Update on the ‘Bok-Boks’

Everyday when 1 1/2 yr old girl (Senior Member of Baby Gang) gets to my house, she asks to see the ‘Bok-Boks’. She means, the chickens, which she calls by the sound her mom and I have told her they make…you know…bok-bok-bok-bok…

Each morning, as part of his morning routine, Daniel feeds, waters, and lets the Bok-Boks, er, the chickens, out of their coop/yard to roam freely in our backyard. The chickens (Blair and I call them the Girls) have figured out that the people live in the big house and if they climb the stairs to the deck, the People will often give them a treat. In this way, the Baby Gang, and other daycare friends can safely watch the Chicken Channel, or Chicken TV through the glass door.

The Bok-Boks are growing! Even the little Girls are almost as big as the 4 first chickens. Three of the Girls are laying; Lucy, Henrietta, and Charlotte. Ethel is taking her time, which we are ok with, since when she does lay an egg, it will be BLUE. Worth waiting for, IMO. The little Girls, which have been named Mary and Madge, after my two grandmas, will most likely wait for spring to lay.

Mary is a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte:                                                  Madge is a Mottled Java:

Mottled Java

Red Laced Blue Wyandotte

The best of the Layers is Lucy. She led out with the first egg, and her eggs have gotten progressively bigger.  The worst is Charlotte. Her eggs are very small and round. And she’s so mean. Which is weird, because her breed, Buff Orpington, is regarded as one of the friendliest and easiest to get along with. She’s a bully, too. She chases and picks on the two little Girls. It got so bad at one point that Lucy and Ethel stepped in. That was funny.

We totally get the saying, “Pecking Order” now. These people, er, chickens, are serious about where they are in terms of who’s on top. They remind of real people, you know, the actual ones, with two legs AND two arms.

We are all determined to put everyone in their place. Rich people, poor people, church people, people who homeschool, people who don’t. Addicted people, Disabled people, Shy People, Friendly People.

And we don’t like it when people try to move from their spot. We ‘peck’ them. Whether outwardly or in our minds. We like everyone to stay where they are, doing what we expect them to do.

**Nobody move**

People are often compared to sheep…I guess because of Biblical references to our Good Shepherd. And maybe because sheep are stupid? Hmmm.

Chickens are not known to be the brightest bulbs in the box, either…

So, this is funny.  We were watching the Girls the other day, when our 5 yr old said:

“Chickens are triangles.”

And he’s right, they are. Big, feathered triangles.

huh.

At any rate, the Girls are doing great:)

And be nice to each other, would ya?:)