One of the pure stock Brown Leghorns hatched in Batch 1 is a friendly girl we call Tatiana (“Tati” for short). She has beautiful wild coloring and a funny floppy comb – just like her mom did – that hangs over her eye and looks like 80’s bangs.
We’ve found BLs to be good foragers and great layers, but Tati’s mom, LaToya, was a flighty hen, and at the bottom of the flock’s pecking order. She was also mean to the ducks, who probably thought she was crazy. We didn’t expect that one of LaToya’s chicks would grow into a hen who follows us around, pecks at our toes, and lets us pick her up. Continue reading “Chicken Spotlight: Tatiana The Friendly”
We’re in the midst of a heat wave here, and that means sunny days, perfect for making sun tea. Why not harness the sun’s energy (if only a tiny bit) to make what will become refreshing iced tea? Plus, sun tea jars look cool.
Coraline’s babies will be six weeks old tomorrow, and they sure look different from the yellow and brown puffballs they were not so long ago. Their color has changed significantly: now, they’re predominantly brown, and a few have white chests. They’re about half Coraline’s size (a couple are larger), and very curious about the world outside their run.
We’ve been watching our chickens jump up and pull berries off a tree near the coop. The berries look like blackberries, but, again, are growing from a tree. Some berries even grow right off branches. What could this mystery berry be?
Our chickens and ducks free range, so they’re always looking for tasty snacks. We finally created our compost heap a couple of weeks ago, and they love it. They pick stuff out of there we wouldn’t have guessed they’d seek out (like sweet pepper seeds and scraps), and when the gate is open, they scratch in it like there’s no tomorrow.
Goldie’s trio of chicks is happy and healthy, and a week old today. It’s been so interesting watching her raise these little ones: she showed them where to eat and drink, patiently laying by the food dish and clucking to them; she led them in scratching around in the shavings in the brooder (we took pity on them after watching their determined, but fruitless, efforts for a while and scattered some dry chick food around so they could actually “find” something – they have free access to mash); and provided a safe place for the chicks to hide and sleep. She talks to them constantly, with reassuring, encouraging, or warning clucks. There’s a lot of conversation going on in the brooder!