I had such a nice day Thursday with the chickens. Me and Biggie are good buddies and this morning while the other four were busy with the fresh water and feed she followed me out of the pen and stood as I walked to the house with her neck stretched as if to say, “Where are you going?”
I’m not sure what they think I am, but it occurred to me yesterday they probably think I’m just the alpha chicken. I have access to better food, and throw lots of goodies over the fence into the pen. I also spend most of my day scratching around in the garden, weeding/cultivating the beds, going after new grass and tender weeds. Up and down the rows, bent over and doing damage.
I think we have come to an agreement on the garden. They have spent a few days in the pen, but I can’t really face the idea of keeping them confined in there unless it is for their safety. As someone who is participating in the confinement of an 84-year-old right now (for his safety), it just breaks my heart. The lettuce and greens are all out of one side of the cold frame bed. The other beds have drip lines so empty spaces (in between the volunteer dill) is soft and dry. That means there is ample space which is also nicely shaded for much of the morning. They can all get in there in a row and give themselves spa-level dirt baths. It makes me laugh.
Biggie is also very interested in the leaves on the broccoli plants. She’s trimmed them to the fence line (I put up fencing to stop the rabbits). Since I’ve already harvested them and am just getting occasional side shoots, I don’t mind.
The chickens have their routines, and luckily they don’t seem to be interested in going into the garden any farther. They much prefer the area around the trees, down by the pond, and in the soft pine needles behind their coop. They also like it over by the compost bin. They range out into the prairie and over by the raspberries (but haven’t yet bothered the raspberries!) They go in the pen about 4 p.m. and I shut the door. Once they’re in the coop roosting about 9 p.m., I slide that door shut.
I ate my cereal out there Thursday, and Biggie was quite interested in that. She also was curious about my laundry. The life of an alpha chicken is very complicated. We’ll see how it goes. For now, I’m really enjoying their quiet activity, and just looking forward to the eggs.
I also thought of a good T-shirt slogan today. “If my husband would get me a cat, my chickens wouldn’t be so spoiled.” My mother-in-law, who grew up on a dairy farm, clearly thought I was insane when she saw the sunflower sprouts I’m growing for them. They are so big and beautiful, they are clearly spoiled rotten. And my sister-in-law had dumped a big batch of watermelon rinds in the pen for them.