Monday, August 25, 2008

Friends and Chicas

Have you met our friend, Mitchell? He and Alex met at school 3 years ago. Both being sweet guys, well mannered and bright, they get along well. It helps that they also both like basketball and video games. We all enjoy having Mitchell over for a visit, and we have had many great times at Mitchell's house too. I think Maria sees Mitchell as a brother we don't see often enough.


Mitchell has been hearing about these chickens of ours for a while and we finally got to introduce him to our little chicas. BTW if you want to meet them, you have to give me plenty of advance warning: 3 chicas in a small backyard create fresh havoc every 4 hours. I like to spruce things up before company arrives.

So, here is Mitchell meeting Fantam the Dark Bantam. She's actually less dark than Buttercup. She's also plumper, fluffier and slightly calmer, but only slightly. Mitchell learned quickly that catching bantams is not so easy. Trying to catch bantams is good exercise.


Seriously, I do not know how these little things can so easily get out of our grips. They are so super strong, and of course we are stronger, but we have to be gentle and strong. I love people who are gentle and strong.


Do we have a backyard chicken convert? Could be. They are so amusing and funny. I think Mitchell enjoyed their antics.


Please be a hen. Fantam has plenty of chica feminine characteristics, but we've been burned before! She is very dark, and fast, which makes it hard to get good photographs of her, but I think this one shows her pretty plumage. Pretty little Fantam.


Love the feet! Panic! Alarm! LOL
At dusk all of the chicas mellow out considerably and we enjoy holding them and letting them roost on our shoulders. They seek high spots to roost in the dark, when they cannot see very well. The darkness and their weak eyesight make them sit still, and then they kind of hunker down and snuggle a bit. The bantams like to lean in to my neck and whisper in my ear.


Even in the daylight, Betty is the calmest chica. Maria can catch Betty and keep her on her lap. Alex can get her to rest on her back, like a baby. She is the one we expect eggs from soonest, but she still isn't looking quite as Orpington as I expected. Orpingtons are roundish, very plump and downy, with tiny heads. Either she's got more growth in her or she's just got her own look. No matter. She's a dear chica.

Betty, Buttercup and Fantam are working out their dynamics, their hen-pecking order. I cannot say they are ready to throw each other tea parties, but at least now they are orbiting around one another, in the same parts of the garden. Hopefully they will come to be loving friends, sisters, devout and dear, happy to nest together through the chill of winter.

Our friends make life better.

1 comment:

Mama Spark said...

Our friends *do* make life better. Thank you for your gift of friendship and for sharing the glimpses into your world (and the life of the chica's)