I’m an overprotective mom. Just ask Chad . . he’ll be more than happy to tell you how horrible it was living with me! My chickens would say the same thing. There are hawks and owls and coyotes so we keep our chickens penned up in a secure pen with a cover over it . . safe and sound! I’m so afraid something is going to get them if they’re out. Last week, we decided to let the black chickens out. There are three roosters and three hens so if something should get one or two of them, maybe it would be roosters and that would save us the trouble of having to do something with them. With the grasshoppers taking over, we figured we’d put the black chickens to work and we let them out to munch on the grasshoppers. Chickens are so funny. They were scared to death to leave the secure area of the fence. Vince created easy ways for them to get out and back in the pen if they were having to run back to the coop for security. Each day they wandered a bit farther from their coop. Yesterday, which is about their fifth day of being out, they crossed the driveway and went into the pasture where the cows are. The cows weren’t there at the time but I wonder what the chickens are going to think about the cows and vice versa.
Here’s a rooster over by the side of the house .. looking for grasshoppers just like he’s supposed to be doing. Look at him . . he’s really busy!
I love seeing them roaming the yard . . without a care in the world. These Dominique chickens have not been friendly at all but now that they’re running loose, they’re much friendlier. I can’t pet them but I can walk right up to them. In the pen, they would never have turned their back on me . . they were always watching me and they were ready to run if I got too close.
They’re working so hard to catch all the grasshoppers but . . wait . . where are they going? Suddenly he forgot about the bugs and took off running. Look at him go!
Oh! I see now .. Vince has a food bucket and they know what he will do.
He will put the bucket down and they will gobble up what’s left in there . . even though they have plenty of food in their run, as well as inside their coop.
Eating food out of the bucket is so much easier than chasing down those crazy grasshoppers.
But why share a food bucket when there’s another bucket sitting over there by itself?
Looks like hunting grasshoppers isn’t a big priority with these chickens . . especially when there’s easy to get food sitting around!
carolyn says
is that how you get them back in the run? I was wondering about that when you let them out to ‘hunt’. also do they lay eggs out of the pen ehen they are out. Love to get me some…. not this yr, living vicariously through you this yr.
Judy D in WA says
Some of my most valuable/wasted time has been watching the chickens hunt and peck. You got some great pictures! I love the one with the head in the bucket!
Now that they are running around, you will have to watch out for more than snakes while you are walking around….as the kiddos say all the time: “Watch out for POOP!~!”
Rhonda says
I loved reading about the chickens. They are great to watch and fantastic grasshopper catchers. Thanks for sharing.
Madame Tut says
Love the chicken foots!
Madame Tut says
I meant fotos! I hate auto-correct
Linda in NE says
Free-range chickens are happy chickens…and their eggs are better for you too. I guess if you want them to be catching the grasshoppers you’re going to have to convince Vince (say those words three times, fast) to not leave feed buckets sitting around.
Doe in Mi says
Well, wouldn’t everything including people go for the bucket first? I know I would – lazy ol’ bag that I am! LOL By the way those black chickens are really neat looking. We never had any on the farm – just white ones.
Margie Campbell says
Judy, my sister said something to me a few weeks before she died that will stick with me forever…
When she would see the hens run…it looked to her like little old ladies lifting their skirts and showing their bloomers as they ran… now, I smile every time our hens run across the yard.
marion morgan says
Now what fun is this to enjoy you watching chickens and them having such a great time too. Watch for those coyotes, they are pretty much not spooked by much; we had one walk right up our street at 3 p.m. (school bus time) and never bat an eye, no fear at all. Everyone was grabbing their dogs and children on a busy city street.
Marla says
I am laughing my head off at your picture! My DH saw it and said “Would that not be funny if that rooster was eating out of an empty KFC bucket?” Got to love him. Sick sense of humor! By the way, congratulations on your new granddaughter! She is simply beautiful!