On The Farm with FluffyChick
OK, so its not really a farm, but the backyard of a small home in a Northwest Arkansas rural city whose main claim to fame is that it is less than 10 miles from Fort Smith. My husband and I have the requisite cat and dog. We also have Standard and Mini Rex rabbits and have recently added some Cochin Bantam chicks. I, Shari, am the head livestock keeper and gardener. DH Jimmy just shakes his head and builds me stuff whenever I ask and pretends not to notice the weekly feed or plant purchases. A good man, that!
I'm overly excited about the chicks! They are currently living in a tubby in our living room, where I can watch them and hover over them and pet them and try to train them to come when called. I imagine it won't be too long before they have to go outside, so I am making sure that they can be somewhat controlled. I am concerned about the feral cat population here. I am also concerned that they will be considered "varmints" by Macy the Jack Russell terrier and be obliterated from the face of the earth at her earliest convenience, much like any rabbit foolish enough to escape it's cage. These are problems which will have to be dealt with sooner or later.
So, enough ramblings! On to chicken and garden pictures!
These are the chicks soon after I brought them home from Amanda Terry in Malvern, Arkansas. Thanks Amanda! I took the picture through the tubby, so it looks somewhat "overcast"
I have also taken individual pictures of most of them. Their primary purpose is documenting the chicks' growth and what they look like at various stages of development. Eventually I'll post them up here - when there is something to compare them with.
May 15, 2009: Chicken Update!
Since Locutus and Hugh are so much bigger than the other chicks, I spur-of-the-moment decided it was time for them to move outside. I washed out the dog kennel (ick!) and set up their new home in the Tiller Shed. The Tiller Shed is an enclosed, chain-link dog kennel with a tin roof. Keeps the tiller dry. Or, at least did until I moved it out. Now it is the Chicken Dominion. I sat out there with them while they became acclimated to their new digs. Petted Hugh, held Locutus, explained to them that their bullying of the younger peeps would no longer be tolerated and it was time for them to become REAL chickens. They seemed to take it in stride. I've checked on them and they are doing OK. They did not realize that the dog kennel was to sleep in and had settled down by the gate, which has a gap big enough for something to poke its paw in and grab an innocent chick. I figured the shavings would give the kennel away as their new bedroom, but apparently they didn't make the connection. I grabbed them up and threw them in it. I just checked - they're still there, making little chicken-peeps. Will I sleep tonight? Probably not well. At least I'm an early riser . . .
I'm overly excited about the chicks! They are currently living in a tubby in our living room, where I can watch them and hover over them and pet them and try to train them to come when called. I imagine it won't be too long before they have to go outside, so I am making sure that they can be somewhat controlled. I am concerned about the feral cat population here. I am also concerned that they will be considered "varmints" by Macy the Jack Russell terrier and be obliterated from the face of the earth at her earliest convenience, much like any rabbit foolish enough to escape it's cage. These are problems which will have to be dealt with sooner or later.
So, enough ramblings! On to chicken and garden pictures!
These are the chicks soon after I brought them home from Amanda Terry in Malvern, Arkansas. Thanks Amanda! I took the picture through the tubby, so it looks somewhat "overcast"
I have also taken individual pictures of most of them. Their primary purpose is documenting the chicks' growth and what they look like at various stages of development. Eventually I'll post them up here - when there is something to compare them with.
May 15, 2009: Chicken Update!
Since Locutus and Hugh are so much bigger than the other chicks, I spur-of-the-moment decided it was time for them to move outside. I washed out the dog kennel (ick!) and set up their new home in the Tiller Shed. The Tiller Shed is an enclosed, chain-link dog kennel with a tin roof. Keeps the tiller dry. Or, at least did until I moved it out. Now it is the Chicken Dominion. I sat out there with them while they became acclimated to their new digs. Petted Hugh, held Locutus, explained to them that their bullying of the younger peeps would no longer be tolerated and it was time for them to become REAL chickens. They seemed to take it in stride. I've checked on them and they are doing OK. They did not realize that the dog kennel was to sleep in and had settled down by the gate, which has a gap big enough for something to poke its paw in and grab an innocent chick. I figured the shavings would give the kennel away as their new bedroom, but apparently they didn't make the connection. I grabbed them up and threw them in it. I just checked - they're still there, making little chicken-peeps. Will I sleep tonight? Probably not well. At least I'm an early riser . . .