Cute, huh?? The thing is, every evening, she likes to roost really high. Way high up into one of our eucalyptus trees. She goes from the roost we made in the chicken pen to a branch a little higher up, to the top of the fence, to a little higher in a tree, and ultimately really high up. So high, in fact, that the branch she sits on flops over with her weight. Which really, isn't much. Chickens aren't that big. There she will sit until the next morning, when she will get down. On the outside of the fence! Every morning! Then she doesn't know how to get back into the chicken yard with her buddies. So she wanders around until I go outside and rescue her. I usually see her by my rose bush, and I can walk to the chicken pen to let her back in. She knows where she's supposed to go, and walks right in. Unless I'm in a hurry, and that's a whole other story. Look at her. She's a bird on a mission!
Looking at the gate, you would think it's Fort Knox, Chicken Version. It pretty much keeps the rest of the bunch in, why not her? It's a good thing she's cute. And I like her. And she lays eggs.
Thus begins my morning routine outside. Want to go with me? You're not barefoot, are you? Come on in, I'll hold the gate open for you. The first thing I usually do is feed them. They like that. It's one of the highlights of their day. Come on, they're chickens, not brain surgeons. They have simple needs. Look how happy they are now that the feeder is full!
You want to know the crazy thing about that? I have another feeder that holds about 5 times what you see, and they don't go nuts over it. Why, you ask? The feeder in the picture is what I used when they were smaller for the grower feed, which everybody loved. Now I just put the plain layer feed in it, and I don't think they realize anything has changed. Like I said, they're not brain surgeons. After I feed them, I get the eggs, unless of course, I picked them up the day before. This morning I needed to pick them up. I got 4 today!
Poster Girl and her girlfriends have a nice nest box to lay their eggs in. It has shade, straw, and is up off the ground. But they don't like it anymore. They would rather lay eggs on the ground, burrowing under an old tarp. Chickens! Now I don't want to move it, because, well, I imagine that spot makes them feel safe. They are hidden, and I guess if they can't see anything, they're happy girls. Chickens are very simple creatures, I tell you. One of these days I will move the tarp just to mess with them. After I get the eggs, I check on my bunnies. Here's Ralph. I've had him for a few years. I got him as a little guy. He's not so little anymore.
On my way to check the water, I see them eating the feed. I took this picture because Poster Girl and her boyfriend are just so darned cute together. Don't you think so? I showed it to Poster Girl, and do you know what she asked me?? "Gosh, do you think this picture makes my butt look big?"
Poster girl, eh? Is she getting a modeling contract? Is the the one that escaped while we were in Hawaii and crowed her fool head off at the oddest hours of the night? A distant cousin per chance? Tell me, dear rabbit is not going to be made into a stew anytime soon, he is far too cute!
ReplyDeleteOops should read is she the one...
ReplyDeletePoster Girl has gotten mail regarding the possibility of a modeling contract, but there are a few issues she has. The first is she tends to be very shy, and then the total clincher is that she is such a homebody, she doesn't think the travel would suit her. Besides, she's pretty content with her life, and her needs are simple. The one that crowed in the middle of the night is Poster Girl's boyfriend. He doesn't wear his watch anymore, so doesn't know when to (or when not to) crow. No, there's no stew pot in Ralph's future. I like him for his.......well.......uh........poop. I put his poop in the garden.
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