Me? A Crazy Chicken Lady??? Oh Yeah!

 

Recently someone was asking me about "The Ladies" and made the comment that I seem to have a connection with these chickens.  That got me thinking.

I never - in a million years kind of never - would have ever expected to have a little flock of chickens.  Even if you had asked me at this time last year, it wouldn't have even been on my radar.  I didn't grown up with chickens, or farm animals of any kind.  I definitely always had pets.  At times bunches of them.  Our standard when I was growing up was three cats and a dog.  At any given time you could throw in a parakeet, two hamsters, a mouse, or a fish.  I think tadpoles and grasshoppers made an appearance too.  But never Chickens!  There was even the time that my Mom and I raised a litter of wild bunnies until they were old enough to release.  I remember dropper feeding them at all hours of the night.  But never Chickens!  I went through the typical young girl phase of wanting a horse.  But never Chickens!

So what was the appeal for me about The Ladies?  I've had friends with chickens and have always been amused watching them.  But I still never considered becoming a backyard crazy lady!  What was it about taking care of my friend's chickens this summer that changed everything?  I wish it was something really deep.  But the best I can come up with was that it was Fun!  And sometimes in the craziness of life - working and parenting - I realize I sometimes (often) don't stop to have fun.  This started out as a job.  I had to take care of my friend's chickens.  It was a mandatory break and time for a laugh.

When my friend first offered me their old little coop, of course I said "No thank you!"  After all what did I know about Chickens?   And would it be Practical?  Would it be Responsible?  What would people think if I just brought Chickens into the neighborhood?  But then the wheels started turning.  I am a masterful rationalizer when I want to be.  And the rest was history.  Well except for all the research.  When I decide to do something - I make sure I know what I'm doing!

So what is my connection to The Ladies?  I think it is gratitude.  Their imminent arrival gave me special time with my daughters as we readied their new home.  I will treasure those memories.  The days of The Ladies being itty bitty chicks also came with lots of time with my daughters - marveling at their antics and growth.  Somewhere in there I was reminded how funny I truly find these creatures.  Once we moved them outside, they blessed me with the discovery of the peace of an early morning, and a reason to take a quick break from other demands to check in on them and laugh.  And honestly I love learning.  There has been much to learn - baby chick care, predator proofing, frostbite care.  The list could go on and on.  But that's just the requirements.  There's also learning about different breeds, genetics of coloring and many other things which I don't really need to know but find fascinating.

I still wonder what it is that is different about My Ladies from our dog or cat.  I love them too.  But they don't make me laugh in the same way.  So I guess maybe it all comes down to laughter.

How can you help but laugh at that face?

 

Windchill, Frostbite, and Eggs! Oh My!

What an interesting few weeks it has been at the coop! 

The weather has been crazy with huge temperature changes.  In one 24 hour period we went from 52 to 5 degrees with a wind chill that made it feel like -20.  I have been on a crash course in chicken keeping in severe weather.  I have also discovered the need to be more aware of the weather.  Previously I just worried about what it was like when I had to go to the car or the kids needed to go to the bus stop.  Now I'm paying more attention to lows and highs and wind speeds and wind directions.  Add meteorology to the list of skills Chicken Keeping taps into!

So after learning that while the Ladies can manage the cold temperatures the sudden radical changes are not good, we instituted the Great Chicken Round Up!  We set up the big dog crate in the garage and brought them all in.  The garage stays pretty cold - stable at around 20 degrees but that was good so that they wouldn't get used to being too warm.  We brought them in right at roost time so it was just a matter of plucking them off the roost.  They were not amused!  With the exception of Lacy who just hopped up on a perch in the crate and went back to sleep, the other Ladies made a ruckus.  Bella was most vocal about her displeasure and alarm.  But let's face it.  Bella is always most vocal about her displeasure and alarm!  They spent a few days in the garage and it got us through the cold spell.  I should also say - I sure wasn't minding only having to go into the garage instead out to frigid temps to take care of them!

Even with all that, Luna got a touch of frostbite on her comb.  The very tips of her comb first turned yellowish and then grey.  Now the tips are whitish.  It doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest.  We've been coating her comb with Bag Balm and that seems to have prevented it from getting worse.  Now the Bag Balm.... that she minds!  Who knew a chicken could actually wipe things off their combs with their feet!  Now all the feathers on the top of her head are all greasy.  All she needs now is a little leather jacket and she can join a 50's sock hop!  I'm hoping the points of her comb don't fall off.

White tips and greasy head!

This weekend it warmed up to normal winter temps and the Ladies were beyond happy to be out in their coop and run.  They really don't seem to mind the weather at all.  Rain, snow, cold, wind - they are good.  Soon after moving them back out, I noticed Miss Luna squatting whenever I'd come near.  Apparently that is a sign that a first egg is imminent.  And yesterday our long wait and months of good chicken tending was rewarded.  Seems silly to be as excited as we all were, but since Luna is one of the ones we have raised from chickhood it does seem more exciting than when we brought Lacy home and started getting eggs immediately.

Luna at 1 week

I had been told to put a fake egg in the nest box so Luna would know where to lay.  I didn't have quick access to ceramic eggs so I raided our Easter supplies and found as neutral a plastic egg as I could find - bright yellow.  I filled it with sand and plunked it in the nest box.  I think chickens are smarter than people give them credit for.  Luna was not fooled.  She examined it and pecked it and rolled it around.  But when the time came she dug herself a little nest inside the coop (not in the nest boxes) and laid her big beautiful egg.  I found it first thing when I went to clean the coop.  Luna came running in.  I'm not sure whether she was coming to show me her egg or to warn me away from it.  Too slow Luna!!  I had already scooped it up so she spent a little time looking for it before getting on with her day. 

Today her egg was in the nest box snuggled right up against the bright yellow Easter egg!  Way to go Luna!  Now Jiji, Ebony, and Bella!   Get going.  No more freeloaders around here! Or off to Chicken Jail you go!

 

New Years at the Coop

Happy New Year!

I love this time of year.  I like reflecting back on the previous year.  What was good?  What was bad?  What did we learn?  What did we have fun doing?  What should we not do again?  Thankfully there hasn't been too much in the "bad" and "do not repeat" columns.

In the "good" and "fun" column was a wonderful trip to Florida for the family.  Emma and Meghan really had a great time and learned a ton seeing a different part of the country.  Some job changes for Scott and I fit into the "good" and "learned a lot" column.  (I purposely didn't make a "Stressful" column!)

But when I think back on 2013 I think one of the things that covers it all is the addition of the Ladies.  It was definitely "Good."  They are fun and entertaining and it brought the four of us together on a common project!  Parts were "Bad" or more "Sad" like Rosey  dying and when we had to bring Hedwig back to the breeder.  But the "Learned a lot" category gets filled right up with The Ladies.  How to modify a coop, how to build a run, how to pick chicken breeds, that there even are different breeds of chickens, how to keep baby chicks alive, how to transition a new chicken into a flock, and how to prepare for winter.  Is there anything we wouldn't do again?  Not that I can think of.  I definitely will get chicks again someday when the Ladies are old and gray (do chickens turn gray?).  And I loved learning the coop/run construction part of the process so would do that again too when it's time for reconstruction or tweaking of the existing design.

The other thing I like about New Years is the thinking ahead.  I'm really not a New Years Resolution girl, but I do like to think of what's on the horizon for us.  2014 is shaping up to be a busy year.  Meg will finish elementary school and start middle school and Emma will officially become a teenager in 2014.  The Girls and the Ladies will participate in their first 4H show.  Since Emma and Meghan so much enjoyed seeing Florida, this year we will venture to another location - Washington DC.  And without a doubt JiJi, Luna, Ebony, and Bella will start giving me some eggs!

A big Happy New Year from the Ladies



Prepared for Winter

Chicken keeping in the winter does require more planning.  How do you keep the water from freezing?  Do you heat the coop?  Do you provide artificial light to keep the hens laying?  How do you make sure that the coop has enough ventilation but no drafts?  What will you do to provide shelter from the wind and snow?

The water was the easy part.  We got a heated water bowl.  That works fairly well but the Ladies get tons of dirt into it and I need to refill at least once a day.  We'll be tweaking that for next winter.

 Do we heat the coop?   Big "No" for us.  I figure people have been raising chickens in New England long before electricity.  And I was careful to get cold hearty breeds.  They do have big down coats of their own anyway.   And for that matter, when was the last time you saw people providing the wild birds with a heater?  At least mine have a cozy coop.  And another big "No" for me on providing artificial light to keep them laying through the darker part of the year.  Again chickens did ok before electricity.  And who am I to argue with Mother Nature?  If she says the chickens need to slow down during the winter, then ok!  I'm not dependent on the eggs anyway.

Luna is no "chicken" when it comes to snow!

I admit the ventilation vs no drafts has been a bit confusing to me.  I asked someone on one of the web sites and got a lecture on Thermo Dynamics.  Still have no idea.  But I guess I just watch the Ladies and see how they fare.  It they make it through the winter with no frostbite on their combs I guess I'm doing ok.

The issue of providing shelter from wind, rain, and snow was more up my alley.  It took me a few attempts to get the plastic to not just tear off at the first big wind but we did it.  Unfortunately, I finally figured it out on the coldest day!  Ladies happy, Farmer Jenn not so much!  Then we got our first snow and my domed run top caved in.  Back to the drawing board.  It's fixed now - thanks to some 1/4 inch pvc.  And it only involved one wipe out by Farmer Jenn in the chicken run!

Here's to making it through our first winter with the Ladies!

 

Cold Mornings

Ok, I'll be honest.  The one thing I have been dreading about having the Ladies is chicken chores in the winter.  It's one thing getting up and heading out to bring them water and food and let them out of the coop on a beautiful fall morning.  It's quite another thing when it's snowy and cold. 

It turns out it's not so bad.  It continues to be amazing to me how peaceful it is in the early morning.  It's quiet.  I never particularly notice the traffic noises from the main street just a house away.  But I definitely notice it's absence.  And it's still.  Even on the days that turn out to be blustery, the early morning is usually calm.  If I manage to get out there early enough I even get to see the sky brightening as the sun comes up over the mountain.  And just maybe I get treated to a pretty pink sky. 

I am truly not a morning person.  Maybe I should say, I never used to be a morning person.  Ever since those little chicks arrived and I would get up early to make sure they had all survived the night, I've been a bit of a convert.  I think maybe I just needed a chance to experience the natural peace of an early morning.  And a reason to realize that even in the cold - it's nice.

The Ladies clearly know the simply joy of a morning.  Granted they are probably just happy to be let out of the coop.  But joy is joy.  I open the coop and out they run.  Clucking and cooing.  Some go straight to whatever warm food I've brought them but one or two usually run right over to the side of the run to greet me.  And they don't shake two tail feathers at the cold or snow.  Sure the first snow startled them a bit.  They paraded up and down making alarmed noises and tasting the snow.  Now they're experienced big chickens and don't even notice the snow.

I'm still a little smarter than they are so I DO still notice the snow.  But so far it's ok.  Interestingly, I had also been dreading having to go out and shut them up for the night in the winter.  Mainly because I'm sort of in hibernation mode.  I like to be in my PJs earlier in the winter.  Well - the time change took care of that for me.  And apparently the Ladies like to be tucked in earlier too.  It all works out.

Playing Favorites

The Ladies have changed so much.  They look like "real chickens" now.  No more little fuzzy chicks.  The younger four are 14 weeks old.  And Lacy is 7 1/2 months.  Not only do they look different but their personalities are now pretty defined.  Are you as surprised as I am to hear they have personalities?  A chicken is a chicken right?  Wrong!

From the moment I took the chicks out of the mailing box, Luna was dominant chick.  We thought she was a wild woman.  And was she bossy!   As they got bigger she soon became the tamest.  Always jumping up on my hand to get an "elevator" ride out of the brooder.  Maybe it's just that she's the smartest.... or laziest.  Once The Ladies moved out to the coop, Luna was clearly Head Chick.  Always the first to try new things, always getting the prime roosting spot, and first one out of the run for free-range play time.  Luna is my favorite.  Shhhh!   Don't tell the others.  I know I'm not supposed to play favorites.  But she's always the first to great me.  She likes to pop into the coop to inspect my housekeeping work in the morning.  And she is constantly photo bombing the others.  She just makes me laugh.

Luna saying Good Morning while I scoop the coop

 

Luna photo-bombing Hedwig's Good-bye photo

 

 

When they were little chicks, I thought JiJi was going to be Second in Command.  Boy was I wrong!  Maybe I was assuming size equals position and Jiji was definitely the fastest growing of the Babies.   It turns out that JiJi is the meekest and mellowest of the Ladies.  I suspect she has a strong nurturing side as she was the one to take Bella and Hedwig "under her wing" when we introduced them.  And she was just a few days older than they were so she didn't have big wings at the time.  But she always snuggled up with the other two and they seemed to need that.  I remember watching her trying to sleep next to a very restless Hedwig. JiJi finally stretched her neck over Hedwig and Hedwig fell fast asleep.  JiJi is the hardest to catch and doesn't particularly like to be held (except when I rescued her from quarantine with Lacy.  Then she was happy to cuddle).  She has a voice but doesn't use it a lot.  When she does, it is quiet and sweet.  You get the impression that in a group of woman - she'd be the one everyone counts on to be kind.   A little JiJi quirk - she is always the last one off the perch in the morning.   Sleepyhead!  Hmm.  So maybe JiJi is my favorite.

JiJi adheres to the premise of "safety in numbers"

And then there is Ebony.  She is a spunky little thing.  She's by far the smallest of the Ladies.  But she is Luna's right wing - even now that Luna has been demoted.  Ebony is second to do everything.  She would have made a good rooster.  She is The Guardian!  She's always checking out every new sound.  It's pretty common to see all the other Ladies scratching around in the dirt and Ebony standing at attention.  She kind of reminds me of a Meerkat on guard duty.  She's also the bravest about people.  She is the easiest to catch and seems quite happy to be held.  And she was no "chicken" when it came to welcoming Lacy to the flock.  When Lacy was busy putting all the others in their places, Ebony quietly stood her ground.  She's the only Lady whose voice hasn't dropped.  While the others have deep "bwok"s, Ebony still says something closer to "Bweep".  I think she is by far the friendliest.  Whenever I go visit the Ladies, Ebony is right at the run door to greet me and see if it is time for free-range time.  Oh and she has also picked up some photo bombing skills form Luna.  She and Luna play comedian to JiJi's straight man routine.  Ok so she might be my favorite. 

 

Ebony The Guardian when still just a chick

 

 

Bella is a Big Chicken.  And I mean that in two ways.  She is large and a scaredy cat.  She's the first to run for the coop at the slightest cause.   I suspect she is the one that usually starts the rest of the flock running.  She's always the last to try new foods.  After all, she needs to wait for a little while to make sure Ebony doesn't keel over after being the official taste tester.  She is one of the first out of the coop to see me in the morning - but she maintains a safe distance.  She has a funny running dance move.  We have named it the Bella Dance.  Stick your neck out long and low, snake it side to side and run while wiggling your fuzzy butt.  That's the Bella Dance.  Someday maybe I'll get it on video but first I have to figure out what causes it.   The funniest thing about Bella is she NEVER stops talking.   NEVER.  Thank goodness she is quiet.  But she has this funny deep growly voice.  Bella has been the hardest to get to know but now that I do - she could be my favorite.

 

Bella maintaining a safe distance from the camera

 

 Definitely the fuzziest butt

Last but definitely not least is Lacy.  I think of her as The Boss Lady.  While she was in quarantine she was a love.  Always cooing at me.  Not that she's mean with the other Ladies but she is definitely in charge.  She successfully dethroned Luna but now that her position is clear she's settled into the role pretty calmly.  But don't mess with her before she lays her egg of the day.  She gets crabby!  I suspect she's a bit of a diva.  She loves a good dust bath and day in the garden.  As Boss Lady, Lacy gets to eat first, decide where the others fit on the perch, and dictate who stands where.  When she wants to.  And if she doesn't feel like dictating at that moment, then they are free to do their own thing.  Yup sounds more and more like a diva.  Even so, the rest of the Ladies all seem to respect her.  I guess even chickens need to have a leader.  And I for one kind of like the diva part of her.   I've had the least time with Lacy but she coos at me and gives me eggs!  Definitely in the running for favorite.

Lacy's Garden Spa Day

 

 

 

The Peaceable Kingdom

This morning I was out doing Chicken Chores.  Although it was quite chilly I was taking a minute to watch the Ladies, and I was struck by the fact that we have successfully transitioned Lacy into the flock.  All is peaceful!

It's been just a little over a week since bringing Lacy out of quarantine and pretty much just plunking her into the run with the other Ladies.  I didn't follow any of the many recommendations that I got about the best way to introduce a new flock member.  I started to but then ended up going with my gut.  I think I got lucky!  My theory was always that even though Lacy was older and bigger she would be out numbered by the other 4.  That kind of worked.  It certainly wasn't without some pecking and feather plucking and squawking but they worked it out quickly enough.  And today I have a peaceful little flock!

To back up...  Lacy did really well in quarantine.  We had her in a large dog crate in the garage with a little box to nest in, a tarp to provide some privacy during nesting, and a perch.  She made herself quite at home.  They say that since transitions are generally stressful for chickens, it often causes a disruption in egg laying.  Not for Lacy!   She is a very regular layer.  In fact, she lays more eggs per week (6) than the predicted average for her breed (4-5). 

I have to say part of me enjoyed the quarantine piece a bit.  Don't get me wrong - I felt bad that she was stuck in there during some beautiful fall weather.  But quarantine allowed us to get to know Lacy.  I had been a little worried that by getting a 6 month old pullet (a girl chicken less than 1 year old), that she might be afraid of us.  Not Lacy!   She seemed to love the one on one attention.  She talked to us whenever we came out to the garage.  I didn't even know chickens could make those noises.  She really didn't cluck.  It was more cooing and booping.  And sometimes if she was feeling lonely she'd make quite the ruckus.  I know it was because she was wanting attention because as soon as one of us would go out and say "Hi" she'd quiet down.  We also tried to keep her happy by sometimes taking her to the garden at the other end of the house for garden and dust bath time.

Some of the things we discovered about Lacy?  She likes people.  She's very gentle.  She occasionally would peck at one of us but very softly - not like the other Ladies who haven't quite mastered gentle pecks!  Often when I would clean out the crate she would sit on her perch and gently pick at my hair.  Grooming me???  I usually do morning chores before my shower so I probably did need some grooming!  She's also messy!!!   Admittedly she was eating out of a chick feeder while in quarantine but she was constantly throwing food all over the place. It's ok though since she makes up for it by being a great layer!

My favorite thing about Lacy is her range of sounds.  Until we moved her outside with the other Ladies, I thought she had the sweetest voice.  Apparently that is a voice she reserves for her people!

When it was time to bring Lacy out of quarantine we followed one of the recommendations and brought one of the other Ladies in to live with Lacy for a bit.  The idea being that they would bond and then it would be easier to introduce Lacy to the others.  So in came JiJi.  Bad choice.  JiJi is too mellow and passive and was just terrified.  Lacy growled and pecked and refused to let JiJi eat or drink.  I think this method is generally sound but I picked the wrong Lady to bring in.  I think the dog crate is also too small for this method.  And I might just not have the heart for it! 

I made it through about 18 hours of JiJi toughing it out and then I couldn't stand it anymore.  So JiJi went back out to the coop and run with her flock.  And right behind her came Lacy.  We just plunked her in there.  Head Lady Luna came right over to defend her flock which worked for about 20 minutes.  But Luna is about 1/2 the size of Lacy.  Size and age usually gives a chicken a rightful claim to the top position in the pecking order.  So Lacy set about making it very clear to Luna that she was Top Bird.  Unlike in the dog crate, this worked in the run and coop.  The 4 younger Ladies had room to run for cover and Lacy couldn't chase all 4 at the same time.  Lacy took over bossing the others around.  She decided when they could come in the coop, when they could come out of the coop, when they could eat, and generally sent the message that when she wants to lay an egg - she wants QUIET.  But by that evening they were all snuggled up on the perch together for bedtime.

And it just improved from there.  Once Lacy set down the law, she backed off a bit.  Every once in a while she pecked or pulled a feather or gave the stink eye just to let them know she was still Boss Lady.  Now a week later, the Little Ladies no longer run from her.  They eat when they want to and go where they want to.  But they definitely respect the Boss Lady.  All in all I think Lacy has a pretty good management style.  Start off tough and be clear about the rules and then have some flexibility.  The chickens get it.   When there is structure, rules, and respect there is peace in the coop.