In this freakish weather we've been having, the chickens have gone back to their summer ways
I think I'd had the deck cleared of all winter detritus for as long as it took to upend the chair before the chickens came tearing around the side of the house hoping for some watermelon or lettuce. About an hour of scratching and nibbling and they are ready for a little lie down.
I don't even bother to buy them chicken pellets or meal anymore, it's like expecting them to eat instant oatmeal when they can have pizza.
I found out more about what makes Buck the way he is by talking to the guy who gave him to the guy who gave him to me. I was told that Buck attacked him with enthusiasm, jumping up into his face, so he adopted a policy of whacking him with a broom on a daily basis in order to manage the flock. Buck has gotten simpler in his approach since he moved here, I haven't had him go for my face, it's just too much trouble to jump that high, but I can't say that I would feel safe lying on the ground without sufficient bribes or shielding.
I found out that he is an Aries, so he got a pineapple for a birthday present this week. He is a year old, so that once again shows me how much the avian specialist vet knew.
Buck doesn't like pineapple, as it turns out, but was consoled with cat food.
He also turns out to be, as I suspected and hoped, a French Maran. It's not the most frequently seen breed of chicken around these parts, and so I'm extra glad he didn't get either tossed into a cauldron or turned into a capon. I wonder if it's worth coming up with a couple of Maran Hens?
Feedback on this point would be gratefully received.
Now with the good weather here, and the freedom to roam far from the deck and turn over every leaf on the property, everyone is in a good mood and I can hear them making little trills and whirring noises to let each other know they are there and happy.
Buck's version of this sound is somewhat more like prolonged belching than singing. I suppose that could explain why he comes over and crows next to my knees when I'm playing the accordion.
I think I'd had the deck cleared of all winter detritus for as long as it took to upend the chair before the chickens came tearing around the side of the house hoping for some watermelon or lettuce. About an hour of scratching and nibbling and they are ready for a little lie down.
I don't even bother to buy them chicken pellets or meal anymore, it's like expecting them to eat instant oatmeal when they can have pizza.
I found out more about what makes Buck the way he is by talking to the guy who gave him to the guy who gave him to me. I was told that Buck attacked him with enthusiasm, jumping up into his face, so he adopted a policy of whacking him with a broom on a daily basis in order to manage the flock. Buck has gotten simpler in his approach since he moved here, I haven't had him go for my face, it's just too much trouble to jump that high, but I can't say that I would feel safe lying on the ground without sufficient bribes or shielding.
I found out that he is an Aries, so he got a pineapple for a birthday present this week. He is a year old, so that once again shows me how much the avian specialist vet knew.
Buck doesn't like pineapple, as it turns out, but was consoled with cat food.
He also turns out to be, as I suspected and hoped, a French Maran. It's not the most frequently seen breed of chicken around these parts, and so I'm extra glad he didn't get either tossed into a cauldron or turned into a capon. I wonder if it's worth coming up with a couple of Maran Hens?
Feedback on this point would be gratefully received.
Now with the good weather here, and the freedom to roam far from the deck and turn over every leaf on the property, everyone is in a good mood and I can hear them making little trills and whirring noises to let each other know they are there and happy.
Buck's version of this sound is somewhat more like prolonged belching than singing. I suppose that could explain why he comes over and crows next to my knees when I'm playing the accordion.
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Glad to hear from you, but criticisms will be ignored. It's the beauty of the web. I will answer all friendly remarks. Buck handles the rest.