Chicken Snacks

© Robin Edmundson, 'Chicken Snacks', watercolor, 10 x 14 inches

Chickens love redbud flowers and will fly up to a branch and pull them off.  True story!   It's hilarious to watch.  I had to try to get it on paper.   I should perhaps still make some adjustments, but this will do for now.

In the Doghouse

This is Bob.   He's our favorite rooster.   Gentle, quirky, cheerful.

Unfortunately, we got another rooster as a chick 2 years ago [we had paid for all females, so we were irritated, but unwilling to eat him. Yet.]  The new rooster is Nutmeg.  This year, Nutmeg has overturned the status quo and poor Bob has been ousted from the flock.    Either that or fight to the death.   Not nice options.

We separate Bob out first thing in the morning and let him range around the yard.   He goes where he wants and hangs out all over the place.  [At night he puts himself up and Nutmeg doesn't seem to challenge him after dusk.]

It irritates Nutmeg to see Bob free, and quite honestly,  I'm OK with that. 

Sometimes, Bob and a chicken buddy hang out in the doghouse.   [The dog doesn't seem to mind - she hangs out in the sunshine in front of the studio.]

They'll nap in there for a while and then come out and scratch around somewhere else.

Bob's feathers.  So gorgeous. 

I could look at him all day long.

Roosters

Way back in March, we went out and got some new baby chicks because our hens are getting old.  We paid extra to get females.

And then half of those females turned into males.

I hate it when that happens.

So now we have two extra roosters.    Because apparently we needed crowing 24/7.

Also, we figured out where the theme from Get Smart came from.   I'm totally serious.  Nutmeg crows the Get Smart theme.  

This is Nutmeg.  He's an Americauna.  I was hoping to get blue eggs from him.

Not.  Going.  To Happen. 

This is Jupiter.   He's a Silver Laced Wyandotte.   Pretty! 

They try to out crow each other. 

All.  Day.  Long.    Beginning early in the morning.  Early.  

EARLY.

Bob, our main rooster, just looks on in disgust.    Who can blame him?

We let Bob stay in the coop with the ladies.

We let Jupe and Meggie Boy out into the yard so that they don't start fighting with Bob.  That would be Bad.  

K2 loves the feathers on these guys.  Notice the green with the black. 

And notice the green with the brown.  

Forty shades of brown and gold with a bit of that bottle green and black. 

Handsome!