Winter

Winter

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

A Chicken Post


I still like this picture of Sasha hanging out with the
chickens. She likes nothing better than sitting and
watching them, and rounding them up and putting
them all back in the pen.
I have a story today. When it was so hot last week,
I was afraid I would lose one or some. I stayed outside
with them so much that by the weekend, and it got
cooler, I think I had made myself sick.

This isn't a very good picture but see the black and white ones?
They are my Cuckoo Marans. I am very happy with them and the
eggs they are laying and I love the temperament. I like the New Jersey
Giant which is the blurry one next to the fence.
I was outside in the afternoon changing water and spraying down
the pen. They like damp dirt. I have Black and White Cuckoo Maran
that I call the drama queen.
She complains about everything and she has a funny deep voice, almost
like a duck quack.
I was out spraying down the little chicken yard when she started making
this odd sound like "bock, bock", then as she went bock, bock some more it would
get faster and faster. I had went outside the gate to turn off the water and
I could hear it and I thought Oh, No! One of them is dying. I ran back
into the yard and around the fence when she did a scream like "boooooock."
Then it was silent. I ran around to the door expecting to see a crumpled
little heap of feathers, but no just that hen looking at me with very sad eyes.
Her mouth was open panting and her wings were out as far as she could get them
so I am thinking what can I do, I thought about going and getting ice out of the
ice maker and filling the water dish. Then I remembered the cold cantaloupe
in the refrigerator. I grabbed a basket and ran to the garage and got
some cold cantaloupe and a knife. I brought them back and cut them
and gave them to the chickens.
They did seem to enjoy them and I thought that there wasn't quite
so much distress.

Yesterday, was a beautiful cool day. The high was about 80 degrees.
There was this great breeze that meant I was able to keep the house
open and not run the air. All day. It is so nice to not have it on.
I went outside to check on the chickens and there was the
Drama Queen, looking at me from behind the fence. With
very sad eyes. Then she started her bock sound again.
I stood and watched her and she went through the whole
routine. I thought it sounded like " Let me out, let me out,
Let me out, or I will scream!!!!!" Which she does.
Then she waits for me to do something. Which I did,
I opened the gate so she could go out in the yard.
I was folding laundry and she came up to the porch
and stood under the window and talked and talked to me.
They are not supposed to be on the porch.

So I guess to say, my life is ran by my chickens. I am worried
though about getting attached, as history tells us of famous chickens
in the past, Henny Penny, The Little Red Hen, Chicken Little, it isn't
good to be a chicken different from the other chickens. Foxes always
find those free thinkers first. Remember Jemima Puddleduck.
Have a great Tuesday.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm. 107:6)

10 comments:

Kessie said...

Haha, well yeah, any animal will repeat behavior over and over if you reward them for it! Chickens may be dumber than other animals, but they aren't stupid.

I hope she doesn't get eaten first.

Sue said...

From one chicken farmer to another, I so enjoyed this Kim. I remember when you got them, they are beautiful.
We have had the worst luck this year with our chickens and guineas, it seems a fox has dined on chickens for a very long time. But no more!!!

I do believe that chickens know a sucker when they find one and you and I seem to fall into that category. lol. I can just here them laughing at us when they have their hen parties. lol
Enjoy your day.
Hugs,
Sue

Rural Rambler said...

Awwww Kim this is a sweet and funny post. I really enjoyed this on this Tuesday morning. We don't have chickens cause I KNOW I will get attached and I don't think my heart could handle any chicken and fox situations. I have barely survived Julie's fox stuff on her Dog Trot blog. I get attached to the chickens on all the blogs I read and can't handle the sad stuff. I know, I know, it's ridiculous of me. But I love reading your stories!

Meg said...

Wow, you're giving in to chicken fits. 6 kids, and now you let the chickens rule you?? LOL! I can just picture her throwing a tantrum and you going all mushy to keep her happy. :P

I'm so glad it was cool yesterday too! We kept our cooler off as well and it was so nice! I'm not looking forward to later in the week.

Kim said...

I 100% agree with Rural Rambler. Now I have another set of chicken adventures to follow. As if the adventures at Dog Trot Farm aren't enough with that pesky fox chasing those sweet chickens!
I am picturing the scene with the temper tantrum and I am laughing out loud, mostly because I would have caved in and done the exact same thing. My dog Millie is a master at manipulating me!

Verde Farm said...

I so enjoyed this story as I am a chicken farmer too. I am just getting into the blogosphere nad so excited to read and talk to folks with like interests. It's good to know that my husband and I aren't the only ones who "give in" to our chickens. He has one hen named Belgie and she gets her very own water fountain and her very own feed so she doens't have to get down in the floor of the coop with the others. He says they are mean to her. Guess we all have drama queens and kings for that matter :) Thank you for sharing!

P.S.-I thought she may have been hinting for more canteloupe :)

Anonymous said...

Been down because of body pain that having to many storms in a row with out a rest - but I am back on my feet again and popping in --to read all the happening going on here - I get the biggest joy reading your post -- I too was thinking she was hoping for more canteloupe too - ha -

Diana Ferguson said...

Hello!! Enjoyed a first visit here. Following....

I'm an old farm girl, too. Blessings to you. Come see me soon.

Cotton Eyed Jo said...

Psalm 8:6-8 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen — Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

How kind you are, never forgetting that God's work can be done on Earth by our hands. Cold cantaloupe, ummmmm, your chickens are surely blessed.

BTW, for your next rug, consider drawing out the picture of Sadie and the chickens. It would be the very best type of rug. You've seen this scene many times, and it will speak to you as a rug. :)

Kent Island Red said...

Hi Kim,
Laughed at loud at this post because I finally found someone besides me whose chickens make the rules! Thanks for sharing.