Monday, September 6, 2010

Rex checked.

Sarah needed more chickens.

Why? Because Sarah didn't have any hens that laid chocolate colored eggs.

So last Monday, Sarah, Rex and I drove out to a chicken ranch south of nowhere to pick up four more chickens. We went late in the day because Sarah's chickens had to be tucked safely in their coop for the night. The other part of the strategy was that hopefully, when all the chickens woke up the next morning, they would not notice that four new hens had spent the night with them.

By the time we got there, the sky was looking like this...

...and very soon it was total darkness. It's only because of the flash on my camera that I could see the peacock on the garage roof.

We could barely make out the geese and ducks that were putting themselves to bed for the night.

They got themselves tucked in by themselves because they were pros at doing this but they still had a lot to talk about. They may have spent yet another day all together but apparently there were more things to bring up and honk about before they settled in and called (or honked) it a night.

We had one flashlight to help navigate ourselves around the coops but that piece of equipment got into Rex's hands as soon as he saw it. Try keeping a flashlight away from a two year old. Ha! By this time we were in almost total darkness (luckily the moon was full) except for the random spots that Rex lit up...which were usually not in the direction we were going...more like his feet or some tree in the distance...to the right....but behind us....or the sky....and sometimes not at all because the "off" button can be just as dramatic as the "on" button.

I really wanted to see the chickens since one day, chickens will be living with me too. And these chickens were very beautiful...if you could see them. Luckily I had my camera and its flash so I took pictures just to see what we were looking at.

This is a Silkie, a chicken with lots and lots of fuzz feathers.

She was introduced as a Dr. Seuss chicken and she certainly was an odd looking (but pretty!) little hen.

I think those chickens were wise to cameras though because almost all of my shots were back views of chickens...

...or chicken butts.

Or something.

Anyway, four very big chickens were eventually put in a carrier and driven to their new home with us in the car while Rex yelled "HI!!!!!!" and Sarah honked at the train traveling next to us. Because that's what you do in the country. You say hi to everyone you meet (I keep forgetting that). The chickens were completely cool with their adventure though...even when we stopped at Culver's to eat something. Rex got a corndog and couldn't figure out why it was called that because it didn't look like corn and it didn't look like a dog. Sarah started laughing and said, "Welcome to my life" because she had no answer for that one. And neither did I.

Anyway, the next morning after our adventure, Sarah sent me this photo because it looks like the new chickens are completely happy with their new digs. Success. The first Redbud Ranch chocolate colored egg.

And no, they are not chocolate colored inside and no, they don't taste like chocolate. Otherwise intelligent adults have asked.

5 comments:

Leenie said...

That sounded like SUCH a fun adventure. And having a two-year-old to spice things up must have been a great plus. I wish I could have been there in the hen/goose house to hear them settling down and snuggling in. Hehe on those butt shots.

And, wow! on the chocolate colored eggs. Someday scientists will take a break from discovering ways to make more plastic bottles and will concentrate on helping chickens turn those eggs' INSIDES into chocolate. That would deserve a Nobel prize!

Country Girl said...

Those eggs are beautiful. As are the chickens. Love your country ramblins.

Maria said...

Leenie-It was a very ridiculous adventure. I had no idea where I was walking. It's a good thing those birds were smart and were already in bed because I would have stomped on every one of them. I loved those geese and ducks and could have watched them for hours. Such importance with those slow waddles.

And who knew eggs came in so many pretty colors? I had never heard of dark chocolate colored eggs before. And as for your wish for chocolate eggs Leenie, just stick with the Cadburys. >:-)

Kate-Oh I do too. I just prefer rambling in daylight.

Rural Rambler said...

And chicken butts! I read the first blog post first of course! Ducks and geese put their little selves to bed. I had no idea, the things I learn from blogs. Man I would have loved to be on this chicken round up, I think I would have been laughing the whole time. I think I woulda needed a glass of wine. Oh yeah a country Hi and a wave to everyBODY in the country :)

Maria said...

Pix-It really was a silly night, all planned around the everyday and everynight habits of Kansas chickens. A glass of wine would have been fabulous if we had some light other than that of the on and off again flashlight, weren't driving and weren't so far south of nowhere that the streets were numbered in the thousands. I have never seen anything like a 1124th Street before. That is OUT there.

I do like the waving thing they do in the country though. :-) I didn't know I had to to it with trains too!