Chicken Update ... and Stuff

I promise, barring my whole world exploding before tomorrow night, that I'll have a book review up tomorrow. I finished a new release on Friday, but I like to sit with the contents of a read before reviewing. See if the characters and story follow me around. This book is trailing me, so I'll be reviewing it.

Peep! Peep peep peep peep peep!

Isn't she darling? Doesn't she look like one of the characters from the Beatles' movie Yellow Submarine?


Here are her wicked step-sisters.


I say that, but things are going fairly well between them all. Peep is living in a separate cage, since she's three weeks younger than the other girls, and her breed, the Cochin, is slow to mature. She's still wee for her age.

Yesterday, though, our country's Independence Day, Peep chose to begin vying for her own independence. Mommy prompted, of course. I let her walk out of her cage on her own. Just walked away from her after opening the door. She scrambled to follow me, peeping all the way. She's also testing her wings. She'll run and hop, then fly a few feet. Cutest thing ever.

She's also been running after the other chicks in a "Hey guys! Wait up! Where ya goin'? Can I come? WAIT FOR MEEEE!!!" kind of way. It's adorable. I hang around a few steps behind, just in case one of them tries to beat her up. They respect the big mama hen. I think we'll keep going this way for a week or so, with me backing off a little at a time, letting her find her way with the group.

Keeping chickens cool in this heat? WOO! It's been consistently 103 and above daily for the last couple of weeks. I've been putting gallon jugs of ice in their coop mid-day. Had a box fan set up just outside the coop, blowing the length of it. And let me TELL you what the heat does to chicken poo! The SMELL!!! Nauseating.

Gratuitous Peep shot

So yesterday the peeps were moved to the one mature tree in the way-back corner of the yard. They're now in the shade, away from the brick skirt around our house which holds heat like an oven, away from the neighbors. Nobody wants that smell in their backyard. And they seem to be cooler and happier.

The ladies have also found a cool spot to take dust baths, just under the raised herb beds they're so fond of. Hilarious to watch them rolling in the dirt like a dog or horse rolls in grass.

How Goof Ball and Peep celebrate the fourth

Sorry there aren't more photos. I'm running off to work. Will see you all tomorrow? With a review? And hopefully I'll have time to read some of your more recent posts. I've been so bad this summer. Well, and I've been writing my own book, which means staying off the computer. Because I wander around the internets when the computer is on.

Until I write again ...

Flea