The Daily Dumb

[TheDBYC]

It’s Loudoun. And don’t get me wrong. At the end of the day, I believe in letting people enjoy things. Hi-viz hen vests & all. And I understand well from my line of work that contradictory financial behaviors are basically hardwired into our brains. It was just a head scratcher to have so many people that appear somewhat knowledgeable & supposedly are breeders blowing up my phone seeming shocked that they wouldn’t be $5 chicks. If that makes any sense!

A lovely lady that I’d given some roosters to in the past is coming this evening to get a few chicks. Other than that, I don’t mind keeping the rest. They’re breeds I do plain enjoy having around; liege fighters especially.

@lenapesadie, the vest is from Omlet. I actually like the idea – protects the hens backs against further rooster damage & keeps the bare skin warm. I just don’t want to further aid & abet the local foxes by dressing my chickens in blaze orange & hot pink! Lol

Eta: I’m confused about the Marek’s vaccination now. My general experience up to now is that most people were looking for unvaccinated. Now, we’re running 10 to 1 in favor of vaccinated, with the anti-vax lady yelling at me being the lone hold out.

[lenapesadie]

Taking hens on walks would have been funnier though! Lol!

[Spudsmyguy]

The people who own the barn where I board also have chickens they let roam the property during the day. I was there for the chicken round up last night! What a show that was. I offered to man the gate to the coop while they chased the chickens around trying to corral them. It was better than team penning! The husband was able to tackle a couple and bodily carry them to the coop but one little hen was not having it and led them on a merry chase running around and around the barn. It was hilarious! They finally gave up and left it out. I wondered if they went through this every night.

[TheDBYC]

@lenapesadie

Taking hens on walks would have been funnier though! Lol!

Well, I say do it! And if someone tries to stop you? Tell 'em your chicken has a right to cross the road, darn it!

@Spudsmyguy, was it at dusk? Chickens usually put themselves to bed when the sun starts to set.

[Spudsmyguy]

It was around 6:30 so not dusk.

[TheDBYC]

Ah. Yup, that would complicate the process greatly!

[McGurk]

Mine are very, very, very food oriented, so if we want them to go up early, throwing scratch grains in the coop usually does the trick.

[TheJenners]

@TheDBYC

I actually like the idea – protects the hens backs against further rooster damage & keeps the bare skin warm.

I have my special needs hen in a purple floral “dress” (they are called saddles but it looks like a pretty dress) because she can’t get away as fast from the roo.

[BatCoach]

This made me google “chicken saddles” thanks for the laugh - they are adorable.

[trubandloki]

@McGurk

Mine are very, very, very food oriented, so if we want them to go up early, throwing scratch grains in the coop usually does the trick.

This is our trick too. This group of girls love mealworms so much that all we have to do is shake the bag and they come running. (And there is nothing more fun than running chickens.)

[endlessclimb]

My ducks loved peas. Duck feet running on concrete <3 <3

[TheJenners]

I buy mine Grubblies, spoiled little monsters. And yes they come running. Also peas. I can’t even be in my garden without them staring at me from their run with their greedy eyes.

[ThreeWishes]

Lol greedy chicken eyes are REAL!

[Spudsmyguy]

I love ducks, their squatty little bodies.

[Ghazzu]

Let my hens out this morning, and last night’s thunderstorm had deposited a mess of lilac blossoms in their run. They were ecstatic.

[quietann]

No fowl owned here, but I enjoy seeing the chickens belonging to friends who are “backyard chicken owners.” I really did not know that they have different personalities.

My mare and I pass by a coop (about 30 feet away) on one of our trail routes. The mare doesn’t mind the rooster crowing at all, probably because she hears him all day in her paddock, but if the hens get to “chatting” she gets worried.

We did see a bunch of Canada geese goslings the other day – two sets of parents, one with 2 goslings and the other with 14 (!), plopping into the river one by one. The mare kept a wary eye on the little things!

[jvanrens]

She should keep a wary eye on the big ones! We don’t call them Canadian Cobra Chickens for nothing.

[skydy]

Not horses but another criminal; https://apnews.com/article/europe-oddities-060724e4b8ef04ba7af4213bc712c0ec

[2DogsFarm]

@Spudsmyguy

wondered if they went through this every night.

I wonder why they bother doing it at all.
When I let my hens free-range, they inevitably returned to the coop well before dark.
Even my current flock, kept confined to a fenced yard, is roosting when I close up the coop near dark.

I have stopped freeranging as I now have a small flock of 9 & predation here (hawks mostly, but raccoon & fox too) is too discouraging.
Lost 2 of my former 5 in a week : (

[2DogsFarm]

@Spudsmyguy

love ducks, their squatty little bodies.

Have you seen Runner ducks?
They look like animated bowling pins
: D