October 31st

Wednesday, October 31st, 2018

With the gorgeous weather today, I was out with the girls all day.

It was the perfect day to weed our landscaping, remove perennial plant debris, and empty my annual planter that surrounds our front porch.

Let me tell you a secret about bonding with chickens: Weeding. No joke, I started weeding, and I was surrounded by the flock, curious about what I was doing, wondering if I was finding any grubs. I’d pull a weed, hold it out (root side out), and they’d all clean it up. Then I’d toss what was left of it in my wagon, and move onto the next weed.

By doing this, I also got to really examine the girls up close, and watch their behavior with each other. By the end of the afternoon, I could tell them all apart. I also was able to learn their sounds; I feel like I’m taking a crash course in chicken husbandry, haha.

I also witnessed my first dirt bath, and it was slightly terrifying. All six of them plopped down in the dirt under our sun room, and flailed around.

Flailed.

They looked like they were seizing. Like broken legs and wings flailing around.

And they all did this at once! I thought they were all dying right in front of my eyes. Until I realized they were, in fact, ecstatically happy bathing in the dirt.

Then it made me smile – laugh even. I’ve quickly learned that chickens are happy creatures – lots of pure joy.

Take today’s picture for example. I was in the front yard working, when I thought it was too quiet. I came back into the backyard, and all of the girls (two aren’t pictured) were perched on our wood pile preening. Feeling safe, happy, and content, they were all chit-chattering as they arranged their feathers.

You’re smiling, aren’t you?

See? Joy.