Sunday, June 29, 2008

Uma & Henry

Here is the lovely couple. Note Uma's body language. She is not leaning into Henry (formerly, Henrietta).Lovely little Lacey is standing behind him. Neither she nor Uma hang out with him very much. He often sits alone.
Nighttime is a different story. They all get on top the run, on top of a tarp stretched over it. Uma is such a broad-beamed gal, Lacey and Henry vie to get in the middle next to her. They look like they are braiding themselves. Lacey will be up and around to get between Uma and Henry, then Henry will wiggle around until he dislodges Lacey. In the pushing and shouldering, Uma often slides down the tarp and has to flap and scramble to regain her postion.
Yesterday the girls were seen reading the Classified ads hoping to find a home for Henry. Any takers?

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Henry has been disguised as Henrietta!

As if the CROWING wasn't enough, the photo of (her) large red comb did it. I submitted my question to the experts at the Backyard Chicken Magazine Forum. They confirmed my worst suspicions. As they wrote "I'm sure you have a Roo!" I called Cheryl in Calhan, from whom I bought Henrietta. She has no more Ameracaunas now, but will be hatching some green eggs next week. She will call me. Sign up now if you want to go to Calhan with me and get kissed by pygmy goats!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Uma shows off her beautiful collar

Henrietta : "Uma is such a show-off! She waits until I'm standing next to her with my dark feathers and then, she does her fancy show-off bow!" Lacey: "I know. I don't stand next to her when the camera is around. I have a beautiful head of black and white pin stripes, but the camera never catches me at my best. Being a teenager is so hard, especially around you-know-who." Uma: "Good morning, girls. Did I hear my name?"

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Uma feathered legs

Uma's beautiful feathered legs make her walk a bit funny. It is odd that the feathers only run down the outside of her legs....much like the way we used to decorate the outside seams of our jeans. Hers are more like opera gloves! Henrietta and Lacey are now treating Uma like their mother. When they lay down to rest, the two darker, smaller ones try to snuggle under Uma. It make for much undulating movement, one up, one under, one over, one up, another under.....and on and on. The previous group never did this.....proves no 2 chickens are alike.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

The Grass is always greener & Lacey's revenge

Photo 1. Henrietta, Uma and Lacey love the green grass, weeds and iris leaves that grow next to their Taj Mahal. Photo 2. Lacey is the smallest of the three so she often gets hidden behind her larger sisters. Photo 3. Lacey's revenge: She races around wearing her eagle costume!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Fox-proofed Chickie Pen with extra protection

Returning home Sunday night from my fabulous Sedona trip, I pulled the car into the carport. The lights shone onto a scarey sight.....a HUGE CAT as big as the whole chickie pen!!
In this photo just below the bulbous black nose, the brown tarp is covering the run which is attached to the PeptoBismol pink eggloo.
As you can see the pen roof is completely enclosed. Mr. Fox and Mrs. Raccoon will have to bring strong wirecutters to get into this new Taj Mahal.
My friends, Camille, Tom and Susan are not only expert constructors but very clever arty folks!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Mom escapes

Me, the chickie Mom is taking advantage of an opportunity to escape to Sedona. Who wouldn't? The girls will be lovingly watched over by Aunt Camille. Her adventures will be reported when I return next week. The lovely iris blossomed in the middle of the day lily garden. Thought you might like it.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Escapee chickens drive Mom crazy

As the smart ones among you suspected, those girls would eventually fly off the edge of the pen. True, it happened once to Lacey, who immediately panicked and flew back in. Then it happened to Henrietta, but it was no accident. She's too clever. This morning I opened their bedroom door to find all 3 of them walking around on the floor outside the pen inspecting everything at beak level. It took several attempts to get them back in. I'm a human. Surely I can outsmart 3 chickens? It was questionable for the first 2 hours! I finally wedged them into a corner. They are now in the pen with old baby gates placed across the top. We all rested after a dose of Rescue Remedy.
To follow: Life under a baby gate.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

A moment in the lives of Uma & Lacey

Peeking in on the girls.......

Uma: Lacey, darling. I've noticed you have no fancy collar feathers, dear. Are you really one of us...you know, the supermodels?

Lacey: Bug off. Your pantaloons are falling down.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Jus' hangin' with my peeps

The girls are sitting on the edge of their back bedroom pen. Lacey and Henrietta are perched on the edge. Uma is sitting atop the water bottle. She is capable of flying to the edge. I've seen her. None of them has jumped out....at least, they've hopped back in before I entered.

Fortunately the tarp under the pen is a little wider than the chickie tails....get it? The tarp does.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Swan name change to Uma, as in Thurman

Swan is a Light Brahma standing at the back. The pictures of the standard are gorgeous. It may be a case of the Ugly Duckling. But, until she morphs into gorgeous I am changing her name to Uma. She has long legs, long wings, long neck and she is pretty in an ugly way. Same as Uma.

Meet the new chickie girls

After losing my beautiful, sweet, innocent hens it was just unbearable to be without chickies. I acted on a Craigs List notice sent to me by Lizzie. Less than a week after losing the girls, I drove to Calhan and on and on down country roads, past a small airport, turned right at an old Russian Orthodox church and on and on until I turned into the third green gate atop a windblown hill. Sheryl, a pleasant, smiling lady come out to greet me. She was follow out of the house by only 1 of their 5 dogs. She led a tour of the farm. All the animals were thrilled to have company. There was the brown and white cow who came loping out and chased a goat who had a grinning glint in her eye. Sweet brown and white pygmy goats jumped up on us and wanted kisses. They got them. There was also a myotonic goat....the fainting ones. Sheryl said it sometimes goes rigid and will fall over if bumped. They keep him in his own quarters so he is safe. Mischievous guests are not allowed to visit him. Following us on the tour was George, a beautiful peacock. He jumped on top of the chicken house, leaned out over the roof and peered into the open door. The young chickens were in two groups, one of 50 fuzzy chicks, the second house of 30 older ones with some feathers showing through their fuzz. There were not 3 baby chicks of the breeds I wanted so I got 3 of the older chicks. They are funny looking scraggly young teenagers, both they show promise of being beautiful adults. One is an Americauna, like my beautiful Arriauna, altho the new gal, Henrietta, is mostly brown with black and brown shawl. Also her personality is not timid. In fact she is the pack leader, somewhat of a bully! One is a Light Brahma, originally from China via India. She is on her way to looking like the standard. She will be large, white with black collar and black tail feathers. She gracefully lays around looking like a swan floating on a lake. She reminds me of Paris Hilton. I call her Swan. One is a Silver Laced Wyandotte. If she grows up to look like 'the pictures' she will be mostly white with a black shawl collar and black tail feathers. Right now her coloring is opposite. She is black with small white spots. Her head is mottled black & yellow. Her eyes are ringed with eyeglass frames, including black lines to the ear pieces. I call her Lacey. They are currently living in the back bedroom. They won't move outside until they are older and the Taj Mahal is fox proofed. We truly a ThreeChickenFarm!

My poor sweet girls are gone

Date: May 24, 2008chickens About 6 AM today a fox climbed over the chickie pen wall and killed all my girls. Camille saw him carrying off the last one. We didn't hear a thing. Dreamer and Ivy and I were asleep in the front bedroom. Camille was going out to work in the garden. He was a fox she had never seen. I am so sorry for them and me and you having to read this. Arriauna Americauna Born April 22, 2007 Died May 24, 2008 Queen B Barred Rock Born April 15, 2007 Died May 24, 2008 Hecky Astralorp Born April 15, 2007 Died May 24, 2008 Henny Astralorp Born April 15, 2007 Died May 24, 2008