Ricky, Reuben, Randy, or not.

It seems my rooster problem has solved itself. Not that I had a rooster problem, per se, but my dilemna over whether or not I should get one, with the girls all grown up now was weighing on my mind. I had two banty chicks in my basement chick nursery, waiting on DS and DDIL to get moved and their chicken enclosure built (which we are working on and that's why I've been MIA from the blog). Anyway, one day DS was visiting the chicks, and we heard the most peculiar noise coming from one of them. It turns out one of them is a rooster. He's beautiful and so tiny and so sweet. When I say he crows, that is being generous. He hasn't found his big-boy voice yet and it's comical. It sounds like the sounds get stuck in his throat and abbreviated.  It reminded me of a growing boy going through puberty and how sometimes his voice will "crack" and how he intended to sound isn't how he sounded at all.  This little guy will get there, too. So far the chickens, including the new americaunas and his little banty sister, just sort of look at him and think, "yeah, right. In your dreams."  DS says they don't want a rooster right now, so I'm keeping him. He is precious:

He's not even half the size of the big girls.  He also isn't very loud, which is a good thing. I don't think he'll be annoying at 4:00 a.m., when he decides the whole world should be awake.  The little guy doesn't have a name yet, however, and that's where you come in. Either on this blog, or on FB, let me know what you think his name should be.  Get creative. The winner, which will be announced someday (hahaha...ok...I'm REALLY busy right now), will receive a dozen eggs, which might take a while to accumulate, since back on the nest:

Opal is still sitting on eggs. I tried to candle them, but was pathetic and couldn't discern whether they are fertilized or not. A kind, generous chicken/rooster owning neighbor brought a dozen eggs for me to use for Opal.  I'm hoping some of them hatch. The other problem I have is that I didn't think to mark these before putting them under her, and when Opal is out eating and drinking, other hens sneak in there and lay eggs. One day I counted 14 eggs, instead of the 12 that should have been there.  Also, one of the eggs was broken, and that is nasty. So, I got all but 8 eggs out of the nest, used a red sharpy pen to mark the remaining eggs, and now I can collect the unmarked, unfertilized eggs from there.  It's a more manageable amount for her to sit on, too.  I don't know if any chicks will hatch, but if it's possible for that to happen, it won't be because sweet Opal didn't try.  Out of 9 laying hens, I'm lucky to get 4 or 5 a day.

That's what's going on around here. Mowing, cleaning, gardening, chicken-keeping, chicken coop building, and just general busy-ness. 

Blessings,
Brenda