Chicks
As anyone knows who's friends with me on Facebook, we have chicks! Twelve of them, to be precise; 3 Buff Orpingtons for us, and 3 each of the Orpingtons, Araucanas, and Silver-laced Wyandottes which we are raising to pullet-hood for friends. The Buff Orpingtons are a heritage breed, until recently endangered; I can't think why they're not extremely popular, though, since they are a dual-purpose breed, get to about 8 lbs (the roosters get to 10 lbs.), lay eggs all winter, and are friendly and docile. Who wouldn't want a chicken like that?!
They are so damn funny. They step on each other all the time, and it looks deliberate. Most of them will be sleeping, and then one will decide it would rather settle down a few inches away. So it gets up, and steps on the head of its neighbor, the tail of another neighbor. Soon the whole box is full of noisy chicks.
A few days ago they started scratching, even though they're on newspaper and there's nothing to scratch. But they've taken to it like ducks to water, scratching frenetically, then backing up and looking down earnestly for any goodies they may have turned up. And when I say "frenetically," I mean it - when they're all doing it, it looks exactly like a bunch of birds doing the Jitterbug, or maybe an over-enthusiastic Charleston. Heck, maye they are!
We tried them out with some pine shavings a few days ago, and one of the Wyandottes started giving herself a dust bath. It was encouraging to see how much chicks can learn without a hen showing them! Anyway, we had to take the pine shavings away becuase there were mulch-like pieces in it which they were all trying to eat, and I was afraid one of them would choke. Tua swept out the box and put fresh newspaper down. A few hours later, I hear a funny noise and find a Wyandotte trying to dust-bathe without any dust. It was hilarious - she looked like one of those lawn sprinklers that goes around in a jerky half-circle, then smoothly returns to its original position: put-put-put-put-put-swoooosh.
Now they're trying to fly. They've got most of their wing and tail feathers, and are eager to try them out. I've hardly gotten anything written today because they keep trying to get airborne, which only startles their friends, who often get landed on. If they could speak, they'd probably be yelling "Cannonball!"
They are so damn funny. They step on each other all the time, and it looks deliberate. Most of them will be sleeping, and then one will decide it would rather settle down a few inches away. So it gets up, and steps on the head of its neighbor, the tail of another neighbor. Soon the whole box is full of noisy chicks.
A few days ago they started scratching, even though they're on newspaper and there's nothing to scratch. But they've taken to it like ducks to water, scratching frenetically, then backing up and looking down earnestly for any goodies they may have turned up. And when I say "frenetically," I mean it - when they're all doing it, it looks exactly like a bunch of birds doing the Jitterbug, or maybe an over-enthusiastic Charleston. Heck, maye they are!
We tried them out with some pine shavings a few days ago, and one of the Wyandottes started giving herself a dust bath. It was encouraging to see how much chicks can learn without a hen showing them! Anyway, we had to take the pine shavings away becuase there were mulch-like pieces in it which they were all trying to eat, and I was afraid one of them would choke. Tua swept out the box and put fresh newspaper down. A few hours later, I hear a funny noise and find a Wyandotte trying to dust-bathe without any dust. It was hilarious - she looked like one of those lawn sprinklers that goes around in a jerky half-circle, then smoothly returns to its original position: put-put-put-put-put-swoooosh.
Now they're trying to fly. They've got most of their wing and tail feathers, and are eager to try them out. I've hardly gotten anything written today because they keep trying to get airborne, which only startles their friends, who often get landed on. If they could speak, they'd probably be yelling "Cannonball!"