We're FAMOUS!

We've hit the big time people!  Miss Bunny is FAMOUS!  I woke up this morning and got online to update the backyard chicken community about how Dottie was doing (I let her out) and Miss Bunny made the home page picture of the week ("POW")!   Check it out.... http://www.backyardchickens.com/. 

The amazing photo that made her a Star:  

 

Most of you know how excited I can get, but I was super pumped this morning when I saw the home page!  Travis was a little startled when I yelled, "OH. MY. GOSH!!!!  COME LOOK!!!!  MISS BUNNY IS A CELEBRITY!!!!!!"  

She's a little start struck at the moment so she won't be signing autographs right now. 

Cell Block 6

I let Killer (aka Dottie) outside in the garden with the other girls. She had one little chicken eye on Littlefoot and the other on the bugs she was hunting.  She has not learned her lesson.  After she took to a full chase of Littlefoot she was re-imprisoned.  However, she can't be too stressed out because she's still laying eggs inside her cell.  Someone inside the coop, however, is NOT.  I can't win.  I think this is how parents must feel on a daily basis.  Travis checked on killer this morning since I had to rush to work.  His text to me read, "all good in cell block 6." 

The coveted comb:  

Walnut comb

 

Scramble has the most points on her single comb

Ginger - tallest single comb

Littlefoot's little dirty, single comb



Killer's big comb and wattle

In case you need MORE info on combs:  



Prison Update

I've improved Dottie's prison. Now she can look at the other girls, but she can't hurt any of them. I feel better about this arrangement.  Dottie is protected from predators and the other girls are safe.   I think this says a lot about my parenting skills... at least I didn't kill and eat her myself.  That would have been the easy solution. 

Littlefoot:  "What up now?!"

Littlefoot and Dottie are having a Coweta Chicken Stand-off.  I really hope this helps.  I will be out of non-violent options if it doesn't work.  Let us pray. 

It's HAPPENING!!!

Oh. My. Gosh. Dottie is a killer. She is NOT my favorite, I am so mad at her right now. I feel horrible because I thought Littlefoot was acting crazy, running around, acting strange, but NO! She's been trying to get away from a killer! I caught Dottie on top of Littlefoot pecking at her head! Poor Littlefoot. I feel awful for her. I scooped her in my arms and tried to comfort her. It was heartbreaking.    I've noticed that she's been staying inside the coop for most of the day...now I know it's because she was avoiding Dottie. My friend Stephanie was over yesterday and we let them out, thinking they needed to be distracted from each other. I heard Stephanie say "IT'S HAPPENING, IT'S HAPPENING!" That's all she could say...we witnessed the third attack in the garden.  Littlefoot runs to me when Dottie is chasing her.  I'm seriously considering "culling" Dottie (i.e. the more appropriate word in the chicken farmer world for "killing" her).   What am I going to do?   Well, instead of going to extremes....I read you can separate the bully. Travis said he would build her a separate cage to keep her away from Littlefoot for a few days.


Littlefoot - The Victim



Dottie - The Killer

These attacks are recent and I think it has something to do with how large their combs are.  Dottie's comb has just become one of the biggest compared to all the other girls.  Apparently, that means she thinks she is in charge.... in charge of Littlefoot.   As you can see in the most recent pictures below, Littlefoot's comb is not as impressive as it use to be and Dottie knows it.   Why do girls have to have so much DRAMA??!!

Pitiful Comb

Bigger Comb

 

So... what were the consequences of Dottie's actions?   PRISON. (I didn't make this up, the backyardchicken.com people suggested I do this for 3 days.)

Prison - food and water.

The ax is a reminder of what will happen she doesn't behave.  Please Dottie, don't make me say "OFF WITH HER HEAD!!"   Pray for Dottie. 

Chickens Daily

Just in case this whole attorney gig doesn't work out for me I've got a Plan B.  I can totally start teaching classes about how to raise chickens and teach them tricks.   Yes people, you can teach an old chicken new tricks.  I've recently discovered a lady in Portland, Oregon who teaches a class called "Clicken Chickens" and another one in Washington called "Poultry in Motion." Both teach people like me how to get their chickens to perform.  Doesn't this sound exciting?  I could be a circus act!  "Linsey Loo and her Chickens Too!"  Now I just have to talk Travis into letting me travel to Oregon to take a class on chickens. 

Other than my new found career, there isn't much excitement at the Williams' farm these days except that Littlefoot has lost her mind and Ginger's butt feathers are still missing. Travis thinks that ever since I tried to hypnotize Littlefoot she's been acting crazy.  She jumped on my head the other day.  She flew up and attacked the wire on the side of the coop while I was giving them a snack and she runs back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth. Poor thing...she's still pretty though.  I've never been able to explain where Ginger's butt feathers went.  It's a mystery. 

The girls are 27 weeks old.  Here are some updated photos:

 

Scramble is his favorite