Accomplishing Goals

Colleen, Anne, and Agnes on the perch together.

Thrill of thrills, Aggie came down and joined her sisters after the big wind storm the other day. Is it because I isolated her outside that entire day? I like to think that had something to do with it, but it may not have. As they say in the statistics world, "Correlation is not cause." But, I am glad she is out of the nest, eating weeds and pecking away at all sorts of things.

Speaking of food, Annie ate some tomato pieces right out of my hand! Actually, I don't think she really ate them--she just took them out of my hand. Colleen then came and swiped them out of her mouth (beak?), and she came and got more. It was funny! I saw a photo once of a chicken eating out of her owner's hand and thought it looked cool.

Finally, I accomplished a goal this morning: I ran 3 miles without stopping. I have not done this since early college, when I ran with our dog, Juno. That was a long time ago!!! And it's hilly here, not like in the home of my youth. This was the last stop goal before I run a 5 k this summer, hopefully in August. If I keep this up, anyway

Finding Humor

I love to read and am spending (too) much time doing it these days. It is my learning time, vacation experience, and entertainment. This past week I picked up a book at the library called The $64 Tomato by William Alexander, and am laughing my head off at the way the author describes his experience gardening on his very own 3 acres in New York. I was laughing so much Chloe couldn't stand not knowing what was so funny.

Which brings me to Aggie, the hen who has been sitting on the (empty) nest for a month now. She is lethargic and her feathers are shiny and stick up all over, and she's no longer smooth and pretty like the other girls. So, I decided, after inspiration from Bill's experience, to do an intervention. I came to the conclusion she must be isolated and nestless until she is over her propensity to sit around all day in the little house. (I do understand her desire to do so, since there is nothing I love more than sitting around all day in my own little house.)

At 8:45 PM last night I began my Save Aggie quest. I filled food and water dishes and put them at the end of the pen. I cut wire and fencing and began lacing the chicken wire at one end to keep the little girlie from the relative freedom of the pen and house. I tossed her into her new quarters and began lacing the other side of the fencing, struggling with the dusky light and bifocals and gardening gloves. Just as I was finishing she amazingly slipped under the fence. Dang! It was too dark to tack the fence down, and I was getting tired. "Hey, I know," I thought. "I'll just block off the entrance to the little house and she can roost overnight with her sisters." I (thought I) prevented entry with a board over the walkway. Not so! Aggie pushed right through. Hens can be very determined, I now know. I changed the position of the board so that there was no way to wedge in an avian head, and then body. "Dream on," Aggie seemed to say as I watched her head back for the nest.

There comes a point when, as a human being, pride takes over. I don't generally want or need to feel like a man, but I sure did last night. "You are going DOWN little lady!" I got another board and crossed it over the first one. A huge rock I nearly had to drag from the yard topped the boards. When I came in at almost 10:00 there were 3 red hens roosting just where they were meant to, and that's where they were when I left for my walk this morning.

Ladies on the Loose (in their pen, of course)

Adjusting to their new home.

Eating is their second favorite activity.

The first egg.
They missed the nest!

Preparing for Poultry

A lifelong dream has been to have a trio of laying hens, for wonderful fresh eggs. I designed a little poultry pen, but lo, upon pricing I found that I didn't really want to spend the money on it that new materials would cost. I went on Craigslist and looked for supplies and options, and happened upon a bird pen built a few years ago and in the next town. It was just the right dimensions, 4'x8', supposedly fit on the truck, and had oodles of plywood I could use with my own (modified, now) plans.

Above is the photo of the various phases of dismemberment of our birdie pen. Imagine it on the back of our beater truck: Silas and I looked like the Beverly Hillbillies!