Moving on Out (and Up!)

All in all, everyone handled the move very well. There were only a few breakdowns and moments of unconsolable sobbing.

Ted glumly broke apart his architectural masterpiece:

And, a dude with 24 chickens bought the coop and hauled it away. We're still not sure how that many birds are going to live in the coop, but I guess that's not our problem:

Blondie had a quiet moment after her home dissapeared:

Later in the evening, each bird was put in a moving box for delivery to their new pad in North Berkeley:

And here, the five beauties rest soundly in their new home, the McMansion:

I wonder what happened this morning when they awoke to a whole new world?

To find out, check back later when the new writer of this blog (and mother of the girls) picks up where I left off.

For now, "Adios, mi pollitos!"

Chicken McMansion

This morning, we met with the future parents and toured the new hen digs, and - Whoa! Hello! - the girls are moving into the sweetest chicken pad ever!

It's got every amenity a bird could want, plus it's stylishly painted and even has landscaping!

Desiree and Kristina are super sweet too. They might even be more chicken-crazed than we are (if you look closely, you can see a rooster on that plate of cookies:) Plus, they made us cookies. I'm pretty sure the girls are going to be just fine without us.

August Update

It's been a little wild round here at the Compound due to possum attacks, Rosemary's arrival and our upcoming departure to Spain, so here's where things stand now:

Blondie hasn't layed an egg since May, but we've decided she's molting which is a relief because chicken-depression is not something we are equipped to handle. Check out her funny looking feathers (or lack thereof):

And, Ruthie "the Muscle", did in fact lose part of her beak during one of the possum attacks, but it hasn't slowed her eating nor her bullying down a bit. Check out her underbite:

And Rosemary (far left) has found her place in the flock. In the pecking order, she's somewhere behind Frieda and Blanca but definitely ahead of Ruthie and Blondie. All in all, everyone's just peachy.

New Home (and Family) Needed!

We just heard the terrible news that our humans are moving to Spain in September and they're not taking us with! How rude, right?

We're soon to be coop-less! We desperately need a new backyard and some loving humans to throw table scraps our way, every now and again.

We promise to keep our squawking to a minimum and provide you with nutritious, delicious eggs every morning. We're also very cute and will love you forever.

Sincerely,

Blanca, Frieda, Ruthie and Blondie (and Rosemary, possibly)

A New Guest at the Table

It used to be annoying, but now it's cute. Every time we sit down for a meal, Blanca flies up to the window to join us.

Here she is for lunch:

And Family Dinner Night with Alyce:

And, for a post-work beer:
It's nice having company at mealtime:)

Chicken-Sitting

We are now chicken-sitting for Rosemary, a year-old brown leghorn from the Temescal neighborhood. Welcome to the Compound, Rosemary!

She looks totally freaked in this portrait..... and for good reason.

The story is tragic. Just like our coop, Rosemary's coop was under attack by urban predators looking for a midnight snack. Last Thursday night, a racoon got Rosemary's sister-chicken, leaving Rosemary an only bird. Her parents, Kristina and Deseree, asked us to take Rosemary in while they build a more secure dwelling.

Rosemary's a tough chick though. Our birds are doing their very best to make her feel unwelcome but she's not taking any s%$t. Rosemary does her own thing while our flock huddles together and talks gossip (see below).

I'm just glad Rosemary is here and safe. We're all safer in numbers.

Possum Attack!

Three times now, it's happened. I tried to pretend it was just a fluke and then a coincidence, but now it's official. A possum is after our birds!

This nasty creature - how does anyone find this animal cute?! - creeps out of the sewer to startle our sleeping birds. There's usually some kind of 4-1 brawl, and luckily our birds have won (or at least, survived) every fight.

But not without battle scars. See the dark spots on her beak and comb? That's dried blood.

The other girls are covered in dried blood too and Ruthie has lost part of her beak. Blanca is the only chicken that will let us near her now. The others are totally freaked. And, they've all significantly decreased egg production.

Until this possum decides to find a new place to hunt, our girls will have a 6PM curfew. And, I don't think they'll mind.