thebaablog: a blog inspired by sheep

Ugly Duckling/Parrot

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Oh my goodness, look at this little guy. He's a baby parrot abandoned by his mama.

He's so ugly he's cute! If I had room in my coop, I would definitely adopt him.

Chicken and Ducklings

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Cutest story!

Hilda the Hen hatched five ducklings!

chick learns how to scratch

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:56:00 +0000

Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM) is our Ameraucana chick. I had read that her breed can be odd, and she does indeed have an odd personality.

We call her Asperger Chicken because she does not seem to know how to be a chicken. While our other two birds hang out together, CTM is always off in the corner, doing nothing. We will often find her standing and staring at the wall blankly. When we first started taking the chicks outside, the other two would run around and peck, while CTM would stand still, frozen, unsure of what to do.

Of course this oddity only endears her to me even more. She does not like to be picked up, but once she settles onto our hands, she will sit down, very content. She loves to be petted, and seems to prefer hanging out with humans than with her own flock.

Well, here we have caught on film CTM learning how to dig and scratch for the first time. Mind you, the other chicks had been exhibiting this behavior for weeks. CTM was slow to catch on. And note that she is trying to dig on a piece of wood. You have to give her credit for her persistence. That's Omelet with her (the potential rooster) fluffing her feathers.

Chickens Leaping for Fruit

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Need I say more?

Drama in the Coop

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:45:00 +0000

We have been so busy tending to our flock, I haven't had any time to blog about an update.

Here's what's up.

As expected, Chloe and Mirabelle, our year-old laying hens, have not welcomed their wings to the newbie chicks. We slowly introduced them while the hens were cooped up and could only observe them, and then let them all run around the yard together. The hens were either not at all interested, or would try to lunge at or peck at our little ones.

At one point, I turned my back for a full 5 minutes, and when I looked again poor little Drumstick had lost a bunch of tail feathers. I think she was just curious and had walked right up to Chloe, who let her know who was boss.

Not cool. We did lots of research on how to integrate our flock. This is where it starts to get ridiculous. We have to let the big girls know that we were the boss, and to back off from our chicks.

I found this link really helpful:
http://jackshenhouse.com/VSChickIntroducingNewBirdsToFlock.htm

We now have our 3 chicks outside in the coop during the day, but gated off from the hens who are also inside the coop. So everyone can see one another, but there is no contact. At first, the hens were really agitated and would try to bully them. Now that a few days have passed, the novelty has worn off, and everyone is calmly eyeing one another. At one point, Omelet and Mirabelle were even taking dust baths together, separated by the fencing of course.

We take the chicks inside for the night, and carry them out again every morning. They are still too little to stay out for the night, and they are not ready to all be cooped up overnight together. Yes, this is turning into a part-time job...no complaints though:) I have to admit, tending to the flock is constantly entertaining.

speckled egg

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:35:00 +0000

We got this lovely speckled egg from Chicken Mirabelle, our gold-laced Wyandotte.

Debating if I want a hard-boiled egg for breakfast, or a fried egg?

Ameraucana chick, two months old

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:47:00 +0000

Camouflage chick. Chicken Tikka Masala poses on a haystack.

I love her feather tufts!

Is this buff orpington chick a rooster??

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 19:46:00 +0000

Here's Omelet, at two months old.

And here's Omelet in comparison to our two other chicks.

I'm pretty sure Omelet is a rooster in disguise. We are just waiting for the first crow, and off he/she will go to a lovely ranch in Half Moon Bay, to live out the days jumping on all the lady hens he wants.

Omelet is still the smallest chick, but started exhibiting really aggressive behavior, constantly challenging the two older and bigger hens. And even jumping on the back of them. Her comb and wattle seemed to suddenly appear overnight, almost fully grown in and very red. Omelet was also growing in a different fashion than the other chicks. She kept her fluffiness for much longer before the real feathers started growing in. Her legs and feet are shorter and fatter, and her whole body is stout and heavier.

I found this handy chart, which confirmed my suspicions even more:

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/sexingchicks.html

So at this point, we are just holding out, waiting for the first crow.

Any chicken experts with advice? I'm all ears.

Chicks

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:24:00 +0000

The girls are growing! They are mostly feathered now.

Little Omelet is still fluffy and tiny.

We've introduced them to the older hens in the yard, with plenty of space. Chloe has asserted her authority with one quick peck to the beak. The chicks need to grow a bit older before they are fully transferred outside to the coop. We are considering letting them run around the coop for a bit tomorrow, and then bringing them back inside for the night, under their heat lamp.

Stay tuned for a full report of the Chicken Integration Project...

buff orpington chick in a plant

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Omelet: contemplating life, with eggs.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

chicks learning to fly

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:22:00 +0000

We had some warm sunny weather a couple of weeks ago, so we brought the chicks outside for a few minutes.

Here they are. Chirping away, flapping their wings and not getting too far.

Extinct monkey no longer extinct.

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:51:00 +0000

Good news from Indonesia!

a baby great-horned owlet

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:04:00 +0000

This past week, every night once it gets dark, we've been rewarded with hearing high-pitched screeches that last for hours. We live across the street from a park, so we were pretty sure it was a bird or a bat hunting. But what kind of bird, and why now?

I hit the internets. I found this helpful forum:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wildlife/msg0220414912356.html

Then I listened to some lovely bird sounds on this website (from hawks to owls to kestrels to falcons):
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/sounds/ac

I zeroed in on the great horned owl, mainly because I think owls are the coolest (ok, aside from chickens) and would be beyond-thrilled if there was an owl living nearby. I haven't heard any hoo-hooing of an owl, but the screeching of a juvenile great horned owl at the end of the link above was sounding familiar.

I found this website and clicked on "owlet calling for food":
http://www.owlpages.com/sounds.php

and that's it!

I read about great horned owls here, and found this cute pic:

http://www.birdwatchersgeneralstore.com/owl.htm

I'm so very excited to have this little family across the street from me. Apparently the little guy sits around and calls for food all night, until he is old enough to fly and hunt on his own. He'll probably settle across the street for good. Can't wait to drag the husband out there with binoculars to get a looksy.

SF Zoo Monkey still in the news

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:59:00 +0000

Aha.

The "I found a monkey in Stern Grove, and he jumped right in my backpack!" story is now sounding unlikely.

I love it that this little guy is still making headlines. Glad he is safe.

chicks foraging in the wild

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

We let the girls out in the yard for a quick few minutes.

They pecked at some grass and stuck close together. Then, back inside under their heat lamp to get toasty again.

Our older chickens were in their coop while this all transpired. They seemed intrigued....

Plymouth Barred Rock Chick

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I'm Drumstick.

It's not easy to get a photo of me because I am a chick-on-the-go.

I'm the oldest chick of the bunch. I have at least a week (maybe more?) out of the eggshell on the other gals.

Maybe I'm not the fuzzycutepuffballs that the other two are. But just you wait till my real feathers come in. I'll be a looker.

Lucky me, I can already fly! And by flying I mean hopping really high and flapping my wings at a rate of 90 beats per minute.

If I'm lucky, I'll make it all the way up to the roost. Then I can chill and look down on the other two chicks. They can't get up there yet.

But don't startle me, or else I'll lose my balance and topple backwards into the pine shavings.

I'm curious and friendly, and the leader of the bunch. Well, at least until we go to live in with those two enormous birds in the yard.

Naptime....

Ameraucana Chick

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

They call me Chicken Tikka Masala.

I'm the bad-ass of the bunch, which I am demonstrating here by perching on an orange hippo.

Where the hell did this hippo come from, anyway?

I have a ton of energy. I like to zip around my home and hassle my chickmates.*

I look like a chipmunk. But I have wings. Chipmunks do not.

*(Note: owners are a little worried this little chick could be a rooster??)

Update---Monkey found and back at the zoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:44:00 +0000

Whew, what a relief.

Banana Sam was found safe in Stern Grove, and promptly returned to the zoo.

I have to add that Stern Grove is *very* close to my house. If only I had found him...

Buff Orpington Chick

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Yo.

I know. I'm ridiculously cute.

And yes, I am just as fluffy and fuzzy as I look.

I'm only a few days old here.

I have itty-bitty wings that I try to flap, but they're not working as of yet.

I keep falling asleep while standing up. It's hard to balance while asleep, so I usually topple over, onto one of the other chicks.

Time to go nap. Later, bitches.

Expanding our flock of chickens!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:50:00 +0000

We have come to the conclusion that two chickens are not enough.

For two reasons....chickens are social birds. If something were to happen to one of them, the other would be left alone.

And more importantly, we can't get enough of their eggs. Now that is is winter, the days are short and cold, and the chicks are laying a bit less. Dear, hormonally-challenged Mirabelle tends to get broody, and then went through a molting phase, so she's not laying as consistently as Chloe. Chloe, meanwhile, continues to pop out 6 eggs a week.

I digress.

We hatched a plan (ha! pun intended) to take on two more chicks, and then decided on three because three breeds that we wanted were available. And again, with two chicks, you risk losing one and having one left stranded.

So without further ado, I present our three newbies:

Chicken Tikka Masala is an Ameraucana, Omelet is a Buff Orpington, and Drumstick is a Plymouth Barred Rock.

They are all ridiculously cute, fluffy and healthy. Chicken Tikka Masala will lay blue eggs, while the others are brown-egg layers. All are hardy in the winter and friendly birds.

Breaking News---Monkey from SF Zoo on the loose!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:40:00 +0000

Oh no.

A monkey from the SF Zoo has been stolen.

His name---Banana Sam. Hope this little guy is found soon, and they catch the bastards who stole him.

And here's the monkey's twitter page, if you are so inclined.

Geriatric-Animals

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:41:00 +0000

Here are some bittersweet photos from some old animal friends.

street graffiti

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:13:00 +0000

chickenfeet

noreply@blogger.com (Lynne Nardizzi, MSW, LCSW) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:09:00 +0000

Leaving a mark in the mud.