Fred, Cuddles and the rest of the girls.

HOWDY ALL!  Sorry it’s taken me so long for a new post.  Last week was my older daughter’s graduation from elementary school and things have been BUSY. Back when I was in school, I don’t recall there being a celebration of this sort- more like we were pushed out the door and told to hoof it to the Jr. High the next year.  But nowadays things are much more refined.

The fifth graders were feted with a bowling party, a pizza party, yearbooks and MORE.  They even had a graduation ceremony, attended by sooooooooo maaaaannny loved ones that these were our seats.

WOWZA!  Good thing I brought my glasses.

After the ceremony, my husband & I received a very important phone call.  One we had been eagerly anticipating for weeks.  The girls gifts had finally ARRIVED!

I know that photo’s terrible and it may look like a box of KFC on their laps, but I assure you those are REAL LIVE CHICKENS!!  6 adorable fuzzy balls of fluff, otherwise known as Fred (short for Frederika), Cuddles, Chicken Little, and the other (as yet unnamed) 3!

Here they are in their natural habitat.  The Couch.  You might not be familiar with the domestic chicken’s undying love of leather upholstery but our hens have made it clear.  Once you have couch, there’s no going back.

Here in Portland, MAINE we’re allowed to keep 6 chickens (NO ROOSTERS), and as soon as they get big enough to live outside, we’ll have to go to City Hall for our Chicken Permit.  It costs $25 dollars & is mandatory for all honest citizens.

To be honest, that’s more than we paid for all 6 chickens, but who am I to argue?

We are now the proud owners of 6 hens: 4 Rhode Island Reds and 2 Australorps.  I can’t tell any of the 4 Rhode Island Reds apart.  They are all big and hungry.  The two Australorps are easier to identify, mostly b/c they’re black & white speckled.  Also, one is much larger than the other (hence the name, Chicken Little).  Chicken Little is the underchicken of the flock and therefore receives the most attention, encouragement and handling.  Here she is:

My younger daughter likes to keep a chicken nearby at all times, so the chicks are learning to appreciate things like playing games on the computer & watching TV.

0 thoughts on “Fred, Cuddles and the rest of the girls.

  1. Congratulations on your daughter’s graduation . Looked like she had a great time with her friends and family. Those chicks are adorable. My son saw an egg hatch during the Rodeo this year but he hasn’t touch a baby chicken yet. That would be a great experience for him. Your daughters are lucky to have you as their mom. You made them experience a fun, adventurous childhood. My dad used to have a hen farm and he would let me check if the eggs each morning and count, sometimes I get lucky and I see tiny new chicks fresh from the eggs. Thanks for sharing and helping me remember good old childhood memories.

    1. Thanks so much, IT! My husband & I are both so proud of our girls; this graduation is just another milestone on the road to maturity. Glad you enjoyed sharing it with us.

      Your dad sounds like such a great man. I hope you get the chance to reunite in person soon. My father also lives far away (though not nearly as far as yours) and it’s always such a wonderful thing being able to spend time together, just sitting and talking, holding hands.

      Anyway – we are super excited to have the chicks, we’ve been wanting them for YEARS. I’ve been jokingly saying it’s one of the reasons we bothered moving! LOL

  2. We have 5th and 8th grade promotion ceremonies here, they sound similar to your daughter’s. My husbands kids live in Canada and I’m shocked at what a big deal they make out of 8th grade graduation, spending hundreds of dollars and giving gifts like laptops! I think it’s crazy…

    Congrats on the new additions to the family! They’re so cute, that last shot is priceless!

    1. That’s NUTS! So glad my daughters think chicks are perfectly acceptable!

      Thanks so much for the compliment. I was telling my husband the other day, I think when you love something or someone so much, it’s far easier to take good photos of him/her/it. That and the water ice keeps her still. LOL

    1. Oh no, the roosters would get us shot. Mornings here are LOUD ENOUGH – with the din of cawing crows, chipping chipmunks, gobbling turkeys, etc. They seriously wake us up routinely at 4-5 am, we can’t even leave our windows open it’s so noisy. Funny, we chose the back bedroom thinking it was road noise that would bother us — hah! It’s nature’s call that wakes the dead.

      (I too would like more chickens though. These chicks are SO HONKIN CUTE!)

    1. Oh Roxy couldn’t care less, it’s the bird who’s jealous! Kiwi is on me now and has been nearly every moment since these lil fluff balls came to roost. And my shirts are showing it.. and my pants.. and the chair., and…

    1. My husband and I were discussing the interesting fact the other day — after we went to city hall to purchase our dog permit — that the only folks inclined to even buy animal permits are the ones you DON’T have to worry about. So in essence it’s sort of a tax on the honest. I mean, if you’re some psychopath dog fighter or something, you’re not going to trek down to city hall to raise awareness of your dog/s are you? I think not. Same goes for the chickens. Say you’re raising a whole flock of them in the back of your property, which can’t be seen from the street, are you going to bother paying your $25 bucks to be legit? Some may certainly, but not all.

      1. Good point, Dishy…
        I think that’s the way it works a lot of the time. I guess somebody’s gotta justify all that valuable time spent creating chicken permits. 🙂

  3. Congrats to your daughter for her promotion! I enjoy seeing kids get awards and recognition for achievements, but I know some over-do it. I remember a line in the Pixar film, The Incredibles, about creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity. I thought that was a funny line…because it’s so true! LOL

    My dad once raised Rhode Island Reds. They were pretty birds, and we loved their brown eggs. My son and I hatched chicks for a 4-H embryology project, but the chicks came from a hatchery and grew extremely fast. I assume yours are from a farm. Regardless of where they come from, they are going to STINK. Just a warning.

    The chicken permit is hilarious! I wouldn’t have believed you if you had not shown a picture. Haha!

    1. Tammy, I completely agree; it seems like people make a production over anything and everything nowadays. ‘Celebrating mediocrity’ — now that sounds like a blog if I’ve ever heard one!! I am happy to make a fuss, but within reason, you know?

      I am so looking forward to them laying. I know some people will call me a beast, but I love me some EGGS! They are not smelly yet – I will def watch (smell) out for that. Hopefully they’ll be moving outdoors before the stink kicks in. One good thing? We should be getting some good (natural) manure for our garden. Always look on the bright side of life!

  4. Oh my god, I am gonna DIE from how cuuuuuuuuute they are! Chicken Little is SO ADORABLE. Your daughter on the ‘puter petting her chick?? :heart melting:

    I want make tiny chickens so much more now.

    1. Hayden, Georgia keeps toting these lil chicks around and it’s amazing how much they LOVE her!! The rest of us approach the box to pet or pick one up, they scatter, but G? NO WAY. These chicks come to her! And the first night we got them, she woke up having a nightmare that a giant FOX was trying to eat her! Chicken Whisperer, I kid you not.

  5. Chicks are cute, but what about chickens? I mean, these are pets, aren’t they? I’m assuming there’s no ulterior motive. Can you teach them tricks? Will they play fetch, or go for walks with you?

    1. Binky, please don’t suggest we harness and walk them. My daughters have been trying to do that with the rats. And as much as I truly love animals, there is a LIMIT.

  6. All of them are cute photos and good places.
    .My oldest daughter is second grade at the elementary school.I imagined my daughter’s graduation.
    Congratulation!

  7. only at the dishy menagerie are chicks allowed to sit on leather sofas 🙂 will they be moving to an honest to goodness hen house when they are grown ups? thanks for the post it made me really happy!

    1. You are SO welcome, my love!! Yes, the chicks will be moving outdoors before long. John & I still need to plan and construct the chicken abode. We’re thinking a hen house + attached yard and a movable tractor pen as well. SO wish we could build a chickominium like our neighbors — now THAT I should post about. Sweetest looking chicken ‘shack’ ever! 🙂

    1. Thanks CW! Yes, the novelty is still going strong; the chicks are captivating and adorable, though they’re beginning to take on a bit of a “chicken” look. The littlest peek of comb is starting to sprout. I can tell it’s only a matter of time before they’re too big to tote around. Good thing. (for them at least) ha!

    1. Sorry for the supreme delay in responding to these comments — we’ve been on vacation the past 2 weeks. !!! Still trying to catch up.

      Myra, these chicks were SO CUTE. A month later they are starting to look like chickens. Most of the fuzzy fluff is gone, they’re sprouting combs and the feathers are taking over. They’re growing little tail feathers and trying to assert dominance over the rest of the flock. Sort of like little teenagers. Still cute, but growing less so each day. hahaha

  8. Just think of all those yummy home grown laid eggs. Michelle’s dad has chickens & the eggs always taste so much better than commercially produced ones. I had a good laugh at the fact that they came in a KFC look alike box. Run away little guys, run away!!!

    1. Yes, my brother-in-law picked up the box resemblance – I give him all the credit. Fresh eggs are so tasty. We have friends who have chickens and they slip us some eggs whenever we see them. SO MUCH BETTER than the store bought kind. I cannot wait till these ladies start laying.. in like, 14-18 weeks.. roughly. Yes I am counting.

  9. Wow, Dishy, you get a lot more comments than you used to! I’m impressed. By the way, this is to officially inform you that I am blogging again. Couldn’t stay away… I missed everyone too much. FB just doesn’t cut it. Love the little chickies!

    1. Tracie, will have to catch up on your blog soon. I am treading through my 2 wk overrun of email, blog posts, etc. Vacation is fun but wading through everything afterward (laundry etc) ain’t no picnic. Glad you’re back!

  10. ….we were lucky as children to live on a market garden, with a group of hens to provide eggs. We loved the chickens, but they had to be kept away in a separate area for their own protection, although the hens were friendly enough to be lifted and held. We had some Rhode Island Reds and bantams (they are tiny with very small eggs) and we loved to be sent in the morning to see if there were any eggs for breakfast (before the days of fridges in the house!)…………….happy days, and I think your lovely girls are fortunate to have the chance to see real animals grow up.

    1. I think so too, Harry. I’ve wanted chickens for as long as I can remember and my husband & I are so happy to finally FINALLY have our own! I love those little bantams – we see them often at farms and fairs, etc. and they’re so pretty and sweet. (Though I like the full sized eggs the best, if you know what i mean) 😉

  11. I love this post, and love the last photo of your daughter eating with a little chicken on her chest. I raised a chicken from birth in high school, and fondly remembered Thor while reading this post. I hope your family has a great time raising them! How fun.

    Don’t worry about not posting–take some time off, it’s summer, girl!

    1. Thanks GG! Trying my darnedest to catch up, but there’s still so much to do. Thankfully my daughters requests have provided at least one new blog post (homemade play dough) which leaves me more time to hang out still.. LOL

      PS: Love the name Thor – too cool! We are loving our chickens!

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