Figaro and the Chickens

I  have decided that if I am to have a total of 6-7 chickens and both the chickens and figaro like to go outside I have to introduce to each other and see what will happen. I tried this once before but was to scared for anything to happen, stopping figaro the moment he took a step. But with a new resolve and determination I decided to try again and what ever happened, happened. The first few times we would make sure figaro was tired and the chickens were energetic and we would pet Figaro on the deck telling him not to hurt them. We also learnt that Figaro was kinda jumpy around them. Once, when he got close to Demeter she flapped her wings kinda frightened and Figaro jumped back. After letting the chickens out and Figaro out 3ish times, we decided that we should try it when he was  more energetic. So we let him outside. He started getting closer and closer to the chickens and got ready to pounce.... but Bronwyn stopped him just in time. Annoyed at Figaro we put him back inside. The next few times, we let him outside with the chickens, he didn't bug them. Until one day when he started to slink across the yard tail waiving back and forth. The chickens were against the side of the house so they had know where to go. But, Papagena had had enough. She turned on him with a glint in her eyes and sticking out her neck she ran towards him. Figaro turned tail and ran. I shouted in excitement. They froze. Embarrassed they walked off in opposite directions. Calling the chickens I gave them treats.  I wondered if this would be a one time display. But nope, Figaro was being particularly bratty when Papagena chased almost to the front yard getting closer and closer to his tail. I called her before she reached him letting Figaro round the corner of the house and out of view.
I am stuck with two unruly kids who won't listen to reason :P

--Zoë

Birthday Cake

 Today is the day I got the chicks, and their Birthday!!!!  So to celebrate I made them a cake :P
Cake part: Oatmeal
Frosting: Plain Yogurt
Sprinkles: Sunflower seeds
Candle: Banana
They loved the candle and sprinkles...

Also, to celebrate having them for a year I have made a slideshow on the side of my blog. Showing pictures from 1 day old to 1 year old. Enjoy!!!

--Zoë

p.s do you like the slidshow? Is it to fast? I can make it slower if you want me to.
p.p.s If you click on the slideshow it will take you to a different page where the pictures are bigger.
p.s.p.s Do you want me to add a caption to the photo's telling you which chicken it is or other info?

Do you know what today is???

Whenever I ask this question no one knows. 

But, do you know what April 20th is?

Order Confirmation!!!!

Yaaaaay!!! My order is confirmed:


"Your order (#12560) is confirmed for hatch date of May 31st/June 1st.......We will contact you a few days before hatch date to arrange a time and date for pickup....."


I am getting 1 Silver laced Wyandotte, 1 Black Australorp and one Ameraucana!!!!!!


--Zoë 




Picture: performance poultry 'logo'

A giant egg and a pretty egg

The other day Deme laid a GIANT egg! (it must have hurt!!!
I wonder if the egg is a double yolker... Poppy laid a really pretty egg that is a light pinky/brown colour and looks kinda 'dainty'.
It goes to show you that no chicken will lay exactly the same size and shaped egg every time they lay. 
Excited, I showed my brother the eggs, he just looked at me and said: "Zoë, they're just eggs."I tried to explain that they weren't 'Just eggs' but I knew it was a lost cause.

Deme's egg is on the left Poppy's on the right.

Poppy's egg

Deme's egg

Poppy's egg

I was obviously having to much fun with  the camera :)



--Zoë

Sunflower Coop (the grand tour) *Video*

We have dubbed the coop with the name Sunflower Coop. 'Cause we are going to paint the coop a light yellow and the nesting box has sunflowers on it.   The pictures were takin' throughout building the coop and the Videos were takin' before and when the chickens toured their new home.
Hope you enjoyed the movie!!!

--Zoë

Uncle Sam Expects You....

In the 1917-1918 the following 'flyer' was published in multiple poultry magazines:

The 'Flyer' reads:
Even the smallest back yard has room for a flock large enough to supply the
house with eggs. The cost of maintaining such a flock is small. Table and kitchen wast provide much of the feed for the hens. They require little attention--only a few minutes a day.

An interested child, old enough to take a little responsibility can care for a few fowls as well as a grown person.

Every back yard in the United States should contribute its share to a bumper crop of poultry and eggs in 1918.

This picture has been on multiple poultry websites so I decided to send it along :)

Isn't it Ironic that at one point we are asked to keep chickens and the next moment we're begging to. 

--Zoë

Chicks...... again???

I have found a hatchery that has tons of chicken breeds and is between Kingston and Coburg!!!
The name of the hatchery is Performance Poultry. There was one negative aspect about this hatchery and it was that you have to buy at least four of EACH breed and I only wanted one of each breed.
BUT, my mom phoned them up and was told that I could just get one of each breed and they might have 2 layers I could buy too!!! So the chick plan is back on I have picked out 3 breeds and we will go pick them up some point in April.
The 3 types of breeds I want are listed below:

Ameraucana
 Find out more about Ameraucans  
Egg rate: 3+/wk
Egg Colour: Blue
Hardy in winter, Bears confinement well, Docile and a 'fun' Personality


Australorp
 Find out more about Australorps

Egg rate: 5+/wk

Egg Colour: Brown

Hardy in winter, Bears confinement well, docile and a 'sweet and shy' Personality 

Silver Lace Wyandotte
 Find out more about Wyandottes

Egg rate: 4+/wk

Egg Colour: Brown

Hardy in winter, Bears confinement well, docile and a 'generally easygoing (with a tendency toward domination)'  Personality 

♥ Happy Valentines Day ♥

--Zoë

Pictures and Links thanks to My pet chicken. 

Frostbite? and Snow

I apologize that I haven't written recently. This all happened in December.

SNOW:


Q: Do Demeter and Papagena like snow?


A: No :(
Well, they will go outside if there is grass showing and I sprinkle treats on the ground. (lol)
Going out in the snow depends on the chicken cause some will go out no matter how deep the snow is and others will just not.




FROSTBITE?:
Preface
 Whenever the temperature dropped below
 -15C I would go outside and put vaseline on Deme and Poppy's combs and waddles. So I was really freaked out when their combs started turning black. Later I found out that it was cause dirt/dust was sticking to the vaseline. Even though they don't have frostbite I think their combs are slightly damaged.


We found out in the evening that the temperature was going to be -28C!!! So me and my mom decided to try to separate the coop in half (with a tarp) so the chickens body temperature and the heat from their light would heat the coop better. We decided to nail the tarp up so we got a hammer and nails and headed out to the coop. When we put the tarp up it blocked all the light so we had to go inside and get a flash light so we could see where to hammer the nails.  Squished in the coop we finally got the tarp up. Happy but worried we went inside wondering if the chickens would be fine with the tarp and that the half they were on didn't have their perch.
Inside washing the dishes I saw the chickens were fine.
BUT after 10-15min, I was still washing dishes :) ,
the chickens were freaking out. They knew it was time to get ready for bed so where was their bed?
I ran outside and put them both into a card board box full of straw that I had set up, it would be their bed for the night. After sticking them in the box I turned off the light in the coop before they could get out.  When my mom got back from wherever she was, (Sorry I have no Idea where she went!)
she told me it was going to get colder and I should just bring the chickens in for the night. So, we went out to the garage, emptied a storage crate, filled it with wood shavings and put netting all the way around the storage crate, it was time to bring the chickens inside. Me, my mom, and my sister went outside to the coop. I picked up Papagena, passed her to my mom and then picked up Demeter. (my sister was holding a flash light) We carried them both inside and put them in the storage crate, turned off the light in the garage and went inside. After 8min I stuck my head inside the garage to make sure the chickens were fine. There was not a peep :)
The next morning they were A okay. And since then I've only had to get up once in the night to bring them inside (it was 3am and -30C!!!)


--Zoë

They come when I call!!!

It's probably just for the treats in my hand!