The adventures of Barbara (BR)

[AnnainMD]

Quote:
My son does the same thing for stuffed animals and the chickens: "Duck-Duck", "Moose-Moose", "Bear-Bear", "White-White" and "Chick-Chick." I'm so glad mine is not the only one.

By the way, I love your stories!!

 

[sewingca]

Dear MrsChickendad - I have been waiting patiently for our Hunner to act like a "real" rooster. He had not been pointing out treats or romancing the girls (just jumping them when they weren't looking) and the big girls would peck him. When we introduced out young rooster, Larry, and his sister to the pen, Hunner beat him up with all the big girls cheering him on. Now, Hunner has new status and is acting like a real rooster. He points out treats, does a little dance and doesn't get pecked by the big girls. Larry is just fine; I shot Hunner, and any girl nearby, with a spray bottle of water during the fracus. Now, Larry just keeps his distance.

I so enjoy the chicken world.

Caroline

 

[Fuffy]

Another great story, Mrs Chickendad! Thank you!!!

 

[dixie&trixie]

Where art thou oh Barbara?? I check daily for updates.....cant wait for the next installment.

 

[MrsChickendad]

dixie&trixie :

Where art thou oh Barbara?? I check daily for updates.....cant wait for the next installment.

Chickenboy was here for his 11th birthday on Sunday, and absconded with Mrs Chickendad's camera cable. He got a "new" (used) iBook and in the excitement took the wrong cable. Barbara and Monica are in the midst of an "adventure" which will be reported shortly, as soon as the cable is available for story illustration.​

 

[dixie&trixie]

Oh fantastic...I was getting worried. Thanks for the update

 

[MrsChickendad]

Funny Looking Eggs

The Chickendads were busy trying to keep everyone cool these past few days. They had lugged buckets and buckets of cold water out to all the chickens, and the Neighbor Next Door had kindly provided cold melon rind treats for everyone. The Babies are still suspicious of melon rinds, but of course being only two weeks old, they haven’t had much experience. Life is a lot different outside the egg.

Barbara and Monica have been hanging together lately. Today they met at the water cooler and decided to continue the landscaping project. It is nearly finished except that there is one plant still alive in the flower bed spa, and they haven’t yet gotten hungry enough to eat all the flowers on the garden chair. The BLRW cockerels took over the heavy landscaping work.

Most of the Little Boys had been allowed to run free and find their own cool spots. The Big Girls did not put up with nonsense from the Little Boys, so the boys held their own party under the spruce tree. There was lots of singing and dancing, but the Little Boys only succeeded in impressing each other. The girls thought it was too hot for romance, and all the crowing gave them a headache.

There were some strange looking chickens in the Baby Pen. The Neighbor Down the Road was mowing a few weeks ago and found a nest of Funny Looking Eggs. He brought them down to the Chickendads to see if there was room in the incubator for them. He said they were Guinea eggs and should hatch in 28 days. So Mrs. Chickendad stuck them in with the Cochin eggs and proceeded to count down the days. Pretty soon she watched as the Mille Fleur Cochins pipped and zipped. Then the White Cochins pipped and zipped. There was lots of peeping as the Babies adjusted to life on the outside. There was also lots of peeping coming from the incubator turner. The Keets were calling out to let Mrs. Chickendad know they were getting seasick from rocking in the turner and she should move them to the hatcher. Mrs. Chickendad thought those Keets were not very good at counting, or else Mama Guinea Hen had gotten them started earlier than everyone thought.

In any case, eleven Keets hatched and Mrs. Chickendad got to keep three of them. They look very strange with their big, long legs, stripey heads and little short, fat beaks. The Baby Cochins are all round and feathery with short legs and backs. It isn’t hard to figure out which ones are from the Funny Looking Eggs.

 

[sewingca]

Great story!

I really wish I could turn out the babies like you and The Neighbor Down the Road. My broodies will sit on eggs, but someone, something, or whatever keeps raiding the henhouse. I don't wish to sacrifice more really delicious eggs to the interloper(s). Keep the stories coming, dear MrsChickendad!

 

[MrsChickendad]

Quote:
Caroline, you will just have to ask Santa for an incubator! We only get about a 30% hatch rate with broodies, due to either their or our stupidity. The Neighbor Down the Road figured that he would lose the babies and maybe the Mama if he just left them there for predators, especially since he had mowed a path directly to the nest! I just wish we hadn't hatched so many Little Boys!

 

[MrsChickendad]

Info for ordering Barbara stuff is on BYC auctions:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=394555
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=394550