Puttin the girls to work!

[moniquem]

Its a beautiful day and I'm starting to put up more veggie beds. The girls were happy to help..

Gretchen (EE) and Thelma (BA)

Rocket (SS) Gretchen (EE) and Thelma (BA)

Rocket (SS) my "special" girl, she has some neurological/balance issues.

 

[azygous]

Chickens are always happy to help with gardening. I just wish they had more of an awareness of the danger of sharp garden implements coming down on them from above. They don't seem the least bit phased by a roaring, rotating rototiller, either.

Then, of course, when harvest time comes, they are always available to help with that, too.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Very cute! Mine would love to help me with gardening (and have helped themselves several times to the bed behind their run) but they kick out so much soil...

Funny thing is my SS is "special" as well (wry neck, balance issues due to deformed feet and wings), but it doesn't seem to hold her back. She was the bottom bird but has been steadily moving up the pecking order.

 

[moniquem]

Funny thing is my SS is "special" as well (wry neck, balance issues due to deformed feet and wings), but it doesn't seem to hold her back. She was the bottom bird but has been steadily moving up the pecking order.

That is odd. I see you live in the PNW, I live in Spokane WA. I purchased these gals at North40 last year, it would be really ironic if thats where you purchased yours too... Mine doesn't have wry neck but she kind of looks at me with head tilted and her eye ball facing to the sky and when she runs she kind of goes in a large circle then sometimes falls over. She's not that great at hoping up either. I didn't think she would lay eggs since last year she didn't but she started about a week ago and she's been letting everyone know ever since!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm on the west side of the state, but maybe our stores sourced from the same hatchery? Or maybe we just managed to get the special chick from each batch...

It's funny that we have a lot of similarities with these chickens. When my SS was little she spun in circles constantly - heading to food or water, running away in fear, she circled her way to and from everything.

Had to treat her for wry neck once she got a little older (she completely lost the ability to balance) so she spent 6 weeks in isolation, getting a special vitamin infused diet.

I told hubby to not expect her to survive or if she did, to lay any eggs, and but she does lay every once in a while. Because of her feet and balance issues she struggles to roost but insists on doing it. Can't fly up to the high bar so the low bar is all hers.