Two Successes

You would be looking at two more successes in this photo.

Success Number One -

The Chicken Tractor was finished yesterday.

Getting the Girls inside wasn’t as easy as it may seem by the sight in this photo.  We butted up the chicken tractor to the front door of the Chicken Hotel.  Had to use my cardboard sheet to herd ‘em out the main door into the small area at the front door for storing feed and handling tasks.

The scene was like something out of one of the Three Stooges movies.  All these birds panicking - trying to bunch up into this tiny little corner made by the feed can and the wall built with 2x4’s and wire poultry netting.  Squawking - screeching - chirping - feathers floating.

And then one of ‘em squeezes out from under the pile and jumps to the top of the feed can - only to discover ‘freedom ‘ - above the top of the chicken tractor.  And just as he stiffens and - obviously - considers jumping for it - Dwayne starts his own squawking and ranting - from outside - where he’s got the easy job - standing to block a few inches of space between the building and the chicken tractor.

Were it not for the fact that I was worried they were going to hurt each other - I could have ended up busting up laughing until I was bent over in pain.  So much for all the learning experiences they’re gonna keep going through for a while!

The chicken tractor is sized just enough for us to be able to stand while bending over inside.  They insist I use my cardboard sheet to herd them out when it’s time to go back inside their Chicken Hotel at the end of the day.  I think they like being outside - too much.

Thirteen chickens have been in that space all day long - walking around - eating their chicken starter crumble - drinking their medicated water - catching bugs - and eating the grass.  What goes in must come out.  I am not about to go in there to round ’em up - on my knees.  That’s just - not happening. 

Success Number Two -

With a lot of great support and advice from several folks ( I consider them lifesavers - mine in particular ) - the struggle to help my entire flock of 8-week-old Buff Orpington chicks come through Coccidiosis seems to have had more positive outweighing the negative.

They are looking wonderful in the photos above that were taken yesterday - compared to the sight of them earlier this week.  I won’t go into details.  It was not pretty.  And really - you don’t wanna know.  You just - don't.  Trust me.

Sadly - I did lose two of the 15 birds - one being my buddy that was downright pushy about him being the only one that could have me.  I belonged to him - as far as he was concerned.  And my job was to sit inside the chicken yard - and hold him - as far as he was concerned.

I think what made most of the difference in how easily I’ve been able to handle the loss is the fact that I had not named any of the birds.  That remains the case.  It will be a while before knowing without a doubt - who is male and/or female.

I mean - think about it.  What if our parents named us as soon as they found out our mother was pregnant with us?  There’d be a whole lotta boys named Sue - huh…

But the good in this nightmare - these birds went down badly enough that they didn’t even fight me when I handled them.  And now - none of them have issues about me petting them - or - picking them up to hold them for a while.  Actually - they’ve come to enjoy being spoiled.

Even worse - I now have a few of them that fight over jumping up to sit on my bent legs when I squat down to spend time with them.

Doubt if I’ll be doing much of that squatting.  Give it a couple more weeks of that and - it’ll be looking like another scene from some Three Stooges movie.