Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.

[EverMystique1]

1 of 3. Still waiting to see if we get another pip.

 

[Bens-Hens]

you've all been busy without me this morning! Congrats Alicia!!! (and Ben) haha. By the way, love her name, so much I gave it to my daughter. It was almost her first name but when she was born she just more like a "Kendahl Alycia".
Haha PB - peanut butter - my first thought too when I saw PB on a running app. I thought the "motivator" reference was too funny - I go alone except when I drag one of my co workers out for an in-town run after work. I go on dirt roads mostly so the scenary and music keeps me entertained since there's little chance of seeing another runner or even a car for that matter.
They're usually quite little for a while. Some of mine were about 1/4 the size of my older hens' eggs - but they lay jumbos every day now

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Ben, if your family comes to Michigan I'm afraid what fun projects you and my husband may come up with! He was a machine designer/builder for quite a few years until the company we worked for was sold (fabrication engineer...some title like that).

And about the dirt while camping...LOL...we only have clean dirt in Michigan!

Hahaha, I think it is motivator for the few part, then after the first stitch it becomes the other name lol.

Your husband sounds like a top bloke, I can come up wit an idea, he can tell me how crazy I am then we could go off with a roll of string and a pallet and make it anyway!

Pips and peeps!

Go little champs! "You can do it!" Birthday hatches are the best

Go babies go, you can do it! Show your pretty little fuzzy butts

love hatching!
I still have quite a few more weeks to go before eggs, but its going to be funny to see what comes out,lol.

Always fun to see thenmcome out.

1 of 3. Still waiting to see if we get another pip.

Woot! Now wake your sisters up, they have drying to do!

 

[mamahen1980]

Where's those new fuzzy butt pictures?
Ben, did your ladies lay you some eggs?

 

[EverMystique1]

Still only the 1. Hoping at least 1 of the other 2 hatch. Here is the tiniest nrw family member:

Please ignore the background. We are gutting the house, and everything is a disaster.

 

[Wrightsx4]

what a cutie!

 

[NovaAman]

Meh... who would have noticed the background? Not me... until you pointed it out. I was busy going AAAAAWWWW! Over the chick.

heheheehee

There is this guy here who posted a pic of a baby skunk... Anyway... just to be funny, it was pointed out that he needed to straighten his blinds. HEHE

 

[EmSteele]

I have a coupleof 15 weekers that are VERY interested in the nesting boxes so I've tossed in some golf balls! They are getting pretty red faced as well so keeping fingers crossed for some early layers! I've also discovered my favorite (a roo so will be eaten) may actually be a hen!!
We started 4-H fair week here so it's getting BUSY! This year my 7 year old is only showing a rabbit but next year we're possibly adding another and are definitely getting some chickens for him to raise and show....or he may just show the newly acquired mottled Japanese bantams that he LOVES!
So jealous of the fresh eggs and hatching babies!!

 

[Wrightsx4]

haha - if your roo is also interested in the nesting box...well...still could be a roo. lol. I have a one year old EE rooster that spends part of every day in his favorite nest box making weird growling noises and fluffing the straw. I like to think he's convincing hens to lay more eggs...

 

[NovaAman]

AHH!!! Motled Jap Bants! I have whites. First time having them, but have a pair of seremas... Not that Fritz the Jerk is interesting in his partner... He's more a fat hen kinda roo... LOL Anyway. Have a white out with the pheonix, and just for poops and giggles, I am hoping that one is a boy, and I am thinking, I might see what comes out of a black serema and a white jap... I have 4 japs in the garage brooder right now. They are 4-5 weeks now?.... Something like that. They come from Decoyman's stock. He's in VA. This is one of the roos that is the potential daddy to my chicks.



As for roo's in nests... That is some of the funniest stuff to see. They will stand guard over their girls when they first start laying, or if it is a particular favorite, and you'll hear them singing... kinda sounds like they are purring. They'll get in new nests, make sure it's good, invite the hen in to investigate and yeah. There is nothing on tv that compares to the entertainment you can get if you just sit back and watch the dynamics of what is going on in your chicken yard. You'll see who is the ring leader in excursions to the places they don't belong, you'll see which ones figure out the escape routes out of your, "I thought they wouldn't get out" pens/runs. LOL. Some are like dogs.. in that they want to eat what ever you have, and you can pet them... Some are like cats in that they want to see if what you have is what they want to eat, and you might be able to pet them if your faster than they are... AND they are worse than a bunch of old women at bridge club... They don't shut up when they've a mind to be noisey. AND SOME when they lay eggs feel the need to let the people 4 doors down on a country road, that yes, they just laid an egg. YES it was an inconvenient moment in their day, and NO you may not have any quiet time, because THEY feel that they are not appreciated enough for their efforts, and were in the double hockey sticks did every one go while they were in the nest laboring under the egg laying pains of daily life...

Yup... And lets not forget the ninja rapists... The stalker cockerels who hide behind a tree and wait for that unsuspecting pullet from the neighbors yard to come passing by so he can leap out and accost them. I mean.. who has time for dancing in circles with one wing down, and getting the steps right so he doesn't fall on his beak. NNNNNNOOOOOO! He'll just snatch her near bald headed, she's going to set off the alarm from hades so the big head roo will come running to her rescue, and young cockerel will run for his feathered behind's sake... BUT THEN that little hussy from next door will surely not have a problem with the rooster that is FOUR TIMES HER SIZE and she'll lay right on down, and almost be like. nananananah at that poor young cockerel who is just trying to "stay up late to get lucky".

And there are the broody sisters... You know the ones I am talking about. Come out of the nest once a day to make a big stink, go psycho and peck the crap out of which ever unsuspecting hen/cockerel/chick may have the unfortunate luck to cross her rampaging path! AND THE FIGHTS! Nothing worse than two broody hens fighting over WHO will be in the nest. The preferred nest. Stealing each others eggs, screaming at what ever feathered or skinned being happens to look in... Oh drama drama drama...

 

[Wrightsx4]

wow - Nova, he is beautiful. Nice picture Evermystique1- I didn't notice your background til you pointed it out! The chick had all my attention too I guess.