*Note to MERCY...I hope this doesn't trigger any bad memories. Considering your past with poultry!But I'm hoping I've softened it enough to prevent that. ;o)
Is it human nature to jump from one obsession to the next? Perhaps I should rephrase that. It's human nature to have more than one 'INTEREST', right? Good, I thought so. In addition to my cakes, children, and everyday chaos, I so miraculously blend into my daily routine, pristenly. I've decided to add in chickens for flavor. (Ok, not really!) I should say, my HUSBAND sprinkled chickens into my daily life.
This spring, he came home and said, "We're getting chickens." It wasn't..."what do you think about getting chickens?" Or "do you want to get some chickens?" or even, "I would like the kids to learn responsibility by raising their own chicken so I need you to bless this new adventure that I'm jumping into because we all know that YOU will be the one who ultimately does all the work to raise them at the end of the day".
We all loaded up in the car and that weekend and headed to the farm store (albeit skeptical on my part!) And we all got to pick out a chicken of our very own. Even me. Cause yes, they ARE pretty stinkin cute when they're peeping and fluffy and soft and sleeping and pooping right in the palm of our hand. I picked a black and white one and named 'her' Sparkles. Sparkles died a week after we got them. Poor thing. Held her while she passed. I never got another one. Didn't want the attachment severed, again.
As they grew in the wooden box with a heat lamp, small box to perch atop of, and a lid spilling over with mash, my children grew to find other interesting things to occupy their Oh-so-busy lives. As predicted previously, I was the one making sure they had food and water. Although, when it came time to clean the box....I knew where to go to salvage the 'help'. In front of the computer, on a bicycle, and attached to the x-box. Otherwise, all those items would somehow come up missing. It was effective. And that is all.
When names were picked, I didn't want any influence from others, with what was decided. They all came up with one on their own. Except Rose *Jaden's chicken, he couldn't pick a name and stick with it. It was different everytime I talked to him. To avoid any identity crisis for the poor foul, I suggested Rose, he ok'd it and I've kept it that way ever since. Even when he wanted to change it yet again. Months later.
Halo 1, Prusha, Ring Ring, 1337 (aka chief. I call her 13 for short), Adonia (nickname, Addy), and Rose
This right here. Is Halo 1. She's at the top of the 'peaking order'. And yes, there really is one. BUGS the crap out of me, because they can be SO MEAN to each other, but I've read that they have to have a peaking order for 'all to be well in their world'. When that order is disrupted, by maybe a chicken dying, they're a little lost until a new "order" is put in place. Halo keeps all the other hens in line for me, because to be honest, I'M the top hen in this coop (or as Dylan says, "chicken poop".)
When I go out to call the "girls", she's the first one to come, all the while squaking at the others to follow suit. It's really quite entertaining. I've come up with my own "call" and they sure come running. "HELLLLOOOOOOOO LADIES! laDEES! (gotta use the voice fluctuation, or it won't work.) "COME HERE GIRLS!" "LOOKATCHYOU"! They love it, and I'm sure my neighbors do to. When you notice a hidden camera video from a bush on wwwneighborsturnedwilddotcom (don't look that up. I don't know if that is really a site. If you do and you see nekkedness, violence, or foreign language, I take no responsibility for that! You've been warned) That may or may not be me. And I'm fine with that.
They have turned into the most surprisingly facinating animals I've ever learned about. *Thank you google and youtube. I am now a Pro!* They have a beautiful coop that keeps them safe from other creatures, and warm from the incliment weather. I let them roam my yard 'free range'. But they always come in on their own to roost every night.
This was the first time I brought them outside, on the grass, to explore.
They were pretty hesitant. They wanted to just stay hidden underneath me. (The momma hen)
I had to encourage them to go explore.
Cute little awkward looking, stinks!
Addy is my favorite. Always has been. She looked like my chick when they were little and has been so personable from the beginning. If it weren't for her being so friendly, I doubt I would've become as attached as I have. When I was bored, I'd come out and just sit with them and watch them. And they got used to my presence. It's now routine to spend time with the girls. Every day. Snacking on orange or red popsicles and cheerios. They LOVE it!
***************************
Funny story. Rose, hadn't layed an egg (that I knew of) yet and I just assumed that she wasn't ever going to. Poor thing. But I was going to love her regardless. Last week I found a secret nest of Prusha's in the front yard. I had fenced up the backyard to prevent them from getting out. But every morning I'd let them out and she took a beeline straight to the fence and try and try and try to get through. I finally just let her go and she went to the bushes, underneath, there were 3 eggs in this nest. I gathered them up and accepted the fact that that is where she chose to lay. Fine. No big deal, she ALWAYS returned to the backyard after she was done.
Well, Rose disapeared last saturday and we searched and searched for her. NOTHING. No feathers. No foul play. No forced entry to nab a juicy sunday dinner. And she didn't return to roost that night. I was a little worried. Sunday comes and in the middle of the day Dylan comes running in to say that Rose came back. I ran outside and there she was in the back, pecking at the grass like nothing happened. I penned her up with the other because I was worried they would be snatched as well. I was doing some chicken reading that morning and had a theory about her. Maybe she had a nest somewhere else like Prusha. After chickens have collected (they'll even steal eggs from other hens if they're close enough) around 10-12 eggs (when humans aren't sabotaging their efforts), they become brooding hens. They stop laying and sit on there eggs waiting for them to hatch.
I left her in the cage to get all nice and panic-y and then let her out. My theory was that she would head straight to her 'eggs'. WELL....I was right! She did have a hidden nest and MORE THAN enough eggs to throw her into brooding mode.
I had to confiscate them and she was NOT happy about it. She sqauked and growled at me, and got all puffed up. But never pecked or bit me.
She hasn't layed one since, I have to get her out of the "Brooding" for her to lay again, but it was fun to find 19 eggs!
That's 2 1/2 weeks worth of eggs. To test which ones were safe to keep, you're suppose to put them in water. If they sink, they're good. If not, they'd float. We got 3 out of the 19.
*Stay tuned for more chicken news. Because there will be! Promise.
