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.

December 30, 2012: Last Blog of the Year!



I cannot believe that what started as a suggestion from my friend Vickie turned into 90 pages of my musings and over 2433 readers.  I have learned many things while writing about the girls:

1.  I love to write about almost anything. ( or nothing like the Seinfeld show).
2.  Chickens are awesome and provide tons of fodder for my blog.
3.  I love my chickens.
4.  Chickens teach you about life.
5.  Thousands of people love chickens too.
6.  None of us know why.
7.  Sometimes I write about life instead of chickens, and stats show that people like to read those too.
8.  I love the comments back to me via FB or the blogspot.
9.  Chickens need lots of scratch in winter and a dry place to take their dust baths,

That's all I can think of now, and don;t want to bore you, so I'll just add HAPPY NEW YEAR DEAR READERS AND MAY NEXT YEAR BRING YOU MUCH HAPPINESS AND PEACE.
Love, The Chicken Wrangler ( Sharen).

 



December 28, 2012: Barbara Just Keeps Cranking Out Eggs

It's been a few days since I had time to post.  The Holidays you know.

Had a lovely Christmas, with family, both the human kind and the animal kind, though sometimes that line of demarcation gets a little blurry. 

The girls continue to entertain and have grown very fond of sitting on Cal's knees and eating raisins.  It is so cute.  Barbara remains the demanding one, and has trouble waiting her turn.

Since it has gotten colder, they are not as eager to get out of the coop early, and we get to sleep until 0800.  Correction..I get to sleep a bit later as I am the one who invariably hears them.  The trade off is I get up and let them out, Cal cleans the coop.  I believe I got the better deal on that one. 

Meanwhile, the yard remains a mess, but the rain has let up for the past few days. 
Plans for the extended chicken yard continue with all materials gathered.  Perhaps by next Spring we will have our lawn back. 

Found a neat idea for making a dust bath area as the chicken yard is concrete.  You get a big enough tub/container to hold at least 6 inches of diatomaecous earth and two live chickens.  It will be under the roof of the yard so will stay dry.   Those chicken websites are fantastic places to get ideas.

We're also going to install an automatic waterer.  We're going hi-tech here. 

We still spend time outside with them every day, and when they want us, they peck at the sliding glass door to see us.  When we go out, they both tell us about what has happened since we last were out there.  Very chatty little things. 

As per the title of this blog, Barbara continues to amaze us with her egg laying prowess.  One egg a day, every day.  Mabel, remains very cute and sweet.

Had a long day, heading for bed.  Me that is, not the chickens, they went to bed at 4:45pm.  Until we blog again, Adios.

December 22, 2012: Yard a muddy mess, Chickens are Thrilled!

You know the cartoons we used to watch when we were kids, I mean way back, where the early bird comes out and gets the worm?  Well no sooner did I open the coop this morning when Barbara came running full speed, ran to the  grass ( now mostly mud) and immediately grabbed up a worm right out of the ground.  How she saw that worm, still in the earth with maybe a tiny head poking up, I'll never know. 

We've had a few days of hard rain and wind.  The yard looks like a mud hole and any second I  expect pigs to come rounding the corner for a nice wallow.  The girls are unfazed.  They just want out of the coop.  We don't let them out if it is raining, so they get pretty pissed off, especially Barbara.
Even though we install their larger patio and cover it with a tarp to keep out the rain, they still want OUT!!

Here's our morning routine since the chickens came to live with us.  Wake up, listen for cocococoing, hearing none, hurry to feed Annie our dog.  Hear cocococoing, turn off alarm, open the sliding door, put on mud clogs, open the door and stand back!  Barbara runs out and immediately poops on the patio, Mabel prefers to poop on the lawn, bless her.  Feed them, give them some scratch with cracked corn mixed in, check their water, clean up poop on patio and any in the coop or nest.  By now Barbara has scrounged around looking for worms and what not, and comes running full speed up to me wanting raisins.  I forgot to get some on my way out so I re-enter the warm cozy house smelling delightfully of fresh coffee just barely edging out Barbara who is determined to get in, get the damn raisins from the frige.   Back out I go into the cold.  I pull out the patio chair, and by now Barbara is hopping up and down.  Mabel waits patiently.  I place a raisin on my knee and Barbara jumps up on my lap and I do the raisin distribution project.  That is I have to give Barbara her raisin, then surreptitiously feed one to Mabel who is next to me on the ground.  If I don't do that Barbara jumps down and almost always beats Mabel to the raisin.   Have I mentioned that Barbara is a pig? I do have to cut her some slack as she is the only one laying in the coop, but I still feel sorry for Mabel.

Went to a wonderful Breakfast at Tiffani's brunch yesterday morning.  Wore a faux mink stole, lots of sparkly jewelery and basic black of course.  Karen thought we looked like Holly Golightly's fat Grandmas while I opted for middle aged Hollys.  Anyway, my table mate Marian asked how Barbara and Mabel were?   That turned into a full on chicken conversation as the lovely gal next to me, Judy has four chickens.  What is it about these little feathered things?  I did note that either you are a chicken person, or you are only mildly interested for limited periods of time.  True chicken wranglers can talk chickens for hours.  Merry Christmas again my chicken loving friends.

December 20, 2012: Mabel the Christmas Chicken

Merry Christmas from Cal, Barbara, Mabel and me. 

May you be blessed with the the wonder of this season,and the Grace of

God be upon you.

God loves all living creatures, including our sweet chickens.

Happy New Year from the Chicken Wrangler. 

*Barbara refused to wear the Santa hat, but Mabel was delighted, especially to get into the house.