Duendesday

{life with a curious and crazy 10 yr old}

Full moon, cosmic convergences, and chickens. That’s our life in a nutshell (what kind of nut? We have always decided our child is more of a hazelnut, we call her Philbert sometimes).

We’ve started introducing our ‘cheens’, as Duende calls the chicken teenagers (aka pullets), to the free ranging lifestyle. They get out a bit each day around their coop with supervision and treats to get them when we call. They are enjoying it. They came with a ‘free exotic’ that turns out to be a Golden Polish Rooster (neither of which we desire on this homestead, the former because they are not Winter hearty, the latter because we do not want fertilized eggs or charging roosters) and he is doing a pretty good job right now but he will have to get a new home soon. Which is a shame because he’s beautiful but his poof makes it hard for him to see so we put a rubberband in it so he can function. Silly chicken. Need a high maintenance rooster or show chicken?

So, Duende has been the chicken-sitter. She builds little gardens for them and huts out of wild carrot. A few of them are really sweet and friendly and like her attentions.

Meanwhile the other little meat birds are finally ensconced in their chicken tractor (which is brilliant – Josh did an amazing job on the charming layer coop and the savvy tractor) and enjoying fresh grass and bugs. Happy chickens make a happy homestead. Happy children make a happy world!