Doris

Go ahead and call me silly for posting about a chicken. I don't care. I don't like you anyway.

Yesterday morning was like any other. I let the dogs out to potty and I spent a few minutes petting the hens and asking them about their day. You heard me.

About 20 minutes later I was upstairs when I heard crows outside freaking out. Because this is so out of the norm, I looked out the window, searching for the chickens. When I couldn't see them scavenging  bugs throughout the yard, I knew something was wrong. So I went outside.

There I found my poor Doris killed by a hawk. The raptor looked at me and then flew up into the tree full of screaming crows.

My immediate reaction was horror. I can honestly say I have never seen something so horrible. My sweet pet chicken being devoured! It was not a pretty site. I quickly called my Mom who I knew would sympathize with me. I used her to calm me down and figure out what steps to take next.

At some point I took a breath and realized that Doris was gone. There was nothing to do. And, in order to make sure she didn't die in vain, I allowed the hawk to return and finish his meal. (After returning Dotty and Daisy to the coop.)

Here is where the dilemma occurred.

My Rhode Island Red lay in the yard, bloodied and plucked. But here was this AMAZINGLY beautiful and awesome bird that was doing what it did best; prey.

It was hard to watch, like REALLY hard, but I couldn't help but marvel in the power of this tiny raptor that took out my giant chicken. And trust me, she was BIG.

Sam learned a few important lessons about life and cried a few tears for his favorite bird.

I loved that girl. She was the sweetest of the 3 and was always the first one to knock on the door in the morning begging for food. She had beautiful shiny feathers and loved sprawling out in the sunshine. I'll miss her. But here's the thing. She lived 3 very good years. Digging for worms, chasing dragon flies and scratching at moss. I can honestly say she had a great life.

The other two, for obvious reasons, are hesitant to return to the yard so I will keep them cooped up for the rest of the week, mostly to make sure that the hawk doesn't return.

Today we picked up 2 new babies to add to the flock. Their sweet fluffy selves are sure to help mend this frazzled family.

We'll miss sweet Doris!

Doris at 6 days old. 

First day in the backyard.

 She was very curious about the camera. 

 Sam relaxing with "Big D"

 Pretty girl. 

 Me and my favorite chicken enjoying the sun. 

Sam

 What happened? All of the sudden we turned around and Sam was a KID!

A dirty, stinky, hilarious kid.

He is talking so much more now and has a lot to say about animals, super heroes and all of his friends. Sam starts pre-school in 2 weeks and is very excited to meet his teacher and peers.

He loves to pretend. One day he'll be a dog, another day he'll be The Hulk. One morning he was pretending to be giraffe and a more quiet day has never been had :)

Sammy is so particular about everything. If you ask him what he wants for dinner, it will be different every night. "Popcorn Shrimp. Green Pasta. Soup. Cheeseburger with no pickles, please!"

Last week I took him to Toys R Us where he was promised a toy for filling out his chore chart. He had his heart set on a deer stuffed animal that he had seen at the children's museum. Toys R Us didn't have one so I told him he could pick out anything else.

"No Mommy, I want a deer."

We tried 3 other stores to no avail. We were forced to order one online and he had to patiently wait 7 days for his deer to come. He asked about it every morning and when the package finally arrived he was thrilled. Sam named his new toy "Forest." What kind of kid is given an entire toy store to chose from and chooses to wait a week for a stuffed animal? This kid.

Sammy is one of a kind! He is so sweet, loves to cuddle, is very clean and organized and really does love to be out and about learning new things. We are so proud of him. I can't wait for him to start school and come home with new knowledge. I think he'll be an ideal student.

I managed to get my camera out today and take the above pics of Sam. I have been meaning to do this for a while, but life is busy and cameras are heavy after multiple photo sessions each week. So glad I captured these though!

Oh, and Doris is always very interested in my camera. I don't know if it's the "click" or the reflection but she would not leave me alone today while I snapped away at Sam. She's a photo bomber!

A Christmas Miracle

Dotty laid her first egg on Christmas.

Let Heav'n and Angels sing, we don't have to eat her.

The Girls

I'm sure you think I am a little "different" for posting about my chickens, but the truth is, I love them.

Like, a lot.

I know it's weird because Matt tells me.

Me- "I love my chickens."
Matty- "That's really weird, Babe."

See? It's true. Both the fact that I love my hens and that I'm odd for doing so.

Despite these facts, I am posting about "The Girls." They are each very cool with extremely different personalities.

Doris. My chubby chicken. She eats A LOT. Pretty much anything that falls in front of her. She is a great layer and extremely docile. It may just be that she weighs too much to run away...

Matt and I gawk a lot at her pretty chest plumage. Isn't it pretty?

Daisy Anne (Yes, my chickens have middle names. It's important to have full names when I yell at them for digging up my onions.)

She greets me every morning with a posture that I pretend is a "Good morning! Please pet me!" stance, when in reality its a "Please mate with me, I want babies" stance. 

She LOVES to bathe in the dirt. Its easy to tell when she has done so because her white feathers make a nice canvas for all the mud. When she shakes it all out, we laugh and call her "Pig Pen". 

Daisy lays a lovely white egg every morning at 9:30. She is very reliable :)

Daisy has pretty bangs, don't you agree? :)

And then we have Dotty. She's a pretty one all right, but has been a pain in the tail feathers from day one. She's always the first into the garden to eat my strawberries, she plucks the dog's hair when they are going potty and she chases the cat out of the yard. She's grouchy, aggressive and NOT LAYING EGGS. What good is a chicken, especially when they are mean, if they are not providing you with a fresh egg every morning? Well, I'll tell you, not much.

We have tried a few different things to get her to lay, but nothing has worked. I swore that if she didn't start laying by the spring, I would eat her. And honestly, I think I could do it.
(This is the face she made when I told her that.)

But alas! Yesterday while cleaning the coop, Dotty assumed the mating position (a sign that her hormones are heading in the right direction) and I was able to rub her back a bit to simulate mating. It's not as disturbing as it sounds.

Today she requested a "back rub" twice and started making lots of noises that I have never heard her make before, noises that I assume could only mean 1 thing. She's got an egg on the way.

Look at how happy she is.
I may be wrong, but I think she is on her way to becoming a real chicken!

Well, if you didn't think I was crazy before, you probably do now.

But, aren't my chickens fun!? They are good entertainment if anything. I could probably convince you of their awesomeness with a fresh from the coop omelet :)

Dotty. A dud?

Mrs. Dot is about 35 weeks old now and she has yet to lay an egg or show any signs of nesting.

She has MAJOR attitude issues and chases the dogs and cat out of the yard. She picks on her sisters and doesn't like to be touched. I have threatened her with words like "dinner" and "crock-pot" but nothing has improved.

I know there are a few people that read this blog (Linda Brown, Colton Finch) that know a little sumpin' about chickens, so let me know if you have any ideas as to what we can do to get her into laying.

Doris and Daisy and just perfect. They lay every morning at 9am and are really great at keeping bugs and slugs out of our yard. They are really friendly birds and I will go as far as to say that I LOVE my girls :)

Can't you tell that they love me too!?

Daisy lays an egg

Yesterday our friend Colton, who is in town visiting (blog post to come on all of our adventures), noticed that Daisy was acting strange. He explained that her behavior could only mean one thing.

She was ready to pop out an egg.

While the other two girls pecked around the yard Daisy dug away in the coop creating a comfortable nest to lay in. She scratched and panted and struggled to get comfortable. As confused as she must have been, her instincts took over and she carved out a little place for her egg. 

A couple of hours later, Matt found her back in the yard and a little white egg in the newly built nest.

Congratulations Momma Daisy! We are going to celebrate by eating your accomplishment. But don't you worry. There are plenty more where that painfully came from!

 

Soon enough, Dotty and Doris will experience their chicken fate as well. I can't help but feel a little sorry for my girls since their "pullet-hood" is soon to be, well, scrambled.

We like chicks

We are watching some baby chickens for our friends this week and we are loving it. Sam asks to go out and see "baby nin-icks" at least 5 times a day.

The have 6 different breeds and the funniest one is the Naked Neck. No, this chick is not sick or diseased. Its really supposed to be bald like that. The funniest thing is that when we open the garage door in the morning this silly face is the first thing we see poking out of the tub. She's so hilarious.

They will be going home tomorrow and we will surely miss having babies around! Our girls grew up way to fast, and although we are still loving them, I wish they stayed this cute and cuddly forever.



What I know (so far) about chickens.

I am no chicken guru, and I am learning a lot as I go, but I have recently had a lot of questions in regards to "backyard chickens." I figured it would be easiest to answer them all in one big post.

Here ya go!


Are they loud?

Not really. So far (our girls are only 15 weeks old) they have been really quiet. Chickens, unlike roosters, try to stay unannounced to predators so they only make small noises when they are "talking" to each other. Throughout the day they make little "bock" sounds, but you cant even hear it from a few feet away. I have been told though, that they make a loud squawk when they lay, which is only once a day.

How many eggs do you get?

Each chicken will likely lay 1 small egg every day in the first year. Each year the egg will get larger, but less constant. At about age 5 they start to lay about 2-5 a week.

Are they allowed in your neighborhood?

Check out your county regulation. In Snohoish, where we live, hens are allowed 2 to a home. However, your chicken flock should be at least 3 hens so that if something happens to one of the ladies, the other two have each other to keep company.

How expensive are they?

Chickens themselves are VERY cheap. Our hens cost about $2 each. The food and bedding is also very in-expensive, but the coop can cost a pretty penny. When we were looking we found coops anywhere from $200-$700.

What kinds of breeds do you recommend?

I am VERY new at backyard chickens, but I did a little research when I was investigating the idea of having hens. First decide what you want from your chickens. Companionship, hardiness, good egg laying or even just for looks are all reasons to house hens. We got three different breeds; Rhode Island Red, Barred Plymouth Rock and a White Leghorn. They all have very different personalities.

How do you build a coop or where can I find one?

There are a lot of coops and builders on Criagslist or you could check out your local grange for ideas as well. We didn't find one that worked for our family so we found out what the requirements are for a safe coop and designed our own. Coops should be completely closed off to predators, their nesting area should be up off the ground to keep it free from moisture and insects and it needs to be large enough for your entire flock. 

How hard are they to care for?

So far, they are very easy. We clean out their coop once a week and make sure they have food and water daily. If you are a traveler, chickens are perfect for you. If you get a large feeder, chickens can be left alone for days at a time. When they start laying, their eggs will need to be collected as often as possible to keep them from brooding. We spoil our chickens by letting them have free range of the yard during the day, and we make sure they are locked up and safe every night. 

Do they fly?

Kinda...not really...but kinda. Our Leghorn has made it to the top of our fence, and could easily get away if she was brave enough. Ooccasionally when something startles them the girls will "fly" from one side of the yard to the other. If you notice that they are gaining height, clip one of their wings which is an easy and pain free task to keep them more grounded.

Do they ruin your yard or garden?

Our grass seems to be immune to the daily peckings. They do eat it, but it doesn't seem to be a problem.  However, my girls are extremely fond of Hostas, Bush Bean Leaves and Blueberries. So I have to net off the plants that they bother to keep them from destroying my plant babies. BUT, did you know that chicken manure is the best fertilizer for yards and gardens? Well, it is. So they are actually doing a lot of good there.

Are you going to eat them?

Probably not. Dotty and Doris are both considered "meat" birds but we are pretty attached to our fouls. There are people who butcher and dinner-ize their birds after they stop laying eggs daily. I understand this, but I'm not sure I have the stomach for it. But, if an emergency arises, I could do it. I would just leave the "murder" task to Matty. :)

When do they start producing eggs?

Most chicken breeds start laying eggs at about 20-25 weeks of age. They grown FAST. We are very excited for our fresh eggs to start appearing!


I hope that helps! If there are any questions I left unanswered, there are tons of great websites out there for people hoping to add chickens to their yard. There is even a "Chicken Keeping for Dummies" book!

Update #2 - The "Chick Inn"

Matt and I searched for weeks trying to find a chicken coop that we liked. We wanted something that didn't take up a lot of room, was small enough for 3 chickens and cheap enough to keep our bank accounts at a positive.

We didn't find anything we liked or could afford. So we put together a design of our own.

We sawed, measured and hammered for about a week straight. It was a lot of work but so worth it. The finished product turned out better than I could have ever imagined.

Matthew is the man. He painted it and framed it the same color as our own house. I am so impressed with the "Chick Inn!"

We installed a locking "egg" door so that they wont have to be bothered when we collect eggs in the morning.

This is my artistic addition to the house. :) I also made a pretty fancy ladder.

Our lucky chickens even have porch lights. We are hoping that these, along with the solar powered motion light, deter raccoons and other predators from bothering the girls.

They have a lovely view of the garden. The whole front of the coop opens up for easy cleaning and the bottom door is opened for them every morning to have access to the backyard.

Hanging food buckets. These are imperative to keeping bugs and dirt out of the food and water. These were a good investment.

Oh yeah, and the girls LOVE their house. They can dig for bugs in the gravel, sleep in a warm room and gaze our their window.
Every morning they greet me at their front door, and every night they snuggle up together in their roost just as the sun goes down.

Outside

We went outside today to watch a storm come in.
We sat with the dogs.
One of them is ashamed after a minor scolding.
"Don't eat poop!" is what I had to yell.
Sam looks handsome in his new digs.

Sam makes this face after I ask him to show me a smile.
I show the image to him and he laughs.
I laugh too.
What a goofy kid.

I take pictures of Dotty to document her comb growth.
Our friend Colton thinks her gender should be questioned.
I hope that our pretty pullet is not a roo.
My dad says if she is a he, we should plump him up and name him "Dinner."
That will not happen.

We watch the clouds roll in and feed the chickens corn.
They devour most of the can.

Sam eats the leftovers and states, "My corn, nan-icks."
He can't say "chicken" yet.

We all head inside when the rain drops start to fall.

Living with teenage chicks

Quite literally.

The girls have most definitely hit the awkward stage of life. They are decorated in half baby down and half adult feathers. It's kind of embarrassing.

If they were human girls they would have greasy hair and zitty skin.
And braces.
And wear small training bras.
And be unable to control the sweat in one armpit.
And have a nerdy boyfriend even skinnier and more awkward than they are.

I might be speaking from experience....

But, I am a biased mother and nothing could deter me from thinking my chickens are pretty darned adorable.

To prove to you their worth, here are 94 pictures of "The Girls".  (I'm only kind of exaggerating.)

Eating corn.

They love to look for bugs along the house, eat corn and grass and sleep in the garden.

Feets.

Daisy posing, and Daisy stating "no more pictures please."

A little rest.

Daisy has really started to be a sweet girl. I love this shot of her.

Their combs (the ridge on the top of the beak) are starting to come in. Dotty has the most perfect little comb.

Doris. She is a pig when it comes to eating and her size proves it. She's my chubby chicken.

I think she was curious about seeing the shutter in my lens. She was very interested in my camera.


I know. I'm kind of obsessed. I completely recognize it and accept it without any desire to change it.

On another note, we are so close to being finished with their coop, which will be aptly named the "Chick-Inn", so pictures are soon to come!