Super Smart Addition to the Family

[Jim_Duyer]

My wife and I raise chickens. Not commercially - only some two dozen. Most are Japanese Silk variety - with feathers on their feet, and five toes, plus distinctive plumage.

My wife decided to incubate some eggs, and out of a dozen only two survived. It's cold here now and the electric has been going out everything the wind blows. I have a genny, but I can't keep it on 24-7, so unfortunately we lost a few.

One that survived is a female we call Cleopatra. Now, believe it or not, these images are from when she was four days old. Four days. In the first one you see her laying on her back, sleeping. Usually she does this with her feet up in the air - scared the crap out of us when we saw it because we thought she had croaked! But no, it's just here position.

Here's an example:



She's still in an incubator box, with a temperature control and digital thermometer to make sure she stays warm enough.

This is the amazing one. Four days old. Notice how she uses the water container, shown in image number one, as her pillow? You can't teach that stuff.



Today she is a week old and still doing fine.

Jim

[wondering]

I would love to see more pictures as she grows...thanks so much for sharing. My understanding is that (some?) chickens are very smart and also quite affectionate....she's a lucky girl!

[Jim_Duyer]

Posted by wondering (here)
I would love to see more pictures as she grows...thanks so much for sharing. My understanding is that (some?) chickens are very smart and also quite affectionate....she's a lucky girl!

Thank you! In my experience chickens are able to recognize and remember some several dozens of people. Ours form a line and follow my wife when she walks them to their chicken coop at night - we let them range around our yard in the daytime, since I put up a very good fence.

We lost one the other day - man, it really bummed both of us out for days. We had a really smart one (her mother was one we call Marie Currie, because she is also smart), and it was 10 days old. We left it in a small cage to protect it, but put it into the open air to give it some sunshine (with part of the cage covered in shade). When I went out later I found the cage, made of light guage wire, smashed down into the ground and the chick gone! Apparently a Falcon or Hawk dropped at speeds high enough to smash the cage and then plucked her off. So now we are not placing any of them in the open, until the end of February, when the Hawk season is over, and we are making new, super strong cages for the newborns.

Chickens are much smarter than most people think. Of course, as an aside, my neighbors asked me when we would be eating some of them - since some are past the egg-laying stage. Eat? That's why we name them - we don't eat them. Please. So now we have an old folks home (for me) and for chickens, dogs and cats, as well as rabbits.

And the expression - it ain't chicken feed, is correct - chicken feed is really inexpensive. But the other expression, you can have chickens or you can have a lawn is also correct - very quickly when you let them range you will discover your lawn has somehow gone missing. Small price to pay for the peace that they bring.

Have a good weekend.

[Denise/Dizi]

That is so precious... I just love when nature behaves like humans...

Here is "Jack Sparrow", a new addition to our family. We shared a few videos of him and how he behaves with us, while he is at work with us.. He was rescued at 3 days old, two doors up from the family shop, and I had to feed him constantly... He now is 5 months old... and let free in the shop, (He has the entire shop to roam freely in), as he "should be" . We only cage him to take him to the shop, and back home... and to have a place to sleep at night safely...

He has become quite the "town celebrity" as he sits on the shoulders of myself as well as customers he seems to like... As if he is a mini tamed parrot...

We love him dearly and he is as tame as any domestic bird...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ry03NNYMyS0

In this video he is playing the role of "Quality control" making sure daddy got the gemstones tight...

and in the next, he saw me filling up the doggie water bowl, so he decided he needed a bath!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Oy3-p6Y1K4I

Jack is letting us know we need to buy him some "Specialty items.... " Like a new bathtub...

[Delight]

Posted by Jim_Duyer (here)
Chickens are much smarter than most people think. Of course, as an aside, my neighbors asked me when we would be eating some of them - since some are past the egg-laying stage. Eat? That's why we name them - we don't eat them. Please. So now we have an old folks home (for me) and for chickens, dogs and cats, as well as rabbits.

And the expression - it ain't chicken feed, is correct - chicken feed is really inexpensive. But the other expression, you can have chickens or you can have a lawn is also correct - very quickly when you let them range you will discover your lawn has somehow gone missing. Small price to pay for the peace that they bring.

Have a good weekend.

I have an old barn with a good fence around it for my chickies. The hawks can fly down and so I can't let my little ones out of their big cages until a certain size.

Chickens are VERY aware of us humans. They are very intelligent in their way. They actually are needing early socialization to understand how to relate (just like us people). I have one Americana who is very elderly (6 years old). She needs to have special protection form Roosters.

Roosters are beautiful and yet they are very selfish and after their own desires. A friend figured out how to dowse with a pendulum for the sex of eggs so as to hatch fewer roosters. I have not tried that. What I do now is buy pullets form the feed store. That is artificial.

It is a very thought provoking process to have chickens because you see the pitfalls of trying to control nature. Hawks and fox balance the population but I don't want to eat the chickens or see them killed. I eat eggs and see eggs as a form of fruit. That sounds weird maybe but that is what I think.

[Jim_Duyer]

Posted by Delight (here)

Posted by Jim_Duyer (here)
Chickens are much smarter than most people think. Of course, as an aside, my neighbors asked me when we would be eating some of them - since some are past the egg-laying stage. Eat? That's why we name them - we don't eat them. Please. So now we have an old folks home (for me) and for chickens, dogs and cats, as well as rabbits.

And the expression - it ain't chicken feed, is correct - chicken feed is really inexpensive. But the other expression, you can have chickens or you can have a lawn is also correct - very quickly when you let them range you will discover your lawn has somehow gone missing. Small price to pay for the peace that they bring.

Have a good weekend.

I have an old barn with a good fence around it for my chickies. The hawks can fly down and so I can't let my little ones out of their big cages until a certain size.

Chickens are VERY aware of us humans. They are very intelligent in their way. They actually are needing early socialization to understand how to relate (just like us people). I have one Americana who is very elderly (6 years old). She needs to have special protection form Roosters.

Roosters are beautiful and yet they are very selfish and after their own desires. A friend figured out how to dowse with a pendulum for the sex of eggs so as to hatch fewer roosters. I have not tried that. What I do now is buy pullets form the feed store. That is artificial.

It is a very thought provoking process to have chickens because you see the pitfalls of trying to control nature. Hawks and fox balance the population but I don't want to eat the chickens or see them killed. I eat eggs and see eggs as a form of fruit. That sounds weird maybe but that is what I think.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, we had the little one in a cage but now we built much stronger ones and we are keeping an eye out. If it were up to me, I would go with the fertilized feed and do away with the Roosters altogether. I don't get a lot of empathy from them - the vibes are off. In fact, we may do just that after this latest batch. We have homes for them down below the mountain if needed.
Cleopatra sits on my wife's shoulder while she works as a Spanish-English interpreter for hospitals and physicians offices. Yes. I know, seven days old an she can sit on someones shoulder. Yesterday she made a lot of noise - probably hungry, and the Doctor asked what the background noise was. My wife calmly answered - sorry, that's my cell phone ring tone - I'll turn it off.

We eat some of the eggs and give the rest away - we get about 10 per day, and since they are field raised, in a peaceful environment, the eggs taste better - and are thus much appreciated.
I don't think it's weird not to eat the chickens themselves - they walk around the house sometimes with our dogs and cat and nobody bothers anybody. We're like a free-zone for rescued pets. And my wife is so good at taking care of dogs, including giving shots and sewing them up, and removing porcupine quills, that the neighbors bring them all the time. It makes for a happy village.

[wondering]

I would love some of those healthy, delicious eggs! But I would settle for a picture of Cleopatra doing something wonderful, like sitting on someone's shoulder!! 😁 I wonder what my brat cat, Mousie, would make of a house roaming chicken...she herself is queen of the roost here.

[Jim_Duyer]

Posted by wondering (here)
I would love some of those healthy, delicious eggs! But I would settle for a picture of Cleopatra doing something wonderful, like sitting on someone's shoulder!! 😁 I wonder what my brat cat, Mousie, would make of a house roaming chicken...she herself is queen of the roost here.

Ha. I know the feeling - I have my own personal cat (or he has me, never sure really which it is) and he watches the chickens in the living room with a suspicious eye, but never tries to attack. Yesterday we almost had WWIII - my dog was to my left on the couch, the cat was at my feet on the same couch (recliner) and then the chicken jumped up the arm of the couch to my right - both the dog and the cat quickly got jealous. So sometimes we do have to play referee.
At present Cleopatra is staying quite close to my wife - they apparently learn bonding quite early.
She spent the day today inside my wife's sweater while she worked.
Meanwhile, I'm trying to bond words with paper (metaphorically since its on a monitor), with the cat jumping on my desk and touching the keys on my keyboard. Causing a row of letters to run way way up the left side of the page.
Now today Cleopatra got to visit my desk for the first time, and the first thing she did was jump on the keyboard
and start hitting funny keys. Well, I call them funny because they are not money-making at the moment - when she starts to write better than I, then some interesting choices will have to be made.
I hope I come out ok.

[wondering]

OMG...there has got to be a meme of a chick dancing on a keyboard...😂😂😂. Great visual. lol

[Tintin]

Posted by wondering (here)
OMG...there has got to be a meme of a chick dancing on a keyboard...😂😂😂. Great visual. lol

Well, there is this

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=L7EfLNFRG7M

[Pam]

Posted by Jim_Duyer (here)

Posted by Delight (here)

Posted by Jim_Duyer (here)
Chickens are much smarter than most people think. Of course, as an aside, my neighbors asked me when we would be eating some of them - since some are past the egg-laying stage. Eat? That's why we name them - we don't eat them. Please. So now we have an old folks home (for me) and for chickens, dogs and cats, as well as rabbits.

And the expression - it ain't chicken feed, is correct - chicken feed is really inexpensive. But the other expression, you can have chickens or you can have a lawn is also correct - very quickly when you let them range you will discover your lawn has somehow gone missing. Small price to pay for the peace that they bring.

Have a good weekend.

I have an old barn with a good fence around it for my chickies. The hawks can fly down and so I can't let my little ones out of their big cages until a certain size.

Chickens are VERY aware of us humans. They are very intelligent in their way. They actually are needing early socialization to understand how to relate (just like us people). I have one Americana who is very elderly (6 years old). She needs to have special protection form Roosters.

Roosters are beautiful and yet they are very selfish and after their own desires. A friend figured out how to dowse with a pendulum for the sex of eggs so as to hatch fewer roosters. I have not tried that. What I do now is buy pullets form the feed store. That is artificial.

It is a very thought provoking process to have chickens because you see the pitfalls of trying to control nature. Hawks and fox balance the population but I don't want to eat the chickens or see them killed. I eat eggs and see eggs as a form of fruit. That sounds weird maybe but that is what I think.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, we had the little one in a cage but now we built much stronger ones and we are keeping an eye out. If it were up to me, I would go with the fertilized feed and do away with the Roosters altogether. I don't get a lot of empathy from them - the vibes are off. In fact, we may do just that after this latest batch. We have homes for them down below the mountain if needed.
Cleopatra sits on my wife's shoulder while she works as a Spanish-English interpreter for hospitals and physicians offices. Yes. I know, seven days old an she can sit on someones shoulder. Yesterday she made a lot of noise - probably hungry, and the Doctor asked what the background noise was. My wife calmly answered - sorry, that's my cell phone ring tone - I'll turn it off.

We eat some of the eggs and give the rest away - we get about 10 per day, and since they are field raised, in a peaceful environment, the eggs taste better - and are thus much appreciated.
I don't think it's weird not to eat the chickens themselves - they walk around the house sometimes with our dogs and cat and nobody bothers anybody. We're like a free-zone for rescued pets. And my wife is so good at taking care of dogs, including giving shots and sewing them up, and removing porcupine quills, that the neighbors bring them all the time. It makes for a happy village.

I hope you continue with your stories of the animals and your life around your farm. Denise, Maggie and anyone else who have fun little glimpses of the wonder of these animals and life with them. Cleopatra certainly sounds worthy of her name.

I have what I call a little farm but I only raise vegetables and fruit so not to many interesting stories about their adventures but this thread is wonderful, and you can see the enthusiasm for the topic.

I came back to add that your wife and of course you, are very interesting as well. I would love to hear all sorts of stories of what I call the small details of life. Your story of all the animals vying for their place and a chicken involved in the whole funny story will have me chuckling all day.

[Jim_Duyer]

Thanks Pam. My wife is very intelligent and a caring person. She's somewhat a tomboy - which gave her problems here until she met me - because I encourage that behavior. With her and our two daughters I have always cautioned them that while they may be the equal of any man, they should not let the secret out that they might be a tad better, at least not at first. She made the chicken coop herself, out of her own plans that she drew, and with materials that she bought and had delivered. I just sat back and admired. I am doing the room additions so I have nothing to be jealous of.

Although I did take out her dirt floor and replace it with concrete that I poured - but only when some rats tried to dig their way in to the coop. Otherwise her designs are great.

Last night we had another small issue. It seems that Cleopatra's sister, Princess, jumped up on my shoulder again while watching TV. And I already had two dogs and a cat with me, so there was some pretend snarling. Nothing real but just a warning. I have a theory. I believe that certain people give off magnetic or other waves that attract animals.
I don't understand it myself, but I have never had a dog or cat or other animal (belonging to other people) that did not approach me and practically wish me to adopt them - after only a few minutes. Perhaps a smell?

Anyway, I love animals and as my wife reminds me, I'm the "soft" one in the family, so I end up adopting whatever happens to show up at our front gate. Just as in other countries, people drive to the mountains to dump their animals when they are "tired" of the responsibility. It's now against the law here, but they still do it. I think you can tell a lot about a person by the way that they treat their animals, or animals in general.

We did have a goat and a large pig, but we finally had to gift those to a farm down below because they really, really pull you when you try to get them back in their enclosures or your yard. You might enjoy seeing me walking in the afternoons - I go with our four dogs, my cat, and formerly with the goat and pig as well - all walking together down the center of the rock road in the mountains that fronts our house. No cars to speak of so it's usually not a problem. But it looks pretty funny. I did not know that a cat, goat and pig would go for walks as a group.

We all move to the side in the very unlikely event that a car or truck wishes to proceed, and we get some strange looks, I can tell you. Cameras and cellphones come out. Embarrassing - but funny. The weather here goes from a daytime range of 55 degrees to 80 degrees, and about 95% of the time it is 76 degrees, so it's pretty nice for walking.

We're at 6000 or more feet, so the thinner air makes for better lung power - and the walks are good for me as well.
It's a cloud forest - high and well watered.

I spoke not more than 10 words of Spanish when I came here. I came for a month of deep-sea fishing. Then I met my wife who was a waitress in the restaurant I went to, and I never went back. I've been here ever since. I even forgot to go fishing that time.

I heard about the proposed meet up in Ecuador, and I think it's an excellent idea. However, I promised my wife to take her for her first trip to the USA next year, and we are not sure when we will get the Visa. Or when the trip will come off, for sure, so I have to leave everything open. You may not know but a legal Visa is not easy to obtain, even here. We won't have a big problem, but there are lots of paperwork, money, and time needed to obtain one. Sometimes it takes two or three months after you submit, just to get an answer.

More farm talk later - my cat, who was asleep and not to be disturbed (on my keyboard) has now awoken and left, so it's time to get back to writing.

[Ewan]

Enjoying this peak through the window at the lifestyle and life you are living Jim, thank you.

[Pam]

Posted by Jim_Duyer (here)
Thanks Pam. My wife is very intelligent and a caring person. She's somewhat a tomboy - which gave her problems here until she met me - because I encourage that behavior. With her and our two daughters I have always cautioned them that while they may be the equal of any man, they should not let the secret out that they might be a tad better, at least not at first. She made the chicken coop herself, out of her own plans that she drew, and with materials that she bought and had delivered. I just sat back and admired. I am doing the room additions so I have nothing to be jealous of.

Although I did take out her dirt floor and replace it with concrete that I poured - but only when some rats tried to dig their way in to the coop. Otherwise her designs are great.

Last night we had another small issue. It seems that Cleopatra's sister, Princess, jumped up on my shoulder again while watching TV. And I already had two dogs and a cat with me, so there was some pretend snarling. Nothing real but just a warning. I have a theory. I believe that certain people give off magnetic or other waves that attract animals.
I don't understand it myself, but I have never had a dog or cat or other animal (belonging to other people) that did not approach me and practically wish me to adopt them - after only a few minutes. Perhaps a smell?

Anyway, I love animals and as my wife reminds me, I'm the "soft" one in the family, so I end up adopting whatever happens to show up at our front gate. Just as in other countries, people drive to the mountains to dump their animals when they are "tired" of the responsibility. It's now against the law here, but they still do it. I think you can tell a lot about a person by the way that they treat their animals, or animals in general.

We did have a goat and a large pig, but we finally had to gift those to a farm down below because they really, really pull you when you try to get them back in their enclosures or your yard. You might enjoy seeing me walking in the afternoons - I go with our four dogs, my cat, and formerly with the goat and pig as well - all walking together down the center of the rock road in the mountains that fronts our house. No cars to speak of so it's usually not a problem. But it looks pretty funny. I did not know that a cat, goat and pig would go for walks as a group.

We all move to the side in the very unlikely event that a car or truck wishes to proceed, and we get some strange looks, I can tell you. Cameras and cellphones come out. Embarrassing - but funny. The weather here goes from a daytime range of 55 degrees to 80 degrees, and about 95% of the time it is 76 degrees, so it's pretty nice for walking.

We're at 6000 or more feet, so the thinner air makes for better lung power - and the walks are good for me as well.
It's a cloud forest - high and well watered.

I spoke not more than 10 words of Spanish when I came here. I came for a month of deep-sea fishing. Then I met my wife who was a waitress in the restaurant I went to, and I never went back. I've been here ever since. I even forgot to go fishing that time.

I heard about the proposed meet up in Ecuador, and I think it's an excellent idea. However, I promised my wife to take her for her first trip to the USA next year, and we are not sure when we will get the Visa. Or when the trip will come off, for sure, so I have to leave everything open. You may not know but a legal Visa is not easy to obtain, even here. We won't have a big problem, but there are lots of paperwork, money, and time needed to obtain one. Sometimes it takes two or three months after you submit, just to get an answer.

More farm talk later - my cat, who was asleep and not to be disturbed (on my keyboard) has now awoken and left, so it's time to get back to writing.

Thank you so much!!! What a wonderful life. You did the smartest thing ever when you decided to stay. I always feel animals are the best test of a human's character. If the animals are attracted to someone that is a huge sign. Sounds like you are fairly free to build without government lackeys hovering around.

I hope your wife will not be too disappointed in the US. I suppose it would have it's novelty the first time around, but it's not what it used to be, that is for sure. Thanks again, my friend!!!!

[Jim_Duyer]

I served during VietNam, handling the traffic between the Special Forces and their units back in Japan, all TS stuff. And so over time I became a strong anti-Communist. It's difficult to hate the people themselves, but the Chi-Com regime was very easy to hate. Then they reelected Clinton, after his sex crimes, and that was all I could take. At that point I searched for places to move to. I had been to both Guatemala and Costa Rica several times and applied for residence in both. Guatemala claims they lost my paperwork and the same day Costa Rica approved me. So it is really fate.
Afterwards I have not regretted a single day. And I am especially glad that I did not go to Guatemala, because shortly thereafter they began to "purge" the native Indians. I would have killed someone over that, I am fairly sure.
My wife is constantly wondering why I don't simply "put down that alien crap" and write about one of my other research areas that I have ready to assemble into a book. She believes in UFOs but not aliens. Go figure.
So I told her that I would love to go - and that we simply must visit Roswell, NM. And Carlsbad Caverns won her over.

So yes, hold grudges forever, somewhat impishly devious, happy to play a prank on those close to me. Guilty.

[wondering]

Jim, It makes me happy to hear that after the many risks you took, in war and after, that you have built a life of contentment, love and creativity, to name just a few. Like Pam, I hope your wife is not disappointed in the US, but with nothing to compare it to, she may be able to see more clearly than we it's freedom and beauty. If you haven't been back in a while, I wonder how it will seem to you, also. It opens my heart to hear of the life you have created...
What is Cleopatra up to? She must be growing at a great rate and spreading her wings, literally. 😁

[Jim_Duyer]

Well, Cleopatra is doing fine, and now she has a sister - born at midnight last night (four more possibly on the way).
We're calling the new one Hulk, temporarily, because he/she is so strong. Walking almost immediately, but had twisted legs, so we put a very lightly attached rubber band on his legs, and now he/she walks fine. In a day or three we will take the rubber band off - he's straightening his legs out very quickly.

Now, I hate critics as much as the next author, but I don't let them phase me. HOWEVER, for the second day in a row, Cleo has crapped on my research notes near by keyboard. Either they are not top rate,or she's reading something in to them that I did not mean to convey. Only time will tell.

To be honest, my wife has made it quite clear that she would never live there - and we are mostly going for the food and the sights (and purchases).

[wondering]

Any chance of an update on Cleopatra and her sibs...??? 😁

[Ewan]

Posted by wondering (here)
Any chance of an update on Cleopatra and her sibs...??? 😁

I second that, in a way Jim you've made a rod for your own back as the audience will need constant updates over the weeks, months and years. In fact I suggest you change the thread title to something like...

The Life and Times of Jim Duyer

Note all your anecdotes, events in your life, daily happenings. After a couple of years collate them all and you have a book on your hands.

[Jim_Duyer]

Well, I'm not that interesting, sorry. But thanks for the vote of confidence. I dropped by to furnish a strange update.

Cleo is doing well, and now we have a total of six chicks with one hen perching over them. The youngest one is black with a white stripe. We call him Go Go Racer, as suggested by one of the grandkids.
He's a mess. Always walking to the back of the cage and getting caught. Then he cries. Then the mother hen comes to straighten him out, literally, metaphorically and physically, and of course Cleo and her sister are right behind the Mother - as if to as "what did knucklehead get himself into this time? He's in trouble, right Ma?"
So Cleo , in addition to being a big sister, is also something of a busy-body.

Now, the other exciting news (strange update) is that Princess is a mimic. And I don't mean strange noises, I mean good enough to go on Youtube (if I were to have an account there, which I do not). She made noises like a goose. and there are no geese within 20 miles. What's up with that? And then we figured out that she was mimicking a car horn from the neighbor up the hill. Next she imitates the Roosters, feeble but recognizable. Then today she made a noise like a dog barking. Very realistic for a chicken. She's still only 2 months old. And my wife says she heard her make a mooing noise like the cows across the street. So yes, thinks she's a parrot I guess. Very talented.
I believe I could get Geico Insurance to fork up some money for her goose imitation. It's an idea.

Foggy most mornings - looks like Silent Hill around the house until about 9. I just finished, with my wife's design and most of the labor, a dual swing set for four people, monkey bars, climbing wall and all of it in Eucalyptus wood. Eucalyptus is not like the bush we had in Florida of the same name - it grows seventy feet tall. But it is like cypress - waterproof even under water. Won't rot, good for a long time. (Like me, I hope).
It's a big hit.
Still working and writing - in fact I closed down my website of 16 years work yesterday - gone for good. So I can have the time to concentrate and finish a bit more quickly, and so I can get rid of a few pesky people.

You know, I was thinking today of days long gone. And I realized that I am a victim of, but yet also a supporter of, the rampant decay in morals that we see today. Because, from time to time, I have "shared" a file, or watched a "bootleg" movie. And really, when I was younger, I would not go into the local butcher shop and walk out with a shoulder of pork without paying. And even if I "shared" it after I cooked it, wouldn't all of those people be guilty as well? So I have decided that I will no longer do that in any form. It's my New Years resolution.

Something to think about. Jim