mixed blessings

saw a beautiful sunrise this morning.
it took up half the sky with its rosy-orangey glow. utterly refreshing.

of course, i came to see this particular sunrise because my black silky is a rooster. two silkies in two years and they've both been roosters. boo!

chicken noises

such utterly strange noises coming from the chickens this morning.

another new chicken is laying but i haven't determined which one. this morning there was great commotion but i wasn't able to check it out because i wasn't dressed. later, with more commotion, i went out half dressed but couldn't figure anything out.

then later...rooster noises? not sure...
and the funny thing is, how difficult it is to place even which side of the yard the noises are coming from.

as for the rooster, i hope there isn't one. but if it is and it is the maran, it wouldn't be a total loss because he is rather beefy. so some good could come out of him.

the return of the roos

there was a suspiciously rooster-like noise from the backyard today. didn't have a chance to figure out the offender. i think it will either be the silky, the polish or the buff (honey.) i guess in the grand scheme of things, i hope it is the buff, simply because the silky is so sweet and the polish is actually intended as a gift.

a rooster isn't much of a 'gift'.

otherwise, my ever-expanding flock (my current count is twenty) are all getting along just dandy. quite the excitement when i let them out—a lot of flapping and flying and flocking each time.

am considering picking up a couple of arucanas, laying hens, from the hatchery this week ever expanding is right.

several chickens down

this weekend i unloaded four roosters in portland.
and two hens.

lets hope no one else decides to switch teams.

my flock is becoming a more reasonable size. egg production will be down for a bit, but i am looking forward to when the new girls start laying. they are always so excited and noisy the first few months.

things are looking good.
(well, things are looking a little overgrown, but otherwise good.)

taking some time off this week to work on the yard.
everything is growing and i need to start tending it a little better.

i wonder if i will be able to get all the crabgrass.
anyone know a non-chemical way to rid crabgrass?

chicken update

i think the buffs will be laying by monday.
i'm out of town for the weekend and disappointed that i might miss their first egg ever. their fluffy butts are a little droopier looking than they used to be, something i noticed on the barred & arucana when they arrived.

tselma's new home is wonderful.
they have six baby silky banties. about 1/3rd of tselmas size. there were no social disturbances while i was there. one of the babies tried to put tselma in her place (she'll always be a lady to me) and its was pretty funny. what a relief!

and now...for a weekend away from the house and animals.
a weekend to hoard materials and prepare for another onslaught.

portrait of a mad black chicken

Tselma, in her most fluffiest glory.
Tselma, its been great. You'll be well remembered.

poor lonely little fucker

okay...now i am beginning to feel bad about verne/vernon.
he is currently living in my garage and has been since last monday. he's in the garage becuase he is too loud and i worry someone will complain—and i can't bring him here because someone already has.

i check on him each day and give him food, water, fruits and veggies, i've placed an ad and am actively looking for a home for him. so far the only one to turn up is 90 minutes away, so i am currently holding out.

today i mowed the lawn and so i let him out. the first five minutes he tried to attack me, the next several hours he called for his ladies with no success. i left him out all day. tonight i went over and snatched him with a sheet and imprisioned him again in the garage. i am feeling terrible because he is alone, he might be scared, and he deserves better. this isn't me but its what i've been forced to do.

he deserves better. i hope something turns up.