The not so perfect name ideas.....

1. Loretta, Dolly, Tammy, Emmy Lou, Patsy and Wynonna

2. Stephanie, Lula, Joyce, Connie, ....(couldn't come up with two more names from the Stephanie Plum novels)
    What is Grandma Mazer's name, anyway? And Mrs. Plum?

3. Ann, Nancy, Grace, Janis, Stevie and Pat

4. Kiev, Cordon Bleu, Pastry, Fried Steak, Salad and Tenders (not really, but I couldn't resist)

5. Amy, Haley, Sandy, Donna, Kate and Nettie (Section 318)

6. Ruth, Clara, Dorothy, Arlene, Tootsie and Linda

Wonder why we went to Jane Austen for inspiration?

blissfully unaware of how close they came to being named after chicken dishes! 

From abandoned playset to poultry palace....

the carcass of a play set, once much loved....

The boy and Lydia

The boy has not been thrilled with the girls. He grudgingly helped with the coop construction but was not at all interested in getting to know them. So it came as a bit of a shock when he came out to the coop a few days ago and announced that he wanted to hold a chicken. He stepped into the yard and checked them out, pointed to Lydia and said "I want to hold her, she's pretty". Well, good luck dude! Lydia is not a fan of being held and does not like being approached. If she's in the mood she will initiate contact, otherwise see-ya!

Guess it was just us, because not only did the boy get his hands on her, but held her for quite a while. She didn't try to get away or protest....nothing, nada, zilch!

Maybe he has a future as a chicken whisperer.......

You've heard of the 5th Beatle? Meet the 7th chicken.....

                                            

 Oscar the cat spends much of his day hanging out by the chicken coop. They don't even react anymore when he comes walking up. It took him a few weeks after we fenced in an uncovered yard for them to drop in for a visit. His first attempt he simply jumped up on the gate and sat a spell.

 I finally decided to just open the gate and invite him in as I was curious as to how they would react to finally not having wire between them. Oscar just found a spot to get comfy in and the girls just kept on keeping on.

No worries here- no one is out to harsh any one's mellow. Oscar and Kitty (how apropos!) have come close to touching, but both of them backed out at the same time. He's an odd duck!

Why Chickens? Not enough room for a camel!

I think that I shall one day own a camel if the opportunity (and finances) presents itself. I think they are beautiful and I would love to have one as a friend. But since we don't have the room or the $30,000.00 to buy one (there is a licensed breeder in Franklinton, one of only two in the US- there's my sign!) chickens seemed the next best choice.

I grew up on the stories my mom told about her pet chickens, especially a rooster who never grew all his adult feathers and her cousin Bobby named "Double Ugly". Despite her propensity for violence and  willingness to fight anyone who called him that, the name stuck. My grandparents failed to realize just how attached to him little Linda was until he met his maker and found his way to the dinner table. No dummy she, little Linda put 2 and 2 together and raised such a fuss and cried so hard that Double Ugly got buried rather than eaten. Another senseless death....don't worry, our girls are safe!

Fast forward many decades and I became enamored with the idea of having chickens. I've always liked birds and except for a few years here and there have always had birds- parakeets, cockatiels, finches. Our last bird, Rudy, died about 4 years ago. Will was willing to talk about it and soon could be found searching the Internet for different breeds of chickens, looking at houses, runs and chicken tractors. We planned on getting chicks in April, but our plans were derailed by two separate events.

Our friends and neighbors decided to put their house on the market and we felt that having a chicken coop (which is the house and the run) next door might discourage prospective buyers. So we put off getting chicks for a few months. In April my mom died and life as I knew it ended. Then in early May there was an article in the N&O about the annual "Henside the Beltline Tour de Coop" and I remembered how much I was looking forward to having my own coop before the world went pear-shaped. So Will and I went on the tour and by the end of the afternoon we were hooked and making plans.

By June 5th we had 6 chicks and here we are in August, only a week or two away from the comets laying eggs. We can't wait!

Lydia, oh Lydia, have you met Lydia....

Lydia is hands (or wings) down the most beautiful of the girls- she always has been. Although she was named for Elizabeth Bennett's spoiled, selfish, vain and stupid younger sister I picked "Lydia" for her because of the song, "Lydia, The Tattooed Lady". As a young chick she looked like she had tattooed eye liner.

While everyone else went thru an awkward phase, looks wise, Lydia never did.

She looks like she got into mascara in this photo.

Lydia, hatched 5/9/10, at 13 weeks old

Lydia is a bit of an alarmist and will run for cover if she so much as gets a silhouette of a swallow from the corner of her eye. She also likes having her picture taken, especially if the flash is involved- it hiskimitizes her (hey, if cows can climb up a ladder and misspell words on a billboard Lydia can misspell hypnotize!).









www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4zRe_wvJw8     will take you to Groucho Marx singing "Lydia, The Tattooed Lady"

Hello, Kitty!

I am Kitty's favorite. When we first brought them home she would come sit on my foot and look up at me as if to say "hey, don't I look cute? Don't you want to pick me up?" She was the ice breaker, because with chickens its pretty much monkey see, monkey do (only with feathers)....

Here she is trying to find out what is in the coffee cup. For the record I did not let her try- love her, but not drinking after her!

It's nice to be loved! Is it me or the green faux crocs?

Kitty's comb and cheeks are coming along nicely. She's a sweet girl and even when no one else pays me any attention Kitty can always spare me a few minutes to cuddle.