Newly One

Wednesday was Dali’s birthday — he is now one year old!! Today, I am going to be making Dali an edible birthday gift consisting of bread, strawberries, and apples which are his favorite foods. I hope he enjoys it. I am going to also make Ginger and Guinevere an edible gift as well because their birthday was Thursday. Garretta’s birthday is sometime in the middle of June, but I’ll probably give her a little something just because I love her!

I didn’t get around to making the treats for the chickens today. I’ll do it this weekend. Hey, better late than ever. And, the chickens certainly don’t mind if their present is late!

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WHOO-HOO! NEW CHICKS!

I am sitting here with a cardboard box. And inside lay . . . three cozy chickies!! Two are Buff Orpingtons and one is a barnyard mix. Mary the farmer didn’t know what kind of breeds made up the barnyard mix, but she showed us an adult bird that it may turn out to look like. The Buffs are a golden red color — very pretty. The barnyard mix has a black stripe down the middle of it’s back, and the rest of its feathers are a soft golden blonde. It is very unique looking. The chicks were not sexed so we just hope that they all turn out to be girls.

Unfortunately, the Silkie eggs that were supposed to hatch Sunday did not hatch. So, we have to wait until next Monday or Tuesday to get the Silkie chicks. If Mary’s Silkie eggs fail to hatch again, we will have to wait about another two weeks. Oh, well! I am just happy I have three little fluff balls to entertain me while I excitedly wait for the hatching of the Silkies.

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Perspectives

Before ever owing chickens, my impression was this: Chickens poop a lot and eat a lot, and depending on the breed, they are generally happy birds. Yeah, they need attention and love to be fed treats, but all those tasks are easy for me to accomplish. From the day I brought home my six chirping fluffballs, I knew owning chickens would bring endless joy and happiness. I knew that taking care of chickens was a big responsibilty, but I had the impression that they were relatively easy pets. Nowhere did I read, online or in Backyard Poultry, that warned, “You better have a good tolerance for death!” I never envisioned myself holding Rosebud in my arms, her head and neck pecked clean of all skin and feathers. I never knew I would be sitting in my kitchen watching helplessly as General Gow spasmodically flung her neck from side to side in pain. And I never knew that after surviving a whole winter, I would lose two favorite chickens within two months.

Well, that is, I never knew all this until now. You see, owning chickens is an experience. Books and articles could tell you lots about all sorts of chicken topics — diseases, eggs, broodiness, coops — but  experiencing these sorts of situations is more personal, more first-hand. I never knew that two chickens would really gain up on a little chicken and kill it for sport. But I know this now and next time I’ll separate the little guys from the Mean Girls. f having these feathery friends is indeYou can learn alot about chickens

My chickens have brought endless

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Random News

Aagh! Sunday can’t come quickly enough! I am still debating whether to get Buffs or Rocks. So many decisions! I just want to make sure the Buffs aren’t dominant or cannibalistic like the Reds. Well, the RI Reds/NH Reds aren’t really cannibalistic, but they sure are fierce — fierce enough to peck Rosebud to death!

On a different note, a giant spider was on the top roost in the coop last night next to Ginger. It was so . . . so . . . aagh! I have an intense fear of large spiders. I went into my house squealing!

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Chirping for Chickies

My mom called Mary, the farmer in Rehobeth, in regards to when the Silkies would be hatching. Mary said that another group of chicks will be hatching Sunday, so we should call back then. However, Mary isn’t positive as to whether or not the upcoming hatch will contain Silkie chicks. She is positive that some Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons are included in the hatch for Sunday, so we may get a Rock and an Orpington, too. So excited — only five more days!!

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In Memory of General Gow

Poor General Gow. She died this afternoon due to sickness. A couple days ago it seemed like she had been doing better — more energy, more eating — but yesterday she wouldn’t eat much. Today, when my  mom went to feed her, she could hardly stand — just squatted low to the ground. And this afternoon when I came home, I found her lying on her side on the floor of her pen, her feet sprawled out on the ground. She was still breathing, but her eyes were closed and she was on the brink of death. My dad and I brought her up to our kitchen and I held her in my arms. She made some funky crying sounds and had some spasm attacks. It was very sad. After about forty minutes, she breathed her last breath and closed her eyes. I will miss General so much — she was so funny sometimes in her own little way. And I bet Garretta will miss her, too. Cheers to General Gow!

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Poem

Cobwebs hang

like silken ghostly forms

of netted sacks,

strung elegantly

from the beams

of sturdy wood.

Dust creeps

like little black bugs —

slowly

silently.

The shed

only lit

by the mustard yellow light

of the heat lamps,

is the very home

to small bundles

of peeping,

chirping,

chicks.

By: Shanniepeg

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Dali . . . Again

Seeing as warm weather will be arriving very soon, and most of our neighbors will have the windows open during the day, Dali’s crowing will appear very loud. And we don’t want any complaints about the noise. So, my family and I have decided to relocate Dali to another farm. We would still be able to visit him, but he would not live with his beloved hens anymore. Which makes me very sad because, not to pick favorites but, he is the only chicken that actually does not fear me. Guinevere is very skittish, and so are The General and Garretta. Ginger is only slightly skittish, but Dali . . . Dali is so docile.

One farm that may become Dali’s new home is located in Seekonk, Rhode Island. The owner supposedly takes unwanted roosters, though we have not spoken to him yet. Another possible farm is located in Cumberland, Rhode Island and already owns five Silkie roosters. Maybe Dali would fit best there. Lastly, there is petting zoo located in my town. It has a few other roosters, which may or may not be a good thing. Seems ideal, but there is a catch — there is no fence over the top of the pen area. Hawks or owls could easily snatch up a chicken and that concerns me. Ah, so many decisions.

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Silkies . . . Soon!!

I can’t wait until we get the baby chicks! We have decided to get four Silkies, probably white. We are going to get them over my school’s April Vacation — just in time for Easter!

My dad will have to build anther mini coop, about the size of a rabbit hutch. A lot of work, though.

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Sick Chick

For the past couple weeks, General Gow has been sick. She is listless and will not eat or drink. She has definitely lost weight and her crop had been small or non-existent. She has had constant diarrhea, too. We made a small pen for her out of chicken wire in my garage. We gave her straw, feed, water and a roost.

Currently, she is doing much better — more energy, more eating. Today, she drank a small dish of water. She still has diarrhea, though. I hope she feels better soon. Poor General.

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