01/12/14

We at the Fowler's have started our year of 2014 off with a bang.... or, maybe I should say, a "cluck." 

Meet our newest "pets"......

Rooster - Otis

Hen to his left - Ellie

Hen that was under the feeder in the above picture, but now I finally caught a glimpse of her....

Thelma Lou

(notice she has a lovely "updo")

They are a Bantam Rooster and Hens.

Of course, I think Otis is pretty cute.  

So are Thelma Lou and Ellie.

(can you tell we went for a Andy Griffith show theme with their names?)

They are enjoying the henbit from the garden area.  Such a great weed for the HENS to eat, huh?  :)

Sweet Man worked on the chicken coop for two weeks.  I am proud of how he designed it and got it ready.

So you may be asking... WHY!?

Well, I must admit, I did, too.

The day after Christmas, Wesley came in the den with two bags and plopped them down in front of the fireplace.  Mikayla and I were enjoying a quiet afternoon watching so I didn't know what in the world they were.  

When I asked, Wes just matter-of-factly said "It's chicken feed... We're gettin' chickens!"

Me:  "We ARE?"

I was a bit in shock.  Not a bad shock, mind you, just a shock of "what in the world!?"

Sweet Man came in the back door a few minutes later and I suggested to him that he may have wanted to talk with me about this before we went into the adventure.  He shares with me that we did....

TWO YEARS AGO.

According to my calculations and remembrance, two years ago is a while and that conversation ended in "I don't want another pet to have to take care of...."

I am not sure as to what changed Sweet Man's mind other than his brother has some chickens, and Wes wants chickens... cows.... etc... because he still desires to be a farmer when he gets out of college.  I guess Sweet Man thought this would be a great way for Wes to begin that process.

I have only visited the chickens once as this past week because the temps got quite low for us southerners and I did not have it in me to spend a lot of quality time with them after school.  We also had a lot of rain.

I know, I know..... not the farmer's wife mentality and I believe I am going to have to get past that.  

I talk to them every morning when we are leaving for school.... does that count?

Wes, however, enjoys going out every morning before school and every afternoon after school. 

We have only gotten two eggs from our Thelma Lou and Ellie.  I think they were a bit traumatized this week from being moved here and then the cold/rain we had.  The first egg was a bit whop-sided, but the second one looks beautiful.  

Here is a picture of the first "whop-sided" egg.... :)

My grandparents had chickens, but I never really experienced them growing up so this will definitely be a learning experience.  However, that is what life is about.... learning new things.  :)

We are definitely getting back to Sweet Man's English roots.... being the FOWLers.