Let's see, I've crawled under a coop in my pajamas to drag out a chicken (Tweetie) who refused to go into the coop at bedtime and I've run out in a thunderstorm in jammies to shut the storm window on the coop. I'm sending a trend in this whole "doing farm chores in my nightware" thing.
Seriously, do other people who keep chickens do any of the morning chores in jammies? I can't see getting fully dressed to do 'em, since I have to come right back in and put on my (office) work clothes. I'm a regular fashion felony. You should have seen me during the thunderstorm. It was the first one for the kids since they moved into the coop and ever since we had the boys, I can't sleep during a storm. At first it was because I knew a kid would be screaming any second. Now that they're older, it's more like wake up, nobody's screaming, ok back to bed. Except that morning. First crack of thunder and I was out of bed, yelling "THE WINDOW TO THE COOP IS OPEN!" Ok, it's a screen window but still. I grabbed my purple raincoat, put on my green boots (see why the Fashion Police cry?) and went flying out the door. The babies were awake but didn't seem scared when I closed the storm window. They were fine; I fussed until the storm was over.
The chickens seem to be used to the coop by now and I'll usually have 6 of them in there already when I go in to lock it up for the night. There are always 3 holdouts though - Tweetie, Forte and Buttercup the Silkie. I can usually get Buttercup out from under the coop after a couple of minutes. Forte and Tweetie have to be hauled out. I should rent Tweetie out as a fan on hot days - she can kick up quite a breeze flapping her wings as I put her in the coop!
I started them on fresh greens the other day. Right now dandelions are their favorite. I usually pull a few handfuls before work and toss them in. Buttercup acts like she's all that and a bag of chips as she hauls around a pile of greens bigger than she is but by the time I get home all the greens are gone.
The cats are used to the chickens, finally. Fiona and Rusty leave them alone for the most part, but I'll see them "patrol" around the perimeter of the fun and then go lie down and watch for a while. Hershey likes to herd them in at bedtime but she's developing a nasty habit of trying to nip at any feathers close to the fence. We keep an eye on her but it's still funny to watch this mini weenie dog act like a big old sheepdog.
Yeah, like anything normal happens around here.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Forte is a pecker.
No, I'm not trying to start something with Bears fans, nor do I have a gripe against one of their players. I mean Forte the chicken. I went out to feed the gang this morning, dressed in my oh so fashionable chores clothes - pink t-shirt, pj bottoms with big peonies all over them, my bright green rainboots and a gray hoodie (ok, I slept in everything but the boots & hoodie). Somewhere, the Fashion Police are sobbing.
I started filling feeders and of course Tweetie (aka "Chickzilla") had to dive right in. She didn't want the cup in her way so she started pecking at my hand. Umm, that cup is what's getting the food into your feeder - now quit it! Then I felt somebody pecking at the top of my boots. Yep, it was Forte. I thought she wanted attention. HA! She nipped at my hand and started to go after the pj bottoms. Yeah, like I want to be pantsed by a chicken first thing in the morning. For some reason, they all hate those pjs and of course I love 'em. I guess I have to get somewhat properly dressed in the morning before I go let 'em out of the coop. Or maybe I just need coordinating jammies.
No, I'm not trying to start something with Bears fans, nor do I have a gripe against one of their players. I mean Forte the chicken. I went out to feed the gang this morning, dressed in my oh so fashionable chores clothes - pink t-shirt, pj bottoms with big peonies all over them, my bright green rainboots and a gray hoodie (ok, I slept in everything but the boots & hoodie). Somewhere, the Fashion Police are sobbing.
I started filling feeders and of course Tweetie (aka "Chickzilla") had to dive right in. She didn't want the cup in her way so she started pecking at my hand. Umm, that cup is what's getting the food into your feeder - now quit it! Then I felt somebody pecking at the top of my boots. Yep, it was Forte. I thought she wanted attention. HA! She nipped at my hand and started to go after the pj bottoms. Yeah, like I want to be pantsed by a chicken first thing in the morning. For some reason, they all hate those pjs and of course I love 'em. I guess I have to get somewhat properly dressed in the morning before I go let 'em out of the coop. Or maybe I just need coordinating jammies.
Monday, June 4, 2012
I need voice recognition software.
If you've been wondering why there haven't been many posts lately, besides photos, I'll tell ya. My arms have been killing me. I have a desk job (technically 2 desk jobs, but that's another blog post) and I do a lot of typing. Not anything that really requires upper body strength. I have found myself scrunched up in corners, using a air compressor powered staple gun to attach chicken wire to various parts of the coop this week, usually held over my head. Ow. I have spent I don't know how much time this week wishing I could go back to high school and take fewer home ec classes and more shop.
The good news is that all that stapling means that the coop is DONE! We moved the girls in on Saturday and they took it...ok. I won't say well, but ok. We had a little parade of chicken movers and it was fun seeing them in their new home. My mother in law's dog, Bella, is in seventh heaven. She can see her chickie babies whenever she wants! We still keep a close eye on them, but so far Hershey, Bella and Butter have been good. I don't think Rudo and Ellie, the Rhodesian Ridgebacks next door, and Max, the whatever he is on the other side, have notice the chickens yet though.
The chicks still haven't gotten it through their heads that they have to go into the coop at night. They can get out in the morning just fine (although Tweetie fell off the ramp the first time) but they don't understand "go inside to go night night" yet. I wait until they start hunkering down in the run and then we start moving them. That's been interesting. You put one in, go for the second and the first tries to get out. It seems to go better once we get Tweetie in - then the others go "oh, maybe we need to be in there." There's an Orpie that really needs to be seen by the Big 10 scouts though - she's good at faking going one way and then going the other. Logan says she's like Will Forte from the Bears, so she might become Forte.
What, you expect my chickens to be normal? Seriously??
If you've been wondering why there haven't been many posts lately, besides photos, I'll tell ya. My arms have been killing me. I have a desk job (technically 2 desk jobs, but that's another blog post) and I do a lot of typing. Not anything that really requires upper body strength. I have found myself scrunched up in corners, using a air compressor powered staple gun to attach chicken wire to various parts of the coop this week, usually held over my head. Ow. I have spent I don't know how much time this week wishing I could go back to high school and take fewer home ec classes and more shop.
The good news is that all that stapling means that the coop is DONE! We moved the girls in on Saturday and they took it...ok. I won't say well, but ok. We had a little parade of chicken movers and it was fun seeing them in their new home. My mother in law's dog, Bella, is in seventh heaven. She can see her chickie babies whenever she wants! We still keep a close eye on them, but so far Hershey, Bella and Butter have been good. I don't think Rudo and Ellie, the Rhodesian Ridgebacks next door, and Max, the whatever he is on the other side, have notice the chickens yet though.
The chicks still haven't gotten it through their heads that they have to go into the coop at night. They can get out in the morning just fine (although Tweetie fell off the ramp the first time) but they don't understand "go inside to go night night" yet. I wait until they start hunkering down in the run and then we start moving them. That's been interesting. You put one in, go for the second and the first tries to get out. It seems to go better once we get Tweetie in - then the others go "oh, maybe we need to be in there." There's an Orpie that really needs to be seen by the Big 10 scouts though - she's good at faking going one way and then going the other. Logan says she's like Will Forte from the Bears, so she might become Forte.
What, you expect my chickens to be normal? Seriously??
Saturday, June 2, 2012
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