Junior Chickens

You might recall that Emma and Junior named the two surviving banty chicks some unpronounceable (for me) LOTR names. So far, I've stumbled over spelling them, saying them, and now, (and this will be our little secret) I really don't remember which name goes with which chick.

I didn't pay close attention when they first told me the names, and to ask now would make me look even sillier than usual ... so I just nod knowingly when they are referenced by Junior.

The chicks are still living in our living room in a laundry basket pen thingie that the kids created. They are getting bigger and it appears to me that they might be little roosters. There's some very boyish sparring going on from time to time, but mostly they get along pretty good.

I wonder sometimes, if other people keep chickens in their living room. I get strange looks when I mention this, yet if I had said, " I have two parrots in my living room." , nobody would think that odd.

I suppose they are picturing chickens wandering about and sitting on the furniture or fireplace mantle.
Okay, that did happen once, but that was a fluke ... who knew they could fly at such a young age?

We do clean their newspaper-lined basket out twice a day and lately we've begun taking them out for Chicken 101 training.


They even spent the entire day outside in the chicken tractor last weekend. During that time, they met rooster Vader (see, Star Wars names are much easier to remember), got rained on, and chased grasshoppers that made the mistake of entering the pen.
Right now, as I type in the predawn darkness, they are just beginning to stir in the laundry basket a few feet from where I sit. They're making that barely audible, soft roosting peep that resting chickens make.


It's a soothing peaceful sound, and one I'll miss when they graduate to the great outdoors.