Bel speaks for herself!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Chickens on Strike!! Demand more benefits!
No eggs.
I think the girls laid one or two more eggs after the last round of raccoon attacks.
We moved their night time roost into the porch until we secured the coop. They didn't seem too eager to returning to the scene of the attack. But this week, Bel just upped and walked back into the nesting box one night. Cleo followed with very little prodding.
But no eggs.
They have good food, they eat, they scavenge the yard. The have discovered the compost box--a virtual chicken heaven if you ask me, with worms and bugs and scraps of food. They are garbage divers ala natural.
But no eggs.
Now Cleo is molting and Bel is broody. What a combination of hormones and, well, . . . feathers.
And no eggs.
I think the girls laid one or two more eggs after the last round of raccoon attacks.
We moved their night time roost into the porch until we secured the coop. They didn't seem too eager to returning to the scene of the attack. But this week, Bel just upped and walked back into the nesting box one night. Cleo followed with very little prodding.
But no eggs.
They have good food, they eat, they scavenge the yard. The have discovered the compost box--a virtual chicken heaven if you ask me, with worms and bugs and scraps of food. They are garbage divers ala natural.
But no eggs.
Now Cleo is molting and Bel is broody. What a combination of hormones and, well, . . . feathers.
And no eggs.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Spoiled chicken
The girls have been treated to sleeping in the front porch temporarily while we raccoon proof their coop. They go back out as soon as the cock crows (so to speak) and stay out until it starts getting dark.
Have we spoiled them? I am beginning to think that they think they own this place.
Tonight, at dusk, they were at the back door, not just squawking, but trying to fly through the window--luckily there is a screen, although Bel has pushed her way through on of the screens on the porch to let herself out in the morning and then stands out there squawking and get Cleo worked up.
They may have bird brains but these chicks have me trained well. Of course I brought them to their roost in the porch. This will have to stop or I'll be in the chicken coop next!
Have we spoiled them? I am beginning to think that they think they own this place.
Tonight, at dusk, they were at the back door, not just squawking, but trying to fly through the window--luckily there is a screen, although Bel has pushed her way through on of the screens on the porch to let herself out in the morning and then stands out there squawking and get Cleo worked up.
They may have bird brains but these chicks have me trained well. Of course I brought them to their roost in the porch. This will have to stop or I'll be in the chicken coop next!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Twin Cities Tour of Chicken Coops
I was pleasantly surprised by the number of urban chicken people so close to home. Nothing like getting fellow chicken people telling stories, exchanging ideas and experiences, giving and taking advise. Talking with people who really know what it is like to be greeted in the morning by your chickens makes you feel, well, not as odd anyway.
I did find out the Cleo was a mistaken identity. She is not a Marans, though she does look like one, she is actually a Barred Rock and she has many of her kind in the neighborhood. I wonder if we got all the Barred Rocks and the Buff Orpingtons together in one place, would they know who their human was? They say that sheep know their shepherd's voice, what about chickens? The problem is, if they don't recognize us, how would we know which ones are ours? You know they all look alike. Do we all look alike to them too?
We saw a lot of ideas for improvements and we saw the benefits of what we do.
Interestingly, we are the only ones who seem to be bothered by the raccoons. Lots of hawk stories though.
I did find out the Cleo was a mistaken identity. She is not a Marans, though she does look like one, she is actually a Barred Rock and she has many of her kind in the neighborhood. I wonder if we got all the Barred Rocks and the Buff Orpingtons together in one place, would they know who their human was? They say that sheep know their shepherd's voice, what about chickens? The problem is, if they don't recognize us, how would we know which ones are ours? You know they all look alike. Do we all look alike to them too?
We saw a lot of ideas for improvements and we saw the benefits of what we do.
Interestingly, we are the only ones who seem to be bothered by the raccoons. Lots of hawk stories though.
Friday, September 2, 2011
A right handed and a left handed chicken
I finally located the right breed of chickens to Bel and Cleo.
Bel is a Buff Orpington.
Cleo is a Marans.
Not that this really makes any difference-- in the long run they are still Bel and Cleo, Belina and Cleopatra.
There differences, besides color of feathers add up to Cleo's eggs are darker brown than Bel's, which are more beige. Bel tends to be more brooder and Cleo is more bullyish. Bel is noisier. She lets the whole neighborhood know that she has laid her egg. Cleo just takes it in stride.
One difference that I have noticed lately though has sparked my attention. When I pick them up I place my left hand on their belly and my right hand behind their legs. I gently nudge them onto my right hand. They seem to grab on to my hand easier than when I come from the front. The difference is that when I pick up Cleo she sits comfortably on my right hand an rides to where ever I take her. Bel on the other hand (pun intended) turns herself around so she can ride on my left. Could it be that Bel is a leftie?
Last weekend I was informed by my left handed son-in-law-to-be that left handed people are smarter...of course he may be biased. But lefties do get picked on more and ignored by righties, which is similar to how Cleo treats Bel. . .
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
the secret life of chickens: three against one (or six, counting humans and chi...
the secret life of chickens: three against one (or six, counting humans and chi...: Detroit: It is a nice quite town, no sign of gang attacks. I had a relatively quiet weekend, relaxed, ate, shopped, showered (for a wedding)...
three against one (six, counting humans and chickens) or raccoon returns with friends
Detroit: It is a nice quite town, no sign of gang attacks. I had a relatively quiet weekend, relaxed, ate, shopped, showered (for a wedding), and slept.
Minneapolis: Gang of three raccoons tried to devour chickens, but for the help of their loyal guardian, Beyonce (and sons #1 & 2, and random niece).
4:30am: On a relatively quiet night, in a relatively quiet neighborhood, all hell broke loose as the Raccoon Three, complete with masks, switch blade claws which they maneuver faster than the most adept opposing thumbs, and chemical warfare, slip quietly into the backyard home of Bel & Cleo. It is thought that this was a gang initiation. The youngest of the three was sent to make the attack.
The Beyonce, Guardian Dog knew something was askance and the three humans followed her out the door.
Beyonce shoots into action, while two of the Raccoon Three stayed in the tree watching and the third, hovered around the coop. Witnesses said Beyonce was able to leap tall buildings (the chicken coop) in a single bound. She leaped over the coop and attacked that raccoon. The raccoon was screaming and Beyonce had full control with her mouth around it. She shook the raccoon and landed it on the deck. By this time it could barely move. It lay on the deck, wounded but still breathing it crawled toward the tree where his homies were watching. Son #1 tried to get Beyonce in the house but she took off after that raccoon and shook it till it died at the foot of the tree with the two in the tree ready to pounce.
After the kill she was covered in blood; son #1 brought her inside to assess the injuries but found none.
Meanwhile, after Beyonce was in the care of son #1, son #2 attempts to rescue Bel and Cleo. They were safely tucked in their nesting box the whole time. He took Cleo inside to the porch for the rest of the night and came back out to darkness in the backyard. Still nervous about the two raccoons in the tree, he made his way to rescue Bel while random niece uses her camera to flash light at the raccoons to make sure they stayed treed while the chickens are rescued and brought to safety.
I return from Detroit at midnight. Two chickens greeting me at the door in the porch where they have spent the last 4 nights. Daytime home is still the backyard.
By the way, they continue to lay eggs. They know they are safe with Beyonce.
P.S.: Rumors of Beyonce being pregnant are not true.
Minneapolis: Gang of three raccoons tried to devour chickens, but for the help of their loyal guardian, Beyonce (and sons #1 & 2, and random niece).
4:30am: On a relatively quiet night, in a relatively quiet neighborhood, all hell broke loose as the Raccoon Three, complete with masks, switch blade claws which they maneuver faster than the most adept opposing thumbs, and chemical warfare, slip quietly into the backyard home of Bel & Cleo. It is thought that this was a gang initiation. The youngest of the three was sent to make the attack.
The Beyonce, Guardian Dog knew something was askance and the three humans followed her out the door.
Beyonce shoots into action, while two of the Raccoon Three stayed in the tree watching and the third, hovered around the coop. Witnesses said Beyonce was able to leap tall buildings (the chicken coop) in a single bound. She leaped over the coop and attacked that raccoon. The raccoon was screaming and Beyonce had full control with her mouth around it. She shook the raccoon and landed it on the deck. By this time it could barely move. It lay on the deck, wounded but still breathing it crawled toward the tree where his homies were watching. Son #1 tried to get Beyonce in the house but she took off after that raccoon and shook it till it died at the foot of the tree with the two in the tree ready to pounce.
After the kill she was covered in blood; son #1 brought her inside to assess the injuries but found none.
Meanwhile, after Beyonce was in the care of son #1, son #2 attempts to rescue Bel and Cleo. They were safely tucked in their nesting box the whole time. He took Cleo inside to the porch for the rest of the night and came back out to darkness in the backyard. Still nervous about the two raccoons in the tree, he made his way to rescue Bel while random niece uses her camera to flash light at the raccoons to make sure they stayed treed while the chickens are rescued and brought to safety.
I return from Detroit at midnight. Two chickens greeting me at the door in the porch where they have spent the last 4 nights. Daytime home is still the backyard.
By the way, they continue to lay eggs. They know they are safe with Beyonce.
P.S.: Rumors of Beyonce being pregnant are not true.
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