The Crowding Rowdies

[Davaroo]

I moved the chicks/pullets up the hill today to the pen and coop. Here they are, looking out from their nest box roost for the night. They are still pretty young and have just come from the growing cage, so they sleep together in a pile. At least they're up off the floor. We'll work on the roosting thing later.

I tried to get them into a better picture, but they were "chicken" and were trying their best to hide. There are FIVE of them in there.

See there in the back? That little black butt peeking out?
It's a left-over from a hatch gone bad. Lori calls him Toby. He's all by himself in the world and I had to put him in with these hooligans. He's had to adapt to these big ones, which are all from the same, much earlier hatch. I think there is 6-8 weeks between them.

They didn't like him at first, and might have killed him beating him up, so I had to separate him in a wire basket within their cage. But they have accepted him, finally, as one of the group, although he still has to step pretty lively around them.

It was a comical sight to see them all dustbathing together in a big feathery wad today. Dust was flying everywhere and they were in some sort of chickeny la-la-land, having big fun. It was Toby's first time out in the big world, and he seemed to be having the most fun of all.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Very cool.

How many chickens DO you have Dave? You never talk about them much. LOL

-Kim

 

[Davaroo]

Thanks for asking Kim. I doubt my story will be of much interest to anyone, but here it is.

I went chicken-less for quite some time, due to some losses, moves - and moves that didnt happen. I've only now gotten back into it - for a long time I was absent from BYC since I WAS chicken-less. As of today, you're looking at my total flock, right here. Im not a "big flock" person, regardless.

Honestly, I am more of a gardener-tinkerer who has gotten to know a little something about chickens. I'm also a bona-fide city chickener, oddly one of the seeming few here at a site named 'Back Yard Chickens'. 10-15 birds is about my limit, due mostly to space limitations and neighborly goodness.

I am also not a very good chicken killer, so I tend to stay out of meat bird discussions from a personal knowledge standpoint. I'll quip in from time to time, but as you;ve noticed, I tend to stay out of many of the hard-core, detail discussions, period. I will comment on incubation, general topics and some of the old ways I've learned and read about, but I try to be cautious about dispensing real advice. There are people far better for that than me.

AND I rarely try to play the 'guess age/sex/breed' game! I feel stupid trying to guess this stuff from some pic of a scruffy looking chick, in some far off place. I’m always baffled by those who seem to do it well.

I don't have 200 birds, and cant imagine that I should ever, so I tend to listen and try to offer acounterpoint most of time (I actually read far more posts than I comment in).

Why counterpoint? Why not just sing to the choir all the time, with everyone else?

Well, I'm of the belief that a fanatic can't change his mind nor change the subject, and if we're to be honest, we have plenty of fanatical folks here. I used to sing all the same songs as they; I was a long time subscriber to TMEN back in the early days and have boxes full of back issues. I was a devout vegan eco-green warrior for the New Age, fancying myself some modern-day Thoreau. I can relate to these folks, believe it or not.

But I see this site as one of those TV shows were vastly different people trade lives. There are many sides to every issue, so I am want to encourage folks into maybe seeing a little differently from their cherised "sacred cow" vantage point.

That's why I like Bob Plamondon so much. He had many of the same sacred cow concepts - until he came face to face with reality.

So that's me. The noble smart a**

As for these chickens. They're the offspring of many groups that I've spread around the local area, to many of my friends over several years. In a way , they have come back home.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Well, noble smarta**, that is quite the story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope this flock does well for you. Are they any breed or mix in particular?

It's funny how animals don't like to cooperate when a camera breaks out. I can never get the "shot" I want. Although, that picture worked out. They are very cute. The little black one is either going to be a pushover or a hellraiser. I have a few little ones that I had to "throw" in with the older ones, and they go either way. LOL

Thanks for the good read, glad they came home.
-Kim

 

[Robin L]

I also enjoyed reading your story Dave

Love your picture too.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
No Kim, they are of 'doubtful pedigree', to be polite. The little black one, Toby, is now Lori's official critter, so Im afraid I will be stuck with it one way or another. Well until it shows it's sex.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Thanks, Robin. It was cathartic, if nothing else.
Perhaps we need a: This is my story thread! Wanna start one?

 

[Wolf-Kim]

That's the wonderful thing about a chicken. You may not know what they are breed wise, but they'll always be chickens. They look like good birds, classic barnyard critters and good egg-layers. I hope they perform well for you.

-Kim

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Thanks, Kim. Time will tell.