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Friday, February 18, 2011

Coop Glamour

For the Birds
{and a parable}
I was amazed when I happened upon this the other day.
This is a chicken coop. I could live here...move over chick.

This is the chicken coop of Tiffany Kirchner Dixon.
View more photos of it on her blog
Just click on her logo below to view...

Actually, I'd like to turn the inside of my garage into this minus chickens.
Her chickens are some lucky girls.
Have you noticed that raising chickens has become the new hot hobby?
I've heard that actually chickens are very smart and make great pets.
I'd love to have some myself but realize that weenie dogs and chickens do not mix.

I know this for sure because my sister got chickens last year.
She called me one day and said they'd just brought home eight little chicks.
She lives in a smaller rural town where it wouldn't be surprising to find chickens 
in a person's backyard.

I was like..."What, Chickens!...But what about the dogs?"
She has four weenie dogs too.
She says,
"Oh...Charles (her husband) built a coop for them and has it all fenced in."
me: "Ok...well...good luck with that."

Over the next few weeks I'd call to see how the chickens were doing.
They were growing and as the weather got cool....I donated money to purchase them more
hay for their roost.

As time went by, I thought maybe this will work.

Each time I'd call...I'd say, "How are the chickens?"

"Well," my sister said one day, "we only have seven now."

I asked what happened.

"Charles forgot and left the gate open and I didn't know and let the dogs out."
This said very matter of factly.

"Ok", I say, "I get the picture."

Every time I called over the next few weeks there was one less chicken and a more and more
upset sister. One day I call and she says that four met their maker that day.
And now there is only one left and she is so, so MAD at the dogs.

"Well", I say, "You've been doing an experiment in survival of the fittest, haven't you?
You can't stop the ways of nature or mess with the food chain.
It's a Dog Eat Chicken World."

I tell her to not be mad at the dogs...they are only doing what comes naturally to them.
It's hard to teach four to be good at once.

So that one chicken...the only one left?
That chicken loved her husband and followed him everywhere.
(when the dogs were in the house)
I wonder if it was following him out of love or trying to survive by staying close to him.
They started taking her out to the land that they have outside of town.
What they call the farm.
It's an acreage that the neighbors keep horses and cows on.
Every time Charles would go out there, he'd take the chicken.

My sister always called to tell me how cute it was.
How it would jump right in the car...ready to go for a ride.

One day I ask about the chicken.
She says..."Oh...we left her out on the farm yesterday. She loves it out there."

"What!" I say "You can't leave her alone out there. There are coyotes in the woods!"

"Oh", she says..."Charles checked on her this morning when he went out to feed her.
She is fine".
This said with an oh, Nita....you worry about everything tone in her voice.
She actually thinks I am paranoid....never mind that the things that I worry about
actually happen over and over again.

So of course you know where this is going....
the next time I call a few days later and ask how the chicken is,
she says..."Oh she isn't there any more...she ran away."

Uh huh....right.

"It's a Coyote Eat Chicken World too"

I really felt terrible about the whole situation and perplexed that my sister and brother in law
must run these experiments instead of asking me first if I think it's a good idea.
(you'll be relieved to know they do not have children)

I would have told them that weenie dogs and chickens DO NOT mix.
I know better than to even try it.

So yesterday I'm reading one of my favorite blogs...
and Jenny includes a video that could be a documentary of my dog, Newman.

Remember Newman hurt his back around Christmas which was a re-injury from
what he did last summer.
Well, he's 100% again and totally into trouble all the time.
When Jenny posted this video...it reminded me of Newman when he's out and about.

That's how Newman runs, that's how Newman digs, that's how Newman eats,
that's how Newman fights, that's how Newman snorts dirt.
Really my sweet dear little boy turns into a Honey Badger
when he sees something he thinks is further down the food chain than he.

Remember last summer when he attacked the opossum?
Grabbing him away from the opossum was like grabbing a honey badger.
And this is exactly how Newman would be with chickens.

Anyway...this video made me laugh and I wanted to make sure you all saw it.

18 comments:

A Whole Lotta Magic said...

Hey Nita!

So happy to hear that Newman is all better!

S
xo

jeanette from everton terrace said...

As I was reading the tragic plight of the chickens, I was sad but kept smiling at your comment "move over chick", just tickled my funny bone for some reason. THEN, "you'll be relieved to know they do not have children" made me laugh out loud! Very funny.

SLR said...

oh dear...this story made me laugh! poor chicky chicks though :(
that is one amazing chicken coop...they've got it better than me, living quarters wise!!

Amy Chalmers said...

That video was narrated so hilariously Nita. But there is no way your Newman can be a honey badger in disguise. I never heard of a honey badger but now I will never forget it!!

Amanda said...

This was the funniest post ever, Nita! You are so entertaining! I can't wait to share the honey badger video with my husband tonight! My mom has a pretty posh chicken coop that I plan to post about soon...but she wants to get the window boxes replanted before I photograph it! Have a wonderful weekend.
Best Wishes and Blessings!
Amanda

Marie said...

The most glamourous coop I've ever seen indeed. Those chickens are the luckiest, aren't they? Happy weekend Nita!
-marie

Kelsie from Our Country Home and Studio Photography said...

You have to delete this post in case my hens see it...OMG they will want one just like it lol.

Actually it has inspired me to get on with my chandie-birdbarth project.

as for the honey badger "ewww that's disgusting" roflmbo @ the voice over guy.

Thnx for the inspiration and the laugh.

Blessings Kelsie

Amy Chalmers said...

Coming back for another comment. Just had to show Dave this video, we are laughing out loud over that guy narrating the video!! So funny.

Anonymous said...

That chicken coop is fabulous! Your sister's poor little chickens :(....but, your ight, it's dogs doing what comes naturally....Have a fabulous weekend! Xoxoxo

Marnie said...

Well, as a keeper of chicken for several years, I had to laugh at that chicken coop. No doubt those pictures were taken right after completion. Unless her chooks don't dust bathe (necessary for fighting ticks) and are never allowed to free-roam, she will have no hope of keeping that lovely coop looking that way. Not to mention all the spiderwebs that have all those lovely nooks round the chandelier, wall sconces, etc.

I love my chooks but they are not smart animals, and they are incredibly messy. They poo in their food, they poo in their water, they poo all over their eggs, they drop the large slice of bread from their own beak to chase the tiny morsel in one of the other's... Crazy. But fresh eggs are so delicious, so...

Cindi Myers said...

Whoa! What a post! I'm sitting here thinking about how to phrase my comment........
um, ok.
Love the chicken Coop, kinda reminds me of my house. Tiny, white, full of animals and a few elegant splashes.
Your sister? hmm, I'm not her biggest fan right now. Ran away! My foot! More likely someones dinner, poor defenseless little thing but then I'm a big hypocrite since I have a bag of chicken breasts in the freezer!
and last, I watched that Honey Badger video twice! I hate snakes and it grossed me out but it was very funny with that guy narrating...I hope you are kidding about Newman because "Ewwww!" Of course my Griffin is just as disgusting out in the yard and I don't like him kissing me with that mouth!
So, I LOVED this post! I totally forgot all my "work stuff" that was bugging me! Thanks!
XOXO - Cindi

Travel With Lulu said...

That coop is AMAZING.

Lindy said...

oh my gosh -- I can't stop laughing. Newman snorts dirt? Oh my, I'm laughing again.

Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage said...

We used to have nine lovely feathered ladies living on our little farm - faithfully supplying us each day with yummy eggs. They free-ranged all day and went nighty-night in their coop.

The coyotes - our biggest concern - never bothered them. A year or so after the ladies came to live with us, a domesticated dog moved onto a farm nearby. Totally unannounced and uninvited, he decided to have lunch at our place one day, when we weren't home. The ladies are no more. :( It's definitely a "dog eat chicken world"!

Liz @ the Brambleberry Cottage
http://thebrambleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

We lived on a lake once and our dachshund hunted muskrats. He'd go right into their holes after them, in the bank of the lake. We could hear him barking at them when he couldn't reach them! I used to find their ratty little corpses all over the place. Hey, after all, full size dachshund were BRED to hunt badgers; they are tough dogs!

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