Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Pass the chicks please!


I keep forgetting to mention Lola our "used to be only child" Cockatoo.   She is intrigued by the chicks but not at all pleased.  She reminds us often as she screams and eats her chicken leg!

Lucky Chicks

I've been out of town Friday through Monday.  My husband worked away feverishly while the chickens nearly doubled in size.  The chickens have graduated from the largest rubbermaid container to my horse watering tank and from the bathroom to my husband's man cave!  He even made them a temporary perch which they love.  They are such fun and interesting entertainment. We call it chicken TV.    Hubby is even growing especially fond of one he named Baby Blue or BB.  BB is the lightest of the Blue Andalusians. I am thinking of naming the other girly Etta as in Etta James.  Then they can be the Blues Sistas!  Last night we fed them all dried meal worms and they went nuts over them.
The chicken coop is turning into a mansion with real flooring, electricity and even a real working window! We all can't wait until it's done and there's warmer weather....











Mrs. Cody growing fast!



BB growing faster!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Birds of a feather

Tonight my husband let me help build with him.  I think we make a pretty good team.  As he put it "I don't talk to much and take directions well."  Ironically these qualities were exactly what I was looking for in a mate along with a few other necessities!  Let's see loving, must be handy, look good being handy, loving.....
We've chosen a muted green and white for our coop in hopes of encouraging a soothing egg laying environment.  It went really well with our siding and seemed to provide nice camouflage also.
If it doesn't rain this weekend I'm told the majority of the coop will be done!!




You'll notice our hands in the concrete.  Juvenile maybe but I've been waiting since childhood to cement my love with someone.  ♥♥

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Growing Pains

The chicks are growing so fast!  In the last couple of days they spent their first moments outside.  They adapted quickly finding treasures to eat and learning they did not exactly like to share those treasures.  My loving husband began the ground breaking on their coop.  It will be a chicken coop mansion I suspect; much more than I could have hoped for!  I believe he is enjoying the project even though "the chickens are all mine" according to him.  He even dug them up a coveted worm....
The blues are getting their feathers in now and I am hoping they will have lovely lacing.  The Silkies are even getting their "feathery plumes" on their heads.  
Every day a bit more is done on the coop.  We even got to put our handprints in the cement of the doorstep!





XOXXXOOXO


Monday, March 21, 2011

You can't un-break a hatched egg..

Welcome to my blog about a young young lady (me) and the (outlaw) chickens she always wanted.  My (accomplice) husband, myself, two dogs, a loud-mouth cockatoo and now 5 chickadees all living in a small town in the Flint Hills of Kansas that has forbade chickens in the city.
After sweet talking a Tractor Supply employee my dream is finally realized; sweet sweet six furry feet! Three Bantam Silkie chicks hopefully pullets (one suspect cockerel)!  DOB 3/3/11.  Yet another lenient TSC and our nest is complete; two of the prettiest chicks ever join.  Blue Andalusian pullets (for sure/probably) DOB 3/16/11.  
Pullet:  A young domestic hen, usually one that is less than one year old.
Silkie Chicken:  A bantam (small dwarf-like) chicken with curly, fluffy feathers, rose comb and black bones and skin.  Japanese origination.
Blue Andalusian: Blue Andalusians has a single comb with 5 distinct points. Medium sized bird with large egg productivity. Female Blue Andalusian combs droop to side. Bright white earlobes. Horn beak, dark slate shanks and toes. Upright carriage. Slate blue feathers laced with darker blue. Originated in Andalusia, Spain. 
This is an attempt to document the ever growing chickadees, the process of building their coop and my first crack at chicken-egg only-farming.