The Chickendad Chronicles

[Crabella]

Where oh Where have the Chickendad's gone? We miss your entertaining stories of life on the Chickendad farm. Hope all is well.

 

[artsyrobin]

lets pm her and see if she is ok?? she would appreciate that!

 

[MrsChickendad]

A W-w-w-w-winter Update


Now that it is very cold outside, Little Barbara has had to concentrate on growing new feathers and getting her butt big enough to keep her and the Rhodie Girls warm. She has not experienced any interest in the nest boxes where the older girls go every day to sit and growl at anyone who looks sideways at them. She does not know why they go in there, as she is still technically a “little girl”. The two Rhodie boys have been preening themselves and strutting up and down the coop trying to get Barbara and the Rhodie Girls to notice their handsomeness. Barbara is not particularly impressed with them, after all they do not have lovely black and white stripes like she does. It takes quite a bit of her time keeping all her stripes in order. Her tail has grown in quite nicely and the boys seem to admire it also; they have been following her around and trying to catch a bite of it. Barbara is starting to get annoyed with them. She did manage to pose for a picture while they lined up in front of her for her approval. She thinks they have such funny combs—like a big wad of bubble gum perched on their heads. (The original Wendy Wyandotte is in the back).




Because of the cold, rain, snow, wind and mud, the chickies have not gotten let out much lately. The cochins are all in the cochin coop, and when they get let out, they head straight for the muddy tree spa, which makes quite a mess of their feet. Mrs. Chickendad is trying to find a mild enough afternoon to transfer some of the little cochins to the honeymoon pens so they can make lovely little babies. The milles and the whites have been cross-pollinating lately, so Mrs. Chickendad had best get with it or she will have weird tie-dyed babies. Here is a picture of one of the Little White Boys who is practicing to be a Valentine!





There is a pen of self blue cochins hatched last September. They are getting lovely and round and the Chickendads are most excited about them. They were hatched under two black broody hens and the little girls are still trying to crawl under their mamas even though they are nearly the same size! It knocks the mamas off the roost, but they seem to be good natured about their foster children. Perhaps they will pose for a picture soon!

 

[Dowie]

Oh, tie-dyed cochins, I think I'd love to see that! What about Barbara (when she's old enough) and a mille cochin...imagine what a mess the mille side would make of the stripes!

 

[artsyrobin]

oh how wonderful to hear from the Chickendads! Sounds like alot of practicing going on- like the idea of a mille man for our Barbara!! What a treat to see a new story!! Stay warm up there!

 

[1muttsfan]

Glad things are going well at the Chickendad's. Your RIR's have lovely color to them

 

[peepacheep]

Thank-you for the Chickendad update!!! So good to hear how Barbara and everyone is doing. Tie dye cochins??? Yes, chicks from Barbara and a mille would be something to see.

 

[sewingca]

Love the pics! Wonderful to see that Wendy is still with us. I've lost my two silver laced Wyandottes to internal laying. Yesterday, the resident eagle had a too-large-to-carry bird and DH told me it wasn't a chicken, but I hurried down to the chicken yard to count. Yep, all accounted for! Happy Valentine's Day, dear MrsChickendad. oxoxo

 

[Crabella]

Yay! an update from the Chickendad's! It's been a lloooong winter without your entertaining stories.

 

[MrsChickendad]

March at the Chickendads

The Chickendads are recovering from the flu that has been going around, and are starting to hope they will not die from it, unlike the way they felt last week, when they were afraid they would not die! Mrs. Chickendad has decided to postpone her foot surgery until after she participates as Mother of the Groom at this summer’s wedding of the Son of Chickendad and the lovely Karla. This union will provide the Chickendads with two more granddaughters, a much looked-forward to event. The grandchild count will then stand at 2 boys (including Chickenboy) and 3 girls.

Barbara has been cooped up in this cold weather with the four roosters, all possible suitors. She has made her selection of Carl, the rosecomb Rhodie as her current husband. This should make their children black sex-links, should she ever decide to begin laying eggs. She has not been particularly happy about being locked up, but neither does she appreciate wading outdoors in melted snow, a fact she forgets about when complaining about having to spend time with her Rhodie and Wyandotte sisters. It is hard to be a standout Barred Rock when the other girls are, in Barbara’s opinion, so plain. As for Carl, he is quite handsome, in spite of being mostly one color and having a weird comb. Barbara is quite satisfied with being the good looking one of the couple. It helps, too, that Carl waits on her constantly, bringing treats as he can find them.

Over in the breezeway, the little black cochin mamas have both gone broody and are crammed into the same nest box incubating 15 eggs. Mrs. Chickendad has plans this afternnoon to take the egg candler out and check them to see if there are any babies sleeping inside. A few of the eggs are too tiny to develop; they are probably fairy eggs from the little self-blue girls who have just started contributing to the pile. The other eggs should develop into black cochin chicks split to self-blue. The cranky pants broody girls have been growling and complaining every time anyone looks at them sideways. The two self-blue boys in that pen have been greeting everyone who comes by with their “Erk-a-Derrrr” crows. Mrs. Chickendad responds to them with “Erk-a-Derrr” and they answer almost every time. They are also fond of wing-dragging and twirling around dancing to impress anyone who comes by to admire them.