So here I am, my first night house-sitting for the Becks. I've been here since yesterday afternoon, but they didn't leave until this afternoon. The home is just lovely, about ten minutes from DePauw, out in the country, up on a hill with fields full of corn and/or cows around it. The yard here looks small, but there's so much to it! They have so many little gardens on the edges of the yard and tucked into nooks and crannies, have a greenhouse, a workshop, and of course, the chicken coop. So this summer, I have taken care of cats and plants, then cats, dogs, horse, and plants, and now I get to take care of cats, dog, and chickens...... and of course, plants. I have never actually seen a live chicken, believe it or not. My only exposure is through the TV, and I must confess something..... when I was trying to invision what the chicken coop would look like and what I would need to do to take care of the chickens, most of my mental imagery was inspired by Chicken Run.... I know, pathetic. Another thing I was trying to work out in my mind was how cats and chickens could possibly get along, since I knew they owned both. What I figured must be the case is that the cats are totally indoor, or else they have a really sturdy pen for the chickens so the cats can't bother them. What I found out was that they have two totally indoor cats, and two totally outdoor. And that's not all-- in the later afternoon, the chickens are let out of the coop for a couple hours to roam around and eat those creepy-crawlies and whatever else it is they eat. I was simply astonished when they let the chickens out yesterday and the cats just lay on the ground, lazily watching them. Or, even following us around and coming within inches of the chickens, and still do no more than glance at them.
But let me tell you about my first experience alone with these chickens. As I was told, I went to let them out a little after 4, they were quite excited. Since I knew they would roam around until it started to get darker, I decided there was no point in my staying outside that whole time, even though I felt really uncomfortable leaving them alone. The Becks don't stay outside, but there are two of them, and only one of me now that they're gone. See, I was anxious about the safety of the chickens. The Becks showed me this tree out behind the coop within which at least one coon is known to live. Also having been informed that this is the season for the predators, especially the coyotes, coons, and hawks, made me quite anxious about the chickens. Right around six, or a little after, I went outside with a book and say on the porch so I'd be closeby the chickens. Let me tell you some of my experiences this evening.
After I let the chickens out into the yard, I went around to the little door next to the two nests, to see if there were any eggs. There weren't any in the first nest, then I tried for the second. Slight problem.... I wasn't quite large enough to reach it! By stretching my arm out to the side, I could just come to the mouth of the nest, but I couldn't see in it or even reach in it. I was stumped for a minute, then I tried climbing up onto the little ledge, but stopped, fearing it would break. (but in first attempting, I noticed an egg in the nest.) It just figured that there'd be an egg in the very nest I couldn't reach. I did find a stool shortly afterward and through a very awkward procedure of standing on said stool, lightly balancing over the window sill, and leaning my upper half totally into the coop, I was able to reach into the nest, and found not one, but two eggs within it.
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I was sitting at the little table, looking out at the backyard. Mama-Kitty (yes, that's her name) was wandering through the yard, slowly making her way in the general direction of the porch. A group of about 5 chickens came around the corner and headed up the pathway towards the porch, coming up behind Mama-Kitty. And just guess what she did-- Mama-Kitty moved to the side of the path and just lay down in the ivy so that the chickens could go by. Well, the chickens didn't go very far, they mostly stayed right there, around the kitty. But mama-Kitty just lay there in the ivy, didn't complain, and didn't try to get the chickens. I couldn't believe it! One of the chickens even went up to the very edge of the ivy, within six inches of Mama-Kitty, and just stared at her for several long seconds.
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I was wandering the yard a bit, heading in the general direction of the coop, when some of the chickens saw me, and started coming towards me. Now, as I said, I've never been around chickens before. I didn't know what they wanted or what to do! They look all cute and soft, and I just want to scoop them up and snuggle them... but I doubt that would go over well. So anyway, they were walking towards me, and I didn't know if chickens can be like pets, if they liked attention, if they were good natured, if they thought I was invading and wanted to attack, or what. So I just turned around and headed back to the porch.... and they followed me there. They didn't actually come on the porch, but they came right up to the edge, and a few chickens would always see me whenever I went into the yard and end up following me around. (Mama-Kitty also follows me around, and it's really funny to see a cat and at least one chicken both following me.) I still don't know what the chickens wanted or what I should do, but oh well.
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Starting a little after seven it was just starting to get darker, so of course, I was getting anxious about the "predators" out there after the cute little chickens. I was very alert, and hoping the chickens would head back to the coop soon. See, those chickens apprently know when it's time to go in, will congregate in front of the coop, and then head inside at the right time. Well, I didn't know what this "right" time was, and just wanted them to get in soon before it started getting the least bit dark and I'd really start worrying about predators. Those chickens didn't want to go in yet, and there was no making them. They just continued moving around the yard, pecking at the ground, and avoiding the entrance to their pen. I gave up for the moment and sat on a chair out in the yard, and waited....after half an hour, I started pacing around, saw a couple chickens go inside, and was starting to get hopeful.... but the others just wouldn't go inside yet! I took to going around the pen, trying to get the chickens to walk in front of me and therefore force them into their pen, but that didn't really work. Over the period of another half hour, it came to be that all but five chickens were inside, but those five just didn't want to go in. The worst part was when there were just two left outside, I ducked around the back to make sure there weren't any still out there, then went back to the front to see of those two had gone in or to make them go in.... but just then, the other three went back out and joined the two, forming that stubborn fivesome once more.... *sigh* They finally all went in, I closed the doors, and made my head count. At the end of my first night, all twenty were safely acounted for!
Sorry for the long post about chickens..... I'll find something more interesting next time, I promise. :)
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