Its Me, Its Me, Its Ernest T!

To continue the saga of Thelma Lou we need to go back and revisit just why she decided to leave the peaceful confines of Mayberry and seek greener pastures. Now those that know Chickens told me that Thel had gone "broody" This means she wants to sit on her nest and hatch some little Thelma Lou's. Problem is there was no Barney or Andy or even a lowly Ernest T to facilitate the process. She would sit and sit and sit much like Horton sitting on Mazies egg in the Dr Seuss classic to no avail!

We would remove the eggs each day to discourage her but she still just loves to sit in her private nest and wait.

My chicken mentor Marvin keeps telling me over and over that I need a Rooster. He says a Rooster will take charge and keep things in order.I think he just wants to get rid of one of his problem boys. He even said he would bring one "Ernest T. Bass right to us.
I am not ready for any rooster much less one named after one of the most cantankerous characters in all of Mayberrydom!

Roosters would challenge ME, produce chicks that I have no place to hatch yet and the girls and I have done pretty good on our own.

So..Ernest T you will have to wait till next spring...maybe.

If I get an Ernest T will I have to have a Mrs. Wiley?

Up next! The GREAT Thanksgiving Easter Egg Hunt with Fang the Chicken Whisperer!

Prison Break

Today marked the first time since getting the girls that they all managed to escape. After cleaning their coop I failed to properly lock the gate. As I was returning from the Greenhouse I noticed all the girls were having quite the big time pecking and scratching at everything that moved....OUTSIDE the coop.
Since the dogs and cats are used to them, they posed no threat. Other than Thelma Lou the seasoned escapee, the other girls did not have a clue how to get back in. Thelma Lou on a daily basis escapes, we let her visit her slum crib, lay an egg and then whoever passes by will open the gate for her and in she waltzes.
So, I clucked, I clapped, I whistled...I even took out my earphones from my I Phone and played Pavoratti to them...Wait..These were not dogs and they paid no attention to me.
So,with daylight dwindling I left the gate door ajar, went inside made dinner and left them to their instincts.They will want to roost when the sun goes down.
A few hours later all eight are inside perched just as if nothing had happened. I know some prison wardens wish their prison breaks would end this simply

Up next...It's Me It's Me It's Ernest T!

Thelma Lou moves to the Slums

For some reason Thelma Lou does not like her digs at Mayberry and has chosen to move to the slums! 

We noticed a drop in egg production and also noticed that Thelma Lou was always OUTSIDE the coop. Upon further investigation we saw her squeeze underneath an old American Standard Bathtub circa 1930's and settle in. She nestled down and began choosing leaves and twigs around her to "feather her new nest". Bob's thoughts were, "she's happy, leave her alone." Of course this intrigued me and I kept an eye on her throughout the day. At dusk we discovered this nest had 5 eggs in it! So...since hens only lay one egg a day, it would appear that Thelma Lou has been slumming for quite some time!

 The eggs were gathered and the next day Thelma Lou AGAIN made her way to her new ramshackle nest. She seemed quite happy to be there and at the end of the day simply made her way to the gate and we ushered her inside with no fanfare whatsoever!

Not one to tamper with nature I figure I will just let her be and continue to gather eggs from the slums!