Week 11

So we reached another milestone in this fowl experiement: 11 weeks. The significance of this much-feared day is that the 'broilers' are shipped off to the butcher. I gather the term is gender-neutral, referring only to those who have been chosen to make the ultimate sacrifice in the interest of stocking our freezer. Ours happened to be all cockerels (males). These guys have just begun to find their voices (rehearsing at 5:30, of course), so it should be a bit quieter 'round these parts.

It was an affair to remember, chasing these birds around their pen and stuffing them all into Whidbey's old dog crate, perched in the rear of our Outback. They weren't sure whether to run inside the coop or out; Em was positioned inside chasing them out while I tried to pounce on them. Quite a sight, I'm sure. We finally rounded up all 14 and set off for the 45-minute drive to the butcher. Despite 95 degrees outside and a bumpy ride and close quarters inside, all survived intact (as long as they needed to...).

I returned yesterday, and now our freezer is 14 birds richer. We were prepared to find tiny little things waiting for us, but the birds don't look all that small. Meat birds would certainly produce more, but these look respectable. We'll see when we try to cook them!

In an attempt to console the remaining pullets, I put in a window to allow more light. With a little red to match our front door, we've got a splash of color back there. Their big moment comes around week 20, I gather, when they begin laying!

Our other new addition has been a pair of red-tailed hawks nesting nearby. They certainly like to hang out around our yard. Coincidence?

Kicking out the flock

Our little chicks that were so cute a couple weeks ago have reached adolescence. The incredible amount of dust that they stir up in our basement has worn on their hosts, and so it is time for them to leave and strike out on their own, to seek their fortunes with little more than the feathers on their backs, and to define their own sense of success and failure.



We wish them well, especially since our chicken coop, while largely varmint-proof, has not exactly been tested yet. And our local coyote has been leaving plenty of signs that he's around.



From the pictures you may notice that it's awfully dark in there. The coop is unfortunately far from finished; we have plans to add windows, another chicken door, and--oh yeah--a run so that they can venture out into the rain! At the moment they're simply locked up with this door providing the only light. And it doesn't help that the sun has been out maybe three times all month....


We also hope to do some free ranging, although we're a bit skeptical that they'll actually come back at night. Also, what do you think Whidbey will do with a yard full of chickens? Hmmm...she tends to play a bit rough, that one. But I picked up a fishing net just in case I have to rustle up me some stray fowl. I guess we'll see.

A Wet Fathers' Day

My third Fathers' Day! Pretty exciting. Despite all good intentions, we were thwarted in our plans to go strawberry picking today by the excessive rain this month. Not a good year for strawberries apparently.

Instead we opted to head on down to the beaver pond to take the canoe out for a spin. We received a fantastic life jacket from Lallie and Papa yesterday for Myrick, so we were all safe as we checked out the resident muskrats, beavers, red-winged blackbirds and Baltimore orioles. Bugs weren't too bad. While it's nice to reminisce about Seattle weather, I think we're all ready for some sun 'round these parts!

Stomp Your Feet, Baby

While Akie was here taking care of Myrick, she taught her some funny things that she continues to do. Like when we're outside playing, she will occassionally run and wrap her arms around the basketball pole and yell "Home free, home free!" The other thing that she loves to do is to do this "routine," where she says "Clap your hands, stomp your feet, shake your head, nod your head." She has corresponding motions to go with all of them and likes it if you do as she instructs! She has recently taken to telling her doll what to do, which is what this clip is of.

Mommy Made Me Put Bows in My Hair

We wrestled... and I won.

The Chicks!

Blondie