Operation Rescue Chicken

Top secret mission in the works.  Will report back once mission is complete....

Getting Big!

I haven't really been able to notice the girls getting bigger or changing at all for that matter, but today Jane looked like a real chicken!  Her feathers are filling in and she's getting some meat on her. (It's been debated whether or not Jane is actually James.  I just think she's older than Kate)

See for yourself...

Calamity Jane at 4 weeks old. (that's the age we were given)

Calamity Jane this morning at almost 7 weeks old!

I can't wait to see what she looks like full grown!  The hens at the place where we bought them were very pretty.

Breakfast Break-out!

Waiting for me to open the door...

She doesn't usually eat from my hand...must be hungry.

Jane and Kate now know when it's time for breakfast.  They stand at their door patiently waiting...to haul chicken butt out of the coop and catch bugs.  Yesterday they eggscaped and it took some work to get them back in the coop.  This morning I was smart and blocked their path.  They weren't too happy, but oh well.

GUESS WHY??

CHICKEN THIGH!!

Peace

Jane's toes...they make a Peace Sign

Chicken Love

I've said it before and I'll say it again...You can't be mad when you own chickens!!  It is because this healing property that Brian was able to see another week.  As we were unloading bikes from his truck one of my neighbors stopped to say "hi." to Brian (they met earlier).  The neighbor came and left without me being introduced.  The chickens kept me from hurting poor Brian.  I'm more than the strange lady standing behind Brian...I'm a chicken owner...as well as the homeowner that got no credit.  haha! 

looks like she's pecking his head.  they're really bonding. :)

Salmonella anyone?

Time to Grub! (almost)

While digging up weeds in my backyard, I found a grub worm.  This is a tasty treat for older chickens so I thought I'd introduce it to Jane and Kate (another "first").  Jane was VERY interested in it...pecked it to death, but never ate it.  Mr. Grub is now suffering from traumatic brain injury and several broken legs.

Can't say they didn't try. He was just too big...for now

Ode to the Chickens...

(sing to the tune of "Home on the Range)

Home, Home on Linda Laaaane.

Where the dogs and the chickens co-exxxxxist.

Where never is heard a Cock-a-doodle-doo,

'Cause the chickens we ha-ave are heeennnnnns!

Close up of Kate...she's getting new feathers!

Trying to get ready for bed...in the yard. (not a good idea)

Lessons in Motherhood

As the chicks get older they are trying to gain independence.  It's like raising teenagers.  They don't want you to touch them, however, they will eat you out of house and home.  Kate fusses a bit when you pick her up UNLESS you have food in your hand.  Jane will come close to you, but stay just out of reach.  This morning they ran out of the coop and refused to go back in...blatant defiance!  If I were a fellow chicken I would have already pecked a bald spot on them...they just don't know how good they have it.  There are chickens in Africa that are starving.  Maybe it's time they do community service.  They could be service chickens...go to Nursing Homes maybe?  We'll just hope "nature doesn't call" while they're on duty.  Prob not a good idea...then again when is pooping on people ever a good idea??

Evening Routine

As mentioned earlier, the humans sometimes break up the monotony of the girls' daily routine.  Usually in the evenings I like to spend my time being eaten alive by mosquitoes while watching the girls practice their Search and Destroy missions with the various critters in my grass.  It's a win-win.  I get to look like I have some weird disease and the chicks get to fill their bellies.

a boy with his chickens

The other evening a Cardinal stopped by and got a couple bites from our garden.  I think he got caterpillars!  I guess word's gotten around that we are friends of the feathered.  It was pretty cool. Maybe he can tutor the wee ones on bug eating.

difficult to see, but he's the red spec...my phone doesn't zoom.

Endangered Species??

Cathy and Michael were here this weekend because Michael had his treatment last Thursday.  Cathy witnessed a heinous act...

Calamity Jane ripped a baby snake right out of the grass, pounded it on the ground a couple of times and then ATE it.  Not quite what I had in mind when I said eat the BUGS in the yard.  I think it was a baby brown snake.  They are the size of worms and that is the kind of snake I have in my back yard.  I sure hope she doesn't eat them all.  I quite like catching the snakes...they're pretty cute.  Also, once the girls get bigger are they going to start targeting the bigger snakes??  I might have to make a "Do Not Kill" list.  They can study it while they are in their coop all day.  I sure hope they don't run off or kill all of my snakes...they too eat bugs.  Both play a vital role in my sanity...no more bugs!

Weekend Wrap-Up

I realize it's no longer the weekend, but this update has been requested...

This weekend Big Nose Kate and Calamity Jane spent alot of time out of the coop.  They really enjoy "free-ranging."   Jane is SERIOUS about bugs.  Kate's still all about the free meal.  This means Jane will have to pull their weight when it comes time to control my backyard bug population.  I haven't given them their talk just yet, but it will come soon.  "There comes a time in a girl's life....."

They still have not touched the hanging Baby Chick Treat Stick.  Hopefully the next ones I get will be a bit more appreciative.

Eat, Drink, Roost. Repeat.

It's a difficult life for these chickens.  They wake up in the morning and eat, get a fresh drink of water, sit on their stick for a while and then do it all over again.  Their routine is only to be interrupted by a human who lets them out to search for bugs.  What a difficult life...

Another First...

Yesterday I took the liberty to start teaching Big Nose Kate to fly.  Not much more to say about that...just watch the video...please remember, this is her first time so she's still a little rusty.

So Many "Firsts"

Well, the girls survived their first thunderstorm.  I put them upstairs last night and that's where they stayed.  I was a bit worried about them and how the coop would hold up, but then I fell asleep. (I'll make such a great mother! haha)  The coop was still standing and the bedding was relatively dry.  Once again, all is well at the funny farm.  The chickens survived, but we'll see how well the dogs do when they track in mud...again.  I might be down a dog or two if Mom has to clean the carpet one more time.  I'll have to send her out to watch the little ones for a bit...you can't be mad when you have chickens!  

Kate on water bowl...maybe she's trying to tell me she prefers fresh water.

No chickens were harmed in the storm. :)

Don't Go to the Light!!

Today we forgot to put the ice bottles in the coop for the girls to
sit next to during the heat of the day. When I got home from work and
running errands, Jane was a panting and breathing heavily (possibly
seeing the bright white light)...oops. After I put the ice in the coop
she resumed business as usual.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. These are gonna be some
pretty tough chickens!!

Oh, and Kate has her sneeze again! Oy!

Health Update...

The girls seem to be feeling MUCH better.  This morning both of them had their voices back.  I'm going to keep them on their antibiotics for a few more days just to make sure.  They'll continue to get electrolytes in their water.  If not, I'd have 2 baked chickens.  Just add mashed potatoes and I'd have dinner for two! :)  We are also putting out a frozen bottle of water to cool them off.  During the hottest part of the day they will sit next to it...smarty pants!

Visitors

Today was a busy day for the girls. We had 3 visitors. Aunt Linda,

Uncle Jim and Melissa. Jim and Linda came while the chicks were

napping so they didn't get to have a photo op, BUT Melissa did!

Boc! Boc! Boc! (This is payback for changing my Facebook status)

:)

Fame at a young age is difficult to handle...you never get any privacy.

Look, Mom!  It's a chicken!

Chickens Make Terrible Models

She's definitely no Tyra Banks!  Big Nose Kate wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get a good picture of her.

It's a bird...It's a plane...It's SUPER KATE!

Little House on the Prairie or Beverly Hillbillies?

Brian and I have been wanting to make a "playpen" for the girls to explore in without being free to roam the entire yard...my fence has some gaps.  Today we did just that!  With a roll of Chicken Wire and three U-Posts we created quite the little pen.  You be the judge!

You can special order these from us...we'll even deliver.  haha!  It's portable so you can move it around the yard too!

Eggscape attempt!

Jane in the pen looking for bugs

The Roost is a Hit

The girls still haven't learned to sleep upstairs on their new roost...maybe it's been too hot, BUT they are getting some use out of the roost downstairs.  I would really like it if they would learn to sleep sitting on the roost because right now when I look at them they look like they have been gassed.  They're laid out flat!  I wish I could get a picture of them asleep, but I don't want to scare them.

Pre-Roosting Pole...

Any Resemblance??

I have a reoccurring theme among my animals...rudeness, over-eating.  Just like my cat Larri who would do ANYTHING for a bite to eat (she's eaten everything from pecans to dish rags) Big Nose Kate seems to be very food motivated.  Today we let them roam a little and if they got too far away all I had to do was shake the bowl and Kate would come running.  Hopefully she will only eat tings that are meant for chickens.

Larri in a bowl...

Kate in a bowl...

No More Poop in the Coop

Today we took care of the nitty gritty and cleaned out the coop. I have to say it's alot better than a cat box! Of course it's only clean for seconds, but oh well...just like laundry, it has to be done.

After the cleaning, I installed a roost (aka a pole in which to sit/sleep). Last night Brian and I set one up downstairs so today I put one in upstairs. I hope they like it. Since it's been hot as you know what I doubt they sleep in their room and use the roost, but I still wanted one to be available to them.

Update on health: We started them on an antibiotic. Big Nose Kate still has the sniffles. Calamity Jane seems to be doing much better, however, she still feels like we are inferior species and barely gives us the time of day. I have faith she will come around...once she realizes I FEED HER.

Field Trip

I took the little feathered friends on a field trip (say that 5 times fast)...just a couple steps away from their coop, but I think they enjoyed it.  Where did we go??  To BRIAN"S GARDEN!!  Brian was super egg-cited when I text him the pictures.  haha

She wasn't as impressed as I hoped she would be.

Peek-a-boo!  Chickens are very hard to photograph!

It's Hard to be Sad...

When you own chickens!!

What Kind of Animal is This??

I swear I brought home two chickens, but the way they were eating this morning they could have been confused with pigs.  I carried their food out  in a bowl so I didn't spill any and they did everything they could to eat out of it.  They flew the coop and jumped in my lap (I won't show you pictures of those because it's a close up of my legs...pale legs) and they perched on the side of the bowl as I was trying to spread their food.  I'd say they are feeling MUCH better!

Big Nose Kate perched on the bowl.

GUESS WHAT???

Chicken Butt!!

Sick Chicks

All's well at the Funny Farm.  My farm hands (Mom and Brian) got stuff to treat the chickens' ailments.  Remember the man telling us all we need to do is give the chicks food and water???  That's turned into food, water, shade, colloidal silver, electrolytes, antibiotics, and pine shavings.  These $5 chicks are growing more and more expensive.  Brian went to a feed store and they decided the ground might be too hard on the princesses' feet so they gladly sold him a bag of pine shavings.  Now it looks like I have gerbils out back!  I'm only agreeing with the pine shavings until the wee ones start to feel better.  Then it's back to dirt!

By the end of the night the Chicks were looking MUCH better!

The farm hands assessing the situation

The Chicken Whisperer

Claw vs. Paw

The dogs are wondering when they're going to be able to eat their tasty treats we brought home...

I have a dream that one day little furry children can play with little feathered children...without eating them.  I hope once the chickens get older the dogs will lose interest and not lick their lips as much.  I want to be able to let the chickens roam in the yard without having to make sure they don't get eaten by our dogs.  That would just be horrible.  Until that day we will keep everyone segregated...I mean separate.

Choking Chickens

Yesterday I went home for lunch to see the girls and all was fine.  I put out more watermelon rinds, which they love, and headed back to work.  All was fine on the Funny Farm...I thought.  When I got home I went to hang out with them and noticed Big Nose Kate was acting funny.  I thought she might be choking.  She kept opening her mouth and making a weird noise.  I did what any young mom would do...I shook the baby!  Then I patted her back (lightly).  Then I rubbed her throat hoping she would swallow whatever was stuck in her throat.  I also got rid of most of the watermelon for fear the Calamity Jane would be the next choking chicken.

This morning I went out and Big Nose Kate was sneezing.  They have sinus infections!!  Pimp Brian is researching what we need to do and will take care of it.  Hopefully his ladies will be in working order by this evening.  Mom's looking into things too.  Hopefully between the three of us we can find a cure...maybe that will be my next fundraising event.  Race for the Cure (for chickens).

The Great Scare of 2011

So the man who sold us the coop and chickens just told us they need food and water.  He failed to mention we should probably give them some shade too.  I wanted the coop up against the fence and out of the way so that's just what we did.  Sunday afternoon the sun came and stayed and the chickens got more and more lethargic.  By the time Cathy and Michael got to town poor little Calamity Jane was lying in the only spot of shade left and couldn't even lift her head.  Needless to say the coop was moved into a shaded area.

Next comes a fence so they can roam...

The New Additions to the Family

Well, as we all know I bought a house this past February.  Ever since I have been making it my own...I have rain barrels, a garden (Brian's garden), a compost pile and animals coming out my ears!  What better way to add to the craziness than to get chickens.  I was assured that chickens will eat every bug it comes in contact with so that's what sold me...not to mention they are cute and lay eggs.

Brian and I were going to build a coop, but then got smart...we started looking on Craigslist.  We found lots of coops ranging from $150-$1300!  When I found one I liked I called the seller just to get the dimensions and by the time I got off the phone with him I had already made arrangements to pick it up...that day...along with two chicks.  Why wait?  I was sold when he told me they lay green eggs. (Just bring the Ham and we'll have a Dr. Suess story).  Brian and I drove out to Grandview TX (aka middle of nowhere), picked up the coop, a bit of feed, 2 chicks and headed back to civilization.  

Pit stop at Sonic with the coop...isn't it cute?

By this time Brian has worked himself up because we do not have all of the gear the goes along with raising chickens (straw and a water bowl).  I'm just so excited to have baby chickens that I can hardly sit still.  The man said all they need is food and water so as long as I pay the water bill and have bugs in my backyard I think I'm set!  I've had goats and pigs so chickens can't be that hard...right?

We got home after dark.  It took all three of us to unload the coop.  It's heavier than it looks and poor Brian probably did most of the work.  I tried.  :)  Mom went to the store to get bedding for the girls and Brian and I got the coop ready for its new residents.  They were so dang cute!

The coop before the bedding...

The first night I could hardly sleep for all of the excitement.  I was up around 8 on Sunday so I could see the girls!  They were still in bed so I put them downstairs so I could feed them...and play with them.  Brian and I went to the feed store and got organic feed and a cute little waterer.


The plan is for them to eat our kitchen scraps and more importantly any bugs before they infiltrate the homestead.  I'll put their organic "by product" in the composter and then eventually I'll have some awesome soil for my garden next Spring.  One day (I'm not even sure when) they will start laying eggs.  Once they start that I want to rescue a Pilgrim's Pride chicken or two and add to the flock.


Oh, their names...The light colored chicken is mine and her name is Big Nose Kate.  The darker chicken is Brian's and her name is Calamity Jane.  They were hookers back in the Old West...great namesake, eh?  Now Brian is the Chicken Pimp and the chickens are his working girls.  (insert joke here)

Should we call this the Bordello??