Free-Ranging

Now that the days are lengthening and the sun is making an appearance in the sky more often (or so it seems), the ladies have been free-ranging around the coop and near the barn, finding all sorts of goodies in the mud under straw and hay. I found about eight of them today in Sally's stall taking a dust bath, all but laying on their backs and throwing dust up into the air with great abandon while others picked carefully through the hay for bits of dropped horse feed (oats and whatever else they were able to find). They seemed to be having the equivalent of some sort of party, and if they could have, I'm willing to wager they would have been laughing - great fluffy-belly chicken laughs.

The rooster is very entertaining in his self-important way; he certainly struts his stuff (and has it to strut), but if he finds a particularly tasty morsel, he summons his girls to him and allows them to eat it. He also takes seriously his responsibility to protect them, and the various calls, clucks, barks and other sounds he makes are meaningful, at least to his charges; in specific instances, his chatter elicits an immediate response.

Really, they are fascinating creatures.

Fluffy bums in the sun.

Shadow is intrigued, but unafraid.

Speaking of Shadow, isn't this a great photo of her? She climbed to the top of the coop to have a look around.

The girls have also been very generous with their eggs. They gave us five so far today - and such pretty little eggs they are! Of the six breeds we have, some (if not all) of the Red Stars, Wyandottes, Orpingtons and Delawares are laying. I think the Barred Rocks are laying as well. I have seen the Australorps inspecting the nesting boxes with great interest, but I don't know if they have begun to give eggs. No hurry, though. They're still young, and all good things come in their time.

Stonewall "taking the air" with his ladies.

I think I may have been born for this.