CHICKENS!

Michaela handfeeding Big Mama

I kind of feel like I've been running around headless after a yard full of chickens lately. Wait a minute, I have been running around after a yard full of chickens lately...now, where did I put my head? Hmmmm....

We have "adopted" 9 Plymouth Rock hens and 2 roosters. Plus we have our neighbor's rooster and 2 hens at our house for most of the daylight hours, too. They're free range, but we are trying to teach them some boundaries, such as, not running into the road to live out the ages old joke, stay off of the main walking areas so that our shoes can remain poop-free at least in one spot, etc. We read online that you can train them by squirting them with a water bottle. It was effective as well as quite hilarious at first, but now they are not quite so alarmed by a squirt to their fuzzy fat bottoms.

My Darling John is in the process of building a set of nesting boxes and roosting spot so that we can have some control of them in the dusk and dawn times. Right now we have to stand out in the yard with squirt bottles to get them to roost in the tree by our house and not in our neighbor's yard. Then we have to "get up with the chickens" (aka before the sun is even awake!) so that they won't wander into said neighbor's yard and eat all the feed she's put out for her brood before we can feed ours in our own yard. Having them confined in the evening and morning will do so much for my attitude!

I do love watching them peck around the yard after bugs, though. They are fascinating creatures. I've learned where the term "pecking order" came from, but I've yet to find their hiding places for all the eggs that I have been anticipating. That will be another wonderful reason to have them confined part of each day.

I'll introduce you to our flock now.

Our babies--Chickadee, Chick, Fil-A, Baldy and Ranger

Goldie and Bobette

Scarlett and Susan