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| This look is priceless... and we get it ALOT! |
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| I want to hold them. |
Showing posts with label chickens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chickens. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Cock a Doodle Do!
Well, I sure hope there's no crowing going on because we supposedly just welcomed four HENS to our family. Their names are appropriately Dora (The Explorer), Maria (VonTrapp), Charlotte (the Spider) and Mary (Poppins). I have been wanting chickens for a while (yes, I might be crazy) and I knew Mattie would love them. I think it might be my Oklahoma roots coming out! I was so excited to finally get to call my Uncle Doug for some chicken advice!
So, Pete got a great design from a friend and he and Scottongim got it built in a single day.
It is the COOLEST design for a chicken house ... We can move it around the yard, they lay their eggs in this semi - external nesting box (which means we don't have to crawl in the nastiness to get them) and they have a food chute on the outside that I can put their food in each morning. We love them! And I think they love us. They don't even mind when Mattie goes in with them and tries to "hold them."
So far M loves going out each morning to check on them, feed them, and look for eggs. She literally wakes up asking about them first thing. She even remembers to save some of our food scraps for them at meals (so sweet).
We have only had one semi-insane moment and that was when The Animal Lover set them free in the yard and it took me, my mom (and Mattie thought she was helping) 30 minutes to get them back in the coop. She thought it was HILARIOUS to see mom running all over the yard like a chicken with her head cut off (pun intended). Somehow after escaping to the neighbors yard, the front yard, and all through our gardens and sauna, they all made it back in alive. The dogs were even in the yard and didn't try anything crazy.
We get 4 eggs each day and I could practically time when they lay them. Gotta love the girls!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Introducing Ugly Magruder
I bet you didn't know that fighting game chickens was a sport only enjoyed by nobility and high society - like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson- back in the day? For many years it was an accepted and popular sport in the US. You all know me, I am by no means advocating for cock fighting here... Just giving you a bit of interesting history.
Well, my family has a long history with prize game chickens. Game chickens are actually roosters who fight other males really well. Most roosters are prone to be very aggressive towards other males (and if you ask Micca - other humans), and the MOST aggressive and crazy are often the ones that are selected for fighting. Not all game chickens are used for fighting . . . our families roosters no longer fight. Now they are beloved pets.
Now, I know what you are thinking... Game chickens? Fighting cocks? Isn't that illegal? Why, yes it is, and since it was outlawed in Oklahoma a couple of years back, our families roosters have not been "in the game." We are very law abiding. The sport is outlawed in all US states but Lousianna and in August they will be done there too.
It is not about the sport for our family, our family just LOVES chickens! I remember the conversations amongst the brothers around the dinner table at my grandpa's house growing up. Talk usually revolved around one of four topics, sometimes a combination: wood / cabinets, chickens, western films, or Oklahoma State sports.
My grandfather, uncles, and now, solely my Uncle Doug takes care of the chickens. Their blood lines go back hundreds of years (no kidding). If you knew my uncle Doug, you would know that he loves nothing more on this earth (aside from his daughter and family) than his chickens. They all have names, he makes sure they are all healthy and happy and he can describe their personalities. If you called his answering machine right now his message has his favorite rooster cock-a-doodling on the machine.
They truly are quite a sight these birds.
What you see here are: pure SweaterMcGinnis Hatch, Madigan Hatch, SweaterMcGinnis PoleCat Greys and of course Pure uncle Doug holding his favorite pet right now, "Ugly Magruder".
Well, my family has a long history with prize game chickens. Game chickens are actually roosters who fight other males really well. Most roosters are prone to be very aggressive towards other males (and if you ask Micca - other humans), and the MOST aggressive and crazy are often the ones that are selected for fighting. Not all game chickens are used for fighting . . . our families roosters no longer fight. Now they are beloved pets.
Now, I know what you are thinking... Game chickens? Fighting cocks? Isn't that illegal? Why, yes it is, and since it was outlawed in Oklahoma a couple of years back, our families roosters have not been "in the game." We are very law abiding. The sport is outlawed in all US states but Lousianna and in August they will be done there too.
It is not about the sport for our family, our family just LOVES chickens! I remember the conversations amongst the brothers around the dinner table at my grandpa's house growing up. Talk usually revolved around one of four topics, sometimes a combination: wood / cabinets, chickens, western films, or Oklahoma State sports.
My grandfather, uncles, and now, solely my Uncle Doug takes care of the chickens. Their blood lines go back hundreds of years (no kidding). If you knew my uncle Doug, you would know that he loves nothing more on this earth (aside from his daughter and family) than his chickens. They all have names, he makes sure they are all healthy and happy and he can describe their personalities. If you called his answering machine right now his message has his favorite rooster cock-a-doodling on the machine.
They truly are quite a sight these birds.
What you see here are: pure SweaterMcGinnis Hatch, Madigan Hatch, SweaterMcGinnis PoleCat Greys and of course Pure uncle Doug holding his favorite pet right now, "Ugly Magruder".
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