Hatch B Is Here!

We got 4 chicks out of Hatch B, all of the other eggs upon breakout were infertile, so it was a 100% hatch of fertile eggs!

First is Jellybean:

Patches:

Jerk:

and finally, Pie:

We also brought Bug, who is broody, into the house so she could briefly see the chicks.  Bug grumped and growled and flared at Pumpkin who was the only one brave enough to approach her and immediately assumed the proper broody hen shape--spherical.

After a day or so to get strong enough, the new chicks were incorporated in with the older chicks and all are now getting along great.

Hatch C should be this Sunday the 13th...but as with the others, may well be early!  We may recruit Bug to be a mama for Hatch C & D, we'll see how it works out.  If we do, we'll have to partition off part of the brooder box since Bug would peck away the older chicks and we don't want anyone hurt.

Spring Is Here...For Today, Anyway

The weather warmed and the wind died away for one day, so I freshened the dustbathing tub with lovely fresh dirt for the chickens.  Linc and CM jumped right in.  As they sifted the dirt and small rocks came to the top I'd grab them out and discard them.

Daphne joined them...

Rocket didn't so much climb into the tub as fall in.

Meanwhile, Fran the Frizzle was having her own brand of fun by accosting Weedcat, who was snoozing in a sunbeam, yanking on his cape and comb, stepping on his head and generally being an obnoxious old lady.

Back at the tub, Burger joins CM and Linc, who are apparently going for a World Record in dustbath camping.

Little known fact:  Your flockmates make great goodie/dirt sifters.  And double as a handy table!

CM is ousted from her spot by Burger.  Happiness is being covered in dirt, though.

CM avoids the Burger issue by jamming her head under Linc.  IF I CAN'T SEE YOU YOU CAN'T SEE ME.

Surprisingly, this seems to work.  Linc is puzzled, however.

...and once Burger leaves the Dustbath Twins have it to themselves again.

...until Weedcat decides that it's his turn.  When the Head Roo goes dustbathing, it's always SRO.

CM and Linc wisely decide that they are done after all.

And Weedcat gets down to some serious dirt throwing.

More big hens stuff in.  Good thing I bought the large size tub.

Zip demonstrates her dirt throwing technique.

...and she and Weeds have a little friendly dirt-throwing competition.

Crack climbs in and messes up the entire procedure by stuffing under Weedcat.

But gets it together pretty quick, becoming a beak rest for Zip..

Weedcat by now has attracted so many hens that he is ousted and decides to sunbathe next to the tub, where Bug does her best to annoy him by tugging on his cape & comb.

'Are you dead?  Are you dead?  Does this bug you?  Hey, you dead, big guy?'

Meanwhile there is a line forming at the tub.

Zip is falling into a dustbathing coma.

Bug continues in her quest to get a healthy fed-up rooster peck.

Eventually Bug bugs him enough and he rejoins the girls in the tub.

I just wonder why it is always the biggest girls who insist on all trying to cram into the tub with Weedcat at once.

The more crowded it is, the better they like it, silly chickens.

Unexpected Visitor

So tonight I'm watering my pitiful little plants, trying to get them to grow and not die AGAIN...and after I water my China Doll plant I see this gal:

Even though I splashed her a bit she remained where she was, although she wasn't exactly blending the best.

Nuthin' like a great big bug on a little bitty plant.

Oh...HI!

This was suddenly flying around my kitchen at 11PM last night:

A gorgeous Hummingbird Moth!
And yes, he really was the size of a hummingbird. I spent an hour looking for him, wondering the whole time if I'd really seen him or what...finally found him perched on the broom and blending. Sneaky bugger was trying to gaslight me.

After his photo session, I captured him carefully in a cup and released him outside to go thump around someone else's house.

A Most Wonderful Bug!

The babies got their first live grasshopper today. I found it while watering and after smacking it with a shovel two or three times (damned things are TOUGH) to stun it, I tossed it in with them. They all came running over...

...and stood on it. So I shooed them away a bit and flicked it around with a stick. They pecked excitedly...

...at the stick.

By now I'm scolding them and the big chickens in the run next to them are yowling loudly and going INSANE because they know EXACTLY what to do with a damned grasshopper. The grasshopper, no fool he, is being perfectly still.

Finally the hopper made the ultimate mistake and opened his wings, trying to fly...

Georgia thought he was yummy.

But he's still young, so he didn't call the girls. He ran off under the roosts and gobbled it down. Though grasshoppers being very spikey, I could tell it kinda stuck going down...

Progress!

Got the front entryway painted, despite all the heat!

Before--on moving day, drab and boring white:

After!

Haven't done the crown molding throughout the room yet, that'll come after the rest of the living room walls are painted. I may end up taking down the crown molding, stripping it, painting it and rehanging it, depending on how ambitious I get. The previous owners slopped all kinds of acoustic ceiling bits on it, plus a ton of paint drips, and applied paint so thickly that it obscures part of the detailing in the wood. The molding at LEAST needs to have the gunk scraped off.

Spent today repairing the back yard fencing so the chickens can safely be allowed to roam the yard. We still have a few spots to finish before it's ready, but it's about 85% there! I'll feel so much better when they have more room and can settle into a more normal routine...also we need to incorporate the chicks into the flock.

Also, we had a HUGE fish fly spend one of the hottest days on our front window screen, he camped there till dark then went on his way.

He was very pretty, I love the grid design on his wings, that ISN'T the screen showing through! I told him he was darned brave to be hanging out at a chicken owner's house...

Miscellaneous Stuff...

It's the happiest little trailer!

I think it could have it own kid's TV show.

These guys were on front porch tonight, hanging out with the bazillion assorted moths & flying bugs that congregate under the porch light. A very pretty White Lined Sphinx moth, a type of Hummingbird moth--I startled him once and he spread his wings a bit, revealing a red backside, but he wouldn't do it again for the photo:

And a young, slender Praying Mantis. He was using the larger moths for traction, just kinda climbing over them on his way up to the roofline.

The drive home tonight from dinner was a symphony of frogs around the lake and a beautiful, star-filled sky--it was magical.

Weird Nesting Spot #...Oh I Give Up!

This morning the Spot Of The Day was the three spare trash cans I had stacked near the garage. Scott and Bug started it, with lots of pop-eyed, erect tail cackling on Bug's part as she perched on the rim of the can, shortly she was joined by Scott, who thought that a nasty trash can was the perfect choice over the lovely nest boxes where lush amounts of fresh straw waited. Pretty soon all this hollering and burbling attracted Bug's sister Voodoo, who climbed in and joined the unholy cacophony.

By the way, chickens cackling from inside a plastic trash can sounds really strange, and was hilarious.

By the time I got the camera one of the bantam hens had climbed in there, too, but sadly only Scott and Bug remained when I got out there. Scott giving me the 'Hey, YOU aren't supposed to know about this, no fair!' look:

Although for the life of me how he expected that this was 'stealthy' in any way with all that noise is beyond me. And here's Bug:

Bug and Scott both grumped off since I'd spoiled the surprise, but were back to it pretty much immediately. As I type this Bug is finally quiet, actually laying her egg in there now.

Geraldine, who was sunbathing after a breakfast of rose petals, smiled and took everything in stride.

Happy Easter!

Got our Easter egg hunt in before the rain came down, thankfully. The chickens enjoyed this weird, mystifying ritual as usual.

Bear investigates the egg basket...

...and later mugs the kid for an egg.

She also enjoys snuggling with J.--she ONLY does this if he is wearing his robe.

While Phoenix looks on with a jealous stare and whines, which is what HE does every time. When chicken distrusts a situation or wants to keep a close eye on something, they turn their head and look at it with one eye, as he is doing here. That is because they see better this way rather than looking straight on at something.  So while it looks like Phoenix is looking at me, he is actually keeping a watchful eye on Bear and worrying.

Poof the White Crested Black Polish hen shows off her spurs:

Scott heybabies some hens...

A stretch & flap from Smokey.

Yoya the gray Giant Cochin and Phoenix pose for a communist propaganda poster.

'Ya comrade, now heroically look out into the glorious future!'

Bug, who is broody, emerges after a bit to stomp around the yard and be irritated. The other chickens are careful not to make direct eye contact, as broody hens are like the crazy, dangerous homeless guy who hangs out behind the minimart and holds angry conversations with an invisible friend.

We hand out some Easter eggs, of course. While the others look on in amazement, Sora the White Leghorn levitates to get one!

Betty tries it, too!

In the end they all got some yummy hard-boiled eggs are everyone was happy.