World Cup vs Chicken Coop

I don't have much of a choice, I can watch the games from my work computer and boy do I ever take advantage of that! Waiting to say bye, bye to Forlan. However, another game is playing out in my coop and I wish I could view that one just as much. I recently place Elvis and Astrud in the big coop. I wanted to wait for a nice, sunny weekend to do this. I  finally  came upon a free weekend and this was the first order of business. While Astrud and Elvis are no longer too small for injury, PeeWee and Fuzztop tend to be somewhat tricky. I have seen them gang up on Elvis in the yard already. They got on either side of her and then pecked her at the same time sending her squealing in terror. No injuries but I don't want a skittish Elvis although, I can see her being last in the group. Surprise me, Elvis!

They went in on Friday afternoon and all went well. The poor things were too afraid to climb into their new nest at night so when I went to check in on them before bed I moved their little drowsy bodies to the nest above them. The next morning I was up to find Astrud trying to navigate the upper portion of the coop and trying to get to her breakfast below. I simply guided her towards the ladder and gave her a gentle push down. Elvis followed. 

Nothing eventful happened until Saturday evening when all four were entering the coop together and calling it a day. Without warning Astrud suddenly began packing Fuzztop and PeeWee with all the energy and confidence of a hen twice her size. Yay! Way to go Astrud. I had long had her pegged for a leader but didn't think she'd try so soon. The older two quickly chased her out and Astrud went out the door without a sound but quickly returned though a bit nervous and went for Fuzztops tail feathers. She was chased out again. This time I said enough and felt it had been enough. The mosquitoes were attacking me and as much as I wanted to referee this I was quickly being devoured and becoming physically unable to exist outside. Fuzztop had made her way into her nest and Astrud was eating.

I was quite proud to find that Astrud and Elvis put themselves to bed Saturday night and made their way to the feeder all by themselves. This morning Astrud tried again to assert herself. She is only three months old. What a girl!  Give her a few more weeks and she'll be running the place.  Fuzztop and PeeWee  will see changes. They really are no match for the Lakenvelder dynamo that is Astrud. When World Cup is over, I'll still have this to watch.

Just brood then!

Fuzztop and PeeWee have been broody this week. UGH! Why now? It started about a week ago. I don't know if this behavior is healthy in the recent heat we've been having and will continue to have into November (so it seems). To make things "safer" for them I suspended the cooling fan so that it hits the nest but not directly, still, nice breeze. I also purchased two  small chick waterers to put in the corners of their nests and I bring them food.  In the mornings I have tried to scoot them out but they want no part of it and return to the coop. Last Saturday they were out all day and had a wonderful time. Fuzztop started showing signs and left PeeWee alone to befriend the new girls. But PeeWee fell into the broodiness as well.

In the summer I have always lined their nesting boxes with newspaper. It gets changed 1-2 a week and is cooler and cleaner than hay.  When the weather gets cooler I line them with hay. This summer I have tried to insulate their coop. It is under a shade tree but I have placed a car cover over the roof and then canvas painters tarps. The result is a coop ceiling that isn't hot. I have caught them panting one and I spritz them with water and they enjoyed that. I guess I shouldn't worry since there has been no panting but broodiness means no eggs and no eggs could also mean heat distress so you see...their mother worries.

From the coop

Elvis and Atrud have been  spending time in a cage in my studio. They are still to small to manage the pecking order. I let Fuzztop and PeeWee out to free range for several hours when I get home from work and Elvis and Astrud join them. For several weeks now with those two pairs meet-up it has resulted in the babies being pecked. Hello, cold, harsh world. They learned not to follow the two older girls and instead find their own foraging spots and  sunny spots to catch some rays.

Yesterday as I was cleaning every ones cage and coop (I have a bunny too), I noticed PeeWee just following Astrud and Elvis all over the yard like some embarrassing older woman trying to be hip and hang with the  teeny boppers. Elvis and Astrud were in their own world and really didn't pay much attention. Then they started to walk away each time PeeWee got too close resulting in PeeWee becoming more and more pathetic. Of course this is only one funny way to look at the scenario. I was pleased to see PeeWee trying to make nice with the two girls. The two pullets didn't welcome PeeWee not did they seem to be threatened. I hope this means things will work out  when they go into the coop in a few months.

I felt good for PeeWee though. It would be nice for her to have these two to hang with when Fuzztop goes broody or just gets plain moody. I have noticed that Fuzztop  will choose not to hang with PeeWee and just go into the coop to eat or drink water and sit. Other times she will leave to lay an egg  or seem to go broody for all of two hours. I call this fake broodiness. I wonder if she does that to get away from PeeWee. Poor PeeWee will then walk the yard alone, mumbling to herself and come by to be picked up. So new friends will be nice.

I can see a bit of a power struggle between Fuzztop and Astrud though. I can see Astrud as a leader but Fuzztop not wanting to relinquish control of PeeWee. She can still control PeeWee but will she allow herself to be bossed? I can see Elvis below PeeWee. Elvis is so "la-la-la" about everything. I love to see her play maid in waiting and help Astrud pimp and preen. We joke about her being such a little sycophant that her once white feathers are becoming speckled with black to look more like her little idol.

That's the drama from the coop this weekend. I have to go back out there and get back to doing nothing but watch the  clouds and hens go by.

Chickhood is so short

When I visited the feed store on Saturday and saw the tiny  day old chicks for sale I was reminded that Elvis and Astrud are not baby chicks but becoming pullets. They grow up so fast.

Astrud and Elvis have really bonded with each other. Astrud has really bonded with me and will fly out of the brooder and into my lap for neck and chest rubs. I hope these girls become lap hens. It's nice to have hens so tame and trusting of you that they'll sit on your lap and fall asleep.

I don't feel I took enough photos of their chickhood yet I have folders filled with just Elvis at 1,2,3,4,....10 days old etc... It's just that it goes so quickly. I actually have more than enough. I only miss them a bit at that age. But I enjoy watching them at this stage too. They are so comical and get these confused looks in their eyes as they explore the world.

As my two older girls enter their third summer, I am morbidly reminded of how the heat took Ducky's life and that a camera is always a good things to have when outside with them. They have a fan and I try to keep the water cold. I have decided this year that if the temps get too high and into the triple digits they are all going into my studio during the hottest hours of the day. These are my pets and each one of them has a little piece of my heart. I  try to care for them as best as I can. When the rewards are high, it's easy.