Recent content by HiEverybirdy

I have a blackberry story from this week. Well, it's a chicken story that starts out as a berry story, but "bear" with me... Blackberries ripen here in another couple weeks, but black raspberries and mulberries have already started, which means annual visitors have arrived: We'll see bears...

We'd not thought much about chickens and water until recently. Our only body of water is a seasonal creek. It's small and runs 6 months a year. The chickens rarely regarded it until the Speckled Sussex came along. The Speckles don't believe in fences so range where they darn well please...

It's an important point. If the hens were already aware that human-shaped animals have the potential to be useful/kind to them, then their new keepers probably could've won them over with a few weeks of treats, if they wanted to put the time in 🤷‍♀️ Edited to add: I'm not trying to start...

These kinds of reflections are cool, maybe because they show nuances in how we respond to our chicken charges, and how we can naturally take different approaches with different individuals. AGC is part of a group of chicks with whom I was uncharacteristically hands-off. They were more...

This thread often touches on the topic of taming chickens. I usually feel like a black sheep because our chickens are very, very tame. While preparing for our first birds, I kept seeing articles that said beginner keepers should handle chicks so they'd be easier to work with as adults. There...

Hahahahaha. Those extra legs are adorable.

This one is funny, too. Looks like Fret has 2 tiny legs.

This is a good point. Phones – especially around chickens, gardens, rain, dirt – don't last long. I can never quite talk myself into shelling big bucks for one. I will pay for more device storage because I take oodles of pictures and videos with my phone, top quality or not.

Great update. I'd've been your wisty-eyed victim in that story. Rules are meant to be broken. Unless you're a rat breaking Fret's Zero Rodent policy, which she's evidently serious about. Interesting diversity of color. Seems like 2 of the chicks got looks from the Legbar-mix side this time.

I suppose I'm also mad at myself for not pushing through the fatigue to ride around the mountain to watch/photograph more. Like you, I was having a hard time staying awake. I told myself I'd take a few shots and take a break before the lights were supposed to peak. Then I slept through the 1...

That's hilarious. Also the first time I've heard plank used as an insult. Excellent. When I first started keeping chickens and was trying to learn all I could to keep them well, I remember several online sources that said unusual breathing sounds basically mean certain death from respiratory...

I know I prefer trying to understand chickens over trying to understand humans 🤷‍♀️ Tax: A completely unlikely photo of our chicken yard under the northern lights. Who else was treated to this phenomenon Friday? It was so beautiful that I spent more time watching than photographing, which I...

I haven't forgotten this. Just lurking during a disorienting week 😵‍💫 The chickens and I may take a crack at this project in the next few weeks. Tax in the meantime: a boundary battle brewing between Lil Nugs and Miss Lorraine. Lil Nugs recently perfected her pterodactyl screech. When...

Which other behaviors would you include, ideally? Tidbitting, dancing, herding, preening, soilbathing...? I've only posted phone videos to BYC but have a decent videography setup. With patience and a little elbow grease, I could produce shorts that are much easier on the eyes than what comes...

I'd be happy to write an article about this. What do you envision as a subject, specifically? A description of the behavior? A commentary on the merits of keeping roosters and/or the ills of traditional confinement? The fact that Stilton evidently learned these behaviors from some kind of...