkaline in pH.
The timing and location of clematis flowers varies – spring blooming clematis flower on side shoots of the old season’s stems. Summer and fall blooming vines flower on the ends of only new stems.
Across the carriage road from my pergola, I also have some clematis vines planted at the base of several bald cypress trees.
It is important to understand how each variety blooms in order to properly prune them. They should be cut back to about four or five-inches from the ground in late winter or early spring the first year after it is planted – to promote a bushier, stronger, tighter growth habit.
Clematis plants are also heavy feeders and benefit from a low nitrogen fertilizer such as 5-10-10 in spring, when the buds are about two-inches long. Alternate feedings every four to six weeks with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer and then continue this alternate feeding until the end of the growing season. The blooms appear constantly for many weeks making their everblooming nature a must-have in any garden.
Guests love to photograph these beautiful flowers whenever they visit. This photo, and several others, was taken by our Creative Services VP, Ryan Mesina, who is an avid photographer.
And look what’s coming next – wait until you see all the gorgeous tiger lilies, Lilium lancifolium, that flower in mid to late summer and come back year after year. A hand-full of these are already opening. It’s another dramatic transformation in this pergola garden and I can’t wait to see all the many orange blooms.
If you haven't already heard... you can now go to the Mario Badescu flagship salon in New York City and get "The Martha Facial" - a special limited time offer of the same facial I've been receiving their for more than 40-years!
Last week, more than 400-guests attended a party at The Plaza New York hotel to launch the facial and to celebrate more than 50-years of great skin care with the Mario Badescu brand. The event also recognized my long-standing relationship with the company. Good skin care is so important to me - my weekly schedule often includes media appearances, photography shoots, and public interviews, so it is crucial I look my best. Because I wear makeup so frequently, I make sure I take excellent care of my skin to keep it vibrant and clear. I cleanse it very well, apply facial masks and serums, and always use rich moisturizers on my face and body. I love everything from Mario Badescu and always stock my homes with their excellent products. Thank you so much to Mario Badescu for years and years of wonderful service for me, my family, and my friends.
Here are some photos from the event, enjoy.
Mario Badescu founded the salon and product line that bore his name in 1967. He started in his kitchen, formulating his signature products and eventually opened a skincare establishment on the bottom floor of his residential building. Since then, Mario Badescu has grown and evolved as a brand that includes gentle, fresh-botanical-based ingredients for the entire body. It was such an honor to be recognized as one of its long-standing clients and friends. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
The event was held in the Oak Room of the prestigious Plaza Hotel NYC. The hallway leading to the Oak Room was filled with lots of greenery, and a large photo of Mario Badescu himself. (Photo by Rupert Ramsay/BFA.com)
The Oak Room at The Plaza NYC features an elegantly paneled, German Renaissance Revival-style space 20-foot high ceilings. (Photo by Andrew Werner)
For this event, the walls were covered in green “boxwood” as part of a garden theme and photographs showing a timeline of my relationship with the Mario Badescu brand. (Photo by Andrew Werner)
I have been a customer of Mario Badescu since the 1960s when Mr. Badescu was still alive and creating his magical products. Here is the section showing photos from the 70s, a time when Mr. Badescu’s clients were seen by recommendation only. (Photo by Andrew Werner)
In the 90s, the Mario Badescu Skin Care line of products earned a seal of approval from beauty editors, celebrities, and tastemakers—helping to cement Mario Badescu’s reputation as a line of trusted skin essentials.(Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
In the 2000s, Mario Badescu products launched in Henri Bendel on Fifth Avenue, the first of many successful retail partnerships. And then in 2017, I developed my Martha Stewart – Mario Badescu kits for each decade of one’s life – from teens through the 50s and beyond. (Photo by Andrew Werner)
There were many photos of me on the walls showing how much I love the Mario Badescu brand. I continue to go to the New York City spa for my regular treatments. I am so happy that everyone can purchase products in so many different places including department stores, beauty shops, online, mass market makeup retailers, and on QVC. (Photo by Rupert Ramsay/BFA.com)
Hundreds of guests came out to celebrate – influencers, celebrities, colleagues, and friends. (Photo by Rupert Ramsay/BFA.com)
The walls were also decorated with some of the notes I’ve written to the brand over the years. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
There was an informative, oversized medicine cabinet with a timeline of my favorite products by shelf. Half of it open to present the product and half closed to expose a mirror for selfies and social media moments. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
Here, Mario Badescu CEO Morris Cabasso stops for a photo with his son, Joseph, President of Mario Badescu. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
Many small bites were passed around to all the guests. Here is a tray of New England lobster rolls, with house ground ‘Old Bay.’ (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
There were also Vietnamese vegetable summer rolls with plum sauce. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
And the classic franks ‘en croute’ topped with spicy brown mustard – also known as “pigs in a blanket” – a big favorite for all parties. (Photo by Rupert Ramsay/BFA.com)
For drinks, there was my delicious wine, Martha’s Chard – be sure to visit 19Crimes.com for a store near you. You will love it – so well balanced and flavorful. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
There were also two specially themed cocktails – this cucumber wave with gin, cucumber, lemon juice and simple syrup garnished with a fresh mint sprig, and a summer spritz which includes vodka, vermouth, and grapefruit soda and garnished with fresh rosemary. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
Guests could even cut their own fresh garnishes. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
Each guest went home with a gift bag containing many of my favorite items, such as Mario Badescu products – drying lotion, vitamin C serum, facial spray with aloe, herbs and rosewater spray, super collagen mask, sellufirm drops, mineral sunscreen SPF30, Martha Stewart CBD Tropical Medley Gummies, a Martha.com 20-percent off promo card, a Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon voucher, and a special 20-percent off coupon for a “Martha facial” at Mario Badescu NYC. (Photo by Bre Johnson/BFA.com)
Thank you so much to the Mario Badescu company for so many years of great service and products. Although I was not able to attend, the event was a huge success and everyone had a terrific time. (Photo by Rupert Ramsay/BFA.com)
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