The Stand-Off

Last night I took a literal feast of veggie and fruit parts out for the girls.  The big girls earned themselves a little 30 minute time out tonight for chasing and pecking.  So tonight they will be standing at their door expecting me to let them out.  Oh no sisters, tonight you watch the little girls get all the treats for 30 minutes.

 

We had a little stand-off for about 5 minutes.  Keithetta Renetta vs Ethel.  Who do you think won?  And you better not poop in my seat!

Ha, ha fooled you says Inez...I get it all to myself!

 

I took a chair out into the middle of the backyard and threw the treats out in a rainbow in front of me.  The pics I got were blurry because they all move so fast...need to fix camera setting for the next time.  While I am browsing the shots Susie gets up on my foot.  Like, hey, you aren't paying any attention to us.  Next thing I know she is perched on my knee.  Just looking right at me, clucking away.  We were having our first heart to heart discussion about who knows what.  Good thing we have a fence and no one can see in.  They would have called for help for the Crazy Chicken Lady!  I called Cassie to check on Ellis and then next thing I know is that I have a chicken on my back.  I'm just talking away and she then jumps onto my shoulder.  I was trying so hard to turn the phone around to get our first selfie but no luck, she jumped down before I could take it.  Maybe tonight I will be ready on all fronts.

The Girls Are Getting Prettier By The Day

What a difference just a week makes.  The girls all have grown more new feathers and have filled out a little more.  All of our chicken sitters did a great job while we were gone.  And I also noticed that they are a little bit louder.  They greeted me with some pretty big clucks.

Alaire wanted to catch one so bad.  But for now just being able to pet Susie is a great thing.

To cool everyone off tonight  few little frozen blueberries were in order.  Only bad part...Chickie Pa ate half the bowl!

Sunny spreading her wings in hopes of flying away from a certain little girl what was chasing her around the backyard.

EffieGrace is starting to look like all the pics I have seen of what she is going to look like.  She is so shy.

Just look what Esthelle grew while we were away...her chickenness!

So far they haven't tasted the black-eyed Susans.  I hope they never figure that out.  They have tasted just about everything else in the yard.  The Burning bushes were their favorites tonight...to hide under, to dust in, and to eat.

this is known as the treat chair  n our little barnyard.  So far Susie is the only one that has figured this out.

They stay pretty much in a little huddle.  But they are starting to mingle nicely.  No more of that ugly pecking and squawking at each other.

My Little Barnyard Spruced Up

 Emmy and I finally got the henhouse/coop where we wanted it.  Yesterday I tackled the weeds...which the Little Girls loved because all kinds of bugs appeared.

 

Had a little more fencing and decided to add it to the bed.   'Farmy' looking don't you think?  Then I was on a roll so I got out the edger and edged the entire length of the big bed.  Made everything look so much better.

Love the bluegreen chicken watching chair I got from Ms. Donna.   Fits in perfectly.  Now to sit and enjoy the girls as the frolic in the yard.

 

I love it all and I love being outside and working in the sun.  But I think I might have overdone it just a bit.  Today I took a 2 1/2 hour nap...and that rarely happens. 

Little Girls Out To Play

First day out to free range for a little bit.  The first few times make me so nervous.  So I let them out for about 10 minutes and then work around the and talk to them the entire time.  Then back out for a bit.  Back in and then back out again.  We have to get into the herding mode if they are all going to come out at the same time.  And I need to introduce the Big Girls to the Little Girls a little bit at a time so there is no drama.

 

 Five came out pretty soon after the door was opened.  One, Crispy, hung around in her safe zone for a good while.

 

Dixie

RayJeana

Judy

Dory

Sunny

 Crispy

 

 This bunch is really jumpy and not quite sure about this crazy chicken lady that sits on the ground covered from head to toe when it is 90 degrees outside.  In my defense...the bugs eat me up!

 

We need to be careful about putting the two groups together.  So the best way to get them used to seeing each other is by letting one group out for awhile and then the other.

Lots of wing flapping.

Lots of trying to fly.

 The three Easter Eggers all have green legs.

 

 The Little Girls usually don't venture over to the Big Girls side of our little farm yard.  They like to get in under the bushes where I just weeded.

 

 And there is nothing like a good dust bath.

 

I seem to see lots of chicken butts!  It is really challenging to get a good shot from this angle.

Chickie Pa couldn't stand it.  He let the Big Girls out.  He even gave then an old tomato for a treat.  They loved it .  He made sure to give a piece to each one of them.

A chicken parade...from left to right...Susie, Esthelle, Ethel, Inez, Effie, Grace and Keithetta Renetta.

It Came A Day Early!

I've been so worried about the girls having to live in the hot garage...so I emailed my new best friend, William Holder and told him of my chicken dilemma.  And look what came two weeks and a day early...

My little red hen house.

Such a sweet man.  He worked hard after putting in a full day at his  job to make sure my chickens were safe and sound in their new house before he went on vacation.

 

He unloaded it and even helped us place it by the big girls coop.

 

Emmy and I moved it several times until I think we finally have it in the right place.

That is until Mark comes home and sees it.  Good thing is Mark has the day off tomorrow and we can always move it.  And we need to put the predator protector around it.

Look Alaire, Sunny likes her new house!

And this is how it ended up.  Emmy refuses to help me move it any more times.

The chickens aren't quite sure about it yet.  I just checked on them and they are huddled in one corner.  I showed them where the coop is and where they are to sleep, but they are having no part of it.  I guess they will eventually learn.

 

William Holder is the sweetest man.  He is very professional and really cares that he does a good job and that his customers are happy with his work.  I love the new hen house but think the chickens might like a little more room so in a few weeks I'm giving William a call and we are going to figure out how to add a run to the coop.  Check out his FB page and see the others things he makes.