August | 2016 | The Kuntry Klucker

The girls go shopping!

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Noelle K. Moser

Hello again! Well, here we are in the last few waining days of late summer. The girls so far are weathering our 90+degree heat well. They spend a lot of time in the shade and scavenging in my gardens for grubs. The flock is adjusting well after the loss of our resident rooster Roy. I still think they miss his presence but they have decided to move on with their lives and carry on with their chicken antics. As my gardens are expiring the girls are taking this opportunity to clean all the plants of remaining bugs, fruit, and other edibles. They are having a great time tending my corn and pumpkin gardens which remain their favorite destinations. I was out today doing my daily morning chores with the girls and discovered something rather interesting about my fancy ladies, they love to shop!

Yes, my girls like to shop till they drop. You see, I have several small coops in my spice garden that I use as hospital or isolation housing for when I have a girl that does not feel well or a broody mama that just needs some privacy or space from the flock. When they are not being used for these purposes I leave them open for the girls to explore and lay there eggs in while they are about and about. I am afraid that if I leave them shut up till I need them wasps and other insects will set up house in the dormant coop. So to ward off these intruders I just leave them open for the girls to inspect and maintain while they are out in the yard for the day.

Since it is hot I make sure they they have water and feeding stations all over the yard. I don’t want them at any point to be too far from a water source. It does not take a chicken long to dehydrate so I keep hydration stations very accessible for them.

One place the I put these stations is in coops in my spice garden. I also set treats in each of the coops to keep things interesting for them and to give them a variety of food sources. Should we get a freak afternoon shower I am assured the the food will stay dry in the coops and not spoil. So for this reason the coops are a great place to keep their feed/snacks/water and so on. Additionally they will also lay their eggs in these coops. I do not find their eggs in the large coop anymore they prefer the smaller ones in the spice gardens for laying their eggs.

So this is how I have determined that my girls like to shop. As I was spending my morning with the girls getting their stations set up I noticed something. As they made their way into the yard they one by one started inspecting all the coops, seeing what was in “store” for them to munch on today. First Betsy inspects the larger of the two coops, she goes in takes a look and exits the coop. Next Bossy does the same, and so forth as the girls made their way into the yard.

They would then go over to the other coop and see what was in “store” there. Betsy would enter the coop take inventory, exit then make her way over to the first coop she inspected and enjoy the snacks in that coop. As I watched I said to my self, “my girls are going shopping”! They are comparison shopping between the coops to see which has the best deal on the grub. I was just amazed at how they were taking inventory of the treats/food/snacks and so forth in the coops.

It just blew my mind! I just sat there on my hammock amazed at their antics. My girls like to shop! Even funnier, if one coop contained something that they preferred over the other coop, a line would then start to form. Not only can they shop, but they can wait in line waiting to check out. How funny are these ladies.

Funny thing is, when they were chicks I staged a photo shoot of them I took some really cute pics. One of them was of them standing in front of a country store front, it appeared as thought they were shopping.

Well, now that I know this I think an update in their outfits is in order. They wear their dresses but now I think they are going to need some little purses to go along with their ensemble. Not too sure how I am going to pull that off but it would be the cutest thing if I ever found a way to make it work.

So there you have it. My girls are indeed backyard divas. They wear the latest in hen fashions and now they enjoy the art of shopping and finding the best deals. My girls amaze me more and more everyday. Keeping backyard chickens it truly the most fulfilling hobby I could ever imagine.

Well that is all for now. I will post an update on the girls shopping spree a I find new things to put in the coops for them to discover.

Till then, thanks for stopping by and spending a little time with the girls.

~The Kuntry Klucker Crew~

Farewell Roy, Rest in Peace Buddy

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Noelle K. Moser

Along the the joys of keeping backyard chickens there are always still the sorrows. It has been said that farm life is a balance between life and death, this is certainly true. Unfortunately, it is not easy, even though I know that the life of a chicken is not indefinitely long, when the times comes to say good-by its always hard.

Yesterday the girls and I lost our beloved rooster Roy. Now when most people think of roosters they think of a fearsome feathered backyard terror on two legs running them down. Roy was not like that at all. He was a gently creature, he was kind to humans, gentle with the girls, and the husband of his flock. He took pride in his girls even when they did not want him in their space at times, as a women I can understand this. Even then, he would always provide treats for the girls and make sure they got the best of the goods.

After suffering a hawk attack several summers ago Roy was never really quite the same. With my loving care he made a full physical recovery but not a neurological one. The hawk attacked his head leaving him quite wounded. After days of care he was returned to his girls. However, ever since then he would tend to tire easier needing several naps during the day. Even then he would make sure that he took care of his ladies. I am sure that he was one tired guy at the end of the day.

All roosters are not bad, all roosters are not mean or aggressive. They have a job to do and they do it to the best of their ability. This is why I wanted a rooster. Roy however was special, he was the boss of the backyard but he was also gentle to the ones he loved including me, the girls, and his boy, my son Elijah. Loosing him is such a big loss, he has left a silent hole in our backyard.

Every morning he would crow greeting the day while summoning his anticipation for breakfast for him and the girls. If I was late in letting them out in the morning he would make it no secret. If there was something amiss in the backyard, he would sound the alarm altering me to a problem calling for backup. He was a great rooster, I knew that with him on duty the in the backyard things were good. Now the girls and I are going to have to find a new normal till we decide if we want to get another rooster. Roy can never be replaced, even if I get another rooster it is no guarantee that this one will be a gentle as Roy. He really was one in a million, a diamond in the rough.

Several days ago Roy got sick. I tried everything in my power to help him but in the end nature won. It was his time to retire and make his journey to Rainbow Bridge. I am usually able to nurse my girls back to health, but every once in a while nature beats me. His case was an unfortunate case of the power of nature over me no matter how hard I tried. It is a sobering reminder that nature is a force that we can never control now matter the extent of our efforts.

So to you Roy, thank you for everything. Thank you for your years of service, protecting the ladies, providing for them in way that I never could, and for being the prize of our flock. You are indeed worth your weight in gold. Rest if Peace Buddy, every once in a while if you get a chance check in on us from your perch at Rainbow Bridge.

Fairwell Buddy, and thanks for all you taught me and for being my alley in caring for the girls. You are loved and will be missed more than you ever know. Fly High buddy, Fly High.