Category Archives: Chickens

Tractor Supply chirps

April 27, 2022Chickens, food, funsusanmanzke

Walk into the store and you’ll immediately hear them. The chicks and ducklings are for sale.

Just hearing their chirps made my day.

I stopped at Tractor Supply because I needed wild-bird seed and suet blocks. Also, I wanted a 50-pound bag of chicken layer crumbles. Of course, I couldn’t lift the large bag after my operation. That problem was easily solved. All I had to do was ask and the clerk got the bag, checked me out, and delivered everything to my car.

Too bad I couldn’t bring a few chicks home. Just taking care of my 3 hens is enough trouble for me these days.

Until next time, that’s all there is from Sunnybook Farm.Until next time, that’s all there is from Sunnybook Farm.

Egg extravaganza!

March 10, 2022animals, Chickens, Farmingsusanmanzke

Some people believe you get an egg a day from a chicken. Some months, especially in winter, my hens take a vacation from egg production.

Spring has arrived here on Sunnybook Farm! Here’s an account of the first three eggs of the laying season.

I’m hoping that my other two hens start getting on their nests, too. This green egg is from Red. I know because I saw her get out of the nest. Her eggs are green-colored eggs. Red is an Araucana chicken.

Until next time, that’s all there is from Sunnybook Farm.

A little treat

January 17, 2022animals, Chickenssusanmanzke

I brought out some bread as a treat for my three hens.

Their pen isn’t much, but they seem to do well enough.

We’re all looking forward to spring when things green up and everyone can go outside again.

Until next time, that’s all there is from Sunnybook Farm.

A treat for Bonnie

August 21, 2021Chickenssusanmanzke

Every day, I hand my hens a little treat. Bonnie is the only one who will take it from my fingers.

This video shows her taking a bit of bread. Pecking a bite from the slice was too much for her, though if I set it down and stepped back, she and the other two hens would peck away at it.

My other two girls watched from a distance. They will not venture this close.

Bonnie was hand-raised by my friend Kathy. When it was impossible to keep her chicks in town, they came to me. Bonnie is the only one remaining.

Once in a while, I made popcorn for them, but they had that every day and off of it for a while. Now I share stale bread, melon rind, and other table scraps.

Maybe one day I’ll be able to temp the others to come if I bring them grapes. That’s the girls’ all-time favorite treat.

Until next time, that’s it from Sunnybook Farm.

Chickens on the run

August 7, 2021Chickens, petssusanmanzke

They are chickens, but they are also pets.

From left to right: Red (aka Brownie), snowflake, and Bonnie. Watch my feathered pets run for the front porch.

They make me laugh as they run.

There’s leftover cat food there. Chickens will eat anything, yes, even chicken.

Now all I have to do is to worry that they won’t get eaten by a wild predator. I hate keeping them locked up all day. They love getting out to munch on bugs and clover, and cat food. It’s a risk but that’s life.