What show is in November? And Where?I hope you guys can stand more chicken pics -
Integration has begun for real in the yard. DH has been amazingly tolerant of having chickens in the house, but the time has come for them to be grown up chickens. Too bad we can't re purpose chicken dust because I'm left with a ton of it in the computer room which can't be good for the computer! (DH has been hinting he needs a new one anyway. He may get his wish soon.)
Utilizing my X-pen which I LOVE for integration. For those who ever need to quarantine or gradually introduce chickens to one another, this is a great relatively inexpensive tool. Occasionally you can find the collapsible pens on Craigslist. I would definitely recommend you invest in a folding cover for it. Since I'm using it for chicks or bantams, I don't want them to get carried away, so a cover is clipped to the pen. The girls have an opportunity to visit during the day through the sides of their pens and at night the silkies sleep in a small crate INSIDE the X-pen so they're more secure.
My original Silkies are in the VF coop on the left. Covered X-pen set up next to it for the next few days until I feel pretty certain everyone can live together peacefully.
Also,here are a few photos of my pet quality girl that I picked up from Catdance as a souvenir the day KMHunter and I visited. This hen will never win any beauty contests, but what she lacks in looks she makes up for in personality!
This was a girl taken from a Silkie holding pen with about 30 other Silkies so she'd not had any individual attention. A few weeks in the house with me though and she's turned into a love monger. She craves attention and relaxes as soon as I pick her up. She adores being held and petted. Introducing the fabulous "Pearlie June!"
"What do you mean I wouldn't win any beauty contests?"
"Have you taken a look at my fabulously fluffy butt lately? How's that for beauty?"
"Beauty Schmeauty - I rule the roost. Now leave me alone. It's lunchtime".
Soon Pearlie June and the FRF babies as of yet un-named, will be joining my original Catdance babies, Isadora and Lucille. Lucille is my DD's lavender and also the chick in my avatar, and Isadora is my pretty black pullet. I'm thinking about possibly entering Isadora in the next poultry show in November. It would be my first time so I'd have to find out how to enter and how to groom and prep a chicken for her show debut! I think she has nice type, but to my very untrained eye I really don't know. I guess entering her for a judge's critique would be a good educational experience for me.
I did hear something interesting from Karen Larsen of Catdance. She says winning in a poultry show can often just be capturing the right moment in time. What constitutes a quality show chicken one day might not apply at the next show. Different judge, different condition of the chicken. I thought that was interesting.
Here are our lovelies, Isadora and Lucille hanging out in their run under the VF coop. Not great picture quality - a quick and dirty shot with the iPhone.
