Here the chickens are horsing around with one of their most frequent visitors, Josh.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Things the Chickens Like
Pepperoni
Hamburger
Bran flakes
Strawberry yogurt
Sausage biscuits
John fingers
Some leaves
Some cheese
Some bugs
BBQ sauce
Kazaam
Science
Hamburger
Bran flakes
Strawberry yogurt
Sausage biscuits
John fingers
Some leaves
Some cheese
Some bugs
BBQ sauce
Kazaam
Science
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Abusive Relationship
In addition to following me around and sitting on me a lot, Scout also has been doing a fair amount of pecking on me. He even bites every now and then, and it hurts!
He's a loving buddy, then he's a belligerent raptor. Why doth he scorn me so?
PS... For the last 3 nights in a row, the chickens have spent the night on the fan.
He's a loving buddy, then he's a belligerent raptor. Why doth he scorn me so?
PS... For the last 3 nights in a row, the chickens have spent the night on the fan.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
BBQ
Like me, the chickens love barbecue sauce.
And we're excited, because...check it out...KC Masterpiece has its own restaurants!
Thursday, May 19, 2005
In-n-Out Chicken
Scout is getting noisier and noisier. His crow is now two syllables and louder. I wish I could post a sound file here so you could hear. Maybe I'll try to figure out how to do that.
And while he does crow at random times throughout the day, he seems to do it particularly when he thinks I'm ignoring him and want attention. Many times, I've been near him and walked away, and he crows. I walk back to him and he runs over to my feet and pecks and clucks a little. I walk away again - crow.
He's a weird dude.
Scratch, meanwhile, has been pretty quiet lately. Maybe she's embarrased that her brother is being so obnoxious.
As for me, summer school has begun, and my house is slowly getting more and more stained with the blemishes of chicken housing. Even though I continually clean up after them, inevitably some stains are left in rugs and furniture. It's not a big deal though; most of my stuff here isn't too fancy.
The mess was particularly bad after a couple of one-night trips last week (New Orleans & Nashville). The chickens had the run of most of the house for over 30 hours at a time while I was gone, and it showed.
Fortunately, they are now big enough to stay outside all day with little supervision. I put them out in the morning, they live as yard chickens all day, and I bring them in at night to hang out with me. I do this because the risk of neighborhood predators is still there, and I haven't built them a little house to roost in at night. I would love to do so, but since I'm gonna have to take them back to the fam in about a month, it seems pointless to put a lot of time and effort into a chickenhouse that won't get much use.
Luckily they love being in at night just as much as they love being out all day. All I have to do is open the door, and they walk right in. After pecking around for awhile, they usually come to me to perch on an arm or a leg.
I need to eat now.
And while he does crow at random times throughout the day, he seems to do it particularly when he thinks I'm ignoring him and want attention. Many times, I've been near him and walked away, and he crows. I walk back to him and he runs over to my feet and pecks and clucks a little. I walk away again - crow.
He's a weird dude.
Scratch, meanwhile, has been pretty quiet lately. Maybe she's embarrased that her brother is being so obnoxious.
As for me, summer school has begun, and my house is slowly getting more and more stained with the blemishes of chicken housing. Even though I continually clean up after them, inevitably some stains are left in rugs and furniture. It's not a big deal though; most of my stuff here isn't too fancy.
The mess was particularly bad after a couple of one-night trips last week (New Orleans & Nashville). The chickens had the run of most of the house for over 30 hours at a time while I was gone, and it showed.
Fortunately, they are now big enough to stay outside all day with little supervision. I put them out in the morning, they live as yard chickens all day, and I bring them in at night to hang out with me. I do this because the risk of neighborhood predators is still there, and I haven't built them a little house to roost in at night. I would love to do so, but since I'm gonna have to take them back to the fam in about a month, it seems pointless to put a lot of time and effort into a chickenhouse that won't get much use.
Luckily they love being in at night just as much as they love being out all day. All I have to do is open the door, and they walk right in. After pecking around for awhile, they usually come to me to perch on an arm or a leg.
I need to eat now.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Portraits
Look at these beautiful chickens.
These shots were taken on May 5, our two-month anniversary.
Mr. Scout
Miss Scratch
These shots were taken on May 5, our two-month anniversary.
Mr. Scout
Miss Scratch
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Yeahhh...Here Comes the Rooster
Scout the Cockerel has begin making noise.
It started a couple of weeks ago, and it was infrequent. Now, I hear it more and more...a loud "SQUAWK!!!!"
No cock-a-doodle-doo yet, just the loud, shrill, one-syllable "SQUAWK!" Not so much at night, but in the morning, especially when he first hears me stirring...the squawking begins. It's not constant; just a few here and there. And he doesn't do it much when they're pecking around outside during the day.
But it's unmistakable...the boy has things to say.
More on this as it develops.
It started a couple of weeks ago, and it was infrequent. Now, I hear it more and more...a loud "SQUAWK!!!!"
No cock-a-doodle-doo yet, just the loud, shrill, one-syllable "SQUAWK!" Not so much at night, but in the morning, especially when he first hears me stirring...the squawking begins. It's not constant; just a few here and there. And he doesn't do it much when they're pecking around outside during the day.
But it's unmistakable...the boy has things to say.
More on this as it develops.
Wireless!
I now have wireless internet in my house! And out on the patio! It is a great day! Chickens are happy!
Monday, May 09, 2005
Two Down, One to Go
Well I made it through another year of law school. Finals ended last Friday, and I spent the weekend recuperating. I now have a little over a week off, which will be filled with catching up on other little tasks, a jaunt to New Orleans with Stephanie, and a couple of days in Mobile. Then, summer school!
What? Summer school? Well, my summer plans finally came into focus in the past week. The pursuit of a half-summer job in DC, while leading to a couple of offers, wound up leading to something better - a fall internship with the Senate Judiciary Committee! So in order have enough hours to graduate on time, I'll be doing summer school again. Then second half of summer at the attorney general's office in Montgomery, then fall in DC, then back here next spring for the final semester.
I guess this means that I'll have my beloved chickens for another month and a half or so, and then they'll probably have to go back to the farm since I'll be gone from Tuscaloosa for about 6 months. Not happy.
What? Summer school? Well, my summer plans finally came into focus in the past week. The pursuit of a half-summer job in DC, while leading to a couple of offers, wound up leading to something better - a fall internship with the Senate Judiciary Committee! So in order have enough hours to graduate on time, I'll be doing summer school again. Then second half of summer at the attorney general's office in Montgomery, then fall in DC, then back here next spring for the final semester.
I guess this means that I'll have my beloved chickens for another month and a half or so, and then they'll probably have to go back to the farm since I'll be gone from Tuscaloosa for about 6 months. Not happy.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Again!
They're up there again, right now!
I was studying in the other room, heard a big noise, and went in there to see that Scratch had made it to the fan! I saw them try a couple of nights ago, in unison, and they didn't quite make it and fell to the floor. But just now she made it!
Scout, meanwhile, was standing on the back of the chair, gyrating up and down, wanting to get up there but apparently not confident that he could make it. He looked like he was also interested in jumping up to the little ledge over the doorway, a feat at which they both failed at recently because the ledge just isn't wide enough for a chicken to stand.
After watching him for a minute I decided to lend a hand. I put out my hand and he hopped aboard, and I lifted him up so he could step onto a fan blade.
As I write this, there they sit, Scout just chillin' and Scratch hopping from blade to blade.
I was studying in the other room, heard a big noise, and went in there to see that Scratch had made it to the fan! I saw them try a couple of nights ago, in unison, and they didn't quite make it and fell to the floor. But just now she made it!
Scout, meanwhile, was standing on the back of the chair, gyrating up and down, wanting to get up there but apparently not confident that he could make it. He looked like he was also interested in jumping up to the little ledge over the doorway, a feat at which they both failed at recently because the ledge just isn't wide enough for a chicken to stand.
After watching him for a minute I decided to lend a hand. I put out my hand and he hopped aboard, and I lifted him up so he could step onto a fan blade.
As I write this, there they sit, Scout just chillin' and Scratch hopping from blade to blade.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Photos of Birds on High
Chickens on the fan!
Very comfortable chickens.
Lurking above.
Perch moving...starting to slide!...shit!!!
Monday, May 02, 2005
Amazing Flying Chickens
So last night I left home for awhile to work at school with Stephanie and get some food. As is the norm nowadays, I let Scratch and Scout hang out freely in the house; no more confining them to their box when indoors. I get home after being gone for several hours, and as usual when I get home, first thing I do is look around to see where they are. I hear chicken-talk, see some poo and feathers, but no chickens. Not on the chair, not in the box, not under the table...where are they?
And then I look up...
CHICKENS ARE ON THE CEILING FAN!!!
Way up on the fan!!!!
My god, what amazing chickens! How did they get there?!
They were just sitting there, on one of the blades, looking at me like it was no big deal...peeping away, perfectly content.
They are incredible. I can't imagine how even one of them got up there, much less both of them. The nearest piece of furniture they could have launched from is 5 feet down and to the side, plus the tops of the blades are slippery and probably dusty. And surely the fan would have turned a bit when one got up there, so one chicken had to fly all the way up there, get settled without slipping off or losing balance from the wobbling and rotation, and then hold on tight while the other chicken performed the same feat! Fascinating!
I wonder whose idea it was...how they came up with it. I wonder if it took them a few tries.
So after marveling at them, taking some photos, and talking to them for a little while, I decided to take them for a little spin. Not that I minded that they were there, but what would be more fun than turning on the fan?! I turned it on the low speed just for a few seconds, just enough to make them go round a few times. They were a little unnerved, tensing up cautiously, but unmoved.
Then, deciding that it was time for this fun to end because I had to study, I juiced the fan with a little more speed. I wouldn't have minded letting them stay up there and eventually come down on their own - that would have been neat too - but I was more interested in seeing how they handled being spun off the fan! A quick spin of the fan and it didn't take long...lots of flapping and chirping and....whoop!...they slid right off that blade and came flailing down, all feathers and legs, right to the couch!
After a few moments of anxiety, they quickly calmed down to their normal easygoing selves, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
And I guess, here in chickenland, it hadn't.
And then I look up...
CHICKENS ARE ON THE CEILING FAN!!!
Way up on the fan!!!!
My god, what amazing chickens! How did they get there?!
They were just sitting there, on one of the blades, looking at me like it was no big deal...peeping away, perfectly content.
They are incredible. I can't imagine how even one of them got up there, much less both of them. The nearest piece of furniture they could have launched from is 5 feet down and to the side, plus the tops of the blades are slippery and probably dusty. And surely the fan would have turned a bit when one got up there, so one chicken had to fly all the way up there, get settled without slipping off or losing balance from the wobbling and rotation, and then hold on tight while the other chicken performed the same feat! Fascinating!
I wonder whose idea it was...how they came up with it. I wonder if it took them a few tries.
So after marveling at them, taking some photos, and talking to them for a little while, I decided to take them for a little spin. Not that I minded that they were there, but what would be more fun than turning on the fan?! I turned it on the low speed just for a few seconds, just enough to make them go round a few times. They were a little unnerved, tensing up cautiously, but unmoved.
Then, deciding that it was time for this fun to end because I had to study, I juiced the fan with a little more speed. I wouldn't have minded letting them stay up there and eventually come down on their own - that would have been neat too - but I was more interested in seeing how they handled being spun off the fan! A quick spin of the fan and it didn't take long...lots of flapping and chirping and....whoop!...they slid right off that blade and came flailing down, all feathers and legs, right to the couch!
After a few moments of anxiety, they quickly calmed down to their normal easygoing selves, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
And I guess, here in chickenland, it hadn't.
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