Happy Harvest Blog
Condiments
This is Ketchup and Mayo and their Mom. Every day they hop up on the edges on Silkietown for post-breakfast perching hour. In fact, they come and go all day. These are the year's first chicks, and they are now being taught to go in the coop with the big chickens at night. I fish them out of the Silkie coop and stuff them in the big coop, and they take it well, but in the morning, they fly home for breakfast and perching hang time with Mom.
Chicken family updates
I've got a few garlic scapes. All the chicken families are doing well: Perchick, etc, almost, but not quite, ready for bed. Apples and cohort, very active. The orphans. They're settling down. They like to sit on and run over those covered wagons like rolling hills. It's a raised vantage point. The hens inside are near due. At night they crawl under the loose canvas on the left, and I let them into that left kennel with the resigned hen.
It's take your pet chicken to the garden day
First I carried my companion chicken (Apples) to the first garden for a while, but not too long, on account of the bugs. She strode right off across the garden and found a shady spot to scratch in the path. I was expecting slightly more reaction since I've never carried her so far from home, but she's just relaxed about everything. Then I carried her back, we did some potting up, then finished the day at the second garden, where I was transplanting lettuces. It was perfect, giving her a little socialization, without stress.
Bloom
The quince is a blaze of hot pink. I have one little tiny magnolia bloom starting to open. Cute. I'm pleased that it survived the winter. It's covered with little green buds. Outside, the chickens are doing very well at large. Even the wretched roosters are acting less like weirdos, finally. The Colonel keeps them at bay from the hens, but they are part of the general flock now, and have even been observed food clucking (which the hens totally ignore). I got something good! I really do! Why doesn't anyone listen to me? Actually, there's been a surprising usurpation!
Sunny bird times
I have a guinea who's been taking an interest in the former skycoop, now grounded. I don't know if she's the mother who raised a brood in it, or if she was one of the brood. I was born here. However, she's been spending time in this little coop every day, very much making herself at home, like she's rocking on her front porch watching the world pass by. And sometimes she has company. The others hang around near her. Then there are the Silkies. They love a good pine tree.
Shoulder chicken
HW had a theory, when I called him later ("You're not going to believe this...). Just before he left in the morning, he'd asked me when I was going to put Apples back out in the world. He figures she heard that, and wanted to put a stop to that line of thinking.
From farm to spa
Two hens went for a long drive in a box (they made hardly a peep), and got a major lifestyle upgrade. I got a text late in the day reporting that the hens had loved every minute of a shampoo and
Boy did I learn my lesson.
Do NOT move the chicken coop during the day.ONLY move the chicken coop when the birds are in it. If they don't wake up in it, then they don't know where it is. Is magic! No coop!
A chicken worthy of a name?
We've got a true independent spirit emerging. Seven, as in, there's the chickens on the woodpile. Are they all there? 1,2,3,4...5...6, where's Seven?
Respectable chickens
These are robust birds. They’re plump, and heavy, and hot with feathery chicken warmth, and you can feel the strength in their muscles. They seem HUGE after handling the Silkies. Like housecats compared to gerbils. Not petite housecats, either.
Instagram.
I may not make a blog post every day, but at least I Insta.
Bite size.
