Dolly, Lolly, Ren and Rey

Coco is super interested in the chickens.  Also interested in holding them in her mouth.  

So it's high time I wrote about the girls.  The chicken girls.  Dolly, Lolly, Ren and Rey.   Yes, I know it seems crazy to add more critters to this already hectic life but some days they are the easiest thing to take care of and sometime soon we'll have fresh eggs in the fridge.  In the meantime, we have little bug eaters and weed destroyers and poultry entertainers.  

On one of their first excursions in the backyard.  They were so little!  

Reina has been a great help with the chickens.  They might not appreciate her enthusiasm but she helps take good care of them. 

We kept the chickens in the basement for about 6 weeks while we waited for the weather to warm up and for Glenn to build the chicken coop.  It was tough keeping the dogs and cat out of the chicken room and we are all pretty happy that they are finally outside. Well, except for Coco.

A few weekends ago, while trying to get some chores done, I gave Reina the camera to take pictures of the chicken girls and she did a great job!  Here are some poultry pics from the perspective of a 7-yr old.

Meet Ren.  She's a Barred Rock.  She's still the smallest chicken and the friendliest.  We thought she'd be the leader of the pack but that title goes to the Rhode Island Red named Rey.  I don't see her picture in this post but she's pretty.  And bossy.  

This is Dolly an Orpington.  Dolly was a few weeks older than the rest of the gang when we got them and she's pretty shy still.  She's also not the sharpest tool in the chicken shed but that's okay.  She routinely gets panicky when she misses the entrance to the chicken coop and can't figure out why everyone else is on the other side of the wire.  There's a reason that chickens haven't taken over the planet yet.  But she's pretty!  

Ren and the rhubarb.  

Meet Lolly the Australorp.  She's a little dinosaur.  She's shy but warming up to us especially when you are holding corn on the cob.  

The Chicken Coop to end all chicken coops and the chief architect/construction manager/laborer/painter.  

We agree that our chickens are living the 1% life.  Besides being spied on by a few dogs and a very interested cat, these four are living the life in a big run and a warm coop.  We let them out in the yard when we are home and they love hanging out on or under the deck.  'm surprised at how entertaining it is to watch them just be chickens.  Ren chased another bird out of the yard one afternoon.  If one of them starts running, they all run even if there's no reason for it.  They are discovering table scraps and made quick work of a piece of watermelon today.  There's something oddly peaceful about watching them peck and scratch the ground.  While I never pictured myself eating dinner on our deck with chickens running around, I'm so glad we brought them home.  We are having fun with our chicken girls.