There are only 5 drivers and their monitors working now, so I'm planning to make homemade egg rolls and fried rice for lunch for all of us this Wed. I'll be feeding about 14-15 people, depending on which mechanics show up, plus our boss and her secretary. I'll make my yummy sweet and sour peach sauce for the egg rolls and it should all be good!
Today I'm going to try to get the smallest chicks turned loose with the biggest ones. About 2 weeks ago we put a large cardboard box with a chicken wire window in it, into the coop. The babies have been in there so the big chicks could see them and be right next to them, without picking on them. The phrase "pecking order" is so real! Chickens decide among them who is top of the pecking order and who is the bottom and all of the social structure in between. These babies will have to endure a certain amount of abuse at the hands (wings?) of the older chicks but if I do it right, there should be no damage. I'll put half the older chicks in the runout pen and then turn the babies loose with the others still in the coop. That will make 4 big guys and 4 little guys. Then after a few hours, we'll put the 4 outdoor chicks back in the coop. They'll feel like the outsiders and hopefully won't pick on the babies too much! I will watch the entire time and run interference if necessary. But I don't want to intrude too much due to the fact that a certain amount of pecking must happen to get the social lineup figured out. I'll throw a couple choice pieces of watermelon into the coop so they have something else to focus on. Maybe if they all eat watermelon together, they will all be nice! Watermelon seems to have a good influence on everyone!
We took a few pix last night...
Here's Maggie (And Easter Egger...if she is indeed a she, she will lay blue or green eggs someday) sitting on my hand...you can see a little chick in the mini-coop peeking out
Here's another one of Maggie...
This is Lucy (she's a sex-link chicken)...Amelia (an English Buff Orpington) is in the background...she's Andy's favorite...
This is Emma (another Easter Egger) she thought the string on the camera was a long dangly worm!
Abbie (also and Easter Egger) with a friend peeking out of her mini-coop...
Abbie...looking rather like a pissed off raptor! Scary! She's actually a very sweet girl.
Someone mentioned the funny names irises have. That reminded me that I forgot to post pix of a couple of other irises I have yesterday.
Baboon Bottom (YES! That is it's name!!)
Pass The Wine ( hic° )
President Pilkington (sounds like a proper gentleman, doesn't he?)
Oh my gosh! Those chickens are so cool!! Ever since Martha and her aracuana (sp?) eggs, I've wanted to raise chickens that laid green and blue eggs. But they look so pretty even if their eggs are white.
ReplyDeleteLove the iris pics BTW. I just have the old fashioned purple ones, but they smell soooo good! That's the drawback to the hibreds - no smell.
Have a great weekend!
Oh I have Pass the Wine too! hic!
ReplyDeleteI love your irises, and those chicks are just beautiful!! I never realized how pretty they are. I'm just getting into bird photography and I'm amazed at the patterns and colors even in ones that look "plain" from a distance.
My goodness, I had no idea keeping chickens was so complication. I hope your attempts to blend the two groups go well.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you had to do all that with chickens either! I can't believe how big they've gotten already. When do you think you'll start getting eggs?
ReplyDeleteI remember baboon bottom!!
I'm looking forward to seeing the eggs too. You should come up with your own names for the colors. That could be fun.
ReplyDeleteWell, we totally failed at blending our two groups. We just couldn't stand to see the babies getting pecked by the big birds. I know they have to take a certain amount of pecking but they are just too little yet, I think. They are only 5 wks old. Maggie was good with them, in fact, I got a pic of her laying down with them, but the sex-links were terribly mean to them. I'm not sure why they won't jive, but we'll keep the little ones in the mini-coop for another week and try again next weekend.
ReplyDeleteSally, many people erroneously call what I have "Araucanas" but they aren't really...I think Martha actually has what are called Ameraucanas. (Altho Martha could have true Araucanas...they are very pricey and rare!) Ameraucanas are the prevalent breed in the USA and it's very rare to find a true Araucana, which are from South America. Most green/blue egg chickens are called Easter Eggers. They are mutts with some distant Araucana breeding in them way back. That's what I have. I love their fluffy cheeks. I'll have to look it up and see if I can find out what breed Martha actually has!
Jackie, I could just look at these chicks all day. I love the way the feathers lay and how they look. They are truly one of natures real beauties!
Ruth, alas, no blending today. We will try again. I love having chickens. I think I must be channeling my farming ancestors. It gives me a very nice diversion! :) I sure hope my neighbors don't gripe and make me get rid of them. I would be so sad!!
Fiwa, we won't start getting eggs until they are around 20 weeks old. The oldest ones are only 10 wks old right now...so around mid-August we could start getting a few eggs. We're halfway to eggs! :)
Cheryl, what a good idea!! I will do that. I like to fancy myself an artist! Naming colors would be perfect for me! Hahaha...you can help if you like!! I'll try to get pix of the colors when they happen.
So Gin, I'm wondering, what do you do with them in the winter? Your coop isn't heated is it? I know you get just as cold as we do and I can't imagine they could survive in that could they?
ReplyDeleteGin, oh how lovely your chickens are. You have some beauties.
ReplyDeleteThe irises are also knocking me out.
You deserve a long sleep and a little rest...glad you kicked back a bit.
xoxoxo
Jackie, sure, chickens survive very well in the cold winters we have. In fact, I chose breeds that are especially winter-hardy...just like my roses..LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Joanie!! I'm so glad you stopped by! I think I have some cute chickens and the irises aren't too shabby either! I acquired all those irises because of a quest to find 1 particular iris. I saw it at a perennial show a couple years ago. I'm pretty sure I found it, or one just like it. I'll post photos of that one when it blooms.