December 7th 2013: Chickens move into the kitchen.

 

Annie wants to check it out before we move it back into the kitchen.

The last 3 nights have been well below freezing here which is an anomaly, and flies in the face of the proponents of global warming.  Today it snowed...in Yuba City....central California....Valley floor!

With Mabel so naked, having finished molting but not anywhere near fully feathered yet, I have been worried about both she and Barbara out in the coop at night.  Cal is exploring chicken sweaters, and I tried to fashion a chicken coat of sorts made out of small scarves.  Mabel looked like a gypsy and did not like wearing them. 

So again we resorted to the large dog carrier, filled with pine shavings, in the kitchen.  The girls seem to like being in here, and readily go to sleep as soon as we turn off the kitchen lights.  When I told the women in my book club today about bringing the girls in, I think they thought I was nuts.  Do you think I am spoiling my chickens?  It's only going to be 22F tonight, and Mabel is nude!

11/29/2013: Molting is Revolting

Happy one day after Thanksgiving, chicken lovers.  What is it about the holidays that bring out the worst in some family members?  Drama is truly overrated.

                                                   Mabel at her fully feathered best.
Speaking of drama, I have begun to notice large amounts of feathers on the back yard door mats.  At first I thought the chickens had had a fight.  But no signs of same on either girl.  Then notice Mabel has stopped laying.  Barbara is still  happily laying one egg a day, but it's been several days since we've seen a pale greenish blue egg. 

Today, after several days of flying feathers everywhere. Mabel is looking pretty groddy.  Poor little thing looks almost naked, and in the winter too.  Is this right?  I thought chickens molted in the Fall, not mid-winter.  Our sweet little pretty Ameraucana is bald in patches. and looks hideous.

We don't mention that to her, but I thinks she knows cause she looks at her self in the sliding glass doors.  Barbara is strutting around like "look at me, I'm the normal chicken, Mabel is the mutant."  Kindness is not a big part of Barbara's character.

So, to make it up to Mabel, I give her extra raisins, and yogurt, and tell her that this too shall pass and she will be our pretty little hen again soon.  Then it will be Barbara's turn and Mabel will have the last laugh.

October 16, 2013: Mabel and Barbara Missed Mommy amd Daddy

It's been a while since this chicken wrangler has posted here.  Since I got my Smart phone I spend less time on my laptop.  I have missed writing about the exploits of our girls.

They remain the delightful little critters they always have been, and we miss them when we travel.  (That God for our surrogate chicken wrangler, Jim, a neighbor who also has backyard chickens and helps chicken sit when were gone.) We discovered this past week that they miss us too when we are gone.

After a 5 day trip to the San Juan Islands, we returned late last Friday night.  We checked on the girls who were cooped up and asleep.  Come Saturday morning, I got up, went to open the chicken run, and feed them their scratch.  They were still in the net.  Didn't even notice I was there. 

After a book club meeting later that morning,  I dragged myself home, opened the back sliding door to let Annie out, and collapsed on the living room couch, leaving the door open so Annie could come back in at her leisure.  I was just dozing off when I heard a familiar cococoing sound, only it was not in the yard, it was right next to me.  I opened my eyes to find myself eye to eye with Barbara who had strolled on in the house, Mabel right on her tail.   Barbara began chatting with me, while casually pecking at the carpet.  Mabel followed suit.  I believe their message was "where the hell have you been"?

Still it warmed my heart to see these girls who were so afraid of us when they arrive a year ago, that we had to chase them all over the yard to get them in the coop, fearlessly walk into the house, through the dining room and into the living room to find Mama.  We had a nice talk.

I did say a small prayer that they would not poop on the rug, and sure enough they didn't. 

Aside:  Earlier this summer we had a lovely green granite-like patio poured and added new garden furniture, umbrellas and even an outdoor area rug, flower pots, and garden art.  It is lovely, like an Italian loggia.  First time a chicken stepped on the new rug, she pooped big time!  Only ten minutes of sheer bliss looking at my lovely new serene patio before the deed was done.  I knew it was inevitable, but only ten minutes?  They have the whole dang yard to poop in and Barbara has to go and poop on the rug first thing.  Good thing I love those girls!

August 12, 2013: Barbara is back and laying!

What Annie Really Thinks of the Chickens!

You know we were concerned about Barbara a few weeks ago when she went crazy then stopped laying eggs?  We did our research and learned that she was broody, not an illness of any kind, but kind of like PMS + Menopause = stay away from her, and don't let her near a loaded gun.  Thank God she doesn't have opposable thumbs or we might have been in danger.

During my massage last Friday I asked my masseuse/chicken expert, Zahra, about eggless Barbara and she assuaged my fears.

Anywho she laid her first egg yesterday and another today.  Hooray!!!  She and Mable strolled into the dining room today after lunch to get their daily treat of raisins.  They are getting braver and now come all the way in and closer to the dining table legs.  My sister Karen was here and witnessed the raisin ritual first hand.

Just another anecdote for you:  had my sis and brother in law John over for dinner last night.  John was seated looking out the glass door to the yard.  He asked me a bunch of questions about the girls, talked about how pretty Mabel was and the numerous colors of her feathers, and I noticed him smiling when he looked out at them.  The little hammy hens must have sensed the attention and came and sat by the sliding glass door, preening and being cute, just for John.

I'm telling you chickens are good for what ails you.  They are little stress relievers and bring us such joy in their antics. 

Annie thinks of them as her chickens and watches out for them, just in case some anger arises like a kitten, or blue jay comes in the yard. 

Life is good at the Chicken Wranglers City Chicken Ranch.

August 5, 2013: Barbara Comes Back From The Dark Side.

In my last post I described our adorable hen Barbara suffering from PMS/broodiness.  She was crazy, and confused.   We didn't know what the hell was going on.  After carefully research we discovered what broodiness is.  And she was in it!!

As recommended, we sequestered her from the nest for three days in our large dog carrier, and she is almost back to normal.  She hasn't started laying again, but that is also a part of broodiness.  We are giving her lots of TLC and blueberry yogurt (her favorite).

Meanwhile Mable has been wondering "what is wrong with Sissy"?  She has been so solicitous of her sister and staying close.  While Barbara was in the dog carrier, so Mable could have access to the nest, Mabel would look in and talk to Barbara, and as soon as she laid her egg, we would close the coop and let Barbara out to free range in the yard, they would run to each other and cruise around the yard.

So things are back to normal, well as normal as they ever are.  There is peace in the Kingdom again.  For now.

July 31, 2013: Hens and PMS or Broody Chickens.

W got back from our trip to the mountains to find Barbara not behaving like herself.  Our chicken sitter Jim and my sister, who checked in on the girls, said Barbara had not left the nest much.  So out we went to see the girls, first thing.

Mabel came running to greet us, but Barbara was not in sight.  We found her looking weird sitting on one of Mabel's eggs.  She looked dazed and had a scratch on here forehead.  WTH was going on.  I tried to pick her up and she pecked at me, hard!  I was afraid she was sick so we brought her water feeder and she drank a lot.  We brought her raisins and she ate them all.  We brought her yogurt and she ate it up.  So I figured she was probably not sick, but she still looked crazy.  When Cal tried to move her to clean the nest of some poop, she tried to peck the crap out of him.  Was she hurt?

Mabel was no help as she just stayed out of her sister's way.

Cal was finally able to pick her up so we could carefully look to see if she was injured.  She was not, but she puffed her feathers up so she was about three times her normal size..  A frightening sight I'll tell ya.  Cal said, do you think she might be broody, whatever that means.

To the Internet I ran.  And sure enough Barbara had all the symptoms listed.  Turns out they are much like PMS symptoms, and I know of where I speak. 
She is cranky, listless, snarky and even mean, wants to be left alone, or to pick a fight, whatever, and is bloated.  God bless the little thing she is hormonal, in spades!

It is a natural thing with most hens and there are several ways of helping her cope.  We can leave her alone and let her get over it, which can take weeks, and deprive Mabel of a nest as Barbara does not want to leave the nest AT ALL!  So that won't work.

We can get some fertile egg or baby chicks for her to sit on.......NO!!

Or we can put her in time out away from the nest, in a Taj Mahal of dog carriers with water and food and supposedly she will recover in a few days. 

So she has been sequestered since morning.  I let her our having closed the chicken yard door and she paced up and down in front of the door frantically.  I recognized the feeling and knew it was back in the carrier after a brief foray into the yard.  Mabel is confused and looks in at Barbara as if to say "what did you do?"  In solidarity with her sister Mabel has not laid an egg yet today. 

If this goes on I may have to resort to the only cure I know of......say it with me ladies....Chocolate!!!

July 17, 2013: Alert!!! Chickens Can Die When it is Too Hot!

I now I seem to be harping on this subject, but we love our little hens and would hate to lose one of them through not being aware of the things that can happen when it get so damn hot.

This past month has been a real challenge as it has been horribly hot, I mean well over 100F degrees and staying in the 90's at night.  Chickens do OK in the cold, but very hot weather can kill them.  One of our friends lost a hen from the heat. 

The backyard chickens are pets and need to be taken care of just like we do our more traditional pets.  Here is what I have learned about keeping chickens safe when it is very hot.

Of course, access to lots of cold water, and shade and damp ground.  I fill their waterers with half ice then add the water so the water stays cool.  We keep the yard watered
especially the area where they like to go and hunker down.  We wet down the floor in the chicken yard, and make sure it is fully shaded by using a cover. 

The chickens are enclosed in a chicken yard at night, so I feel safe leaving the main door into their coop open.  I crack the roof where we collect the eggs so tat air can circulate and have open the nest door and placed a stand up fan right in the open door to their nests.  The fan is on a timer and comes n automatically.  One side benefit I that this keep the coop well aerated and dry, but it also provides some relief from the terrible heat. 

We also learned that chickens like to stand in water to cool off so have a shallow baking pan full of water out in the yard in the shade.  On several afternoons when it was 111 degrees I actually squirted the girls with the hose.  They did not like it, but it helped them cool down.

We have also loaded the girls into our big dog carrier and brought them into the house.  I just lined the bottom with newspapers and threw some pine shavings, put their small waterer in their and they stayed in all day with us.  I cold not stand to see them panting with their little mouths open and lifting their wings to try to get cool, staring at us at the back glass door.  They chortled and cococoed with delight.

These efforts have kept our two girls happy, healthy and still laying 1 egg a day each.  We are also giving them cold yogurt and cold fruit which they love, and of course the ubiquitous raisins.

It has cooled of for the last week, but soaring temperatures are coming again starting tomorrow so we need to keep the girls safe and cool.

The girls like it so much inside they have even started venturing into the dining room from the patio door.  They both just stand on the throw run we have there to keep the carpet clean.  Haven't ventured any further into the house......yet.

Cool chickens are healthy chickens.  Our girls are way cool chicks.

June 15, 2013: House Cat, House Chicken: What's the Diff?

I haven't posted for a while so I've got a lot to say.  Most of you know we live in a place in northern California that gets very hot in the Summer.  Not Mojave Desert hot, but very hot nonetheless.  Miserably hot, and if anyone says's "yes, but it is a dry heat: I will smack them, cause 115 is damn hot, and dry heat feels like a blast furnace. 

Well last Friday and Saturday is was hellishly hot, and I was so worried about the girls.  We did get a fan that goes on automatically in their chicken yard, and they have ample shade and water when out in the yard, but we close them in the chicken yard at night which is shady, but still hot when it's a scorcher.  I decided last weekend that I would bring them in if they seemed to be suffering. Then I thought, hey, I can't stand to go out of the air conditioned house, so they must be suffering.

So first I wetted down the floor of the chicken yard and the patio. The lawn had already been watered.  That produced negligible relief.  I then got a great idea for these kinds of emergency situations.  I brought our large dog cage in the house.  It is on wheels and is designed to transport dogs on planes etc.  I place newspapers on the bottom, and Cal brought in the girls one at a time.  We put them in the dog carrier, in the entry way to the living room on the cool tile.  I put their water in with them and waited for any reaction. 

The only reaction we got was blissful cooing and cococcoing as the girls enjoyed the joy that is air conditioning.  We are so fortunate to be able to have and use A/C.  We kept them with us through the hottest part of the day and/or until they pooped twice.  Then I moved their fan so that it blew right into their coop.  It wasn't as cool as the A/C, but a whole lot cooler than the ambient air outside.  I put ice cubes in their water containers, and they did fine. 


The only difference between having a house cat, and a house chicken is pooping issue.  And lets face it, those of us who have had cats know they don't always use the litter box.  And I am sure with enough time and effort I could teach the girls to use a litter box.  But I digress.

Since then Carl, my brother in law and fellow chicken wrangler, told me about setting out a large shallow pan of water in the shade that the chickens can stand in.  Apparently cooling off their feet by standing in the water helps them tolerate high heat.  Come to think of it, it does the same thing for me. 

So now I have a plan for the future very hot Summer days. 

Next.
Several months ago, in fact right after we got Mabel and Barbara,  I read that chickens liked yogurt and that it was a good source of protein for them.  So I bought a big container of non-fat strawberry yogurt.  I carefully set out a bowl for them to try.  They walked in it.  They did not even try it.  So Cal and I ate strawberry yogurt for several weeks.  Oh well I thought, they eat raisins, cherry tomatoes, and mandarin oranges.  Can't have everything.

Let jump forward to last week.  I am sitting happily on the patio in the morning, drinking coffee and reading the paper, while the chickens cruise around the lawn.  I have a lovely bowl of nonfat Greek blueberry yogurt ( fruit on the bottom) over diced fresh cantaloupe.  Mabel comes running. jumps up on the chaise lounge, walks up my legs right up to my bowl and stairs over the rim of it at me.  I get nervous.  Is she turning Veloceraptor on me?  Gingerly I took some on my spoon and offered it to her.
She went nuts and as the picture shows she literally got it all over her beak in her eagerness to eat the yogurt.  Clearly this was the end of my meal for the day as she an Annie finished off my breakfast.

Why did she eschew it when I bought the girls their own yogurt?  What changed?  Here is my theory.  As with pets in general, anything you are eating they want.  And, now that the girls have learned to be social and to trust us, she was no longer afraid to barge into my breakfast by lying up and walking on my legs.  What ever caused the change, it was hilarious. 

Also found a chicken sitter to the girls for when we go on vacation.  That is a load off my mind.
I think that is all the pertinent facts for now. plus dinner is ready, so off I go.  Ciao
amici. 

June, 4, 2013: Chickens Eat Spaghetti

Did you know that if you feed spaghetti to chickens, they eat it one strand at a time, and they treat it just like a worm.....and they wipe their beaks after every strand.  So fastidious, from birds that poop right next to their food. (Check out Chickens Eating Spaghetti videos on YouTube.)

This week, after reading the latest edition of "Chickens" , we decided to try giving the girls some different treats.  They loved blueberries, really liked yogurt, and went goofy over cherry tomatoes.  They I thought I'd see if they would like bruschetta spread.  YES!!! They even ate the garlic bits.

Clearly my girls are of Italian decent just like their Mama.  Bambinas Mia.

In my last post I mentioned that  it is very hot here, and this is their first summer  ( they are just barely 1 year old).  Well they seem to be doing pretty good,  however, I inadvertently moved one of their water sources out onto the lawn from the chicken yard, and place in the shade of a tree.  They ran to  it and drank like crazy. 

Apparently they do not want to walk all the way back to the chicken yard to get a drink.  We also have been putting ice cubes into their water reservoirs to keep the water as cool as possible.  We are also changing the water daily and adding apple cider vinegar to help keep it fresh. 

News flash:  Mabel climbed from Cal's arm onto my shoulder and sat there with her little head right next to mine and we walked around the yard.  So sweet.

May 31, 2013: Summer Is Here: Our Chickens are Way Cool

While chickens tolerate the cold pretty well, they don't do so well in very hot weather.  We live in the hottest dang part of the Sacramento Valley and will be hitting 100 degrees F on Sunday. 

Our girls already have a covered chicken yard, on the shady side of our house, enclosed with chicken wire to ensure good ventilation, and they have plenty of water, but.... will that be enough?  When we are at home, they are free to run around our shady yard, but when we aren't here they are locked in the chicken yard.   Their coop is in the chicken yard.  What to do?

Our neighbor, who also has chickens uses a" mister" that sends a fine spray of water over the top of his chicken yard, but I'm not keen on all that moisture in the chicken yard, messy and maybe giving them foot rot.  Plus that means turning water off and on, and using lots of water, plus how do you do that when you are away?

I came up with a clever and I think very functional and easy answer.  We bought a cheap standing fan, put it in the corner of the chicken yard facing the coop for maximum ventilation and cooling.  We use a timer, and an outdoor extension cord and programed it to come on at 11:00am when it starts to get hot, and off at 11:00pm when it generally starts to cool off.   So far it is working great!  We can leave for the day or several days and know that the girls will be cool enough. ( we always have someone check on them if we are gone over 3 days and have a big feeder and two waterers).

Meanwhile the girls are doing great, still giving us two eggs a day like clock work.   We had a dish tonight using their eggs.  It's an Italian version of poached eggs.  Put 1 tbs. of olive oil in a non stick frying pan, set on medium heat, add garlic and 1/2 cup sliced onion, and saute' onions until transparent.  Add a pinch each of oregano, basil and herb de Provence.  Add one can of diced tomatoes and 1/2 cup of chicken broth and one tsp of sugar.  Bring to a simmer letting it reduce just a little bit.  Break 4 eggs into the tomato mixture, cover pan and simmer until eggs are like you like them.  Sprinkle with fresh grated parmesano reggiano.  Serve in two bowls, with a slice or two of grilled Italian bread rubbed with garlic, and a small green salad.  Thank you Barbara and Mabel for
a healthy delicious and easy Friday night meal.  Ciao Amici.

May 15, 2013: More than just eggs:The Benefits of Having Back Yard Chickens

Some folks keep back yard chickens strictly for the eggs.  Nothing wrong with that.  Eventually you will get a return on your original investment, 7-10 years down the line, depending on whether the chickens become pets and live like little queens in palatial coops with air conditioning and heating, or, you see them as simple egg laying machines who live in a drafty box under the house ( in which case you should not have backyard chickens).

The eggs are delicious, unadulterated by whatever egg factories feed their chickens.  Just natural delicious protein.  But there is so much more to having back yard chickens.  Those of you who do not have backyard chickens will perhaps have a hard time relating to this, but trust me, they bring so much to the table, in addition to the eggs.

Here is an example:  On Mother''s Day I made dinner for my Mom, her boyfriend, my sister Karen and her husband.  After dinner Karen's Stepson John dropped by with a lovely plant for her.  John is a hard working business man, who like his Dad is a "hard room" when you tell a joke.  That means they are largely stoic.  They are both funny guys, but it takes alot to make them laugh.  Cal and I had to do the Harlem Shake, complete with masks and music just to get a chuckle out of our brother in law.  Anyway I digress.

I asked John if he would like to see our chickens, thinking he would not be interested.  After a bit he said," let's see those chickens".  So out we went into the backyard.  I corralled the girls who were kicking rocks in the corner of the yard, and herded them around the hedge.  Here they came in all their feathered glory, trotting along side by side, making their sweet little chicken sounds.  John asked me what kind they were, etc. Then just stood as if transfixed watching them cruise around the yard.  The sun was shining, the grass was so green, the trees kept the yard shady and cool, and the hens just were  being hens.  After a minute or so he said, " they are so peaceful to watch".  It was such a bucolic scene.  Right in the middle of the city.

I told him how the chickens bring a sense of peace, quiet, and tranquility to our yard.  How we often sit outside and watch them hang out. 

I asked Cal to bring out some raisins, and he showed John how they love raisins and jump up for them.  He wanted to feed some to them, and did, letting Barbara and Mabel eat raisins out of his hand.   I could not have been more surprised if he had sprouted wings and flown over the fence.

See what I mean.
These two little Chickens give us eggs, and tranquility.  I highly recommend it, but only if you discover that you love chickens, otherwise buy your eggs from the market and call it good.

May 10, 2013: When is a chicken like a pigeon?

 

Pigeons are known to have certain annoying behaviors.  Typically chickens do not share these behaviors, but.......yesterday I glimpsed Cal our back holding Mabel.  I wanted to hold her too, so quickly ran outside to take a turn. 

Placing my arm along side Cal's Mabel quickly hopped over onto my arm.

That was when I learned how chickens are like pigeons,

If you take a close look at the picture above you will see a picture of a bird perched on a my arm, like a statue.

Now, think about what pigeons do while sitting on statues.

Yes that is right. 

A small amount of chicken poop somehow landed on my arm.

 

Oh yeah, her she is on Cal's arm.  She did not poop on him.

I still love her.

 

May 2nd, 2013: Toys for Chickens



 



My dear Brother in Law, Carl,  sent me an e-mail with accompanying video of his chickens enjoying the chicken version of basketball.  Several of his hens were jumping, and vying for the key position, and seemed to be having a great time, plus getting exercise, and a healthy snack. 

So not wanting to deprive my girls from the same fun opportunity I made my way to the produce section of the local market and purchased a small head of cabbage.   Cal put a hole through it and threaded a string so we could hang it at chicken height from a tree in the back yard so our girls could play chicken basketball too. 

First Cal hung it from a tree we could not see from our patio.   That would not due as I wanted to see my girls frolicking ad having a good time.  So he moved it to another tree closer to the patio, but it was on the far side of the tree.  No.

Finally he got it hung just right, and we set the girls free and stood back to watch them play.  They walked right past it, never even giving it a glance.  So we gave it a push so it swung a bit, you know, trying to get their attention.  No. 

So Cal said, maybe they don't realize it is food, so he tore off a leaf and gave some to the girls.  They turned up their noses, still no basketball game ensued.  I pondered what could be the problem.  I e-mailed Carl to get his opinion.  He said they  needed a chance to discover that it was food. 

It has now been three days and the cabbage is looking like the most unusual wind chime, just swinging in the breeze.  WTH.

I finally came to the realization that Carl's chickens are numerous and free range, foraging for food, so to them a hanging cabbage is like low hanging fruit.  Our girls are only two, and have an abundance of food in their feeder, plus scratch, raisins and mandarins oranges.  A wilting cabbage is not match for any of that.  Besides they would have to work for it by jumping slightly, which I am sure they consider "beneath" them.

I short, we have two spoiled city chickens, and one butt ugly wind chime.

April 13, 2013: Hidey Ho Chicken Lovers

Just back from a fantastic 3 day respite from chicken wrangling.  Spent time with my Italian Cousins over in Bodega Bay.  Did not see chicken one!  We left the girls home with our pet sitter, Sally, who took care of our dog Annie, Karen's dog Lucy and of course Mabel and Barbara.  Sally is not afraid of chickens and joyfully collected the eggs daily. 

Cal and I prepared the girls for our absence by cleaning their run and coop.  We refilled their watering device, and their feeder and made sure they had plenty of shade as it was supposed to get warm.

And how did they thank us, you ask?  By making a  holy hell mess in there.  They emptied the feeder all over the floor,  they walked and pooped on it.  They kicked most of their portable dust bath filler all over the place, I mean it was a mess!  Here we rushed out to let them free as soon as we got home, and they walked out leisurely into the yard never even glancing at us.  Ungrateful little farts.
Then I remembered that this was the longest time we had ever left them since they were little girls.  They were pouting! 

So Cal picked up Mabel and brought her in the house for R and R, walked around with her and gave her extra pets, then spent some extra time with Barbara.  I joined them for some Mama talk and cuddle.

Today we are back to normal, that is, as normal as you get when you have backyard chickens.  I decided to take a nice bath in my garden tub which is on the east side of the house.  You know, bubble bath, diet coke over ice, and my Droid to play Words with Friends with.  I have a lovely view of the star jasmine covering the fence.  Very relaxing.  Then I hear a squawk and looked out and down to see two little girls looking up at me.  I'm like, WTH are you guys doing over here and how did you find me.  They did not reply, but clearly had scouted me out. 

They always find Mama.  They love Daddy, and love to play with  him, but they come find Mama to feel secure.  Just like little kids. 

April 2, 2013: Chicken Love!

It's a beautiful day and having finished updating my financial records, I sauntered into the living room.  I could hear Cal chatting out back, and found him on the chaise lounge with one chicken on each knee feeding them.  They were just a chatting away with him.  Mabel is the sweetest little girl.  She just climbed up his chest and sat down, talking all the time.  Barbara was her usual demanding self, but does seem to love her daddy, and his raisins.

 It was a wonderful, peaceful moment, just watching from inside as Cal carried on his conversation with the girls.  They did not even notice or comment on his black eye.  

And before you jump to conclusions, No I did not deck him.  ( not that every wife hasn't wanted to smack the hubby on occasion).   How he managed to fall out of bed, turn over in mid air and land on the corner of the night stand with his right eyebrow I will never know.  I made for an exciting moment, hearing him hit the floor, and jumping up to find him clutching his head in a bloody hand.  Happy Easter to us.  Two stitches, ice and a bandage later, he was fine.

There is something so calming about watching chickens. I think they feel calmer watching us too, as they seem to want to congregate outside the bedroom sliding glass door and peer in, cooing happily.  Cocococo......brrrrrrr.  The chicken version of a mantra I think 

March 27. 2013: Dinosaurs in the yard!

Have you ever seen a chicken, not just walk around, but full on run.  If you haven't, rent Jurassic park and watch the veloceraptors.  It is freakishly similar to the way Mabel and Barbara run. 
Yesterday afternoon Cal and I were taking our almost daily nap, when it wounded like dinosaurs were running across the deck outside the bedroom.  I mean they were loud, especially on the wooden deck.

They came pounding from the east side of the yard heading west.  I thought maybe a cat was in the yard again.  So I leaped up, opened the sliding door and ran out to protect my baby girls.  Annie even came out to help.  Nothing!  No cat, no marauding creature of any kind.  WTH? I was just dozing off you little running rats.

All of a sudden they came running again, Barbara in the lead, with Mabel right behind her, around the lawn, past the hedges and BAM up on the wooden deck again, which I kid you not sounds like a lot of something heavy.  Still no sign of threat. 

When they did this a third time, I finally figured out they were playing a game, perhaps chicken tag, and just having a ball.  I wanted to be annoyed, but I can't be when I see those mini-dinosaurs running around playing. 

It is still a little off- putting when they come running at you, with those chicken eyes, until I remember that I could probably drop kick one of them over the fence.....not that I ever would, but it supports my illusion that I am in charge. 

Having chickens is the funnest thing I have done in a long time.  Comedians of the barnyard, that's what they are.  

March 23, 2013: Rising With The Chickens

It is now 4:45 am my time and I am wide awake.  WHY!!! I should be sleeping soundly beneath my quilts with the dog under the covers next to me, between me and my husband.

Its those dang chickens!  They have modified my behavior!  They wake up so early! 

I am retired!! No more up at 0dark30.  It may be part of their plot to take over the house by making me so tired I just give up and let them in.

Right now I am being very very quiet.  I have figured that if I go into the kitchen to start the coffee, they will hear me and start squawking.  Their chicken run is right on the other side of the wall in the kitchen, and they have very good hearing. 

They are so cute though when they run to the sliding doors in our bedroom when we let them out.  Cal released the beasts yesterday morning while i was still blissfully asleep.  I woke up and threw back the curtains to find two little hens preening and cococococing right out side the door.  They looked up at me as if to say "Hi Mommy", we let you sleep later today, but don't get  used to it". 

I know their plan now...but I am the Mommy, and no matter what, they are not getting in.  Besides the bed is too small for 2 chickens, one dog and two human beings!

March 16, 2013: We're Back and The Chickens are Pissed Off

I have read so much about chickens in the last several months, and consider myself a semi-expert.  Especially as I now actually have chickens.  So the book learning and the experience have increased my love, and delight in the girls.  Can you tell there is a But coming?

OK, one of the facts I learned was that as long as the chickens have adequate food, water and shelter you can leave them for 5-7 days.  Perhaps this is the case when you have a large flock who range around your barn yard.  BUT when you have two chickiens who are essentially pets it is a different story.

Cal and I went up to our cabin to do some Spring cleaning and to get it ready for friends who are renting it for next weekend.   We cleaned the girls chicken run, freshened their pine shavings, made sure they had everything they needed, and then left for 3 days.  I even asked my sister to check on them to make sure they hadn't dumped their water over or anything.

She called me on day two to tell me she went by to check.  She said the chickens went nuts!  Ran to the pen door raising hell like Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!   They threw themselves at the door, pushing and shoving each other away, trying to get to her.

Karen has grown to have warm feelings towards Mabel and Barbara, but still has a healthy fear of them, so did not open the cage.  That was a good idea as she would have never gotten them back in.  Anyway, they were pissed off.

Upon arriving home on the 4th day, I immediately went outside to let them out.  Boy were they mad, and they did not spare the chicken swearing, at me.  I would have thought they'd run out into the yard, but instead they ran around my feet squawking and raising hell.   Cal came out too and they proceeded to give him "what for " as well. 

They had kicked most of their dirt out of the portable dust bath we have in their run, and clearly displayed their disapproval by making a Holy mess, as onlya  farm animal can do.  They did lay 5 eggs while we were gone, which was little consolation.

Cal and I picked them up and cuddled them, scratched under their wings, and told them how we missed them.  We discussed with them that the cabin was in the woods and that there were too many natural predators to take them with, as they are not house broken.  Can you house break a chicken?

We gave them some raisins and all simmered down in the kingdom.  But I am guessing that our next travel will mean having to hire a chicken sitter. 

March 7, 2013: Chicken Peepers

Good day all.  Went to the dentist yesterday and came away with sticker shock!  Lost a crown and need a root canal, plus a crown on that tooth.  Chickens do not have teeth and therefore do not have to contemplate how to pay for dental work.  Lucky Bums.

How else are chickens lucky you might ask.:
1.  Chickens do not pay taxes
2.  Chickens do not have to work except for laying eggs.
3.  Chickens do not have to diet.
4.  Chickens do what they want.
5.  Chickens can fly a little bit.
6.  Chickens can eat almost anything.
7.  Chickens do not have to go to school, study or take exams.
8.  Chickens do not get arrested for peeping in your windows. 

Number 8 comes to mind due to the chickens natural curiosity.   They are endlessly curious about the world around them.  Some of it is hunting for food, but most of it I think is just being busy bodies.

When we are outside they follow us around wanting to see what's what.
When we are indoors, they run from glass door to glass door trying to keep track of us.  Are they keeping a journal of our activities?  Are they spies sent to keep an eye on us? Maybe they are writing a book about humans.  After all I write about them in my blog, on Facebook and in  my Children's Books.

In any case Mabel is freaking me out by peeking in at me.  Does she not look like a chicken with a plan?

2/28/2013: Mabel The City Chicken



                                                             Mabel The City Chicken

Well dear readers I finally finished the first draft of my children's book, "Mabel The City Chicken."  It's reality based and written from Mabel's perspective. 

I wanted to bring a message of hopefulness, facing changes and fears, and the importance of loving support for children to build resiliency and self worth through Mabel's journey from chicken ranch to our back yard.  The known into the unknown. 

It is currently being edited and is in the infancy stages of ever getting published, but it is exciting to get it down on paper.  I know nothing about getting a children's book published, but figure I can learn that. 

Meanwhile Mabel could care less.  She and Barbara are happy going after worms in the newly seeded backyard lawn.  You may remember that we used to have a lovely yard with a rich green lawn off our patio.   That was BC, before chickens.  Now with the building of the chicken run, and limiting the girls free ranging time each day, we may be getting out lawn back, or a reasonable facsimile of a lawn anyway.

Annie continues to sneak into the chicken run whenever she can to eat chicken feed, Mabel is sleeping a little later in the morning, and Barbara is a constant source of chicken joy.   I just saw her pull an entire worm out of the ground today and eat it.  It made me want to hurl! But hey she loves them and I believe they are an excellent source of protein.  I won't be eager to see that activity again.

Peace and Love to you all dear readers.

February 26, 2013: Mabel Waits Her Turn.

Yesterday I went out to visit and chat with the chickens.  Barbara was trotting as fast as she could into the chicken run, ran up the ramp into the nest and commenced to making her "here comes an egg" announcement.  I wandered back out into the yard looking for Mabel.  No Mabel! 

I called to her and she came running, ran right past me and into the chicken run.  She was cococoing, and seemed agitated.  I followed her into the run.  There she was pacing back and forth in front of the coop, just squawking up a storm.  WTH is wrong I asked?  She just kept up the tirade.  Clearly she was annoyed with Barbara.  

Up and down she paced, squawking.  She even ran up the ramp to look into the nesting area.  OK now I get it!  Mabel wants to lay an egg too! I mean she really needs to lay an egg!!!

See, chickens are funny little creatures of habit.  Once they start laying their eggs somewhere, that's where they will continue to lay.  Well, even though there are two nests up in the coop, the girls both like to lay their eggs in the same nest. 

Then Mabel started jumping up and down, actually trying to look up into the door of the nesting area.  OK enough is enough.  Get on with it Barbara, your little sister is pitching a fit.

Finally Barbara came down the ramp, and was nearly knocked over by a frantic Mabel.   Several moments later Mabel emerged, relief clearly apparent on her face. 

In the nest area I found two little eggs, one blue and one a creamy brown, resting against each other,  both still warm from the efforts of these two sweet little things. 

February 22, 2013: Coop Cleaning Day

Oh joy!  Today we get to do the monthly coop and chicken run cleaning.  Isn't that fun?

Actually with only two hens it's not too bad.  If we want the girls to stay healthy and not get foot rot, we need to make sure the nesting area and run is clean and dry.  We use pine shavings that are easy, smell great, and provide good insulation for the girls in the nesting and cooping area.  They are cheap too.

We clean out the poop from their nests every day, as chickens are indiscriminate poopers, and the same with the run.  It's only about a 5 minute task. 

But today we are throwing the girls a curve.  We're going to move the coop inside of the chicken run so they have more room, then well as change the bedding with clean fresh pine shavings.  I have noted that chickens like humans are creatures of habit. I hope moving the coop won't throw them for a loop.  ( see I made a poem there)

We are also reseeding the grass today that they destroyed off our patio.  It took us several weeks to notice.  It was subtle, then holy crap the lawn is now mud.  Chickens are hell on lawn.  This is why we no longer let them free range all day.  They took a while to become adjusted to being in a lot of the day.   They cackled and grumbled for about two weeks, then settled in to this new routine.  They still dash out lickety split each morning, to get the worms.

They just love it when we clean the coop/run.  They kick pine shavings all around, and have a great time.

While cleaning the chicken area is not my favorite task, it pales in comparison to what I had to do when I worked as an RN.  All you nurses out there know what I'm talking about.  And...Mable and Barbara are worth it.

February 21. 2013: Chicks are Cheep !

Went by Tractor Supply to pick up feed and scratch for the girls yesterday.  Walked in and there were pens with little bitty chicks in them.  OMG they were the cutest thing, and one whole area were pullets ( females).  I almost went nuts.  They are the cutest little things. Standing there was a young couple debating about getting some chicks.  Clearly they were novices, but also egg lovers with 4 kids.  I  launched into my spiel about our girls,  and how sweet they were, what their names were even showed them the video of the girls jumping for raisins.  I said we had two for 2 eggs a day.  The wife wanted to just get two and see how it went, but you had to buy 8  minimum.  They were only $1.99 each.  How cheap is that? 

The salesman was loving my extolling the virtues of having our girls and how friendly they become if you treat them sweet.  I suddenly realized that the folks probably thought I was wacky talking so much about our chickens.  "  What is that old lady talking so much about her chickens for"?  I gracefully edged away and we went about our original plan of getting supplies. 

A few minutes later I saw the couple leaving....with a small crate with 8 chicks in it.  Tractor Supply should hire me! 

I wanted some of those little chicks so bad.  At least I wanted to hold one, and pet it.  I came to my senses before I too left with a carton of 8 chicks.

But I'm going back to see if I can just hold one of those darling little babies.

February 15, 2013: Chickens on the Roof!

It has been one busy week. Some surprises and some amazing discoveries.  What a week! 

Yesterday morning I entered the coop as usual to let the girls out, give them their scratch, and do some clean up.  While taking the sleeping bag/insulation off the roof, I discovered some chicken poop.  WTH?  How is that getting up there I asked myself. 

Today Cal went out to do the morning chores with the girls.  He called me to come see.  Mabel was on the roof of the coop looking at us.  That answered my question about how the poop got there.  I mentioned my find the day before, to Cal.  He shared with me that he had found some too a few days before, but thought I had thrown it up there.  WHAT!  Why would I do that? 

Anyway, turns out Mabel likes to spend time up there.  No idea why.  Maybe she likes some alone time away from the coop, or Barbara.  Remember when Cal got the scare of his life seeing her sliding down the roof of the coop.  Perhaps it some form of chicken sport, roof gliding.  Or protest, roof sitting.  I watched her nimbly walk down the slanted roof, jump/fly into the portable dust bath.  No fuss, no muss.  She had clearly been doing this routinely.  These girls are a laugh a minute.

The big discovery has to do with finding that apparently chicken feed is the universal pet food.  Not only do they love it, so does Annie.  Now found a neighborhood cat eating chicken feed I spilled on the patio outside the chicken yard.  I'm also guessing that the local fauna, such as mice, rats, perhaps an opossum or two, are also enjoying any spilled or scattered feed.  Universal pet food, yep.

So, after this very busy week, I'm laying on the bed this afternoon reading and playing Words With Friends.  I hear a tapping at the glass doors.  Looking up I see Cal with Barbara in his arms and he is making her wave at me by lifting her wing and gently flapping it.  My chicken is waving at me through the window, being held in the arms of my sweet Valentine, Cal.  This is the life!

February 8, 2013: I Gave My Chickens Diarrhea

Most of you know that before I actually got the chickens, I read all about them, everything I could lay my hands on. 
I learned that Chickens do not make pee pee. 
Lots of people fear chickens.
Lots of people love chickens.
Roosters are aggressive by nature, to protect the hens.
Chickens live to be up to 15 years old.
It takes about 23 hours for a chicken to make an egg. 

I learned that you never give them apple seeds, avocado, or raw potato peels.
I learned how to deal with a hen who is egg bound, even if she actually isn't, and she ends up traumatized for several days cause I'm having trouble finding her vent.

I learned that they are very social, love to be petted and chatted up. 
And they are the closest living thing to dinosaurs.  Such interesting little creatures.

OK so Tuesday I wake up to chicken diarrhea.  Believe me, that is not a delight.  I waited a day thinking " maybe it will go away".  They were eating, drinking water, running around as usual.

Next day, still there.  I accused Cal of feeding them too many raisins.  Gotta blame someone, right?

My husband is a computer genius, and hit the computer.   He presented me with a document from a chicken website.  Guess what, Monday I gave the chickens some non-fat milk thinking then might need the protein.  Turns out they get diarrhea when you give them milk.   I had to eat a whole Crow, if you get my meaning. 

February 6, 2013: Every Day It's Something New!

This morning when Cal went to release the girls into the yard, he was greeted by the sight of Mabel on top of the coop.  How and why she was up there ...no clue.  The coop has a slippery sleeping bag on it as insulation.  Just as Cal went in, she decided to dash towards Daddy, and began to slip down the roof.  Cal as any good Dad would do, geared up to save her.  "Gearing up" at 70 years old is no easy feat.  Most of it  takes place inside the body, i.e. blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, muscles tense getting ready to spring into action.  All this is taking place inside my sweet hubby, while the outside is frozen. 

Just before he can jump to catch her, she flies past him and out the door.  All that energy wasted, and when your our age, energy must be conserved for real crisis, not chickens on the roof of the coop.

Got an e-mail from my brother in law, Carl, Cal's brother,  who lives in the frozen north, otherwise known as Michigan.  He too has chickens.  It was a brisk 5  below zero degrees that morning and he had installed a heater in his chicken coop for the benefit of his flock.  Did he get any thanks from the chickens?  NO.  As he so perfectly described it, they just fixed him with their "dinosaur glare".  All you chicken keepers have seen this look.  It's somewhere between "I want to eat you and, where am I?"

Have a blessed day my friends.  Sharen, the Chicken Wrangler.

February 4, 2013: Chickens Made Me Famous

Briefly, in my life I have  been an RN, Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice for 35+ years, EAP Counselor, Child Therapist, Critical Incident Responder for the Dept. of Defense, published author, blah blah blah.  Not telling you this to brag, just background information.

Four months ago we got our chickens, Barbara and Mabel.  I began posting on FB and my blog even before that. 

Jump to Saturday night, Feb. 2nd.  Cal and I and our Italian cousins + my twin Karen and her husband ( also Italians) attended a huge Rotary Crab Feed.  900+ people there.  Saw lots of people I knew.  Great food, lots of fun, and the following:

Comments about my 47 year long career life:  1
Comments about the Italian Cousins:  1
Comments, questions, discussion about the chickens:  14

Lesson:  I should have gotten chickens earlier or become a chicken rancher and not bothered with all that other stuff!
Insight:  Lots of people like chickens...no not chicken as in BBQ'd, fried, or baked,  just chicken on the hoof, so to speak.  LOLOLOL!!

1/31/2013: Chickens and Gorillas

I am still laughing an experience today.  The day started with the usual coffee/paper/FB/e-mail/Words With Friends.  Then shower, grocery shopping, unload and put away stuff, lunch with Mom and Sister.   Karen and I decided to run by PetCo as she needed dog biscuits.  I went looking for a toy for Annie our dog.  Karen had bought a monkey that screeched toy for her dog.  I loved it, but they were all gone.  They did have a stuffed gorilla that makes gorilla growls.  Bought it for Annie.

Of course Annie loved it...as soon as she stopped being afraid of it's screech.  Meanwhile I went out to release the chickens into the yard.  Annie dashed past me with her gorilla in her mouth.  At first the girls ignored her ....until Annie squeezed the Gorilla.  Then all hell broke loose!

The girls were over buy the grass, heard the screech and jumped 3 feet in the air, sideways, landing with a boom on the wooden deck, then ran as fast as they could to me, wild-eyed and wanting Momma to help them escape horrible beast in the yard.  I laughed until I fell down...then felt terribly guilty about laughing at my girls.  I soothed them, gave them raisins, and put the gorilla in the house.

Found that chicken's recovery period from terror is rapid, especially when raisins are involved.    10 minutes later they were cruising around the yard.

January 30, 2013: Potholders into chicken coats, my next project.

 

These look easy to knit, if you can knit, which I can't.  I think I could modify potholders though to accomplish the same thing,  If we get snow here some day, I will consider it.  Mean while Barbara and Mabel continue to lay an egg a day.  Yesterday I met 3 lady friends for lunch.  We have known each other for well over 10  years and when we get together we occasionally exchange small gifts.  Yesterday I carefully wrapped Mabel's blue eggs in 3 little packets and tied them each with a bow.  They all agreed that they had never received a lovely fresh blue chicken egg as a gift before. 

I may reconsider my future gift giving, and give pretty chicken eggs instead.  How would you feel if you got a dozen fresh eggs wrapped in pretty wrapping?

The girls are still getting used to the chicken yard.  They want to  be out having the run of the back yard, but are just too destructive.  Cutting them back to 2 hours of free ranging per day has allowed are lawn to sprout and the plants a break from pecking, rooting chickens.  They complain bitterly, but daily the complaints are shorter and not as loud. 

Meanwhile the girls are content, one on my lap, one on Cal's eating raisins out of our hands.  Yesterday Mabel even fell asleep while i was petting her little red head. 

Life is good.  I may market my potholder- slash- chicken coat idea to other chicken loving non-knitters.  Be well my friends.

January 21, 2013: Getting Used to the Chicken Yard

Cal and I completed the Chicken Yard late last week, and moved the coop and the girls into it.  We also added a dust bath, and a nice blue tarp to cover the whole yard to keep out the rain and wind.

Do the chickens like and appreciate our efforts:  Hell NO!  They want out, Right Now!  Frankly they are ingrates, but also adorable.  Kind of like children.  I will post a picture of the chicken yard here if I can or on my Facebook page.  It is so nice that we could close it in, add a recliner, TV, small fridge. and carpeting, and it could be Cal's Man Cave.

I am proud of us.  It truly is the Taj Mahal of chicken yards.  My sister walked by yesterday and said she could here the girls chortling and cocococoing happily in there.

The other reason I am so happy to have this done, is that we can now leave for more than 3 days, and they have plenty of room to run around.  It is safer and more secure than the chicken patio Cal built when we first got them.  Case in point; at 2:20am we were awakened by a cat howling right outside our bedroom slider.  Damn cat.  I love them, but I will not let them intimidate the chickens.  So Cal ran, turned off the alarm while I let Annie out to run that cat off, which she did immediately.  Not a peep was heard from the chickens.  Pardon the pun.  They were safely ensconced in their nest, inside their coop in there completely enclosed chicken yard.  Take that neighborhood predators!

The truth be told, I think Barbara could take any cat around.  She is huge, and fearless.  When she runs at you, believe me, I get a momentary feeling of anxiety, until I remember that I could drop kick her over the fence if need be. I would never ever do that, but it is good to know I could if she got hinky.
We are now getting 2 eggs a day most days.  They are beautiful.  Thanks girls.

January 17, 2013: Alert the media!

Mabel laid her first egg.  She's been with us for 3+months and was supposed to be 16 weeks old when we got her.  We wondered whether she was odd, a male in disguise, or just slow.

Turns out she is her own girl and devided when and where she would lay.  Her sweet little egg is pale blue and about the same size as Barbara's,

Thank you Mabel.  We love you even more.

January 16, 2013: Chicken S---T!!!

The Chicken Wrangler is going to get really real today.  The topic is chicken poop.  Chicken lover/owners already know this, but chicken lovers who do not yet have chickens may not. 

Here's how I decided to write about this crappy subject.  Cal and I were coming home Monday night from a Ministry Team Meeting at Church, when we sped up to get through a light and the car filled with that telltale smell.  We looked at each other and said, "not me".  Turns out it was the catalytic converter ( at least that is what Cal said).  I said " that smell is familiar to me".... from the chickens.

In the morning when I go to let the little darlings out,  Barbara will almost always have just pooped, and I mean pooped a tennis ball sized poop in the coop.  Not only is it huge, but the smell drops you to you knees and makes your eyes burn and water.  I mean you just have to jump back, as soon as you regain your feet that is.  It is a much more pungent smell then the catalytic converter, more organic, but similar.

Next topic:  Chickens poop a lot.  And yes it is a good fertilizers IF you do not put it directly on your plants.  It needs time in a compost pile or it could kills the plants, and let me tell ya the smell alone could do it. 

Now chicken poop does not continue to smell like a sulphurous gas from the bowels of Hell.  It mellows over time and dries out rapidly, so it is easy to dispose of and not stinky.  Of course we only have two chickens.  If you  have a few dozen you have a different level of issue, but for just the two hens, it is no biggie. 

What is a bigger issue is the uprooting of the lawn and plants.  The girls are walking and scratching in the lawn and flower beds all day long as we let them roam free.  They have decimated the part of the lawn right off the patio.  Between that and the rains a few weeks ago, we have a mud patch.  Going to re-seed that.  Meanwhile the building of the chicken yard is almost complete.  The girls may not like it, but there days of roaming free in the yard 10-12 hours per day are over.  We will let them out for a few hours in the morning, maybe for a bit in the afternoon, but it's back in the chicken yard for them.

It's not like it's punishment cause their coop is in there, it is completely screened in, top included, and will have a tarp covering it as well.  The ground is cement, but we will have a dust bath area for them, plus their scratch etc. and it is a 70 sq. foot area.  I'll post a picture on my facebook page when we are done.

None of these issues stops me from having chickens.  Just like you dog or cat, you love them, they love you and you have to deal with the poop, and damage that is possible.  Fortunately the trade off is well worth it.  Funny pets with benefits.

January 14, 2013: It's Cold!!!!!

Added another layer of insulation to the chicken house.  Now it looks even more like Ma and Pa Kettle have set up housekeeping in the yard.  It looks tacky, but it does the trick.  Mabel and Barbara do not seem bothered by the cold as much as I worry that they are.  They go about their chicken  business as if it were a balmy 70 degrees out there. 

It has been sunny and Cal is continuing to work on the chicken yard next to the house.  We are building them a larger area to hang out in for when we are gone for a few days, and frankly, so that our lawn has a chance to recover.  Turns out chickens are death to your lawn with their pecking and scratching, so the lawn just off our patio is pretty much mud, and our wild strawberries around the big tree have dissappeared leaving a bald mound.  Still, all that can be replaced and regrown, and meanwhile we have had the delight of having these girls, plus the eggs of course.

We got the girls o October 10th, 2012.  That is only 3 months ago! Yet I feel as if we have had them forever, and in a good way.  I woke up after Cal this morning and pulled back the curtains on the glass doors in the bedroom, and what do I see?  Two pretty chickens preening, strutting and sashaying around the patio.  As soon as they saw me they came running to the door.  "There's Mommy,  think she has some raisins?" 

We love Mabel even of she does not lay eggs.  She does not know she is kind of an anamoly. My friend Leslie recommended we find a rooster to make Mabel's acquaintence, as some times that is what chickens need to get the drift about laying eggs.  Perhaps I will look for a friend who has chickens who has a rooster.  We can't have them in the City.

January 10, 2013: Another Day for the Chicken Wrangler

I am so fortunate to be able to live in our nice little house, and rise every day to the delightful chatter of our little feathered girls, as well as the kisses and nuzzles from Annie our dog...and of course the hugs and kisses from my dear hubby.

Today the girls hit the yard with a vengeance, scattering the little birds who visit to eat what the girls spread around the feeder.  It was sunny, cold, but really pretty out.  They made for the spots, and just chattered away.

Throughout the day every time I went near the back doors, there they were.  As I walked front the dining room back to  bedroom, there they were again looking at me through the glass door.  I honestly feel that they miss us and want us to come out and say hi.  Either that or they want their raisin fix. 

Januray 9, 2013: Jumping Chickens

Cal and I are still coughing and what not, but have managed to get out and clean the girls coop, replacing their pine shavings with fresh new ones about 6 inches deep.  New year, new shavings!

And I have got to keep my phone handy to video Mabel as she continues to jump on the little table outside the bedroom glass doors and peer in at us. She looks, stares, lifts her little head up high and tries to get us to come out and play.

Day before yesterday I sauntered into my bathroom, and opened the blinds only to see a cat creeping again.  Barbara was faced off with the cat, so I banged on the window, called to Cal who then let our fearless canine companion Annie out.  She swooped around the hedges and the cat took off.  Barbara did not seemed the least bit disturbed. Idon't think the cat knows what he/she is in for.  Barbara packs a mean peck.

Meanwhile the weather has put our Chicken yard on hold.  Got the 2 by 4s glued down, but that's it so far.  Got to wait for drier weather.

My dear husband has successfully instituted a behavioral training for the girls resulting in them jumping up and down for raisins.  I posted a video on FB and will try to post it again here for my dear readers. Well, can't get the video to attach.  Will try again later.

I have forgotten if I mentioned that I am considering writing a chldren's book called : Mabel: the City Chicken Who Did Not Lay Eggs.  The message will be that laying eggs is not all it's cracked up to be. 

January 5, 2013: Happy Damn New Year!

Well hell, been sick for 6 days with a flu bug so my New Years Eve Party plans with Cal, friends and family up at the cabin went down the tubes.   Haven't felt like writing much, just laying in bed.

Meanwhile the girls are missing us as we haven't been out to play with them much beyond freeing them from the coop, throwing out some scratch twice a day and hurriedly passing out raisins to the demanding little girls.

I think they've had it.  They have taken to doing their dust baths right outside the bedroom slider peering in frequently as if to say " hey you!  Remember us?".  The today Mabel actually came to the window and hopped up on the table outside, looked at me, stretched out her little neck and said BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, in a loud tone.  I think that's chicken speak for WTH?

Hopefully after our visit to the MD this morning we are on the mend, fully loaded with mega-antibiotics and cough syrup.  Yes, Cal and I are both sick at the same time.  Odd situation.  We both look like death warmed over, and lay next to each other, just occasionally touching hands, and asking" are you still alive?    

I know the girls want to come in and help, but ah..... NO.  Hold on feathered babies, Mommy and Daddy will be back to relative normalcy soon.  Meanwhile Annie our Dog is in heaven.  She gets to lie on the bed with us all day getting frequent pets and trying to nurse us back to health with her soulful looks.

Happy 2013.