California Dreaming

Here in California, spring starts to show itself in January.  This weekend we had warm sunny days that pushed the thermometer up towards 70 degrees.  Trees are starting to flower and what isn't already blooming, is full of fat buds just waiting to burst open.

This was certainly the warmest day the girls have known since their existence last October.  And they took full advantage of it by having a nice long nap in the sun.



Pumpkin - Easter Egger (she doesn't see well and is kind of a spaz)

 

Coco -  Black Jersey Giant (does NOT like to be picked up - I hope that changes)



Poppy - Cuckoo Marans (still not 100% sure she's a girl - no crowing yet so we'll see)



Ginger (lower right) - Buff Orpington (using Poppy as a pillow)  She's as sweet as apple pie.

 All of them get along like they hatched from the same batch of eggs.  Just so fun to watch them move around the yard to forage, discover new things and nap together.

To Free Range or Not to Free Range?

That is the question I'm struggling with lately.

My girls live in a sizable run that is secure from both the top and bottom from predators.  And my intention all along was to let them free range in my garden.  But after hearing about a number of local hawk attacks on chickens, I'm not sure I'm going to do that anymore.

I just assumed that a Coopers Hawk wouldn't go after a 7 or 10 lb. bird.  So I consulted with a number of my Audubon friends, including a raptor biologist, and all confirmed that indeed a Coopers Hawk will go after a chicken, regardless of size.  While it may not be able to carry the chicken away, it will still kill and eat what it can before taking off.

So I've decided that I will not free range my girls after all.

After raising these beauties from day old chicks and really getting to know them, they have become pets and are part of the family.  I would be totally devastated if I were to loose one to a hawk.  I'm already an emotional wreck when I find a dead bird in our yard.  My husband can attest to this.  He's dug many holes in the yard for these birds who I tenderly wrap up in layers of tissue paper and gently bury after a few kind words.

This changes things in that I was really counting on them to control the bugs in my garden.  But it's not worth the risk just to save $30 on a jug of Sluggo.

So my Spice Girls will have to call their run their full time home.  I will try to keep them amused by filling their run with leaves and yard clippings for them to dig and play in.  It will still make me sad when I see them lined up at the gate, peering out into the garden, and salivating at all the potential things there are to dig up, mow down, gobble up and poop on out there.

No More Baby Food

The girls are twelve weeks old this weekend.  That means it's time to switch them from their baby chick starter feed to layer rations.  This feed contains a little less protein but is higher in calcium which will give the girls what they need to lay eggs with strong shells.  It also has a touch more fat and fiber for proper nutrition.

I gave their run a good cleaning today, scrubbing out the water container as well as the feed containers.  All the leaves I tossed in there back in October were starting to break down from all the rain we've had so I raked those up and tossed them into the compost bin.  In the process, I moved the compost bin and pulled out some of the finished compost to put around plants in the garden.

The previous compost foot print becomes a fun spot for the girls to dig in and see what bugs are hiding there.

We also went around the corner and filled up two big trash bags full of pine needles to dump in the run.  It gives the girls something to dig in and gives them some protection from the wet, clay soil.  To make the pine needles more fun and interesting, I stopped by the pet store and bought three dozen crickets which I sprinkled onto the pine shavings.

The crickets had a chance of escape for about 30 seconds while the girls discussed this new treat.  The conversation went something like this:

Poppy - "That's new.  What are those?"
Coco - "I have no idea.  And why are they moving?"
Pumpkin - "Oh, I hate new things.  I'm scared."
Poppy - "Coco, give one of those a try."
Coco - "No way, you try one first."
Poppy - "Never gonna happen.  Hey Pumpkin, try one of those hopping things."
Pumpkin - "What hopping things?  I don't see well.  WHAT HOPPING THINGS?"
Poppy - "Oh, right.  Pumpkin doesn't see well.  Hey Ginger, Give one of those hopping things a try."
Ginger - "Okay.  I'll try one."
Ginger - "Ooooo, crunchy on the outside - chewy on the inside.  YUMMO!!!"

And the feeding frenzy ensues.

Girl or Boy - WHICH IS IT!

I'm 99.9% sure that Coco, Ginger and Pumpkin are girls.  But I'm still on the fence with Poppy.

At a young age, she started to develop a comb and wattles.  Which made me wonder if she was a boy.  So I emailed some people who said that she was a boy.  But then I learned that Marans (Poppy is a Cuckoo Marans) are some of the most difficult birds to sex.  So I sought out a few people who raise Marans and they said to relax, that Poppy was most likely a girl.

She's one week older than her sisters and noticeably larger than they are which also causes me to take pause.  But I relaxed and didn't really think much of it until this week when I was looking at her and noticed that the ends of her tail feathers are starting to curl down, like roosters do.


Poppy - Boy or Girl?

I emailed my friends again and asked what they thought and one says a boy and the other says definitely a girl.  I'm so frustrated.  It'd be one thing if I had a flock of 10 or 20 birds.  But when you only have 4 and raised them from baby chicks, you really become attached to each of them.  They all get along so well with each other that the thought of having to remove one from the pack, just breaks my heart.

Nothing is definitive yet so I'm getting ahead of myself.  And I did have a few people email me saying that their Cuckoo Marans rooster doesn't crow.  Not a peep.  Not sure how that's possible.  But if that were the case, I see no reason why I couldn't keep Poppy.

But I do have to admit, I was really looking forward to having Cuckoo Marans eggs in my egg basket.  They are dark chocolate brown and just so different from anything I've seen.  In a carton with Pumpkin's green eggs, Coco's giant brown eggs and Ginger's brown eggs, I thought that would be so pretty.

Cuckoo Marans Eggs

And anyone who knows me personally, knows I HATE surprises.  I don't like waiting.  I'm an impatient person and horribly organized.  So to sit back and take this day by day is KILLING ME!!!

Favorite Treats

People who don't own chickens say that they are not very smart, bird brains, and even dumb.  But those who raise chickens, especially just a few so you really get to know each bird, will tell you otherwise.  Now I'm not saying that they are highly intelligent.  But they have survival instinct about them.  And they do have an amazing ability to recognize things visually.

My girls clearly recognize me from other people and will come running right up to me.  They also recognize their favorite treats and dig right in to eat.  New treats are cautiously studied and discussed before one will take a taste.

This morning I took them cantaloupe rind to peck at.  I couldn't stay to listen to the discussion and see if they were going to be a hit or not.  And I'm eager to get home to see if they eventually did decide that melon was a treat.

Thus far, spaghetti noodles are their favorite.  Meal worms and crickets were also a huge hit.
Italian flat leaf parsley and spinach are also good eats.  Arugula, not so much.
Lentils and rice didn't get eaten right away but were all gone when I checked later in the day.
Yogurt is only good when they can peck it off my fingers.  Which isn't much fun for me or my fingers.

Bread is a not a hit at all.  I remember my childhood chickens LOVING bread.  Maybe when they get older.

They do seem more interested in things that are bite sized for them.  Bigger things are still scary as I don't think they've learned that they can use their beaks to dig into it.  And at 11 weeks, they are just tweens so in due time, I'm sure their tastes will change.