CWS4322
Chef Extraordinaire
It's been awhile since I've written about the girls and their rooster. We've been busy around here getting ready for winter. The other day, the gardens were rototilled. It was so funny to watch the chickens following the rototiller in single file. The rooster brought up the rear--crowing the entire time (not that he could be heard over the rototiller).
I brought some meat treats out--I learned something, chickens will jump straight up to grab a treat. I had two of the plymouth rocks doing synchronized jumps. It was so funny. They would jump about 6 inches off the ground.
Another day, I had to get the chickens into lock down before their usual hour (chickens are creatures of habit). Usually, it takes me about half an hour to herd all the chickens into the "chicken house." Recalling how enthusiastic they were about the meat treats, I brought some leftover roast beef out. I sort of enticed three of the "top hens" with the meat and then went into the chicken house. All 17 came running (if you've never seen a flock of chickens run, it is quite funny). So that I could close the doors, I tossed the cut up pieces of meat on the floor. One of the RIRs (I'd swear it was Myrtle), did the most amazing sliding move (as if she were stealing base in baseball) and snatched a piece of meat from one of the other RIRs beaks. In a blink of an eye, she was on her feet and racing to a corner of the barn under the tractor. I don't think the other chicken knew what hit her.
Another day, I went out the backdoor--Cocky Rocky was holding court. He was on the cement slab that is the back step, crowing his head off, surrounded by a circle of attentive hens.
The egg production is almost at full capacity--15/16 of the chickens are laying. Just waiting for Agatha, the younger Orpington, to start. The O's eggs are a very light beige, almost pink, so it is obvious which of the eggs was the one Prudence laid. Myrtle, on the other hand, is laying eggs so large they don't fit in a container--they are as big as the palm of my hand. Poor thing--that must not be easy. But, she has been laying XXXL eggs for about the last week. And, she's only 7 months old...don't know what's up with that. Unless she's getting more food than the others...
The chickens still make me laugh...I just wish I could get Cocky Rocky to stop trying to attack my back when I go to collect the eggs. I guess he's trying to protect his unborn offspring...
TTFN.
I brought some meat treats out--I learned something, chickens will jump straight up to grab a treat. I had two of the plymouth rocks doing synchronized jumps. It was so funny. They would jump about 6 inches off the ground.
Another day, I had to get the chickens into lock down before their usual hour (chickens are creatures of habit). Usually, it takes me about half an hour to herd all the chickens into the "chicken house." Recalling how enthusiastic they were about the meat treats, I brought some leftover roast beef out. I sort of enticed three of the "top hens" with the meat and then went into the chicken house. All 17 came running (if you've never seen a flock of chickens run, it is quite funny). So that I could close the doors, I tossed the cut up pieces of meat on the floor. One of the RIRs (I'd swear it was Myrtle), did the most amazing sliding move (as if she were stealing base in baseball) and snatched a piece of meat from one of the other RIRs beaks. In a blink of an eye, she was on her feet and racing to a corner of the barn under the tractor. I don't think the other chicken knew what hit her.
Another day, I went out the backdoor--Cocky Rocky was holding court. He was on the cement slab that is the back step, crowing his head off, surrounded by a circle of attentive hens.
The egg production is almost at full capacity--15/16 of the chickens are laying. Just waiting for Agatha, the younger Orpington, to start. The O's eggs are a very light beige, almost pink, so it is obvious which of the eggs was the one Prudence laid. Myrtle, on the other hand, is laying eggs so large they don't fit in a container--they are as big as the palm of my hand. Poor thing--that must not be easy. But, she has been laying XXXL eggs for about the last week. And, she's only 7 months old...don't know what's up with that. Unless she's getting more food than the others...
The chickens still make me laugh...I just wish I could get Cocky Rocky to stop trying to attack my back when I go to collect the eggs. I guess he's trying to protect his unborn offspring...
TTFN.
