"Chickensitting" - say that 5 times fast!

We are indebted to Pedro, Beth & Ellen - friends who chickensat while we were in Scandinavia.

Pedro is a graduate student from Braga, Portugal who is working with Eric for a few months.  He knows that I'm a nervous nellie and was kind enough to send lighthearted emails to let us know that all was well in chickenland. 

Beth and Ellen are neighbors who have been great chicken cheerleaders over the past 3 years.  They bring the girls treats and shower them with attention, and they happily agreed to relieve Pedro while he was in Bemidji embracing lake life. 

a nice photo of Stella sent by Beth and Ellen

I just have to share a few quotes from emails from Beth and Ellen as they documented chicken antics.

Beth wrote, "Last night I brought a small bit of leftover brown rice and gave the younger birds first peck at it as they were going in.  Both of them jumped on my back and vigorously wiped the rice off their beaks onto my shirt--back and forth, swipe swipe swipe.  I am used to this treatment from the parrot so I know what it is to be taken for granted by a bird. What a blessing."  and  "Herded all into coop at bedtime -- fairly easy to do (after chasing Redder around the coop about six times)."

I appreciate their keen observations of chicken behavior.  Ellen wrote, "Little Redder is almost masculine in her approach to the older ladies--keep well away from them, be calm and silent and all will be well--while Chirpy squawks and dashes wildly in zigzag fashion under the beaks of her elders, just asking to be pecked."  Beth commented, "Stella is striding around declaiming some sort of gallinaceous poetry saga in a loud voice." That's our girl!!

We are glad they share our fascination with chickens.  Ellen asked, "How do you ever get anything done when there are always chickens to observe?"  The truth is, we often don't get stuff done because we are "busy" watching chickens.