The Chicken Chronicles 5.28.21

In May we observed the one-year anniversary of the day we got our chickens.  We kept thinking we'd take a commemorative picture but never did - here's one of me with my favorite of the chickens (don't tell the others) instead.

I also participated in an outdoor activity from our Relief Society, a Tour of Yards.  About 30 women walked to a few pre-determined yards to see gardens and such, and in our case, to see the chickens and the coop.  I love that the email advertisement said that if you attend you can "learn a thing or two about the world's most love chickens!"

The other news from the big chickens this month is that Dixie is officially at the top of the pecking order.  There is evidence of her pecking on all the other chickens - Bandit included.  Ben has threatened to file down her beak.  Or eat her.  The fact that she's approximately 90% feathers and would therefore make for a meager dinner is probably keeping her alive right now.

But most of our attention was on our new brood.  The chicks grow and change so quickly!

Henrietta, Waffles, Bo, and Blue

The chicks starting getting on the edge of their bin less than 2 weeks after we got them, but it took a little longer for them to start wandering around the garage.

Waffles, Henrietta, and Bo in front with Blue in the back.

I tried to keep them in their bin by putting some scrap screen on top and keeping it down with boards on both sides.  It worked for a little while, until this happened...

I'm pretty sure Henrietta said to everyone else something along the lines of, "With our powers combined--"

When it was warm enough, the chicks were able to explore the yard.  For the first while we limited this to time when they could be supervised by an adult, for fear of the older chickens beating up on the chicks.  Once while the kids were at school, I thought I was being smart and brought them to the front yard with me while I was weeding (away from the big chickens).  When I was finished, you should have seen me hobbling around with a bum knee, trying to catch those little chicks as they ran in and out of the bushes.  I didn't make that mistake again.

Bo, Henrietta, Blue and Waffles

See how much bigger the big chickens still were than the chicks?

"Bandit, this is Blue."