Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Secure side yard, yeah!

Pat had some time this past weekend and secured the side yard. Our fences weren't low enough in some areas so he put chicken wire along the bottom by nailing it to the fence and used yard staples to secure to the ground. He also moved the chicken tractor across the entrance to that side yard....not exactly the most efficient design. We have to go out one gate, walk down the side walk and enter the secured area via another gate. We have to figure out a better design when we build the coop, b/c we will need to be able to enter that area more efficiently.Also today we had a bit of a scare. The girls were out, in the new secure area. I had left around noon to go have lunch with a friend on the Eastside. Then I went shopping and got home around 4:30ish. I walk into the yard and I see Mary in the coop, laying in the sun with one leg extended behind her. She is panting. I look closer and see that her foot was tangled in this plastic rope that is used around the straw bale. It is really tight on her foot. I go get the scissors, and walk out along the side walk and into the secured area, and come right up to the coop and start snipping..she doesn't move or jerk her leg. I'm a little concerned that maybe the circulation is cut off and that perhaps she's not going to be able to walk on it. She let me snip the rope some more, and when it was freed she slowly moved it back under her. I put some water down near her and she sat there and drank for about 2 minutes straight. Then she stood on it, so it seems to be OK. Then she kept drinking, and then left the coop. It seems to be fine, she is not limping. Thank goodness.
The girls did fine and seem to be enjoying the freedom. They especially like resting under the flower bush (I don't know what kind it is) and drinking from the faucet.



Thursday, June 5, 2008

Yes, everybody likes cheese!

We had some leftover Tillamook Swiss Cheese slices that we needed to get rid of and I knew my dog liked cheese, but what about chickens?

Even cats and kids like watching the chicks!

Miss Sable was raised with the chicks so she knows better than to catch them. And believe me, she could...she brings home lots of mice, rats, and robins. She likes to bring them into the basement to talk to them, play with them, and then eat them. But she just likes to watch the chicks...thankfully.

Last night we had our neighbors over with their 13 month old daughter, Stella. She kept calling the chicks, kitty.