They are growing!!!

The chickens have been at the Spencer abode for over a week and it's been a raucous time. They barely fit in their little bin anymore and I started feeling a little bad about leaving them in there all day when I left for work. When Emerson so patiently taught Charlie to sit on that roosting dowel 4 weeks ago, I did not envision them growing to the point that their faces would be smashed into the side of the bin while roosting on said pole. It's great when we come home and they were all clearly napping or resting peacefully, and they realize the humans have come. Everyone gets up and starts peeping, Moontha paces back and forth, tapping on the bin, Annie stretches her long, skinny neck up to the lid, begging to be let out, and Charlie looks calmly for Emerson. I'm sure they are aware that I'm about to clean out their water dish (that they get SO dirty) and give them fresh food, but it seems like a foreshadowing of what it will be like when they are out in the coop and one of us comes to visit.

Their personalities, as a flock and individually, are really taking shape. Dottie still seems like the sleepiest one of the bunch. She's really mild mannered and doesn't mind being held, especially by Harriet. Her feathers are so beautiful already. She's going to be stunning. Her comb is also turning orange or red already. She's also the one who can dust bath the best and burrows down into the wood chips so she's almost covered up. Sally, just makes me laugh. She's getting so puffy. Those Buff Orpingtons have such layered feathers that make them look like rounded old ladies. She already seems like the grandma with rolls and folds where there probably shouldn't be. Annie is pretty aggressive and is in the awkward teenager phase. Her red feathers are coming in but there is like a "hair part" down the middle of her neck and it's pure white in between. I can't tell if it looks like her hair is thinning or she needs to get her roots done. Either way, she's kind of got a "me first" attitude, like when we were throwing in bugs or ants, she's the first one to grab it out of our hands. She runs over to the other side of the bin, puts it down and comes to take more. I'm sure this is normal behavior that they will all display but she's right in there. The only one who wouldn't engage in the "grabbing" behavior was Dottie. She just stood there like, "Hey, I'm as worked up as all of you, but what am I supposed to be getting?" I kept trying to hand a bug to her just for her, but one of the others would snatch it out of my hands. Annie is always the first one to fly up to the edge of the bin when we opened the lid. She's the first one to take off running through the house too. Up to now, they have all remained pretty close to the bin and the light whenever we let them out onto the floor. The last two days she was with us, suddenly she'd make a bolt for the kitchen.

They all seem to like flapping their wings a lot. It must feel good to them, like stretching. Of course, feathers fly in all directions when they do it. I can't believe the dust they create! Sally and Santa seem to be kind of a pair. Sally is always burrowing under Santa when she's sleeping. Both of them look like they have to get their gumption up to fly to the edge of the bin. When Sally is up there and Santa isn't, Santa pecks at her butt and tries to pull her down. Sally usually just gets down, but it's hysterical to watch. Moontha makes a good show of trying to keep up with Annie in the out-of-bin explorations, but she's all talk, she's back in the bin in a matter of minutes. She does have this uncanny ability to look right into your eyes though and hold your gaze. It's weird. Plus she's got all that crazy color around her eyes. I think she's our angst driven, hipster wannabe. She'll get cited for underage drinking for sure! Santa seems to be smaller than everyone. Her tail feathers aren't as developed yet and she's still really grey and dark. She squawks really loud when you pick her up, but then is pretty good about sitting on a lap.

And then there's Charlie. What can I say about Charlie? Emerson would say she's the perfect chicken, but that's an understatement. I think Em is the perfect chicken owner. He loves this chicken so much and clearly Charlie is benefiting from all of the attention. She seems sort of above all of the jockeying and in-your-facing that is going on in the coop sometimes. Emerson let's just her out and she sits on the lid of the bin, snoozing, looking around, while Annie goes insane pecking at her from below. We have pictures of her sitting on H and E in various positions, but, while I put a strict no chickens on the carpet rule when we started, on the last day, Emerson was watching Curious George with Charlie in his lap.

The coop is almost finished, thanks to some overtime by Christine and Micah, but these gals are seriously ready to move onto bigger digs. They need to scratch in the dirt, flap their wings, chase each other around, and feel the wind in their wings.

Plus, they are just too dirty for inside right now.