people with house chickens

[kendradillon]

shes a blue quail

 

[PhantomChikkinz]

*****Warning: This post is very pic heavy!*****

Okay, so I've been away and extremely busy... But hey everyone!!!!

Between working (still) 6 days a week, and managing 2 incubators, I've had to deal with re-homing some birds who were viciously picking on little Enzo (my MGB), carpooling because of a flat tire and no day off to have it fixed, and trying desperately to keep my hatching incubator stable.

Anyway, things have been nuts. Good things have happened as well.

Before I start, I just have to say, Chickie Momma... I was so sorry to hear about Marilyn. Reading about what you were going through just broke my heart. I guess it was easier to come to terms with when you knew she was ready to pass, but I can't even begin to think about having to go through that with mine. You are stronger and braver than I am, and you have massive amounts of respect and admiration coming from me.

Theresa, MsChickenMomma, Kyle, Kendra, and everyone else I can't think of this very second... How are you all? Also, a belated welcome to those of you who have recently stumbled upon this thread!

To answer your question, Theresa... So far ALL of the eggs from Phantom and Polka Dot have been fertile!

Baby #1:

This one is strange! Has 5 toes like daddy, little eyes like mama, and appears to have mostly normal feathers like mama. I have no idea what he's gonna grow up to be, but he's gonna be a little tough guy, judging by his attitude. The other weird thing is, he hatched a day early.. I've never seen that before, so I have determined that he's awesome. Therefore, his name is Denny (cause he's the Early Bird Special).

Baby #2:

She hatched while I was sleeping! I woke up yesterday morning to see the cutest little ball of adorable standing there waiting for me to realize she had arrived. This one definitely takes after daddy, through and through. She even has his superhero mask on! I had massive doubts about her hatching at all, since Denny decided to take all of his drunken ninja fury out on the other two eggs in the incubator with him. She is doing just fine, though! The other one (as I suspected) was a quitter around day 10 or so, but I was hopeful and gave it a shot anyway.

Baby #3 was pipping as of this morning when I left the house, so I'll try to get a crappy incubator picture of him/her when I get home tonight. I've got one more in lockdown that should hatch on Wednesday, 4 more in incubator #1 that are due to hatch over the next week or so, and 6 more collected since Monday. All from ONE tiny little bantam hen. Yes, a sizzle hen laying 6 eggs in 6 days. If she lays one today, that will make one a day for a whole week. I will be stunned.

In other news, Enzo flat out refuses to be a coop bird. She is a person, and nobody will ever convince her otherwise. She will NOT sleep in her cage anymore. She just squawks and cries and gets mad when she's the only "human" in the room, even though she's got other chickens to keep her company.

Solution?

She now sleeps in the bedroom with us. As ridiculous as it sounds, she is supremely happy there. We have a tall bookshelf about 4 feet way from the bed. We cleared off one of the shelves and made her a little bed in there. She sleeps all night long and doesn't make a sound. It's actually something we look forward to. "Bedtime!!!" Followed by stork bird running like an emu on crack into the bedroom to roost. I love that bird.

I figured I'd post some adorable pics I got of my flock enjoying the 80+ degree weather yesterday... So here they are! Check out how much Sterling has grown!

Sorry about taking what is probably an entire page, everyone. I wanted to share

 

[hippiecowgirl]

Hello Fellow House Chicken Owners - I have an Americauna named Madison that lives in the house with us. I originally had 2 and when her partner was killed by a car the others turned on her. I had to take her in to save her. It started with her just coming in here and there, she would hang out with me when I was outside because she knew I'd protect her from the others and she eventually just started following me into the house. I would initially put her back in the coop at night to sleep but after opening the coop in the morning and finding her bloodied one too many times I gave that up. She's been in full time since last spring and despite what some will say, she is one happy, healthy chicken. She rules the roost and has run of the house (I have linoleum floors and LOTS of furniture covers) and is the most spoiled chicken on the planet. I have a pic from earlier this winter, it's 9 degrees out and the chickens are all bedded deep with straw in thr coop.... all except one... Ms. Madison... and where is she? Chilling in front of the fireplace of course And apparently (thank goodness), no one ever told my 3 dogs, 3cats, rabbit, mouse and chicken that they aren't supposed to live in harmony under the same roof. I love my house chicken. There are just certain things you hear at my house that you don't at others!!!! One being.... hey, I found an egg in my bed!! Gotta keep life interesting.

 

[hippiecowgirl]

I am loving reading all these posts. I've always brushed-off the dumb bird idea when it came to chickens but have never had one as personable and friendly as Madison. Every morning when she wakes she hops down from the back of her recliner (hey, funny, I just realized that was always MY recliner) and comes into my bedroom, hops up on the bed and settles on the corner until I wake up. Then she hops down with the dogs and makes happy clucking noises while I say good morning to everyone and then runs to the living room to be fed. She loves to be held, petted and cuddled and in fact, if she wants attention and isn't getting it she'll jumo right up on your lap and demand it. She is trained in some ways. There are pieces of furniture she knows not to get on, tables, countertops, etc... she knows her name and if you tell her, Madison NO... she stops what she is doing. She's really such an awesome pet... but man, the looks I get when people find out I live with a chicken. And then when they interact with her they are just amazed by how she is.

 

[kendradillon]

@PhantomChikkinz !! thankyou for the cuteness overload!! my heart has burst repeatedly

 

[PhantomChikkinz]

@PhantomChikkinz
!! thankyou for the cuteness overload!! my heart has burst repeatedly

Aww thank you

I love these ridiculous little creatures! I've already decided there's no way I'm having kids, so I gotta be proud of something, right?

 

[Searsmom]

You guys are awesome. There was one hen in my first batch that really wanted to be a pet hen. I kept them in the house since it was too cold when they arrived and this one would fly up onto my shoulder when I was sitting at the computer. When DH got the chicken house finished and they were put outside she would come to the glass door and look in at me and peck the glass. If there hadn't been a DH she would have stayed inside. I even took her to my sister's yard sale with me on a rope leash. She's a doll.

Just don't tell DH I ever had those thoughts. Chickens are so much fun when you get to know their personalities, they can really blossom.

Loved your pictures!

 

[Sandywitch]

Hubby is taking notice of the chicks and seems amused by them too! That's a plus! He noticed that what one does, the other two must copy. One eats out of a certain food slot, and the other has to try to eat out of the SAME slot at the same time, even with about ten others available! I had the brooder box on top of the drier in the kitchen, but now a small table I had ordered is here and assembled, so the brooder is not setting on top of that. It's lower so I don't need a step stool to stand on just to look in at them. Whenever I do look in, they tip their heads sideways so they can look up at me. I TRY to make momma hen noises to make them feel at home. LOL!!! I hope they don't grow up with psychological problems from that!

 

[Searsmom]

They won't! They'll just be more sociable!

 

[MsChickenMomma]

*****Warning: This post is very pic heavy!*****

Okay, so I've been away and extremely busy... But hey everyone!!!!

Between working (still) 6 days a week, and managing 2 incubators, I've had to deal with re-homing some birds who were viciously picking on little Enzo (my MGB), carpooling because of a flat tire and no day off to have it fixed, and trying desperately to keep my hatching incubator stable.

Anyway, things have been nuts. Good things have happened as well.

Before I start, I just have to say, Chickie Momma... I was so sorry to hear about Marilyn. Reading about what you were going through just broke my heart. I guess it was easier to come to terms with when you knew she was ready to pass, but I can't even begin to think about having to go through that with mine. You are stronger and braver than I am, and you have massive amounts of respect and admiration coming from me.

Theresa, MsChickenMomma, Kyle, Kendra, and everyone else I can't think of this very second... How are you all? Also, a belated welcome to those of you who have recently stumbled upon this thread!

To answer your question, Theresa... So far ALL of the eggs from Phantom and Polka Dot have been fertile!

Baby #1:



This one is strange! Has 5 toes like daddy, little eyes like mama, and appears to have mostly normal feathers like mama. I have no idea what he's gonna grow up to be, but he's gonna be a little tough guy, judging by his attitude. The other weird thing is, he hatched a day early.. I've never seen that before, so I have determined that he's awesome. Therefore, his name is Denny (cause he's the Early Bird Special).

Baby #2:



She hatched while I was sleeping! I woke up yesterday morning to see the cutest little ball of adorable standing there waiting for me to realize she had arrived. This one definitely takes after daddy, through and through. She even has his superhero mask on! I had massive doubts about her hatching at all, since Denny decided to take all of his drunken ninja fury out on the other two eggs in the incubator with him. She is doing just fine, though! The other one (as I suspected) was a quitter around day 10 or so, but I was hopeful and gave it a shot anyway.

Baby #3 was pipping as of this morning when I left the house, so I'll try to get a crappy incubator picture of him/her when I get home tonight. I've got one more in lockdown that should hatch on Wednesday, 4 more in incubator #1 that are due to hatch over the next week or so, and 6 more collected since Monday. All from ONE tiny little bantam hen. Yes, a sizzle hen laying 6 eggs in 6 days. If she lays one today, that will make one a day for a whole week. I will be stunned.

In other news, Enzo flat out refuses to be a coop bird. She is a person, and nobody will ever convince her otherwise. She will NOT sleep in her cage anymore. She just squawks and cries and gets mad when she's the only "human" in the room, even though she's got other chickens to keep her company.

Solution?

She now sleeps in the bedroom with us. As ridiculous as it sounds, she is supremely happy there. We have a tall bookshelf about 4 feet way from the bed. We cleared off one of the shelves and made her a little bed in there. She sleeps all night long and doesn't make a sound. It's actually something we look forward to. "Bedtime!!!" Followed by stork bird running like an emu on crack into the bedroom to roost. I love that bird.

I figured I'd post some adorable pics I got of my flock enjoying the 80+ degree weather yesterday... So here they are! Check out how much Sterling has grown!










Sorry about taking what is probably an entire page, everyone. I wanted to share

Very cute! I can't believe how big Sterling is already.

What a cutie.




Sunni is feeling kind of grumpy today. I think she is still mad at me for leaving her in her coop for 8 hours on Saturday while I wasn't home.

That little girl does not like it when I leave the house. Which is fine, since I don't have to leave very often, but she makes me feel bad when I leave just for a few hours! Which is why we are sneaking her into the hotel when we go on vacation next month. I suppose her constant neediness is to be expected when she's the only chicken in the house.