Chick-Inn with the Arnolds

10/03/2021

She did, indeed, fly out again immediately after this. She then ran around and stood at the door, waiting to be let in...again. 🤦

09/27/2021

Bumblefoot Removal (WARNING: BLOOD)

09/27/2021

Introduction to Bumblefoot

08/13/2021

I was so excited to see 9 eggs today. 9 eggs, 9 hens, I thought I could finally figure out who is laying which!

Oh sweet, summer child. There is absolutely no telling. A single breed can lay a range of similar shades. I'll just have to catch them in the act!

08/10/2021

I've been asked why I haven't posted any updates with pics of the chickies. Everything is going great here! I've just been too busy to sit out there, and when I am out, I don't have my phone on me (too much risk to drop in p**p or mud 😂). We are getting about a dozen every 2 days. Too many to consume by ourselves!

08/06/2021

Best believe there is no taking eggs without someone to check on us!

07/28/2021

4 cartons small eggs available
$3/dozen
first come, first served
comment below to claim
pick-up only

06/26/2021

My husband said Dominique might be broody because she was sitting on the fake egg and being protective, so I went to check on her. Turns out she was just taking her time with her own!

06/25/2021

Two eggs in a day! Getting there!

06/20/2021

Two very different eggs today means we're up to two laying hens!

06/19/2021

You guys...it finally happened!

We think it was Storm, because she scooted the egg under her once we found it.

Though it pained me, I had to crack it to make sure everything was good with the yolk. It was a double yolker! Small yolks, but still.

Now for the taste test. Just because they look good, doesn't mean they taste good. And if they don't taste good, then I need to look at my girls' diet! But it tasted amazing! I didn't season it because I wanted the full flavor (beyond the butter). I could seriously just eat these eggs with nothing else and be happy.

I can't wait for more!

06/09/2021

Sometimes hens lay "oops" eggs. Just an egg that didn't get enough calcium, didn't develop properly, etc. New layers are ESPECIALLY prone to this, since they aren't used to the whole thing. Our first egg (or eggs, since it looks like 2 were attached!) is a blip in the system. But it's a good sign that we will start getting more soon! The first few months of laying are always an adjustment period for both chicken and owner.

06/06/2021

Blueberries yesterday, watermelon today!

05/29/2021

I realized I didn't have updated pictures of everyone. They've gotten so big!

05/25/2021

05/23/2021

Crowing in his sleep at 2am

05/22/2021

Today we found out that chickens love milk. Here they are with some horchata!

05/15/2021

Barock did a proper crow!

05/10/2021

Today, Lottie houdini'd herself outside the run.

Absolutely no idea how she did it. No holes in the fencing. The only possibility is that she flew to the top of the run and found an area of the netting that she could squeeze herself through without getting tangled. While possible, it's not really something most birds would contemplate.

She did rip some feathers out, you can see some dried blood under her wattle in the picture. No open wounds, so she probably just bled a bit when feathers got pulled. I'm hoping the experience was enough to deter her and the others from doing it again.

Thankfully it's my friendliest chicken, so she just walked right back in when we found her.

05/06/2021

The girls are almost of age to lay eggs. Wonder how long they'll take? Can't wait!

05/05/2021

I didn't even break a nail!

05/02/2021

I have three sets of twins with only subtle differences.

Blue Marans: Cloud with a light face and Storm with a dark face

Delawares: Dottie with more black on her neck and Lottie with less (and mud on her head right now)

Welsummers: I can only tell Dumbo and Belle apart when they're next to each other. I can barely tell in these photos that the first is Dumbo and the second is Belle. Dumbo's breast is a little more golden and Belle has a little more black on her neck.

04/19/2021

The weather has been too miserable to spend much time out here. Finally have steady sun this week and hoping the run dries out by tomorrow. My friends list has evolved in the mean time.

04/15/2021

A little muddy in the run today, but we've had a little bit of sun to enjoy.

04/09/2021

My husband: when did the Dominique get so friendly?
Me: Probably when she got jealous of the extra attention the Delawares got.

04/08/2021

Forgot to post these yesterday. We had a very lazy day because the humidity was a little stifling. It rained last night and will rain again tomorrow! Lotty is giving me the most amazing look in these photos, and I got very excited that one of the blue marans who won't let me touch her roosted on my legs as well. She still wouldn't let me touch her. 😂

04/05/2021

Fun fact: chickens sleep with one eye open.

04/03/2021

The blueberries are planted! Fingers crossed I don't kill them.

03/30/2021

Came home and changed to sit with the chickens. Just sat down. I think this is a new habit of theirs. One on each arm.

03/27/2021

They say you can determine the coop hierarchy by roost positions. I don't see any rhyme or reason to where these birds are sitting. They all chose the top roost, and the lowest of the totem pole is right next to the rooster while the "head hen" is all the way at the other end. I'm not sure there is a hierarchy here beyond "protect the flock!"

03/26/2021

I love having these chickens so much. It finally stopped raining for a few days but the run is muddy. Introduced some sand when I saw the girls trying to dust bathe in grass. Huge success.

03/26/2021

03/26/2021

This is golden. I was trying to get a video of the chickens putting themselves to bed, but noticed they were very concerned by the chicken statue we just put up. Seemed like they thought it was a chicken stuck outside! I sent the husband in to move it, and this gem happened. He ended up with a total of four and I had to rescue him! Note, the statue is now facing OUT of the coop, so hopefully they don't associate it with a lonely chicken needing to go to bed.

03/26/2021

This happened after treat time. These girls full-on settled in for a nap on my arm. Chickens are so WARM.

03/25/2021

We've mastered putting ourselves to bed and staying out of the rain. Now we work on roosting. Every night, I put them up there one by one and cross my fingers that some get the hang of it.

03/24/2021

The chickens put themselves to bed!

03/23/2021

Tell me why not a single chicken out of 10 thought to take shelter in or under the coop when the rain started? Circled is where I found them when I came home after errands. Luckily hadn't rained long. I put them back in the coop with the door open so they could dry off. They like looking out at the rain now. Hopefully they realize they can go in and out on their own for food now!

Circled is where they were huddled in the run. Literally the lowest point of the land.

03/22/2021

I chased a single chicken for an hour and learned one important lesson. Don't chase the chicken. It'll either come back on it's own, become free range, or feed the owls. Just don't waste your time chasing the chicken.