Beer & Chick'n

Just a quick update on the progress of my new flock. Today I cleaned out the brooder box, in the interim confining the chickens to four empty beer cases (three birds per box, which allowed enough room to prevent a potentially fatal “piling” situation). All 12 birds are doing well, and as of now I have three “confirmed” males (judging by comb and wattle growth; unlike with mammals birds have no visible genitals, and can only be sexed by secondary features) which is, fortunately, about what I initially suspected. Sure this means less (if any) Spring Chicken (as I think I can give away at least two of these cockerels), but it also means less dealing with the “issues” of Spring Chicken…

The boys, currently seperated from the girls, huddle together; hiding from the overhanging Sun(pak). Actually this is normal behavior when a small number of chicks are isolated in a dark place; and my über bright flash gun has nothing to do with it (and coincidentially, it fired just over minimum power).

That’s all I have for now. More later…

Peeps!

Yes it’s that time of year again…  And I already got my Peeps!

The difference here is that the ones I bought aren’t marshmallows, they’re “made with real chicken…”  Mostly because they ARE REAL CHICKENS!

 

And here they are.  Last Saturday I purchased a dozen Rhode Island Red chicks, and this is their progress after six days. 

I’d been wanting more chickens, and specifically Rhode Island Reds if possible.  When I went to Tractor Supply they actually had them as one of their featured breeds, so I bought them instead of the Golden Comet pullets in the next brooder over.  Of course this means that I have a few cockerels in this bunch, but any I get will serve their purpose (which by the way is NOT replacing my current rooster!)

This Golden Comet cock (rooster) isn’t due for replacement for at least another year, and possibly quite a bit longer, for three reasons.  First, he is still too young for his intended final purpose as coq-au-van.  Second, as you can see he is tame (at least with me) and the only bird I own that I have any sentimentality about…  And third (and likely foremost) this rooster fought a hawk, and won!  I didn’t actually watch it happen, but I’m pretty certain that he has chased off, and almost certainly fought, the neighborhood hawk at least twice.  If for no other reason that’s worth keeping him around!

 

Finally here’s one for posterity.  Little Mr. Curious looks right into my camera…  Or is it Miss Curious?  Still to early to be sure…

Photography: Fifty friggin’ Megapixels!

Unbelievable?  Maybe.  Impossible?  Not for 135 film! 

I just purchased and received a high-resolution flatbed scanner with a transparency unit, that allows it to scan both color negative and color reversal (slide) films.  Needless to say I am very impressed:  At the scanner’s native resolution of 6400 DPI a standard 135 frame (24x36mm) equates to 49.5 megapixels, with a quality level that blows the socks off of anything digital I’ve ever shot! 

So far I have tested this scanner with two color negative films (Fujicolor Superia 200 and 800 Xtra) and one color reversal film (Kodak Kodachrome 64) both with extraordinary results! 

Anyways here are some 50MP scans of some 135 photographs.  Enjoy.

 

Fujicolor Superia 800 Xtra scan

Kodak Kodachrome 64 scan

Fujicolor Superia 200 scan