Ranchin'

We've had a little project in the works for a few weeks.

We've just been waiting for the "barn."

And the "stock."

But now we're in business!!

As you may have noticed Sean and I are on a bit of a homesteading kick. We have our garden, a full greenhouse, and, now, chickens! The goal was to get some pullets (that's a young female if you are like me and have no clue) that were already starting to lay but we just couldn't find them. My parents, who also recently entered the chicken ranching business, happened to have 50 "extra" chickens and decided they could part with 7 or so. These chickens just received a pardon - they were among the meat stock! Now they get to lead the leasurely life of a "layer" (and the rooster, I suppose, is the "crow-er") Whew! They'll never know how close they came to the sharp end of an ax head.

Can I say that I'm in love with my chickens? Seriously. They are so much fun to watch. I just spent a good 30 minutes just watching them this afternoon. They are fascinating. Did you know chickens lay down and cuddle with each other? I know I saw that rooster spooning one of the pullets. They chirp about (they're still chirpers) and peck at things and each other and just make me swoon.

We have chickens!

I know. I sound like a raving lunatic. But I mean what I say. I love them.

I've seen my fair share of chickens. Good grief we saw them in the streets of Shell, Ecuador on a regular basis and they drove us nuts. They were ugly, dirty yardbirds to us then...and the roosters! Oh, death to those roosters! If you ever had the pleasure of sleeping over at our house in the jungles of Ecuador, you know that it is a myth that roosters only crow at sunrise. You also know that roosters can crow so much they nearly lose their voice...but that still doesn't stop them. And you also know that earplugs are the way to go in Shell, Ecuador - if you value your sleep, that is. If you never got to visit us in Ecuador...well, now you know what you missed out on!

In all fairness I must say, though, that Ecuadorian chickens...well, they look a lot like your typical Ecuadorian dog. Ugly with a capital "U" - these creatures are some kind of conglomeration of the most disgusting specimens on the face of the earth and given a label that really doesn't do them justice...as in "dog" or "chicken." They were something else altogether. "Genetic Anomaly Dog-like Creature" or "Frankenchicken" would have suited these animals far better.

I digress.

We're talking about my chickens now....

Here's the thing. These are my chickens. They're quite young still. Only about 6-7 weeks or so. They are still in that awkward, gangly stage. The rooster doesn't even rule the roost yet. I don't think he even realizes he is a rooster. He's so cute clucking around looking like a miniature rooster...but without all the bravado. Actually, he's the biggest chicken of the bunch! These little birds are...uh...flighty! And their little eyes bulge while they run for their lives from...anything. But they'll grow fast, and I happen to know they'll be pretty egg-laying hens with their protective Big Daddy Rooster someday. In another 10-12 weeks we'll hopefully start getting some eggs. That's a long time to wait. But worth it.

And hey, if the egg-laying thing doesn't work out...well, we know where 43 other chickens will be put to a different kind of use!


Anybody have a good chicken name for these gals and their guy? We have 6 pullets and 1 rooster.