Week 2 with the laying hens - still a novelty!

Day 7And they put themselves to bed perfectly too.The naked chicken is healing.Day 8We built a fence, so the chickens’ days of lounging in the garden are over.The fence won’t keep much more than the chickens out at this point, but we haven’t had any deer around yet, and the chickens are threat number 1.When we had three sides done, hens were finding their way around to the unfinished side to get in, so there was more hat-throwing.

H.W. also helpfully provided proof that the chickens can fly over the fence, when they are sufficiently motivated.

They are ranging further, nearer to camp Silkie every day.  I hope I’m there to see first contact.  What will the Silkie rooster make of the big hens when they sail out of the grass at him?  Gorgeous Amazon hens! or Mutant monsters!The hens are all well-attached to the rooster now.  Occasionally there’s an independent or a pair palling around at a distance, but usually all the hens are in the same vicinity.They are endlessly entertaining, popping out of the grass, sneaking, running, exploring.  They love it under our box truck and hang out under there every day, whether rainy or sunny.  I keep expecting to have to get eggs from under there, but they lay in the coop now without variance.All 10 stowed themselves at night again. Ahhh, the time of adjustment is over, and there’s no need to worry about them any more.Day 9H.W. has a swarm of chickens near him most of the time when he’s working.  Chainsaw, splitting firewood, dragging things around - they drift along behind him as he works.  I don’t know if they’re hoping for something more than the company.  The chickens all pal around together most of the day, now.  It’s a lot harder to count 9 hens at a glance.Almost always, there’s seven around the rooster, and then two just a little behind, or off to the side a bit.  It’s lovely to see them all drifting around together, squabbling or worm-running or digging.  Hens look like sailboats cruising around, especially when they’re eating.  They’re rarely not funny, whatever they’re doing.I can recognize the low bird now.  She’s missing a lot of feathers on her head behind her comb from being pecked.  I saw another hen pluck a short feather out of her head at feeding time, and then she ran under the truck.  I see this hen sometimes drifting off on her own.  I’m surprised at the pecking; there is no shortage of space or entertainment out here.   It’s not realistic at all to quarantine one bird, but I want to help her out.Day 10H.W. cut down the remaining snag created by the hurricane.  It was a tough fall and I was working the come-along trying to pull it over where we wanted it to go.  Lots of yelling, roaring chainsaw; this doesn’t bother the birds. Naturally, all the chickens wanted to be in the fall zone and I had to push them off into the woods for their protection.  The tree came down where we wanted, ahhhh.  Success; relief.  H.W. shuts the saw off and we’re quiet - there’s nothing more to say, it’s all done.  But the rooster freaks out when the tree falls, going off like a siren, shouting, shrieking blue murder.  BABWOCKBABWOCKBABWOCK!  The end is nigh!  Doom and destruction!  The sky is falling!  He doesn’t stop for a long time.Day 11Uhoh.  H.W. put the birds away in the night, a little bit earlier than full dark.  I asked if he counted beaks in the coop and he scoffed, “No, but they’re fine”.   Three nights straight they’d all gone to bed perfectly, so I figured yes, probably they are just fine, no need to worry.  In the morning on my way to let them out of the coop I opened the truck for feed.  A lone hen popped out from somewhere! She’d spent the night out, I don’t know where.  She  started telling me all about it!  BuhBUHbaBAbabuh!BUHbuhBAbaBAbaBUH!!buhbaba!BUHba....on and on, very funny with all the variety of pitch in her voice.  She was all worked up.  When I released the others she ran back to the embrace of the flock and the rooster did a little dance at her. The rooster dance seems to be a kind of chastisement or herding behaviour, as unfortunately, this rooster doesn’t dance before mating.The chickens have learned that I bring food.  They see me and all run towards me down the path.  It makes me feel quite popular.  If I don’t give them anything, they mill around, some poking their heads up high and tilting them to look sharply at me.  If I walk away slowly, they lurk and then follow me furtively a few feet off.  If they’re positive I have food, like if I rattle it, they will all jog along behind me as I walk.  How do they know, even from a distance, that it’s me, even with a complete wardrobe change?  H.W. does not get this treatment; they know us apart.What good good chickens.  They look after themselves all day, lay 7 eggs every day in the coop, and all go to bed at night.  Perfect chickens.A hen made it all the way along the path to our camper!  She went strolling by the front of the camper and walked into the woods.  That’s far past where all the other chickens have made it to, and ever so close to the Silkies.  I thought we’d have contact for sure, but not quite.  The Silkie roosters were on high alert, hearing her in the woods, but she didn’t quite make it over to them.  It was the low hen!  I gave her a pile of seeds and scraps, and she could enjoy without competition.  I expect to see more of her over here by herself.