Saga of the Coop

Well, no blogs lately as there has been no change - no eggs, still LOVE treats, and scratching up the yard like crazy. 

Then today, we got a little action.  Not good action, but action.  I have been doing some yard work building a stacked stone retaining wall.  As I was driving rocks into the yard, my little dog Cy (aka chicken killer) ran into the yard.  Now lately he has not bothered them, just sniffed around.  I guess he was in need to today as he started chasing Popcorn around.  The more Popcorn ran, the more he chased.  He would stop when I yelled, but then see the chicken run and go again.  He got a mouth full of tail feather when I caught up with him.  I gave is a firm had and put him out.  Then went to find Popcorn. No where to be found. 

That whole time, the gate was open and Popcorn was out of there!  I searched high and low for thirty minutes and found her right by the yard hiding.  She was so nervous, but seemed physically ok.  She walked into the yard.  I did pick her up to check her out. 

So, I have determined that I will NEVER have eggs and that this is turning into a saga versus a chicken farm. 

Still hoping for eggs and now hoping to just keep the Ladies alive!

Your Chicken Farmer,
Allison

A Little Video Action

12 days into this and they are eating out of my hand.  Here is some footage of Gina! eating me out of snacks.  She is for sure the most "hungry" of the bunch and will climb on me for a mill worm.  Here she is eating scratch.

Gina! has a bit of a chat (turn your volume up to hear her respond)

Still hoping and praying for eggs!

Your Favorite Chicken Farmer,
Allison

Near Disaster

Ran to get the kids from church and dogs in the front yard.  Cy comes running from around the back with a feather hanging from his mouth.  DRATS!  But, thankfully, he hadn't gotten in, just his nose under in his hole digging.  Maybe chicken loving has only spurred him on. 

Dogs Learning to Love, not LOVE, Chickens

Today my daughter let the dogs into the back yard while the ladies where out.  Luckily I was back there and was able to sit with the dogs while the ladies pecked up some scratch near us.  Sophia, the chihuahua terrier was shaking in her paws while Cylan, the terrier mix was ready to taste some chicken.  But both dogs listened well and got some good sniffing in. I was torn as to how far to let Cy go as he explored the coop.  He seems to want to get in and go upstairs.  I didn't let him thinking it might leave a scent the ladies wouldn't like.  Does anyone know?

Still praying and hoping for eggs!

Your Favorite Chicken Farmer,
Allison

 I was able to get some new Lady Chick Pics

Laine holding Cylan

Penny and Popcorn

Cy looking a bit nervous

Popcorn, Penny, Gina!

Gina!

Loving and Cuddling

Well, no eggs yet.  DRATS!  But I have heard it can take 2-3 weeks after a stress/trauma for eggs to appear - and I would say they got a good one with moving and then 2 dog attacks, 1 just outside the coop and the other 1 successfully killing Goldie. RIP Goldie.

But since then, I have been diligent on the dogs and sitting with the ladies everyday, giving them treats.  Today, we had success, the Ladies took dried mill worms from our hands.  And I was able to catch Penny and Gina! for some forced loving.  Luke and Laine both held them.  Penny was quite and still but wouldn't eat from my hand and Gina! was crazy but would eat. 

Now Penny seems to have a cough.  I Google'd it (thus I am an expert) and found that she may just have allergies (cedar fever) or she could have chicken respiratory illness.  She does have the squirts, but is eating and doing all she can to get treats.  However, I do find her in the coop most often.  And while holding her, I did look in her mouth and sniff her nose for a foul smell. Nothing found and since I don't really know what is normal, I assumed all was good. 

Popcorn aka Poppie is the most fiesty, the boss lady, and hard to catch (well not able to at all thus far).  She lets Gina! know who is boss, even though Gina! is twice her age and size.

You know, we don't have eggs and it has only been a week, but the chickens have given us something to do outside that we have fun with and since the coop is near the swing set, there is lots of swingning and chatting going on.  If no eggs ever appear and the family connection stays, these chickens are more than worth it.

Praying and hoping for eggs!

Your Favorite Chicken Farmer,
Allison

He Has a Feeling

Now taking bets-Bill, my husband, thinks the ladies will give us some eggs tomorrow.  Last night I dreamed they laid one that was royal blue and as big as a watermelon. 

Fingers Crossed and Hoping for Eggs!

Your Favorite Chicken Farmer,
Allison

In the Begining

Let's step back a few days to the first day of being a "chicken farmer."  I am sure that is not a correct saying or title, but that's what I got.  So for Christmas my husband agreed to purchase a used coop for me.  

la Coop Huevos Rancheros

On Jan 2, 2012: I set out with my 5 year old daughter to buy some chickens. We returned home with 4 lovely Americana hens of varying color.  I had my first brave moment of holding them as they moved into the coop. The ladies were not too sure of the place and I really wanted to cluck at them, but we got them fed and watered and left them alone to peck about and roost.

Henny Penny 

Popcorn Chicken, the white little hen

Golden Fried Chicken aka Goldie

Gina! the beautiful rebel

January 3, 2012:  Things started out fine. I set out on my first morning to de-ice the water, check feed, etc.  After a bit of "playing" with them, I realized it was time to get the kids off to school.  I figured I would resume when I returned in about 10 minutes.

Upon return, I found my little terrier mix dogs had dug into the back yard and that I had NOT refastened the lock on the door to the coop.  You guessed it, little Goldie lay dead.  Wow-less than 24 hours as a chicken farmer and I am already down 1 hen.  GREAT! Any ideas on how to teach your dogs not to kill your chickens?

Well, I thought since it was my fault that sweet Goldie met her maker, I thought I should not waste the money I just spent on her and thus I set out to butcher her.  Well, what do I know about this you ask?  Heck, I have Google, thus I am an expert.  I bravely chopped off her head and then began to pluck some feathers.  I was doing good, but then her entire left breast skin came off (now I know where the dogs had attacked her).  At this point I couldn't do it any more.  Plus I got a glimpse at how tiny her breast meat was and thought, "really, I am going to do this for that?  Heck no!"  So I left her for my husband to deal with which meant a dumpster burial.

After school I told my kids.  They were kind of sad, but mostly just Laine wanted to know if I would dig up Goldie so she could see the dead chicken.  I explained that I couldn't as she was in a dumpster off of our property (that is what happens when you drive to town with a dead chicken in your truck-nearest dumpster becomes the burial grounds).  Sure enough, Laine wanted me to drive there to get her out.  No way girlfriend. 

January 4-5, 2012:  Things going better.  The hens have recovered and will venture out of the coop and I am doing a much better job keeping the dogs out.  The kids and I were able to sit near the coop and feed the ladies some scratch.  The did dare to get close to us, just not too close.

January 6, 2012:  No eggs yet.  They are 1-2 years old, so should be laying.  Fingers crosses.  I added some meal worms to the treat list and also got some oyster shell for them. 

Fingers Crossed for Eggs!
Your new favorite Chicken Farmer
Allison