New Kids on the Roost

Thanks to the Pharmer, his wife and their lovely crew of chicken tamers we brought home five healthy, happy, friendly girls to add to the flock on Saturday.  My kids have been spending most of their free time with these delightful babies.  They're working on training them to sit on their shoulders and heads. 

 

If you're wondering why the chickens are in the garden, it's because they're a bit more protected there.  It also makes them easier to catch.  We're not letting them out unsupervised.  We have some hawks that live nearby and we lost two last spring.  So, for the moment they only go outside when one of the kids is playing with them, or when someone is working in the garden.  They need a bit of supervision and predator protection.

 

The girls are called:  Thunder, Aubry, Jacque, Salt and Vinegar.

 

Jacque - they have high hopes for this girl and say she's their best chicken trainer.

Hiding in the garlic - Aubry, Thunder and Salt

In the iris - Vinegar

Oops - this one needs to learn to sit still -flying chickens!

Thunder - a Black Australorp, quite possibly the prettiest chicken I have ever met.  Her glossy black feathers are irridescent green in the sunlight and she has beautiful black legs.

New braces, new earrings, and a new chicken accessory?

Vinegar tries to eat The Girl's earrings - Yikes!

Farmer Dan gives lessons on how to keep a chicken calm. 

 

Then when they tired of chicken training and cuddling they invented "the best swing ever" - their words - using a rope and an old pillow.  Tell me again why I buy these two toys?  I swear next year I'm just giving them duct tape, ten dollars to spend at the thrift shop and a free trip to the dump.  No problem entertaining yourself around here.  Oh, and just in case you wondered... yes, those are snow boots.  No, it is not that cold here.  Apparently, they're good protection from any possible chicken poop.