Hubby & I are retired. We moved to farm country in September '09 from our lovely suburban mountain top home to 3-1/2 acres of trees and a messy bi-level. Finally got the house done and now it was time to get my chickens!
Bought the most beautiful coop I had ever seen - 2 windows with screens, a large back door, 5 nesting boxes with easy access and door at the other end, complete with a ramp! A neighbor gave us a 10x10 dog run which we attached to one side the coop and covered the top to keep the hawks out.
Our local Tractor Supply was having chicks for sale, so I bought 6 of the little fuzz balls. To my great ignorant shock, they were NOT all hens! Ethel (who IS pure evil) Lucy (a real doll) Snowball, Tubs,
Fred and Sticky Butt. (if you have ever had chicks, you know how he got his name). Just Evil Ethel and Lucy are the only two left from the original gang. Tubs grew so fast and fat he broke his leg and had to be sent to Colonel Sanders in the big sky. Sticky Butt turned out to be the most beautiful rooster I have ever seen. His feathers were green, gold, brown, white and red. Unfortunately, he hated the name I gave him and he turned out to hate me, too. Another visit to the Colonel was in order. Now Fred was the only rooster left and he thought he was king of the roost. He was until he went insane with power. Could not get near the hens or their eggs. I swear he had teeth, really, yup. Can you hear him crowing on the morning breeze? He is sooo happy with his brothers.
Now I am down to three hens. No roosters to bother them. But Evil Ethel starts to pick on poor Snowball. Pecked holes in her until she bled. Chicken books say they peck when they see red, So I mixed up a bunch of blue food coloring and Vaseline. Smeared poor Snowball with this blue, slippery wad of goop. She was magnificent! The evil one left her alone after that. She lasted for another year before I found her 'feet up' in the coop one morning. Poor Snowball.
The next chapter of a novice in the chicken world will continue..... Bok-Bok!
(When I figure out how to download pictures, I will post them so you can see how cute they were)!
Today's funny :0) ........
I found it! :) Congrats Phyl
ReplyDeleteThanks! I am honored that you are the first! It's kinda stupid, but it was fun. Not too much interest in an old lady with weird chickens! Maybe I'll do a post or two a week until I get I get the hang of it... (if ever)!
ReplyDeleteHowdy
ReplyDeleteHowdy, Mulligan! Thank you so much for stopping by - will take any and all tips on how to do this!
ReplyDeletei have read someplace that there are actually colored lensed sunglasses for chickens - little tiny sunglasses... no joke... to filter out the red light and prevetn exactly what you were saying. They are literally made to strap on to their little chicken heads.....
ReplyDeleteAlso dont be afraid to try things with the blog... you cant mess up and even if you try and the feral irishman overthere can teach you anything... he is the evil ethel of the blogosphere...
have fun
j3
If I could catch Evil Ethel I would make her wear them - just for spite! Thanks for stopping by J3. Still nervous about starting this venture. Will try to post at least once a week!
DeleteAh, my lovely lady....well done. Linked you at my place.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stephen ... I will probably bore everyone to death!
DeleteI told Irish if hens had boobs, I'd have a winner! Bok-Bok!
OK, where's the follow button?
ReplyDeleteThank you for scooting over to say 'Hi'! I have no idea how to put that button on here. I'm surprised the darn page showed up! I have a LOT to learn .... (sigh)
Deletehello. :)
ReplyDeletesaw this over at the Feral Irishman. my sister used to keep chickens and she found that when they became too agressive that she could shake a plastic grocery bag at them and they would run away. she kept one with her at all times and in time they regarded her as the head rooster.
Hello Critter! Oh, I have tried that too. Hubby thinks I should carry a big stick. This ol granny wears work boots ... (Just try not to picture it). Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteha.... who knew....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.weirduniverse.net/blog/comments/sunglasses_for_chickens/
Now that was one hot chick in those shades!!! Thanks for the link, J3!
DeleteHowdy, and welcome to Blogville!
ReplyDeleteYou'll find many different people here, some funny, some annoying, and all different!
John Feralirishman sent me over to say "HI"!
Well thank you for the Howdy and welcome. I hope all get a few chuckles on my journey through Blogville. If anyone has questions on the two legged critters, I'll try to give 'ya a good answer.
DeleteThe Irishman sent me. Also don't worry some chickens are just assholes I raised them for years. If you want just hens you can order them that way. Our local feed store had a catalog that we picked from then they arrived at the post office for us to pick up.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit Corey - it's the first time getting them that is so darn funny! Please drop by again!
ReplyDeleteI grew up on a ranch mostly having cattle and hogs but grandma and grandpa had chickens and so did we. at about age 4 grandma had me catch a chicken for dinner with the clothes hanger hook. I caught it and she grabbed it and took off it's head. I swear while it was flopping around it was chasing me. I don't eat much chicken to this day. Another good one is when my wife who was a city girl were first married we went to mom and dad's and were going to spend the night in my old bedroom in the basement where dad was keeping 100 baby chicks. I remember the wife saying they were so cute, until about 3 in the morning with the peep,peeping keeping her awake, they weren't so cute then.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by! When my grandson first saw the hens he liked them until he saw the portal the eggs came out of. He never ate them again! Said he was going to only eat the ones from the store......
Delete