Chicken Therapy

 

I don’t know if it’s just the time of year, but I’m feeling kind of down in the dumps and in a funk. I’ve been beating myself up and doing quite a bit of deep thinking. There’s a lot of stuff on my mind right now. Nothing I can really talk about, at least not right now.

My thoughts are too jumbled up to make any sense of anything. If I wrote it all out I think it would just seem disjointed and confusing. And quite honestly I’m just too sensitive and raw right now to deal with any potential critical comments or judgmental attitudes by going public. So, at least for now, I’ll just have to keep my thoughts to myself, although I did confide in my dear husband who, after 23 years together, seems to always get me and understand what I’m going through, because he understands where I’ve been.

What did help get my mind off of things, was some time spent with my animals. I scratched my goats, enjoyed some llama kisses, and hugged my horse. And everyone received treats.

 

They were all very sweet, but it was my chickens that seemed to be the best at lifting my spirits that day.

Just sitting among them listening to their comforting clucking while they peck for insects and grain helped get my mind off of my troubles for a while. I’m always surprised with how much personality and character chickens have when they are just considered livestock, or dumb birds.

They make me smile when some of them hop into my lap to cuddle and coo while I stroke their neck feathers.

(Wowza. Those are some blindingly white knees!)

 

They make me laugh when they get a wild hair and take off waddling and flip-flop flying across the yard and they make me giggle when they beg for a treat or some attention.

Phyllis Diller, my Golden Laced Polish Hen never fails to make me smile with her frou frou mannerisms.

“Hello Dahling!”

“Yoohooo!”

“Oh my! I think I see a feather out of place!”

“Make way for the Queen!”

Faith, the Ameracauna is doing really well and is very friendly. She walks normally now and if you didn’t look at her foot, you’d never know she had to learn how to walk on two broken toes when she was just a 2 day old chick.

We have reason to believe that one of our Summer Chicks is a rooster.

This Blue Wyandotte is growing the hackle tail feathers like roosters have, and he’s bigger than most of the other chickens and has very thick legs.

He’s always watching me, too.

It’s really creepy.

I must say, he makes me a little nervous and reminds me of Sid Vicious. Sid, for those who don’t remember, was our Bad Boy Polish Rooster that buried a spur in my arm last year when he attacked me from behind while I was petting one of the hens.

I’ll have to keep an eye on this fellow, in case he goes the bad boy route, too.

One of our Speckled Sussex Summer Chicks has a favorite napping place during the day.

Napping on the top of a 42” tall sharp metal t-post doesn’t sounds very comfy. But she seems to like it.

If I were her I think I’d be much more comfy being held and cuddled in Jen’s arms. Just sayin’

The 5 Silver-Laced Cochins have become the coop snobs and prove that cliques don’t just occur in high school, but also in chicken coops. These girls are always together and exclude any other chicken that tries to join them.

 

 

Well, soon their little snobby group will be disbanded because we listed our chickens for sale this weekend and have a couple groups of people coming by this week to possibly purchase some of our 18 week old Summer Chicks, so their new owners can enjoy some fresh farm raised eggs for their holiday baking.

It’s a good thing, too. Because the coop is feeling a little too crowded now and feeding 38 chickens is getting quite expensive. We’re hoping to sell 10-15 chickens, but will keep our favorites and enough hens to be sure we have plenty of eggs for our family and perhaps a few dozen to sell each week.

Between baking, cooking and feeding the dogs(they always get one egg on their kibble every night), we go through 2-3 dozen eggs per week for our family of 5. And that may seem like a lot, but not when you consider it takes a dozen eggs for me just to make green chile breakfast burritos for my family.

And our older hens, even though we keep a light on in their coop 24/7 all year round, are only giving us 2-3 eggs per day. But sometimes they still surprise us.

Last week we got one tiny yolkless egg and one x-large triple yolk egg.

 

Summer Chicks ~ 9 Week Update

 

The chicks are now 9 weeks old and have been experiencing a lot of changes over the two weeks.

(Faith, the broken-toed Easter Egger chick is doing great. You’d never know she has two misshapen toes)

First we moved them from their garage brooders into the temporary mini-coop inside the outdoor chicken coop. They spent a week inside the mini-coop, getting used to living outdoors, with a dogloo as their shelter.

(Matilda, our Buff Orpington hen, bought as a chick last summer)

They shared a fenceline with the 12 big hens and they all spent the week getting used to one another. I find that this is the best way to integrate new chickens into an existing flock.

(Golden-laced Wyandotte chick)

I don’t know what I was expecting when the day arrived that I decided to release the chicks into the main coop. Probably a little more excitement than actually happened. But I’m grateful that no one got hurt and that everyone seemed to get along.

(Jen introduced a Speckled Sussex chick to our Speckled Sussex hen, named Spotty Dottie. Dottie was very curious, clucking and cooing while she checked the chick out.)

    

“Yes, you’re spotty, just like me”

For the first day or two, both groups pretty much stayed with their own: the big hens stuck together and the chicks stuck together. Whenever a chick and big hen happened to get close, depending upon who the big hen was, there was sometimes a little pecking and mock charging, just to teach the chick to respect it’s elders.

It’s been a week that the chicks have shared the main coop and they are pretty well integrated and can be seen side by side with the big hens.

(Ameracauna hen, named Fertile Myrtle and a Blue Wyandotte chick)

Some of the big hens like their personal space more than others, though, and they will remind a chick to move on.

(Golden-laced Polish hen we named Pat Benatar. She was born here last summer. She is the daughter of our bad boy rooster Sid Vicious)

For those of you who remember Sid, do you see the resemblance to that handsome devil?

Flock Dynamics are interesting, though.

(Our 4 year old hen, Barred Rock Betty)

Mrs. Cotton, our 3 yr old Japanese Silkie hen, and Phyllis Diller, our 3 yr old Golden-laced Polish hen are two that seem to chase and peck a chick just because they can.

I’m guessing this is because they tend to be the ones that are lower in flock status and are pushed around by the other big hens. So, they are exercising their newfound ability to push someone else around.

So far, so good, though. There is plenty of room in the main coop for everyone to have some personal space, to peck and scratch and just be a chicken.

But I do have some concerns about all these changes and transitions still to come.

The dogloo has a nightlight inside of it and the chicks naturally navigate their way inside every night for bedtime, while the big hens head upstairs each night, into their big hen house, which also has a light inside. I’ve noticed the chicks investigating the big hen house during the day, but they seem to know to sleep in the dogloo at night. Pretty soon, though, they will outgrow the dogloo, it’s already becoming a tight fit, and the chicks will need to move into the big hen house at night.

(Liza Minelli, our Black Star hen that we bought last year)

I do worry about that transition, because, even though the hen house door is always open, there are corners inside where a chick could get caught by a grouchy big hen and get beat up. And as the chicks grow, it will become more crowded inside, which leads to more arguments as chickens demand more personal space. Even though it will be difficult to do, I know it will be necessary to sell at least 10 of the chicks when they reach laying age, because our coop is just not big enough.

(Poor old Suzie, our 4 yr old Silver-laced Wyandotte, agrees. These chicks and all their high energy, just wear her out. )

A lot to think about.

But for now, we’re just enjoying the chicks, who are some of the tamest chicks we have ever raised.

Of course, we hand-raised them, just like we did our first batch of chicks, who are now 4 years old and very friendly, too.

We’ve had different groups of friends stop by to meet the chicks and they always comment on how friendly, calm, and sweet they all are. They are always surprised that the chicks don’t run away when someone reaches down to pet them or pick them up. In fact, they seem more like dogs, and are practically jumping up and down to be picked up and given attention.

Or standing on your shoe.

Woe to the person who sits down inside the chicken coop and doesn’t like chickens on their lap, shoulders or head.

(This is my special girl, Ruby an “Easter Egger” chick. As soon as she sees me she races to me, then follows me everywhere until I sit down, and then she hops right into my lap)

Truly, the minute you sit down, a flock of chicks come swarming all around you. It can be a little intimidating if you’re not used to it.

(This is ShyAnne, Jen’s very special “Easter Egger” chick)

But the chicks mean no harm. They just want to have their necks, backs and heads stroked, and they will nuzzle and cuddle you right back.

   

   

Who knew that petting chickens could be so relaxing……

ZzZzZzz

Pat Benatar, Horse Integration, Obstacle Photos

 

Time for a big catch-up (or is it ketchup?) post, as I’m preparing for my first ever horse camping trip this weekend with my mare Apache, (Have I mentioned how excited I am?) and I won’t be online for a few days.

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*Pat Benatar

The 3 chicks are still being kept with Mrs. Cotton in the temporary ‘quarantine pen’. Maybe another 2-3 weeks and I’ll let them out to integrate with the rest of the flock.

 

And I think fate may be smiling on me in regards to my cute little chick Pat Benatar.

I’m happy that she seems to be a pure-bred Polish chicken, with both Sid Vicious’ Golden-laced coloring, and Phyllis Diller’s Buff-laced colors, too.

But I was disappointed about 2 weeks ago when I thought Pat’s poofy head feathers were coming in spiky, which is the tendency for the Polish roosters.

But last week I noticed that the feathers are wider and not as spiky, as I originally thought, and are growing in thicker and becoming more of a bouffant style of top doo.

Pat Benatar, the chick, also has a personality more like a hen. And all of this makes me very happy, because having to get rid of Sid Vicious because of him becoming vicious towards us, made me a little bit sad. He sure is beautiful and I’ve always enjoyed just looking at him. If Pat Benatar truly is indeed a hen, I will be thrilled because she is turning into a beautiful chicken with her feather markings and coloring. Keep your fingers crossed!

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*Horse Integration*

I’ve only ever owned one horse at a time, so I’ve never had to integrate a herd of horses. True, last summer I leased the pasture across the road with Val’s 2 horses, Scout and Nadia (Yalla! had just been born and was kept with Annie at the barn), along with another neighbor’s 3 geldings. I just wasn’t as worried about Baby Doll integrating into a herd of new horses because she was an alpha mare and was quick to remind the other horses who was boss.

Apache on the other hand, is much more peace-loving, laid-back, and not at all an alpha mare. She’s actually a little ‘needy’ and I have a strong feeling to protect her and keep her safe.

Which is why it took me about 4 days before I finally felt comfortable about letting Etta Bay and Apache out together in the big paddock. Etta Bay wears metal shoes and Apache does not, and Etta Bay is more alpha……not like Baby Doll, but somewhere in between.

I think waiting was better than just throwing them in together the first day that Etta Bay arrived, because they did get to know each other across the fence.

But I was kind of surprised how easily they moved in together when I opened the gate between their two paddocks. It was a non-issue. No ears pinned, no kicking, and not even any squealing.

In the beginning, Apache kept walking up to Etta Bay and Etta Bay would ignore her because she was checking everything out, so Apache would walk or trot up to me for a hug, petting and some reassurance.

I think she was feeling a little insecure, like a child on the playground with potential new friends.

Etta Bay was curious about our chickens that we keep in a coop beside our house. She was listening to all of their odd noises, especially after one of the hens laid an egg and felt she must tell the entire world about her accomplishment.

But they both seemed happy and relaxed to finally be out together.

I thought it was cute to see Apache leading Etta Bay around the paddock, showing her around the Obstacle Course and also showing her that walking up to humans can be a wonderful thing, especially when said human has carrots.

I was also pleased to see that Etta Bay wasn’t at all concerned about my llamas either.

Maybe she figured that Apache wasn’t worried, so she shouldn’t be either.

Etta Bay liked our 3 goats, too. But  she really seemed to like Cataleya, my female llama, and the two of them nibbled on each other over the fence.

Look….Bay Twins!

Sometimes I think my llama Cataleya likes horses more than her own kind.

We enjoyed having Etta Bay here but we’ll see her this this holiday weekend for the horse camping trip. Apache is actually on her way up to Northern New Mexico right now, trailered with Etta Bay and several of Colleen’s other horses.

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*Obstacle Photos*

I finally received a few of the ride photos from the ACTHA weekend 3 weeks ago. They are of the water obstacle and the mailbox obstacle. I’ll just post them below….no need for words.

(All the photos below were taken by Cory Tourino, copyright.)

 

 

Can I just say that I love my custom made riding tights and matching helmet cover (I added my own silver star brads to it after it arrived) from the “The Tights Lady”. She made me my own pair of ‘chappies’ with fringe. They are so comfie with their padded crotch and padded knees, along with the extra long ultra-suede knee patches. It’s so difficult for me to find any kind of riding pants that are long enough, especially in riding tights and breeches. But these riding tights were made for me and are actually too long…….but I love that so much! I never have pants that are too long. lol!

Check her out sometime if you are wanting some of the best made, and most affordable riding tights:

Just for Horsin' Round        

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Water Obstacle

 

 

 

Check out my big goofy grin! lol! I was so stinkin’ happy, not only to have completed our first Competitive Trail ride, registered in the Pleasure Division, and not only because we crossed the water obstacle with no problems at all, but because I was finally realizing the dream I’ve had all along, which is to trail ride while also having goals to challenge my horse and I on interesting trail obstacles. Wooohooo!

  

Here were were waiting for our turn to play in the pond, after everyone in our group had completed the obstacle. 

I had so much fun and can’t wait to participate in another competitive trail ride again. I’m also so excited to ride my sweet mare during this weekend’s horse camping trip. I just love my Apache girl!

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I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend with family, friends, and especially with your equine friends. Be safe and have fun!