One Big Happy Family...NOT!

I thought Jane was going to be "the mean one."  She gets this crazy look in her eye sometimes.  And now that she's got crazy hair it makes her look really mean!  However, I was wrong (this doesn't happen very often).  Big Nose Kate has proven to be the bully.  When she chases Jessie she's out for blood!  SHe'll pin her down and when you break them apart Kate has a mouthful of yellow fuzz.  You would think Jessie would learn to keep her distance, but she doesn't. 

We each have our own way of dealing with the bullying...

I try to keep them seprarate as much as possible until Jessie is old enough to fight back which will be sooner than later.  If Kate starts chasing then I use my trusty yard stick! (see previous blog)

Mom is going to get essential oils to squirt on them so they will be at peace with each other.  Maybe we'll get them headbands and tie dye shirts too. :)

Brian is just gonna yell at them.

see his finger!  he's really gettin after her!

Chicken Duplex

Miss Jessie escapes and I want my bathroom back so that can only mean one thing.  Jessie must go outside.  I walked with the feed store and they said it would be fine.  Since big chickens and little chickens can't get along they must be separated.  My first thought was to build a temporary coop...maybe out of a dog house or something.  Since time was of the essence, I couldn't really go looking around for a cheap/free dog house so I went to Home Depot.  Mom had her idea.  I had my idea.  Brian had his idea.  After at least 30 minutes of looking around at all the options I had an even better idea!  Why not make a partition for the coop I already own??? (brilliant, i know.)  The best part of the idea is that it was CHEEP (misspelling on purpose).  Brian wasn't too excited about the idea.  He thought it was unfair to the Kate and Jane because they would be squashed into a smaller area.  I figured making a new coop was unfair to my pocket book and all of the trees that would have to die in the process.  I WIN!

The partition took about two days to finish (just a few hours really).  I think it adds to the Beverly Hillbilly decor.  It's made out of old fence wood, chicken wire and bailing wire (the bailing wire adds a nice redneck touch).  This is not a very good picture, but I think it gives you an idea.  Miss Jessie is on the left.  Kate and Jane get the 2 story loft.

the claw-like thing is a deer antler for Jessie to use as a roost.

Jessie has only been out for two nights, but I think she is adjusting well.  I can only imagine going from a nice quiet air conditioned home to a dirty noisy hot home.  She's a little skittish still.  Hopefully that will go away.  I don't really want to eat eggs from a chicken that's on Xanax.  At night we put in a small cat carrier so she'll have some protection and during the day we take it out so she can have room to move around.


I really do feel kind of bad that Jessie was "thrown from her nest," but I needed my bathroom back. :^(

Stories From a Former Chicken Farmer

Every so often I email my Uncle Jim an update of our family "goings-ons."  Obviously I added updates on the chickens as they are part of the family now.  haha  Anyway, he sent me back a couple of memories from his childhood.  I thought they were cute and wanted to share them.  Uncle Jim just turned EIGHTY last month (and I'm worried about 30. haha).

Without further ado:

"I had enough of chickens on the farm to want any now, but they would be interesting. I'll tell you a story. When I was a young lad on the farm, we had chickens and a chicken-house...and there were fleas in that chicken-house! I had the task of daily "gathering eggs" and learned the tricks of stealing them, sometimes from under the chicken who was sitting on them. They would peck at me, but I ignored it. One Sunday night we went to the Methodist church with our farm neighbors. I went up and sat on the front pew in front to the preacher, and suddenly I got a terrific itch on the top of my foot! So, like any young kid, I pulled off my boot and proceeded to pick that flea off my foot and stopped the itching. The preacher stopped his sermon, looked down at me, and asked, "Did you get him, Jim?" Mother could have fainted she was so embarrassed. If she could have reached me she probably would have choked me! I still get laughs from that from those that remember!

Dad used to order baby chicks by the big carton, and we would go down to the local post-office and pick them up. Talk about old-fashioned....but those were the good days!"

Renovations

The time has come...either renovate my bathroom to be a permanent coop for Jessie or fix something for her to live in outside.  It's getting to be ridiculous that she gets my bathroom to herself and she doesn't even pay rent...

Today I got the bright idea to make a small temporary coop for Miss Jessie until she's big enough to be with the big girls without them being able to pick/peck on her.  So Brian drove us (Me and Mom) to Home Depot to try to figure this thing out.  I'm a little handy, but not too much.  My "trial and error" is more error than trial.  After walking through Home Depot at least twice and coming up with several ideas...some more complex than others...I had a GREAT, low cost idea.  Why not just make a divider for the coop I already have?  I'm brilliant!  I don't think Mom or Brian thought my idea was nearly as fantastic as I did, but they're going with it.  This evening I cut the pieces for the wood frame with an electric saw (using safety the OSHA would applaud) and screwed it together.  Tomorrow I attach the chicken wire and then place it in the coop.  Duct tape will play a very important role in all of this. :)  Pictures to follow!

My assistant

I guess she thought it was safer to be around the electric drill and screwdriver than be near Kate. :)

The Chickadees

This is the Girls' movie debut!!!  Please ignore the girl with the polka dotted shorts...not sure who owns those pasty white legs OR why she's in my yard. ;)

Thanks Melitha for the cute video!!

How to Discipline a Chicken

So Kate's out for blood!  Now when we let all of the girls out Kate hunts down Jessie and pecks her to death.  It's kind of sad.  Jessie screams and runs as fast as she can with Kate nipping at her heels.  And of course when you yell Kate's name she doesn't respond...typical chicken.  Chickens mind worse than cats.

Big Nose Kate stalking Miss Jessie

Poor unsuspecting chicken

How do you discipline???  With a yard stick! (I know...I know...I'll make a wonderful mother!  Go ahead and get CPS on speed dial. hehe)  It works with Larri when she needs a whoopin and I can't reach her so I figured it work on Kate too.  The goal is not to injure the chicken or inflict pain...it's to get something between the two chickens.  If it happens to sting a little that's not my fault...you shouldn't be chasing your sister/brother.

Respect the ruler!

God Didn't Want Me to Get to Work on Time

The girls were feisty AGAIN this morning.  I opened the door to the "house of vixens" and they flew out.  Then as I'm trying to wrangle them they kept running.  Chicken soup anyone????

When I went to feed Jessie she was chasing something in her coop.  Upon closer inspection I see a baby gecko!  I couldn't let her eat it so I had to fight with yet another chicken.  I won!

Now the gecko is safely outside.

Visitor

How'd the little guy get in my bathroom??  I brought in a plant from outside and they just rode on in...I say "they" because Mom already found one in my bathroom while I was gone. (She cleaned my room for me.  YAY for moms!! hehe)

Anyway, I got to work.

Damn Chicken

Your looks can only get you so far!  Last night I couldn't go to sleep so I decided to start my new blog...about the rest of the Funny Farm.  I worked on it until I got tired and then went to brush my teeth.  When I open the door to my bathroom guess what I see...A CHICKEN....OUT OF HER "COOP."  I guess she all of the sudden got standards and realized the Rubbermaid box she was staying in was not good enough for her...or maybe she got bored and flew out, but couldn't get back in. Either way she was out.  She jumped on top of her water and then right over the side.  Now I was faced with a predicament...I just put her back in her box, refilled her water, and locked her inside the part of the bathroom that's all tile.

This morning she was still in her "coop."  Mom and I are brainstorming new ideas for her.

She Strikes Again...I Mean VISITS Again...

Melissa came over again to check out the chicks plus she hadn't met Miss Jessie.  They guys grow FAST!!!  I've had Miss Jessie for about 2 weeks and she's doubled in size.  At this rate she'll be 6 feet tall by the Fall.  Jane is growing into a hen...we're going to have to go bra shopping pretty soon (if you know what I mean). :)  Kate is finally catching up with Jane. I thnk she's a couple weeks younger than what we were told.

Here's some pictures of the visit... 

Mom and Jane having a Heart-to-Heart...

Feeding the girls...

 Remember how Kate pecked Jessie??  As you can see it didn't bother her for too long.  This time Jessie bowed up to the other two...some girls just don't learn.

Chickens never get old

Realizing that chickens have sharp claws.  :^)

Helping out with the yard work...

Just hanging out.

Atlanta Chicks

While I was in Atlanta I came across a chicken or two as well.  Crazy since I was at a conference ALL week. 

In the hotel's food court

Peace from Atlanta

One might have seen a chicken on a bike tour of the city...I wouldn't know because I was at a conference.