Oh, what a great day for chickens. It's like 50 degrees and the little feather balls got to spend the entire morning frolicking in the yard. They also had a yummy treat of pomegranates and meal worms. As Gavin described, they were like little jackhammers eating those worms!
Our girls must be pretty happy and content. They continue to give us 3-5 eggs a day. Buttercup seems to be the one screwing up the average - sometimes there's an egg from her, sometimes there's not. Sometimes there's a GIANT egg, sometimes it's a wee little thing. I'm not sure her egg laying is regulated yet?
From the Feathered Hands to you: Happy Turkey Day! (Our chickens are quite thankful they aren't turkeys...)
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
Eggs!
We've waited and waited and waited. We started to think that the girls were going to wait until spring to start laying those eggs. But we were wrong!
Friday, while I was at work, my little buddies came running in to say, "hello." That's not weird, they usually come for a visit. But they were carrying a piece of paper - together. What was it? Once they reached me, they opened it. It was the best picture I have EVER seen. A picture of the two of them, as happy as I've ever seen them, posed in front of the coop holding an EGG!
So egg #1 arrived on Friday. (September 7, 2012) We're not quite sure who laid it, but we're guessing Magdalene or Buttercup. However, it's more likely to be Buttercup's first egg as Magda (who's an Aracauna) will probably lay green/blue eggs.
Saturday, we ran out first thing to check the nest box. (That's where egg #1 was found) The box was empty. Later in the day, I decided to clean the coop. I'm trying to decide exactly what to do with their used litter, so I'm keeping it in a big garbage can for the time being. I was digging around in the run and the garbage can was sitting open on the other side of the coop. I heard a chicken jump on something (that's what they do) but was still surprised when I found 3 of them inside that garbage can. The two blackies (Tinkerbell and Lucky) stayed in it for awhile and were acting very odd. The noises they were making sure made me think that one or the other wanted to lay an egg! Well, then it started to rain and they soon jumped out and headed back inside the coop. (I still think, had they been given the chance and time, one of them would've plopped an egg in there...)
Shortly after the rain stopped, we went back outside again. After more odd little chicken noises and some strange behavior, Tink laid her first egg!
Sunday morning, we check again, and found nothing. After church, however, we all opened the nest box to find another egg! According to Travis, who was working outside all morning and witnessed Lucky's strange behavior and noises, she was the one who laid this egg. (Her first)
Monday morning, I checked the nest box first thing. Yes! There was another one! But I waited for the boys to look -- they were so excited. We weren't sure who was the proud 'mother' of this egg, but after calling Travis, we determined it was Tink again. She had been acting ready to lay when he got up to head to work.
Later in the day, Colin and I were outside and could hear the clucky little noises. He ran over to find Lucky sitting in the same spot they ALL sit in. He moved her and low and behold, there lay our 5th egg in 4 days!
Our chickens have grown up!
We're learning the cues - they make some great noises and act a little odd right before they are ready to pop that egg out. It's interesting that all of our girls have laid their eggs in the exact same spot! We anxiously await Magdalene laying her first egg - will it, indeed, be green or blue? Or did she actually lay that one on Friday? Oh, this is the fun part - the part we've ALL been waiting for!
What on earth will tomorrow bring? Probably some more eggs and a yummy breakfast!
Friday, while I was at work, my little buddies came running in to say, "hello." That's not weird, they usually come for a visit. But they were carrying a piece of paper - together. What was it? Once they reached me, they opened it. It was the best picture I have EVER seen. A picture of the two of them, as happy as I've ever seen them, posed in front of the coop holding an EGG!
So egg #1 arrived on Friday. (September 7, 2012) We're not quite sure who laid it, but we're guessing Magdalene or Buttercup. However, it's more likely to be Buttercup's first egg as Magda (who's an Aracauna) will probably lay green/blue eggs.
Saturday, we ran out first thing to check the nest box. (That's where egg #1 was found) The box was empty. Later in the day, I decided to clean the coop. I'm trying to decide exactly what to do with their used litter, so I'm keeping it in a big garbage can for the time being. I was digging around in the run and the garbage can was sitting open on the other side of the coop. I heard a chicken jump on something (that's what they do) but was still surprised when I found 3 of them inside that garbage can. The two blackies (Tinkerbell and Lucky) stayed in it for awhile and were acting very odd. The noises they were making sure made me think that one or the other wanted to lay an egg! Well, then it started to rain and they soon jumped out and headed back inside the coop. (I still think, had they been given the chance and time, one of them would've plopped an egg in there...)Shortly after the rain stopped, we went back outside again. After more odd little chicken noises and some strange behavior, Tink laid her first egg!
Sunday morning, we check again, and found nothing. After church, however, we all opened the nest box to find another egg! According to Travis, who was working outside all morning and witnessed Lucky's strange behavior and noises, she was the one who laid this egg. (Her first)
Monday morning, I checked the nest box first thing. Yes! There was another one! But I waited for the boys to look -- they were so excited. We weren't sure who was the proud 'mother' of this egg, but after calling Travis, we determined it was Tink again. She had been acting ready to lay when he got up to head to work.
Later in the day, Colin and I were outside and could hear the clucky little noises. He ran over to find Lucky sitting in the same spot they ALL sit in. He moved her and low and behold, there lay our 5th egg in 4 days!
Our chickens have grown up!
What on earth will tomorrow bring? Probably some more eggs and a yummy breakfast!
Monday, August 6, 2012
"NOOOOO!"
So we went to put the chickens away the other day and couldn't find them. What we did find, though, was a big pile of feathers on the side of the house. I investigated further, and luckily, they didn't belong to any of our girls. Sadly, they did belong to someone. And that someone probably didn't make it out alive. We did finally find our chickens and got them safely put away for the night. Ironically, the next day, the neighbor, Barry, came over to tell us about the wolf. The same day we found the feathers, about 4:00 pm, a wolf came into their yard and nabbed one of their chickens - while they watched. OK, time to keep better tabs on the girls. Barry also informed us that they'd seen the wolf on the road near our house in addition to a coyote making the rounds. Yep, we're gonna be on alert. Not only for the chickens, but the dog and those kids of ours!
Over the weekend, the prowling wildlife was definitely on our minds. Our chickens don't usually venture too far from home (which is good!) so we haven't feared the wildlife too awfully much. And for the most part, we always outside with them. Sunday afternoon, we sat down for a late lunch at about 1:30 out on the patio. Travis and I were at the table and the boys sitting on the sidewalk. Mmmm, grilled cheese.
Out of the blew, we heard an awful squawk from out in the woods. Immediately, I thought the girls were fighting and didn't think much of it. Until I spotted the brown thing lunging in the trees. It was the color of a deer and took a few seconds of processing before I lurched out of my chair screaming, "Noooooo!" I ran faster than I have since high school track out into the woods. I realized that Travis, too, took off running for the woods. According to Colin, later, I apparently screamed, "No" around seven times. I guess it was pure instinct and adrenaline, but I was bound and determined to save that chicken. I was so upset when we couldn't find that chicken or any of our chickens. We searched the woods, the yard, the road, the neighbor's yard and everywhere we could think of! The only birds we found were one lone white chicken (not ours) and one angry guinea hen. There was also no coyote in sight.
That coyote nabbed that poor chicken so fast it was almost surreal. And as fast as it came in, it was gone. And probably full. Now the reality of a wild animal grabbing one of our girls was more and more real - especially since we couldn't find a single chicken.
We probably searched between a half hour to forty-five minutes. The little boys were starting to get really sad. I wasn't letting myself get sad. I was still convinced that it couldn't have been one of our girls since they were all missing. I was hoping they were safely hiding somewhere. But deep down, I knew it was possible that we may have just witnessed one of our feathery pets get murdered. It sure sounded like Magda's cry. Travis thought it looked like Buttercup. But if it was either of them, where were the rest of them?
Travis ventured back out into the woods again and there was no sign of them, the coyote, or the murdered chicken. We reconvened at the edge of the yard, about ready to give up hope. We listened to the guinea continue to yell at anything and everything from its perch out where the incident occurred, and I glanced over at some movement in the flowers. Yes! There they were! Every single one of our babies, safe and sound, hiding in the Bee Balm! I have never been more excited to see a chicken...or four. We quickly scooted them to the safety of their coop.
So now what? Obviously, these canine predators will be back. They've gotten a meal or two from our house (and the neighbor's) and they will, indeed, be back.
Today, the girls were allowed out twice. Each time, I barely left their sides. They aren't too awfully happy to be cooped up all day, to say the least. But we aren't willing to sacrifice them to a hungry, selfish coyote or wolf.
We're debating moving the coop to a different part of the yard in order to fence it in. Another option, Travis will enlarge the run area. Either way, our free-range birds are going be very claustrophobic for a bit.
We alerted the neighbors to their loss - and Harriet told us that she's lost 18 chickens! Holy cats. That's way too many meals for those damn wild dogs! I have a feeling someone in the neighborhood will be utilizing their hunting skills...soon.
Over the weekend, the prowling wildlife was definitely on our minds. Our chickens don't usually venture too far from home (which is good!) so we haven't feared the wildlife too awfully much. And for the most part, we always outside with them. Sunday afternoon, we sat down for a late lunch at about 1:30 out on the patio. Travis and I were at the table and the boys sitting on the sidewalk. Mmmm, grilled cheese.
Out of the blew, we heard an awful squawk from out in the woods. Immediately, I thought the girls were fighting and didn't think much of it. Until I spotted the brown thing lunging in the trees. It was the color of a deer and took a few seconds of processing before I lurched out of my chair screaming, "Noooooo!" I ran faster than I have since high school track out into the woods. I realized that Travis, too, took off running for the woods. According to Colin, later, I apparently screamed, "No" around seven times. I guess it was pure instinct and adrenaline, but I was bound and determined to save that chicken. I was so upset when we couldn't find that chicken or any of our chickens. We searched the woods, the yard, the road, the neighbor's yard and everywhere we could think of! The only birds we found were one lone white chicken (not ours) and one angry guinea hen. There was also no coyote in sight.
That coyote nabbed that poor chicken so fast it was almost surreal. And as fast as it came in, it was gone. And probably full. Now the reality of a wild animal grabbing one of our girls was more and more real - especially since we couldn't find a single chicken.
We probably searched between a half hour to forty-five minutes. The little boys were starting to get really sad. I wasn't letting myself get sad. I was still convinced that it couldn't have been one of our girls since they were all missing. I was hoping they were safely hiding somewhere. But deep down, I knew it was possible that we may have just witnessed one of our feathery pets get murdered. It sure sounded like Magda's cry. Travis thought it looked like Buttercup. But if it was either of them, where were the rest of them?
Travis ventured back out into the woods again and there was no sign of them, the coyote, or the murdered chicken. We reconvened at the edge of the yard, about ready to give up hope. We listened to the guinea continue to yell at anything and everything from its perch out where the incident occurred, and I glanced over at some movement in the flowers. Yes! There they were! Every single one of our babies, safe and sound, hiding in the Bee Balm! I have never been more excited to see a chicken...or four. We quickly scooted them to the safety of their coop.
So now what? Obviously, these canine predators will be back. They've gotten a meal or two from our house (and the neighbor's) and they will, indeed, be back.
Today, the girls were allowed out twice. Each time, I barely left their sides. They aren't too awfully happy to be cooped up all day, to say the least. But we aren't willing to sacrifice them to a hungry, selfish coyote or wolf.
We're debating moving the coop to a different part of the yard in order to fence it in. Another option, Travis will enlarge the run area. Either way, our free-range birds are going be very claustrophobic for a bit.
We alerted the neighbors to their loss - and Harriet told us that she's lost 18 chickens! Holy cats. That's way too many meals for those damn wild dogs! I have a feeling someone in the neighborhood will be utilizing their hunting skills...soon.
Monday, July 30, 2012
I Sit On Things
I think one of my greatest joys occurs first thing in the morning. I love to head out to the coop to open the door. Watching those girls come flying and jumping and squawking out the coop door is the best and most hilarious thing ever!
Usually, Magdalene makes the jump first. If not Magda, she and the two blackies are always fighting to make it to the door first. Buttercup, well, she's not as quite as excited about that jump. In fact, I fear she might be a little bit afraid of it. Or she's just kind of on the slow side. Either way, she's always the last to make the leap. And with her, it's more of a 'fall' out of the coop. Like a little step down. A small, little 3 foot step down.
So bright and early in the morning, the girls leap out of the coop and fly to freedom! They run around flapping their wings and jumping in the air like it's the first and last time they will ever be able to do that.Then they spend their day wandering the yard and enjoying the bugs and other things they nibble on. Then comes my second favorite time of the day: Evening.
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| It's possible that Magdalene would like to kick Buttercup off |
Just as the sun starts to go down, the girls head back to the house. (Notice, I said "house," not "coop"...) For some reason, they hang out close to the door (of our house -- I think they still think that is their coop. Possibly, they lived inside too long?) Or they just like to say hello before heading to the coop for the night. But the best part of this is how they spend their time on the patio. They are always sitting on things. Things like tables, chairs, strollers, toy lawnmowers, and whatever else happens to be parked in their path.
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| Miss Buttercup has found a comfy spot |
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| So that's how poop gets on the table! |
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| Sitting on their boy |
They've hung on on the hammock and most recently, went for a bike ride. Riding along on the laps of the boys in the bike trailer, they even seemed to enjoy themselves! Yep, we have silly chickens that among all the other odd things they do, sit on things.
If we're not careful, they'll be going to church, the grocery store and camping with us...
Friday, June 1, 2012
Chicken-eaters need not visit
I kinda like chickens. I totally blew it as far as this blog. I had great intentions of documenting our journey from chick to chicken. But our girls are now chickens and this is my second post. I wonder if I can remember back to their cute stories? Maybe I'll go back and check my facebook posts - that seems to be all I write about. In fact, I'm thinking people have started considering me that 'Crazy Chicken Lady'...
Well, the coop is finally done and the chickens have moved out. At first, they weren't too keen on the idea. There were many days where they would peck at the front door or living room window to come in. It was if they were saying, "Um, excuse me. That's our coop!" But they seem to have gotten used to their new home. It's possible that it's because they are quite spoiled and their first week 'outside', they had blankets to sleep on and I checked on them hourly. Yes, I'm showing my crazy-chicken-lady persona, aren't I?
Their first night out, I hooked up the heat lamp and put in those blankets. It was cold! I also covered their windows with sheets. It was cold! I went out to check on them in the morning and we had had a visitor in the night. I had left a bin of 'stuff' outside from when I cleaned out the car the day before. I forgot that Colin's lunch box was at the bottom of that bin. It wasn't anymore! It had been pulled out and torn apart. I was wondering about a raccoon or possibly a bear until I spotted the big ol' bear hand print on the sheet covering the window. Ha! My little sheet worked - Mr. Bear didn't get a good look at my chickens!
A few nights later, I went out to check on my chickens (OK, I am crazy, but they're becoming my babies...) and behind me sat a big, fat raccoon. It had to be like 50+ lbs! That was one big coon. It looked at me and just kept coming across the yard. Travis was out there with me and asked if he should shoot it or take it's picture. I said, "Take it's picture and then shoot it." By the time he got the camera the coon had made it's way back into the woods. Trav tried to snap a shot, but it was too late. So he grabbed a BB gun to scare it off. It was probably too fat, even if it did get hit, to feel a little BB. He sat up in the woods and growled and made whatever else awful sounds a raccoon makes. When we couldn't see or hear him anymore, we headed back inside. I got out my chicken-raising book and read about the nasty little creatures and hoped for the best as far as my chickens went. I certainly didn't want to go out in the morning and find headless chickens. (That's a coon's trademark)
Well, the coon may or may not have come back. As far as we can tell, he didn't bother our chickens. But something else went missing that night - turtles. Pretty sure he left the chickens alone because he had a nice little snack of painted turtle.
I think we've only had one more coon visit - at least only 'proof' of one more visit. One morning, we noticed little hand prints all over the coop. Not little boy hands either. That coon climbed up on the run and must have scared the chickens senseless! Who knows just how bad he tried to get in, but for at least the next week, those chickens were scared! Prior to that visit, only Magdalene would sleep on the roost. But after Mr. Coon said "hello," (or whatever it was that he said) all 4 chickens crammed themselves on the roost and made little scared sounds every time we came outside and they heard us! They were spooked!
So now the girls all sleep on the roost. Every night. Travis even built a second roost - which has turned out to be Buttercup's as the other three continue huddle together on the original roost.
We are extremely fortunate to still have all of our chickens. It seems that half of Hayward has chickens now - ever since L & M came to town and sold chicks. We, however, are the only people we know that haven't lost a chicken to some nasty creature. We've heard stories of chickens being nabbed by dogs, hawks, bears and other rotten predators. People (including neighbors) have had bears right in the coop! I hope I'm not jinxing ourselves by typing this, but so far so good at the Hand House.
And I hope we continue to keep all the chicken eaters away!
Well, the coop is finally done and the chickens have moved out. At first, they weren't too keen on the idea. There were many days where they would peck at the front door or living room window to come in. It was if they were saying, "Um, excuse me. That's our coop!" But they seem to have gotten used to their new home. It's possible that it's because they are quite spoiled and their first week 'outside', they had blankets to sleep on and I checked on them hourly. Yes, I'm showing my crazy-chicken-lady persona, aren't I?
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| Checking out the new coop |
A few nights later, I went out to check on my chickens (OK, I am crazy, but they're becoming my babies...) and behind me sat a big, fat raccoon. It had to be like 50+ lbs! That was one big coon. It looked at me and just kept coming across the yard. Travis was out there with me and asked if he should shoot it or take it's picture. I said, "Take it's picture and then shoot it." By the time he got the camera the coon had made it's way back into the woods. Trav tried to snap a shot, but it was too late. So he grabbed a BB gun to scare it off. It was probably too fat, even if it did get hit, to feel a little BB. He sat up in the woods and growled and made whatever else awful sounds a raccoon makes. When we couldn't see or hear him anymore, we headed back inside. I got out my chicken-raising book and read about the nasty little creatures and hoped for the best as far as my chickens went. I certainly didn't want to go out in the morning and find headless chickens. (That's a coon's trademark)
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| Magda saying 'hello' to the turtle |
I think we've only had one more coon visit - at least only 'proof' of one more visit. One morning, we noticed little hand prints all over the coop. Not little boy hands either. That coon climbed up on the run and must have scared the chickens senseless! Who knows just how bad he tried to get in, but for at least the next week, those chickens were scared! Prior to that visit, only Magdalene would sleep on the roost. But after Mr. Coon said "hello," (or whatever it was that he said) all 4 chickens crammed themselves on the roost and made little scared sounds every time we came outside and they heard us! They were spooked!
So now the girls all sleep on the roost. Every night. Travis even built a second roost - which has turned out to be Buttercup's as the other three continue huddle together on the original roost.
We are extremely fortunate to still have all of our chickens. It seems that half of Hayward has chickens now - ever since L & M came to town and sold chicks. We, however, are the only people we know that haven't lost a chicken to some nasty creature. We've heard stories of chickens being nabbed by dogs, hawks, bears and other rotten predators. People (including neighbors) have had bears right in the coop! I hope I'm not jinxing ourselves by typing this, but so far so good at the Hand House.
And I hope we continue to keep all the chicken eaters away!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Thanks, Mr. Easter Bunny
Well, we took the plunge. If you told me 5 years ago, oh heck, 5 days ago, that I would be a mother hen, I'd have thought you were crazy. I, and all the boys of the house, am the proud owner of chickens. Yes, you read that right. Chickens. And I am now the mama hen of the house. (As if I wasn't the mama hen before, right?)
Travis went and made the silly mistake of dragging Gavin along to L & M Fleet Supply one day. That day changed our lives...forever. Gavin spotted the baby chicks for sale. He decided then and there that he wanted the Easter Bunny to bring him a chick.
I think everyone in that school knew we were there with our chicks - they were noisy little buggers! Colin got to explain the breeds to his class and then hold up each chick to show her off. I think he was pretty proud! He wasn't too happy that Gavin and I got to go home with the chicks and he had to stay at school, though.
Gavin and I headed home with the chicks. They were introduced to the dog and cat...a whole other post. They now live in our back bedroom and we've begun the chicken raising chapter of our adventures.
Travis went and made the silly mistake of dragging Gavin along to L & M Fleet Supply one day. That day changed our lives...forever. Gavin spotted the baby chicks for sale. He decided then and there that he wanted the Easter Bunny to bring him a chick.
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| Letter from the Easter Bunny |
That sounded like an interesting idea. I pondered it and mentally debated with myself before telling Travis that maybe we should do it. He wasn't quite as keen on the idea as me (or Gavin) but eventually, he came around. Now, how were we going to pull off the ol' Bunny bringing chicks for Easter? How were we going to let him know that's what they wanted? Somehow, "EB" figured it out and left them a note: "If mom and dad say it's OK, you have two chicks waiting for you at L & M" Sweet! Not quite as exciting as if they chicks were here on Easter morning, but exciting, nonetheless.
So the day after Easter, the boys and I went to L & M and picked up our supplies. We checked out the chickens, but they only had 'friers' (you know, chickens that you, dare I say, eat?) and that wasn't an option in my book (or Gavin or Colin's...) So we headed home 'chickenless' (which I knew would happen) but we had our pine chips, baby chicken food, waterer, feeder, heat lamp and excitement. We set up our brooder in the back bedroom - a rubbermaid bin on top of a tarp. Hung the heat lamp, poured the woodchips on the floor of the bin, and set up the waterer and feeder. We were ready.
Next step, we researched chicken breeds. The fleet supply store was getting a shipment in the next day and the laying hens were: Production Reds, Araucanas, Silver Laced Wyandottes and Buff Orpingtons. Now, which kind should we get? What were we looking for? Time for some family discussion.
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| 2 anxious boys waiting...and waiting... |
After much debate and internet searching, we decided what we weren't getting: the Production Red. Not sure really why we didn't want that one, but we do know that we really liked the looks of the others. Travis and Colin especially liked the Buff Orpington, I wanted the Araucana and Gavin really wanted a chicken.
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| they're here! |
So, the brooder is all set up, time to get some sleep and get up nice and early to get to the store to get our chicks! The plan was to get the chicks and drop Colin off at school. The plan never works out, though, does it?
Well, when we arrived, the chicks were still in their shipment boxes. So we waited. And waited. And learned a lot about chickens. And talked to some guy waiting for his 25 chicks. (Wow, our 4 seems pretty measly now.) Another guy camed in for 15 and at least 4 more people were also waiting for chicks. Colin ended up being quite late for school, but come on, how often does a boy go pick out his chickens? So the box of chirping chicks, the 2 boys, and I got in the car and headed to school. The chicks went on their first field trip.
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| one of the Silver Laced Wyandottes |
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| the Araucana |
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