Catching Chickens

It's been a couple of non-stop weeks around here (and finally winding down -- much more peaceful).  My apologies for lacking a chicken update last week.  So here are weeks 4, 5 and 6.  The girls are growing fast.  I would say they are about the size of a gallon jug -- only bird shaped.

4ish weeks

5 weeks

6 weeks

Marshmallow -- notice she has a bit more white baby fluff
left, compared to some of the others.

The girls have lost most of their baby fluff and are flapping around -- doing the flap and fly.  As they get bigger they are supposedly not flyers, but right now they can fly/jump over small obstacles and get up on top of things about 3' tall.  In fact, the kid-pen turned chicken pen has been retired in favor of the dog-run turned chicken-run.  The coop isn't done yet, but we are putting the chickens in the big pen during the days because they were flapping right over the sides of the kid-pen.  Fencing is 6' high in the big pen, much better.  At night they still come in, but those girls are awfully cozy in the brooder box.  They jump in and nestle down, as there isn't much room to run.

Red Roo, notice everyone else's combs are smaller and
blonder -- me thinks Red will be repurposed, eventually
invited to a potato and carrot bath :(

The other side of them being in the brooder box at night is that they are ready to run by morning.  Red Roo is our resident dominant chicken (we call "her" Red Roo as we aren't entirely sure it's a "her," but rather a "him." -- the comb and wattles are bigger and bright red, legs are bigger, too)  So Red Roo has jumped out of the bucket everyday this week in transit from the house to the pen in the mornings.  I'm definitely ready for the coop to be in the pen and those girls to be outside full time.  Don't need DH chuckling from the windows as we try to round up errant chickens.

The coop is coming along nicely.  DH has it just about done (with the help of my DearSons).  There are 3 utility windows, a chicken door, a full-sized door, 5 nesting boxes and a tarpaper roof, right now.  After it's moved, we will get shingles on.  These chickies are gonna be comfy -- there's insulation in the walls, ventilation, and plans for some varied roosts, too.  All that's left is to paint, move, and shingle!  I'll get pics up after we get it all together and moved -- a commensurate coop post ;)

Red Roo also likes to perch on the bucket and
watch over everything, too.

The pen is not entirely ready -- there are pallets, which we
are leaning for shade/perch until the coop is in.  The dog-
house is also still present, though the dog isn't
 -- the girls don't go in it (smells like predator, I think)

Yes, catching chickens can be fun.  The pen itself seems to be holding them, but the transit between is the challenge.  Red Roo jumps out of the bucket, as I said; so I've seen Tula, our GSD, corner Red and then Red demonstrate the (male?) behavior of jumping feet first on an adversary.  Tula was more startled than anything.  Our city ordinance does not allow roosters, so if "she" is a "he" -- it won't be staying.




In trying to get escape artists back where they belong, sending the boys to catch them does NOT work.  They just go head-on and scatter them; a losing battle.  I've found herding the chicken is better (hmmm...kinda like boys).  I go this way and that way and get the chicken to go the way I want, then grab them when they are cornered against something.  Sometimes patience works better than chasing.  There's one in particular that doesn't like to be caught in the evenings.  Everyone else is in the bucket, and "RoadRunner" is doing laps around the pen.  I sit and wait; soon RoadRunner is curious enough to come see where everyone is, and she walks right up to the bucket.


So the chicken lessons of the week:

• Love (appreciating the support of the people I love, and being gracious and forgiving when others don't think the same way I do).  
• Joy (nothing is better than getting out your box and running on a sunny morning). 
• Peace (being content to get to a calmer point in life). 
• Patience (wait for the chicken to come to you).  
• Kindness (letting the kids help whenever they can, even though I would rather yell preventatively, "get away from the chickens!"). 
• Goodness (always taking care of what is out charge, provided for our needs by the Father).
• Gentleness (the watch-word whenever boys want to hold or pet them).
• Faithfulness (DH has worked diligently to finish the coop for my hobby-homestead).   
• Self Control (no crazy antics with chickens, please boys -- and be calm with the boys, Mama).

You know, come to think of it, that's been our verse this week: Galatians 5:22; the Fruit of the Spirit -- look it up, you'll be blessed by it.  The mom-prayer challenge I've been doing has focused on it for our sons, and it's a good way to reroute the attitude boys get during busy times.  We sing it, we quiz on it (earning grapes or strawberries for each one they remember), and I see it everywhere.  Amazing when the Word becomes the Living Word -- seen in all aspects of our lives, even chickens.  "Against these things, there is no law."  Amen to that, and thank goodness!  Blessings to you! :)