The bare skin is now covered by feathers, their eyes are open, and they are hungry! I’m hearing cheeping demands for food.
The chicks remain in the spots where they hatched, and it doesn’t appear that they’ve used their legs yet.
It’s 90 degrees today and I need to water the planter. I’m bracing myself for angry chiding by the parents. Luckily for the chicks, it’s a self-watering planter, so instead of wetting the soil, I pour the water into a reservoir that is under the dirt.
The pullets are too young to lay, and yet there is an egg in the nesting box. Could it be that I have an Easter Bunny in training?
No, there’s magic of another sort in the Little Barn. Twinkydink is laying eggs!
She’s eight years old, and has let everyone know that is is quite an effort to make eggs at her age. After she lays, she eats, and woe to any pullet who comes into the coop for a snack, as she will be roundly run off.
But not the bunny. Phoebe is allowed to stay in the coop. She and Twinkydink have come to an agreement. I’ve watched the negotiations from afar, but haven’t been privy to the conversation. Diplomacy is best done in private.
The parents were off of the nest, so I stepped onto the porch to take a photograph.
The father arrived.
He took one look at me, raised the feathers on his head (look at that impressive display) and chastised me for being near his brood.
I left.
The five pullets have settled right into their coop at the nursing home. They seem to be getting good care. I’ve stopped by a few times, and they’ve always had food and water, and their bedding is clean. It can be a tad boring in their run, so I brought them a present of a treat holder. I’ve left instructions for the staff to give them something fresh each day.
I’m still working on protocols for chicken care at a facility, and tweaking the housing so that the chickens will get consistent attention, and so that the residents can best interact with the birds. Fortuitously, a young man named Richard, who has just graduated from college and is applying to medical school, lives nearby and is home for the summer. He has volunteered to work with a few of the clients, bringing them outside to engage with the pullets. He has a scientific mind and will be attempting to quantify how having these animals affects the lives of the residents.
I taught him how to pick up a chicken, and how to teach them to come. When he’s there, the birds will be able to get out into a grassy, fenced area.
Notice the woman looking out of the window. She’s in the common room for the memory loss residents. Already the Director is noticing that they are looking outside more; the chickens give them something to think about and focus on.
Because of patient confidentiality, I can’t show photos of the residents. But, I’ll be posting more about this project, and the coop, in the weeks to come.
I am available to consult with other institutions to help them bring chickens onto their properties in order to enrich the lives of their residents. I also have an entertaining hour program about chickens geared for nursing homes. I bring a chicken! Please email me if interested.
Their eyes open.
The nest is getting full. I’ve read that the babies will toss out the smallest chick. We’ll see if that happens.
