Should We DNA Test?

Just a little funny to hold you over until I get home.

Mange No More!

As we all know, Jessie was less than romantic when it came to his girls.  After a while the girls all had bare backs (think about it...)  Anyway, after Jessie went to be with the Lord the girls didn't grow their feathers back as I had expected them to do.  All of this time I've had mangy looking chickens.  They looked like something you would see rescued by the SPCA. Well, I am happy to announce that all of the girls are growing their feathers back!  Pearl even has some tail feathers coming in. I'll post pictures soon.

Evidently they were "molting" and this is to happen every year.  So if you happen to stop by my house during the Fall don't judge me, and I won't judge you when your kids look sloppy. ;)

Everyday is Easter

I'm not sure what's gotten in to the girls these days.  Maybe they are rebelling, but they are NOT laying their eggs in their nesting box.  They will lay an egg next to it, but not IN the box.  This makes it very difficult to gather eggs.  Production has already gone down due to the shorter days and now we have to hunt all over their yard to find the few eggs we do get.  How do you turn this into a positive??  Mom has decided it's like an Easter Egg hunt everyday...without the giant rabbits and Peeps.

Afternoon Delight

I wasn't sure if the girls would enjoy spaghetti squash, but the squash was past its freshness. I wasn't about to eat it so I cut it up and put it outside. They were hesitant at first, but by the end of the evening only the outer part of the rind was left. I'd say that was a success!

Spa Day

The Bumble Feet are healing! Tonight, after we gave the girls their pedis, we took extra precautions to save my plants. We clipped the girls' wings! Suckas!! Tomorrow we'll see if they can still fly over the chicken fence. If they can...my yard is forever screwed. If they can't...I can have a normal yard!!

Does the Patriot Act Apply to Chickens?

Fall had hit Texas. That means I have one more opportunity to successfully grow something. I got a wild hair and dug up a pretty nice section of my yard, threw the dirt in the chicken yard and then refilled the area with good soil I got from a nursery. The chickens enjoyed scratching through the freshly dug up dirt. They found lots of bugs. All of this wasn't enough I guess.

After I carefully planted all of my seeds, I put a fence around my new garden and called it a day. It wasn't pretty, but I'm not too concerned about that right now. I planted cucumbers, snow peas, spinach, carrots, broccoli and romaine.

The first few days went by without a snag. Then Pearl strikes! She escaped from the chicken yard and got in my garden. My romaine was eaten and/or dug up and all of the dirt had been kicked all over. Who knows where everything is going to grow now. It should be interesting.

Just when you think your yard is safe the little feathered terrorists strike again!

Home Tweet Home

We have retired the old coop.  It's not really old, and it's still in great shape.  It was just a pain in the rear to clean so I'm giving it to the neighbors.  Our new one is one that Jordan built me and it is MUCH easier to clean!  We had to make a couple of adjustments on it...which has now made it look a little more Beverly Hillbilly-ish, but I like it!  Once everything was set up we removed the old coop from their yard and kept them on lock down for a few days so they would associate the new coop as their new home.  The box that they lay eggs in kept tipping over so we had a couple cracked eggs.  Miss Kitty said, "Forget this!" and started laying her eggs in the compost bin so for a few days we had to go on an Easter Egg hunt...literally.  Now all is well.

The new set up.

Keepers of the Compost

In an effort to be "green" and to not waste good kitchen scraps I have a compost pile.  Brian bought it for me as a Valentine's/Housewarming gift the day I signed all the papers to my house.  Over a year later it should be full of great dirt, right?  Not quite.  Like growing grass, I have not mastered the art of composting either.  It is supposed to be extremely hot to break down all of the material we add...

Peek-a-Boo!

In the middle of August the girls will get in the composter to cool off.  I'd say I'm doing something wrong. haha!  My philosophy is that eventually everything will break down on it's own, hot or not.  In the meantime, the chickens have a great time hunting for bugs, food and lizards (Yes, they eat lizards.  It makes me sad).  They also spread all of the dirt out so that there's maybe a foot of dirt inside the actual bin, the rest is in a heap outside.  Way to go, girls!

We Got Bumble...and I Don't mean Bees!

I SWEAR Jess assured me that chickens were very low maintenance.  Maybe I heard wrong.  So far, I had two roosters, one death, colds, and now Bumble Foot.  The other day (it's been a while because I'm VERY behind on my blogging) I was feeding the girls left-over lettuce and I noticed Miss Kitty had a strange bump on her foot. 

See the bump?

I called Jess and he didn't know what it was so I went online.  Apparently chickens need soft surfaces to walk on, and my apocalyptic backyard isn't quite cutting it.  I say that because I can't even get grass to grow so my yard is half dirt and half mulch with a sprinkling of plants in cages (it's a learning process).  The chickens terrorize anything growing.  Sometimes they don't even eat the plants.  They just pluck all of the leaves off.

Anyway, I found on a chicken forum that it's called Bumble Foot.  It occurs when a chicken gets a cut on their foot (probably from scratching in mulch) and then the wound is compacted by walking on hard surfaces (my clay dirt back yard) and then Staph infection sets in.  The infection itself, which you will see momentarily, looks like a thick cheese.  Yummy, eh?  It gets better.  You have to pull out the "plug" in order to pull out the cheesy pus.  The blogs/forums that I found said you needed to take an exacto knife and cut around the area in order to get all of the infection out.  Then you wrap it with sports wrap.  This sounded like a job for MOM.  She's such a great sport.  Basically, I did all the holding and mom did all the dirty work.
 

After the plug was pulled

Digging for Gold

End of Surgery

Miss Kitty's new shoes!

It was only AFTER we cut poor Kitty's foot open that I read more blogs that said soaking the foot and spraying it with antibacterial stuff would do the trick as well.  Miss Kitty took one for the team.  She was our guinea pig.  I'm sure Jane and Pearl thank her because now THEY HAVE IT TOO!  Evidently it's common and you are supposed to check the chickens' feet often...who knew?  Just so you know, it takes about an hour every couple of days to treat my working girls.  (Insert joke about Prostitutes and infections here...mine just aren't appropriate. ha!)  Their feet are getting better.  I think in about a week we will be BUMBLE FREE!!

Hope you're not having anything cheesy for dinner tonight!

New Mexico Trip

Brian and I made a trip to New Mexico to see Jess, Elizabeth and Simon. (Simon is precious, by the way...unfortunately for him this blog is not about children, haha)  Anyway, they have chickens in their yard.  They are the real deal when it comes to being "free range."  Those guys get to roam all throughout their yard and surrounding land which is backed up to the Gila National Forest.  Needless to say I took a couple pictures.

Phylis

This treasure of eggs was found near the side of the house.  Jess couldn't find one of his ladies at night when it was time to go to bed.  It was because she had made her a hiding spot in the tall grass so she could hoard eggs.  She ended up hatching THIRTEEN babies. I think she must be a glutton for punishment.  Sadly, not all of them made it.  It's a rough world out there!  There are many more critters to watch out for when you're not protected by a fence.  I think only about 4 survived.  We may need to get her into some parenting classes, because that's a pretty high mortality rate.  Maybe call CPS (Chicken Protective Services!)

Cute...and the only one I could catch.

Since I made fun of Brian being attacked by Jessie it's only fair to include that I was attacked by Jess' rooster named Gossamer.  I swear he had his eye on Brian the whole visit.  But one afternoon I was following Brian and Gossamer was lurking in the bushes.  Actually, I think he was looking for bugs and Brian irritated him and then I came through which sent him over the edge...plus I hesitated.  Jess came to my rescue and kicked the chicken.  It took two kicks for Gossamer to get the point.  This was near the end of the trip so I didn't have to live in fear for too much longer.  I didn't yell obscenities like Brian did so often, but I did scream like a girl.

Birthday Chick

What kind of dessert do you make for a chicken fanatic? Chicken cupcakes of course!  My 31st birthday was this past July.  Mom decided to stick with the theme of the house...

Cake and Ice Cream!

Another Chicken Funny

Who said chickens were stupid...

Actually I have said it several times.  I may have to eat my words.

This weekend the whole family is going to Rockwood to celebrate Michael's life and spread his ashes.  I call it his "coming out of the closet party" because that is where he currently resides if you get my drift.  Since everyone will be at Rockwood we need someone to watch our plethora of animals.  Melissa is the lucky winner!  I sure am glad to have her help...she's great and I'm not just saying that because she's doing me a favor.  (I'm getting to the point...patience)  Anyway, last night Melissa came over so I could show her the ropes.  I showed her how to feed everyone and then I gave her the run down on the chickens.  There's an art to opening the coop without letting the girls out at the same time.  Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT Brian's way which is to blindly kick into the coop when the door is open.  You have to squat in front of the door so you can shoo them back with one hand.  Once done I shut the coop up and we went inside.

Fast Forward: several hours

I'm sitting at the table and it's dArK outside.  All of the sudden I hear a bang on the porch window.  All of the critters inside are quite curious.  I'm thinking it was a possum that fell and I was a bit upset that I didn't catch him hiding on my overhang.  Mom went to check what it was...PEARL!  Why was Pearl out after dark???  After a short investigation by Mom she found that I FORGOT TO OPEN THE COOP BACK UP FOR THE GIRLS TO GO TO BED so Pearl the Wonder Chicken came to let us know.  Isn't that cute?  I guess chickens aren't stupid after all.

Chicken Humor

Hurts my Heart: Yet Again!

Well, Miss Hattie never seemed to get over what she had. Friday night we force fed her and gave her liquids and then she drank a little on her own. Mom sat with her till the girls went to bed. Then Saturday morning Mom found That miss Hattie had passed away sometime during the night. We're not sure what happened. I feel maybe she became too dehydrated. Poor thing.

The picture below was taken while Mom was holding her.

Is Water Supposed to Come Out of There?!?!

(Not sure why the pictures are turned...)

I'm not sure if I got a sickly batch of chickens or what.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong.  I was under the assumption that chickens were easy and "cheep" to care for.  I feed them organic feed, mostly organic kitchen scraps, and they get to roam my back yard most evenings...what am I doing wrong here???

The past few days Miss Hattie has been kind of lethargic.  Sunday while I was napping in my back yard she jumped in my lap and fell asleep for longer than usual.  Then Monday when I got home from work I let the girls out and Hattie wasn't walking well.  She seemed very weak.  Mom and I made a quick decision to take Hattie to the vet.  We quickly put her in the carrier and I took off towards the vet's office.  It was only AFTER I arrived and stepped out of my car that I realized I was not dressed for public viewing!  I had on really old maroon shorts with a fairly new light blue Relay for Life shirt...keep it classy!  Anyway, Brian met me at the vet's office once he was off work.

on the way...

While waiting to be seen a little girl walked up to me because she wanted to pet the "cat" that I had in the carrier.  She was a bit surprised to see it was a chicken!  She gently touched Hattie's feathers and her foot.  Once she was done she started trying to recruit more people over to touch the chicken.  I'm sure Miss Hattie was less than thrilled.  haha

Once in our room I might have taken lots of photos.  I happen to like to photo-document everything.  Brian might have gotten a bit irritated...so I snuck in a picture of him too!

Doesn't he look happy?

She's plotting her revenge...

The vet comes in.  Feels around...and I mean feels AROUND (If you know what I mean)!  By feeling she was able to determine that Hattie did NOT have an egg stuck and that she probably had a GI infection that can be fixed with antibiotics (This translates into ME having to wake up earlier to administer meds).  We chit chatted a bit and she asked about Jessie...was sad to hear the news.

WARNING: The next few lines are not intended for people with weak stomachs.

(If you have one I do apologize.)

Then the vet had the bright idea to ask if Hattie had been having watery stool.  I responded with a "yes," but that wasn't good enough for Hattie.  She felt the need to demonstrate...ALL OVER MY CELL PHONE, the table, wall, and floor.  Got it!  Loud and clear, literally!  Ever heard of projectile vomiting?  Apply that concept to this story.  Absolutely disgusting.  It would have been HILARIOUS had it been Brian's phone and not mine, but Brian wasn't being a chicken paparazzi and irritating Miss Hattie.  I'm certain she did it on purpose.

Needless to say, I now have a new cell phone case (Thanks, Leslie.  Check's in the mail!)  I don't think I would have been able to put the phone up to my ear with the old case on...even after a good cleaning.
 

Hurts my Heart: The Final Chapter

After giving Jessie antibiotics twice a day for over a week he started feeling much better.  I could no longer hear congestion in his chest and he no longer had a runny nose.  His crow continued to be raspy, but the vet said he may have scar tissue.  I guess this is common for the over achieving rooster.  The chicken attacks started back up and Brian had to have security with him at all times...a green towel. haha.

Since Jessie was feeling so much better I decided it was time to contact the farm animal rescue that had agreed to take Jessie earlier.  I never got a response...meanwhile Jessie continued to "protect" his working girls.  This meant I had to carry something with me at all times to be a barrier.  He packs a mean punch!  this went on for quite some time...then Jessie started sounding congested again.  OY!!!  I felt horrible for him!

One day while out tending the flock (aka doing yard work) I heard my neighbor ask me through my fence if I get eggs yet.  I had been meaning to give her some since the whole family put up with the crowing and NEVER complained.  As I was delivering the eggs we got to talking about poor Jessie.  She graciously offered to "take" him and bring me Chicken Mole!  I quickly turned down the second part of the offer, but took her up on the "taking" Jessie part.  It really broke my heart, but what else was I to do?  I make a horrible farmer! 

So long story short...Brian and Breanne dropped Jessie off for his play date last Thursday and my backyard has been quiet ever since.  I still feel horrible, but it's for the best.  Let's hope I change this mindset before I have children, otherwise, they'll be getting toddlers in dog crates dropped off in their back yards.  No worries, I would send them with some food too.

(Insert sad music...)

When we still thought he was a "she."

First Picture

When we still called him MISS Jessie

AAARRRRGGGHH

Mohawks, Dirt bathes, and BIG feet.

Peace out!

A Family Divided

Chicken Stalker has the girls competing against each other and they don't even know it.  When we start a new carton the race is on!  I periodically get picture updates.

"The hens are neck and neck.  Let's see who wins!"

"And we have a winner!  The reds win!"

"And the race is on!"

"Ladies and gentlemen...we have a winner!"

I am certain if Jane and Miss Kitty knew what was going on they would up their game.  So far they are 0 and 2. 

Chicken Stalker

Who knew chickens would entertain anyone other than me.  I now know where I get my kookiness from...my Mother.  She sends me daily updates on the chickens. Some days she's nosier than others.

"Jane just went upstairs.  Maybe we'll get an egg."
"I think Miss Kitty just went upstairs."
"Got another egg!  It's still warm."
"The girls have been upstairs for a while now."

Do you think they ever get that creepy feeling that someone is watching them??

Hurts my Heart, Part Deux

Well, Jessie is getting a little too big for his britches.  His "rooster instincts" are kicking in and he's started getting VERY aggressive with Brian...and me...and mom.  As funny as it is to see someone run from a chicken it's time for him to go.

Craig helped me find a Rooster Rescue in the Metroplex, but I think in reality I think the woman is just a Chicken Hoarder.  She would not let me visit her facility and was a little rude when I questioned her so needless to say I did not let her have Jessie.  I thought it was odd when she told me she brings all of her roosters INSIDE every night so they did not have to be out in the elements.  I'm a little chicken crazy, but that has NEVER crossed my mind.  OK, maybe once when I didn't want the neighbors to hear Doc, but he would have gone in the garage and not my actual house.

Then mom got involved and found a farm animal rescue.  She spoke with the man in charge and he was happy to take Jessie.  He had a flock of hens so it was going to work out perfectly.  That's when Jessie got sick.  I diagnosed him with allergies, but the Vet (yes, we took him to the vet) though differently.  $65 later Jessie was diagnosed with a possible cold and possible scar tissue in his cock-a-doodle-doodler which was causing him to sound hoarse.  Since chickens sickness can spread quickly we did not take him to the rescue.  Mom wanted to be honest and so she told the rescue that we would bring him when he was feeling better.  So now it's antibiotics twice a day.  This means Mom and I have to wrestle a chicken and shove a syringe down his beak.

He wouldn't even hurt a fly...just Brian! hahaha

To be continued...

When Chickens Attack

Here's a little video I shot of Jessie bullying Brian. 

Just a little background:  I set Brian up! (surprise. surprise.)  I asked him to get dirt from the composter which is conveniently located in the chickens' side of the yard.  He had to walk past Jessie to get there.

Now you may watch the video...

Chicken Humor

Fear the Chicken!

I'm not sure if it's a "male" thing or Jessie can smell fear, but he has certainly taken a liking to attacking Brian. I too have taken a liking to it because it's funny to hear Brian yell obscenities when a critter that's not even half his size dominates him! In the last few days the attacks have escalated. Brian talks big, but I have a feeling that he won't do anything to fight back.

Once again, the chickens prove to be therapeutic...for me not Brian.

Production Lull

Egg production is at an all time low here at Linda Lane Farms. I should actually say egg "consumption" is low. Jessie has a little congestion that he can't kick so we've had to put him on antibiotics. We tried to separate him from the girls, but he went a wee bit cuckoo! He was trying to fly out of his coop...which means he was hitting his head on the top of the run. It was pretty sad. So, I did what every mother at the grocery store does as her child screams for candy...I beat him. Haha! I kid! I kid! I gave in and put him back with the girls. So now they are ALL getting antibiotics which means we have to discard all of the eggs for now. Seems like a waste, but t least Jessie will feel better soon.

A Day to Celebrate!

As of this morning we have NO store bought eggs in the refrigerator! From here on out we will only eat what our working girls provide us. Pray they keep putting out! Haha

Words of Wisdom

I like to think this applies to more than just hens and roosters...I'll let you interpret this as you wish. By "you" I mean "men." And by "I'll let you interpret this as you wish," I mean, "What exactly IS your role??"
Hahahahahahaha

This is hanging at Babe's. They feed you full of chicken and some may say they feed you full of bull too.

Friend or Foe?

Polo is trying his hardest to infiltrate the Chicken Clan. He really wants to be friends (I think). After the Great Chicken Eating Scare of 2011, I just can't be 100% comfortable with the dogs and chickens hanging out. Tes and Polo are only allowed to have supervised visitation as of now.

Polo tries to get as close as possible without getting pecked. This picture was taken when the chickens were in a trance while sun/dirt bathing (more info on this topic will be issued later).

Photos from a broad...

My cousin, Shawnee, sent me pictures of her wee one playing with chicks. Such cuties!! Maddox isn't bad either. Haha.

Shawnee's raising up a new generation of chicken farmer!

Trendsetters

Roosters had Mohawks before Mohawks were cool. Now-a-days you see them every where...children, punkrockers, motorcycle helmets.

Piggy Back Ride!

Just making memories as they play in the backyard. Wink. Wink.