Chickens will be Chickens!

Tina Tyzzer of Indianapolis, Indiana sends this story of one of her chickens:

Girty earned her name…short for Dirty Girl. She’s been living on my backporch for a few weeks, because she didn’t feel well. It’s always a good thing to separate sick ones so it doesn’t spread to the rest of the flock. I’m not sure how familiar you are with chickens, but they LOVE to take a dust or dirt bath…and it’s good for them. It seems contradictory, but it’s how they keep their feathers clean.

Well, I didn’t THINK there was any place to take a dirt bath on the back porch, but she proved me wrong last Friday. And yes, that is my seeding table that she is on and yes, it was organized by seed type and clean before Girty got up there, and yes that tray had been filled with greens seedlings before Girty ate them and then got in for her dirt bath!!

That’s Lucky Tom outside the window wishing he were on the warm back porch too.

And just so my Saturday wasn’t too dull, Riley (my little wry neck hen) decided to have a tantrum. I couldn’t calm her down, her poor little head was bobbing and she was turning in circles. When she gets stressed like that, the only thing I can do is put her in my lap and stroke her feathers. Surprisingly, she calms right down and even starts to snuggle. This time was different though and every time I tried to put her down she would start up again.

So, there we sat until she started making this unusual noise. Riley doesn’t make any normal chicken noises, so I didn’t think much about it until I felt warmth on my lap. Nope, she didn’t poo on me, but laid a big beautiful brown egg. I can now add “Chicken Midwife” to my resume, right next to “Turkey Herder” and “Mother Hen” !

I hope this message with its view of dirt and seed starting makes you think “SPRING”, despite the snow in the window!