So we ordered our chickens. While at Farm & Fleet ordering Rhode Island Reds (4 hens 1 rooster) I suddenly heard that dangerous little voice-that animal angle on my shoulder-whispering 'You need ducks too! And look, you can order them right here!' Obviously it was a sign.
So about a month later I was the proud mama of 5 baby chicks and 5 baby ducks!Fortunately if you get them together, and keep them together they like to stay together.
I don't know if the chicks thought they were ducks or the ducks thought that they
were chicks or what, but they all loved each other just the same.
Nikki was not bothered in the least when the chickens and ducks moved into the front room. (Fyi baby chicks & ducks need to be kept at 90 degrees F the first week they are born and then you decrease the temp 5 degrees a week until they're old enough to go out.)
He had a peek at them and meowed his unvexed sort of way and that was it.
Occasionally I'd catch him trying to take a swipe at one of them but I think it was more out of annoyance than instinct. Up until now, since Steve departed, the house had been fairly quiet. Now these 10 birds were here disturbing the peace. Nikki's an old soul and you could just see him roll his eyes and think 'noisy kids' to himself.
Now you'd think there wouldn't be a lot to say about chickens and ducks, but I'm only getting started!
One day I knew, as all mothers know, that it was time for the ducks to be introduced to the water. Having researched my options it seemed apparent that the bath tub was the way to go. Oh my gosh! There's nothing so exciting as seeing a baby duck in the water for the first time! It was brilliant. They loved the water! I could tell because they kept crapping everywhere-if this isn't a sign of duck excitement then I don't know what is!
At one point one of the little brown ducks(Rouens) figured out where the water came from, went over to the tap and started screaming in excitement at it! It was brilliant!
So it was obvious that the ducks were smart. It was also very obvious that the chickens were stupid...
One chicken in particular thought that she was a parrot. While I'd be feeding or cleaning them out she'd hop up on my shoulder and stay there for EVER. It got to the point where she was so insistent (and so darn cute about it) I'd just let her stay there(though the whole time--and I know this makes me a bad chicken mama--I'd be thinking ''Please lord don't let this chicken crap on me!'' )
Aww.
Once we moved them outside it became even more apparent now NOT smart they were. For example:
The night one of the chickens got stuck up on the roof. I had my
first near death experience this night-trying to get her to come down. I climbed up there and shot her with my child's nerf gun but she just yelled what I can only assume were 'chicken swear words' at me and then moved over a bit. Eventually I got her down, and made a note to remember the chicken
swear words in case I ever needed them myself in the future.
Then there was the chicken who found her favourite place
to sit,which just happened to never be occupied. If she only knew!!! And topping the list of stupid ideas would be the chicken who wanted to get to know the gun better!
Eventually the chickens were outside all of the time. They were NOT impressed and often tried to find ways back into the house. For example one night I was washing dishes and this chicken thought she'd fly in through the (closed) window. Scared the bejeezus outta me! Of course she kept at it for about 30 minutes before I went out and squirted her with the hose just to distract her! But nothing tops the list of 'eerie chicken habits' like the following one. By now the chickens were quite upset with being thrown outside. They often protested in various ways about the lack of cable tv in the coop. For a while they'd hide their eggs around the yard. I'm telling you it was like Easter at my house every day!
((Side note-the ducks would lay their eggs anywhere they happened to be. Often this was in the middle of the drive way. When the ducks layed eggs you could tell they were freaked out. They'd all start quacking like 'Look! That thing just dropped out of you! OMG!' and then the duck that happened to drop the egg would start freaking out saying things like 'Oh gosh! That looks important, somebody put it back in!' but they never managed to get it back in. So they'd all run away from it and avoid looking at it at all costs until one of us would remove it from their site.)
Anyway. The chickens hate being outside. Now they're used to it but they still like to voice their opinion on the matter. There is nothing so creepy as opening the front door when someone knocks only to find that it was the chickens knocking! No joke!
Have a look...
Ok, before I go there are a few things I need to say.
First of all the chickens names are : Chickens. That's what they like to be called.
Second, I've never had to use the chicken swear words that I learned, though on occasion-when they've been particularly naught, I will leave a bottle of 'BBQ' sauce in their coop just to remind them of their place. This seems to do the trick.
Third-many people don't understand eggs! A female chicken will lay an egg every day regardless of the presence of a Rooster. Think of it this way-does a woman need a man around to menstruate? No. It's the same with chickens.
Forth, and yes I have been asked this! Roosters do not lay eggs.
Fifth. You are not likely to open an egg from an egg carton and find half a chicken! Normally these eggs come from girls(see above!) who have not been around roosters at all. Going back to humans-can there be a baby if there isn't a daddy and a mama? no. Same with chickens-if there's no daddy around there will be no baby chick in your egg at breakfast.
Sixth(and hopefully finally) You CAN have another egg in an egg! Don't believe me? Watch this video.
Gotta go folks, Hope you enjoyed! =D
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