Babysitting

Like I said before, chickens are great babysitters.  I let Cora "take care" of the chickens while I sit back and relax.  (Actually I didn't sit back and relax, I made a chicken poop sieve to clean the coop.)  She chases them around the coop and squeals while they run, fly and balk at her.  Molly is perfectly content sitting in the middle of all the chicken poop feeding the "CHICK-ens." 







Waking the chickens up from their nap



Chicken poop sieve, made by Linsey

Free Range Chickens

We've hit the big time.  The girls are full blown, free ranging chickens.  Travis basically gave me two options.  Leave the chickens in the coop and let them get sprayed with toxic cedar wood stain or let them out.  My head was on a swivel the whole time the girls were out.

They do not just stay in one spot and peck at the ground as these photos would indicate.  Oh no, they catch a bug or a worm, or find petrified poop and FLY across the yard about 20 feet to ensure no one will steal their find.  I was sure one of them was going over the barb wire fence and I was going to have to chase them like a crazy woman. 

Bottoms up, Bottoms up!

Once the girls are out, they do not want to go back to the coop.  You should have heard me squeal once they went outside the "safe zone" which is behind the garden and around the coop.  Outside the safe zone lies rabid dogs, hawks, snakes and other varmints! Me: "LADIES!! Get BACK in the safe zone or go back to your coop!!!  Travis help me!  Please!"  Travis:  "Babe, they are ok. I promise."  No I was not overreacting.  See that house with the fence in the background?  That is where Gracie, the chocolate lab chicken killer, lives.  She always has one eye on my chickens looking for the perfect opportunity to catch a quick snack.  You think she can't jump that fence?  HA! 

Hmmm...food? Escape route? Outside the safe zone.

I wish I could have taken a picture of the round up.  I chase them around and around and around the coop until they finally follow one another inside.  They were worn out after a few hours of free ranging and being chased by their crazy mother hen. 

Nap time

Yogurt Day!!

The girls got yogurt today for the first time.  I didn't like this brand so I decided they could have it.  They loved it!  They shook their tiny heads in attempt to sling the yogurt off their beaks.  It was a mess.  I read that if your chickens have runny poo,  you should give them yogurt.  (One of these chickens has issues again, Ginger is the likely culprit, but I can't be sure.  I can't catch them pooing because they don't go every 5 seconds like they did when they were little.)  I don't know if the information I got from backyardchickens.com about yogurt was accurate or not, but it works on human digestive systems so why not chickens?  We'll see!  Although I do not recommend Yoplait pomegranate Greek yogurt for yourself, your chickens will love it.  



Things I never said until I got chickens...

"Travis, will you please make breakfast while I check Ginger's butt?"
"Where's the flashlight? I forgot to lock up our babies."

You not only say strange things, you have to do strange things to... like check chicken butts (please see "Ginger gets a bath" for more details if you so desire).  I was late for work one day because I was busy picking up all the june bugs from the driveway.    They peck at anything their teenie, weenie, little brain believes is a bug.  "Ouch! That is a FRECKLE!"   I find myself saving every single worm I find while gardening so I can watch the chickens fight for it.  I show people pictures of my chickens, not children.  (Yeah, I know, it's weird, don't judge me).

The girls are starting to get big, and loud, and make "balking" sounds. They are totally going to attract a coyote or the hungry neighborhood dog!  STRESS.  I say again, what would I do without my sweet, baby chickens?!  (redneck hick voice)  Wait, what am I thinking?  They are going to live forever! (denial is working for me)   I think Ginger loves me the most.  She remembers how I saved her life by checking her little chicken butt so she wouldn't explode.  She better remember.  Or else.  KIDDING!

Today's feature presentation, Ginger:



Just hatched



Week 2, still confused

I think I'm a chicken

Are you my mama?

I thought I lived in the garage?

Niiiiiice



This is my good side





I like close ups on my good side





Food?





You are my mama.