Metro Monday

Little, Biddie Biddies...

Metro, Biddie Sitting

Bachelor Pads

We have too many roosters!!! At least we had too many roosters too close to each other. We corrected that on Friday afternoon and Saturday. By building individual "stalls" for the boys, we no longer have to worry about them pecking each other. We remodeled the cart and hay storage area we had built a couple of weekend ago into Rooster Roosts.

During Construction

The tin dividers were installed to insure that the roosters did not fight over who had the best apartment. The 3" PVC pipe is the water delivery system... simply add water from the south side of the pipe (there is a 2 foot riser on the right hand 45° joint) to flush and fill the pipe.

The roosting perches allows the three guys to get up high and have something to 'crow' about!

Marvin, BigBoy 1 and Monty

Perhaps I should have told them to reset their clocks for the end of Daylight Saving Time!!!

Cluck, Cluck!

An IM from Sarah on Tuesday: "Call me"

Sarah: "I've got another building project for ya."

Me: "Yeah, what is it!!!"

Sarah: "Somewhere to put the new chickens... that we just got!"

I get home and there are two roosters and three hens to add to our collection!

For about 8 years, Sarah has joked with Wayne (my boss and her's also when she was with Tumi) that she was going to buy and give him a Dominicker Chicken. We have even looked for photos and/or a stuffed chicken to present to him. NO JOY on that! Now, we have four live Doninique Chickens! The other rooster is a regular white feathered bird with a red/brown saddle.

Millie, Monica and Michelle --- and of course Metro

Monty (need a better picture of this one)

Marvin

From Wiki:

The Dominique chicken is considered America's oldest breed of chicken, having been brought to New England from southern England during colonial times. By the 19th century, they were widely popular and were raised in many parts of the country. Dominiques are a dual purpose breed, being valued for their meat as well as for their brown eggs. They weigh 6 to 8 pounds at maturity. In earlier times, their feathers were much sought after as stuffing for pillows and mattresses.

After the Plymouth Rock breed was developed from the Dominiques in the 1870's, the Dominiques' popularity declined, until by 1950 they were so rare as to be considered nearly extinct. During the 1970's, Dominiques were listed in "Critical" status by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, with fewer than 500 breeding birds in North America. However, due to a revival of interest in them and other rare breeds, the Dominiques have made a comeback and are now listed on the "Watch" list, indicating lesser danger of extinction.

Dominiques, historically called Dominickers by many people, are quite distinctive in appearance, having a rose-colored comb and a heavy plumage of striped black-and-white feathers (a pattern called "barring").

What do you do on Labor Day

You labor!

That is what we did today.

We actually started on Saturday. It starts with something simple... This time it was putting a new pole to raise the bird feeder at the kitchen window. While digging the post hole, you might as well clean out the pine straw, right? Nut and bahia grass had taken over the landscaped areas around the house. So, we clean the weeds and grass, planted two dogwood trees and generally made the west and south sides of the house much better looking (much like it was 5 months eariler). The cloudy day with temperatures in the mid 80's was a most welcome change from the 105° highs just last week.

Of course, worship at church on Sunday and a bit of rest.

Cutting the lawn was on the plans for Monday. We started as soon as the morning dew was dried. Sarah took mower first while I grabbed the weedeater and headed for the goat pen. You would think that with three goats that you wouldn't have to cut grass inside their pen. But, nooooooooo... I guess they don't like bahia grass!

I take over the cutting of the grass and Sarah is raking the trimmings from the goat pen. The goat bridge needs to be re-secured! I see Sarah carried the post hole diggers. The mower stops! We discuss the general look of the goat/chicken pen. It needs help! The roosters have too much room and the goats don't have enough. Too many make do renovations were made to separate growing chicks.

Rafters are installed and temporary tin dividers become new chicken coop roofing. It starts with something simple, and then - one thing leads to another...

But now we have much neater place for our animials!

Cock-a-doodle-dooooooooo

Our fears became evident yesterday morning. We were enjoying sips from our coffee on the front deck as we listened to the birds welcoming the day. That's when we heard crowing from the goat/chicken pen. Oh, of course Marty and Mason were doing their thing - which usually starts about 5:30 a.m. And they are loud enough to be heard inside the house. Which is some feat, given their size compared to most roosters and the fact that the house is so well insulated.

The crowing we heard was a wee, faint "cock-a-doodle-doooo". And it was coming from one of the chick we got for our anniversary. The cute and fluffy yellow fuzz balls that came home with me on the 30th of March have never stopped eating.

They have grown to be larger than Mason - (not that difficult, given that Mason is a teeny Bantam).

We are faced with a dilemma. Do we built another apartment to the chicken pen for the budding roosters? OR. Do we try to find them new homes?

Hmmmmm, how much fencing do I have left over from the addition built when Sugar and Spice were babies???

Merlinda

When Maggie died last fall, Merlinda took over as Head Hen. When allowed freedom from the chicken pen, the four red hens (Merlinda, Melissa, Mildred, & Margaret) along with Marty and Martha scratched and hunted for bugs all over the yard. And when Marty would call at the discovery of a treasure, Merlinda would be the first in line for the morsel.

Then something happened, we are not sure what. But I am blaming a mean Nanny Goat. Around the middle of January, we noticed Merlinda was hopping on one foot. Her right leg (thigh and drumstick for the culinary) just kinda flopped without purpose. At the same time, she lost her status in the pecking order. She was being abused by the other hens in her weakness. We removed her from the coop and made a small pen for her under the carport.

And a fine pen it was… One inch EVA foam to act as insulation from the cold concrete - fresh straw for bedding (changed regularly) - a heavy gate as a top for security - and a blanket for shielding Merlinda from the winds that circle around the breezeway - fresh water and food & daily treats. She was enjoying the spoiling.

Amateur vets to the rescue – we splinted the leg. For six weeks, we pampered and petted her while she wore her blue painter’s tape cast. She even received ‘spa treatments’. Did you know that chickens are somewhat potty trainable? We didn’t either!!!

Yesterday, Merlinda was moved from the rehab center back to the coop. She protested! But as darkness came with the end of day, she hopped one rail at a time till she made it to the roosting rail at the top. The victory was bittersweet, we felt like our chicken had cut the apron strings and we were empty nesters.

Morning report: Merlinda is either afraid to or is not able to descend the rails to ground level on her own. I guess we will have to install a handicapped ramp.