Today the kids and I were on chicken duty so after the bus we made our way up to the coop where we fed the girls their grains, gave them some leftover runny yogurt and greens and had our photographs taken by the newspaper photographer, part of a story that will be out in the next few weeks about our hens. Then, we snagged two of our gals and totted them home with us. Yep, we chicken-napped them for the afternoon.
This wasn't a first at-home visit for the hens. Elvira took a few to her yard last week where they cleaned her garden of slugs and had a great time stretching their legs. Since we still can't tell them all apart and we are trying to get them all comfortable with us, we took two that seemed a little hesitent to be grabbed and hoped that they were amongst those that needed some extra love.
I can't imagine what people thought as they saw me sauntering down the street with Evie's hand in mine, a chicken under my elbow while the other hand was pushing the stroller and Briton trailing behind holding another hen (upside down and cradled like a baby, and asleep, I tell you, he's got the touch!)
They pecked through the grass, scratched at the mulch and ate a ton of something. Briton had one hypnotized enough that she stayed there vegged out on her back for a good three minutes when he got up to eat his snack (and yes, in case you were wondering, I did make him wash his hands)
As we were walking them home (sans stroller this time, much easier) a neighbor stopped on her walk to chat, commenting that, between their posh pad, the rose garden where it's sited, the view of the neighborhood, the over abundence of love and the choicest scraps from four households our eight girls must be the most spoiled chickens in the whole world. But you know, I think we're pretty spoiled too, to have eight little chickens that will tolerate nine kids and eight adults (plus neighbors) who love on them almost non stop without a single peck and who will, with any luck, be giving us some lovely, fresh eggs any day now. I can hardly wait.
In other news, a local photographer came last week and took some great photos of the girls and the kids. Take a look
http://billyhunt.smugmug.com/gallery/7434346_ZdPn8/1/531491786_DBYfX#531491786_DBYfX