More Roosters!

After we gave away our two roosters, we thought that was it. No more roosters. Nice quiet chicken yard. Wrong! Mohawk, our Golden Laced Polish was a rooster too! The most beautiful bird we've ever had. It took some time to realize he was a rooster. I believed he was crowing, my husband didn't. Then Mohawk started standing on his tiptoes and crowing at my husband and charging him. My husband believed then.

I kept asking everyone I knew who has chickens if they wanted a beautiful rooster. One that could be shown at a county fair. No takers. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find a home for him. I was starting to get a little nervous. He had started to crow more and more and I kept waiting for the neighbors to complain. (Thankfully we have great neighbors and no one complained.)

Perplexed with my rooster situation, I decided to go relax at the local county fair. Going through all the animal exhibits, I met a lady with two baby goats. The goats were only three weeks old and I couldn't help visiting and petting them. I started talking chickens with the goat lady and explained my dilemma. She took my number and said she may have a friend who would want him. (I didn't hold my breathe.) A few days later she called, her friend wanted the rooster. Hooray!

Fair lady's baby goats. 

Knowing the lady and her friend were coming to get Mohawk, the fun began. Mohawk doesn't like to be picked up. He runs fast and isn't easily caught. When he is captured he squirms, tries to fight and makes all kinds of chicken sounds in protest. Thankfully the day they were coming one of my husband's customers was present and assisted in the rounding up of Mohawk. The men went outside, I followed close behind with camera in hand. The chase began. (Steps to catch a chicken)

Step —Enter yard, making birds think it is snack time. 

Step 2—Find your desired victim. 

Step 3—Surround him,  hunched over and arms spread wide.

Step 4—(Quick capture by customer), hand over bird to husband.  

Step 5—Try to calm captured bird.

Step 6—Smile proudly, your customer caught the bird. 

Step 7—Provide snack to calm other birds  

Step 8—Keep giving snacks until birds forget their caged friend.

Step 9—Capture a bird on your own to prove you can. 

They came with a cage and off Mohawk went to his new home filled with female chickens. I guess he went to his Garden of Eden for Chickens. I sure hope he is happy.

The only problem I have now is, I still have a new chicken crowing and can't figure out which one yet!!

Cherry Picking

We have an abundant crop of fruit from our nine fruit trees this year.  Our cherries are almost ripe enough for picking. They have only a hint of sourness yet. But that hasn't stopped some of our young chickens from enjoying them.

Chicken in the Cherry Tree. 

Choosing which cherry. 

Going in for the bite. 

Our chickens are comical. Is it any wonder we don't have TV?

Splash

We've had Araucana Chickens as long as we had chickens. They're beautiful birds splashed in colors of gold, brown and black feathers. They're very mild-tempered birds. They are nicknamed Easter Eggers because of the color of their eggs; blue, green, pink or yellow.

Araucana Chick

Araucana Hen (Our Oldest Bird, Goldie)

Araucana Hen (Our Second Oldest, Araucana #1)

Little did I know Araucanas are not only brown, gold and black but also white and black. The last batch of Araucanas chicks we purchased had one who grew up to be black and white. I thought, "how strange" and googled Black and White Araucanas. I found out my bird was not uncommon and was called a Splash. How fun to learn something new.

Our little girl Splash.