Friday, June 27, 2008

Princess Laya Is A Mother Again

"Peep,peep,peep."

It was so faint, at first I thought it was distant birdsong from the surrounding PFHQ forest, but it was a little too "peepy".
I bent down next to the tall swivel patio chair that Princess Laya (best hen everrrr!) had chosen for her nest.

She ruffled her feathers a little and let out a long worried, warning cluck, but I could tell her "nest" was the peep source. It seemed as if Laya had done it again. This will be her third clutch of hatchlings.
Later there was a cast off egg shell to prove it.

Then in the afternoon, there was a chick on the porch floor next to the chair. Junior found it and placed it back on the chair nest, next to Laya.
It quickly tried to resnuggle.


After a little trial and error, he found the door and vanished beneath Laya's protective plumage.

I'm not sure Laya thought ahead about the "wood duckling like" drop to the porch floor when she chose this tall chair for a nest. Chickens are not known for planning ahead.

I have a large snake/raccoon/opossum/skunk/fox/loch ness monster proof pen that I will try and talk her into using as a nursery. She'll have to give up her free ranging for awhile,but I can't see bringing her chicks inside like we did with the LOTR chicks she produced last year.

Can't you see that?
Two Lab pups and a brood of chicks sharing the same small house which is in a total state of disarray (even more than usual) due to the summer remodeling job.
Currently, the living room is off limits due to painting, the hallways are jammed with living room stuff, as is the kitchen.

You don't walk through our house presently ... you weave your way through it.

And don't go off the trail ... you may never be found.




24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awww.. too cute!
BTW FC, I find your house quite charming and gorgeous. Did you have it built from spec or is it a one you put together? Either way, I'm green with envy;-)

Anonymous said...

FC-You are always working on your house! When all of your "hatchlings" leave the nest you and Mrs FC will have a really nice place to sit back and enjoy! (Not that it hasn't always been a nice place) I think I still like the wrap around porch the best!
Lightnin

Dani said...

Congrats to the new mommy. She's such a pretty hen.

threecollie said...

I love the sweet, murmuring peeps of new hatched chicks and the chortling clucks of the mama. Good luck with them

Dr. Know said...

How cute. Babies are endearing -- their parents ofttimes not so much (the human kind, anyway). I've never kept chickens, but my grandfather did -- right before he ate them. I've raised lotsa chicks, though.

I feel your pain on the home remodeling thing -- I've done two, including termite infested framing, roofing (42 feet up), siding, windows, etc. I'm gettin' way too old for this s#%t. How I long for a nice well insulated single story ranch away from cities and not far from the shore.

Anonymous said...

Yay for Princess Laya!

Anonymous said...

Hey congrats to Little Bo and the other gallus for combing back to the cuddle zone. Certainly can't be running afowl with puppers at such a young age. Might end up as a flocking disaster if they got themselves in a clutch, no?

Good luck with the remodel, repaint, rearranging. Sure sounds like things will finish nicely (insert envious look here).

cinbad122 said...

Check your school email for pics of Jamaica...Did not have a home address for you!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see you got your video situation taken care of. Pups and chicks, what a combo. The good ole home improvements, just don't follow "Tim the Tool Man Taylors" how to suggestions. But, once you get a project finished, there's a little time to admire your handy work before starting the next one.
Bro J

h said...

Looks like both you and the Princess are keeping busy. The Mute Monday theme is "SUMMER" this week. Pretty easy, methinks.

h said...

This link is a really cool seasonal harvest map from Epicurious.Com. Do you think something similar exists just for Florida? I haven't been able to find one.


http://tinyurl.com/4fxepu

R.Powers said...

LJ,
Welcome!
We picked out the plans long before we had land. I have remodeled it, but it was built by professionals.
I'm glad you like it!

Dani,
Isn't she tho? I just love her.

3C,
Looks like the final count was 3 chicks out of 5 eggs.

Doc,
It's always nice when the remodeling is over.

Susan,
She's a champ!

Cindy,
You knucklehead, it's at the top of this blog.
I'm working my way through them but I need your expert commentary to explain some of them.
:)


Bro,
I just sliced my arm open on some sharp tile, (butterfly no stitches ...too far too drive).
So Tim may be here in spirit after all.


Troll,
I am not the father.

Miz S said...

Oh dear, I'm late with my congratulations to Momma Laya. I hope you have convinced her to move into a more secure nest. It cracks me up no end that she decided to get broody on the chair.

jojo said...

HOW Many??? How many did she have? I just love it too when they have them. I have one that just had one chick. and then i have one that has 4 chicks who are starting to outgrow the mysterious door into her wing. And they live in the house. :) what's a little more mess?

congrats to princess laya. i love that she had a black one!

kathy a. said...

sweet chickie! sounds like time to open the nursery -- pups and fluff don't sound like a good combo.

VitaminSea said...

I just wanted you to know that as soon as I read the word "drywall" in the previous post, I clicked out of your blog and ran as fast as I could across the blogosphere and back to safety.

Whew. Is it over yet????? LOL!

Gooooddd Luck! We still have a little more plastering to do, we spent the evening changing out the electrical plugs. fun, huh.

I had to laugh when I read that y'all still think of your house as "new," because we do the same thing with the one we have in G'ville. Time goes by too fast!

And last but not least, I really loved the video with the pups. they are getting so big! Looks like Gumbo is catching up to Big Bear.

To make your job easier, why not send them down here to live with me for a few years until you get the living room done. I promise not to move and take them with me. ;)


Ok, I'm supposed to be cleaning the house because we have company coming in tomorrow, but I came online to check my mail and ended up here instead.
All your fault! LOL

OldHorsetailSnake said...

Would I be guessing if I guessed you've got a rooster?

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to Mama Laya. She is aptly named. Good luck on your home remodel. We have been barn building and it is a never ending task. Who knew it would take a week to hang a garage door?

Rurality said...

If you were nearer I'd try to talk you out of some of those chicks. :)

Funny place for a nest. Well at least there's a flipflop there in case she needs one.

PS from the other day - I'm always getting sadist and masochist confused!

R.Powers said...

Miz S,
Cracks me up too. She has used a hay bale and a completely exposed spot by the powerpole in the past, so it looks like she finally wised up.

JOJO,
Two blacks and a quail patterned one for a total of 3.

Kathy A,
Correctomundo! Gumbo has already gotten in trouble for harassing them.

Laura,
And I don't blame you one bit.
Like the lady said in Jurassic Park ..."Ruunnnnn!"
It's more the finishing coat that I screw up hopelessly than cutting and hanging the stuff.
We'd all have to come with the pups, we are too attached at this point, but thanks for the boarding offer.
Sorry for distracting your mail run!!

Hoss,
I am overloaded with roosters ... want one?

Cathy S,
I'm glancing at my blog roll and it looks like maybe congratulations are in order at your house!
Good luck with your barn. At least you have good help!

Rurality,
If I were nearer you could have all 3 and a couple of roosters.
Not Laya tho!

SophieMae said...

I keep trying to think of a tie-in with the XL in the second pic. X-traordinary Layer? If Duller can ever get time without rain to help me prepare an area, I'd love to take some fowl off your hands. Did I recently ask you about your guinea(s)? I meant to... Memory... fleeting...

I did a spur-of-the-moment run to your area yesterday - didn't see any red jeeps - and found something I hope you'll shoot. Three young ospreys in a nest, fighting over a fish dinner. In the picnic area at Crystal River Arch. park. The one I got a good look at looks grown, so they won't be there long. I'm not real happy with my pics... overcast, dark subject against sky... Idano just what went wrong. Good, but not REAL good. Anyhow, I thunk of you immediately. 8-} Also spotted a pair of turkeys with 6-8 poults - a speeding truck scared them into the briar patch before I could shoot - on Blue Springs Road.

I'd love to check out Devil's Den, but $9 a head just to get in?! =8O

Anonymous said...

Hi FC, Cute chicks! Yes to a MASH fan. Radar was a way cool dog! Friends were on the Newberry softball team many years ago and I have a picture of Radar with the softball cap and shades on! He's been gone 17 years and I still miss him!
We had a wild rooster and hens over here in Green Cove and I realized a few days ago that the mornings were quiet. They used to come over every morning for breakfast! Was I surprised to find chickens in my yard the first time they came!
HAve a good weekend.

PAtti

R.Powers said...

Sophie,
I can tell you even though my feet are big, the flipflops aint mine.
I don't do sandals or flipflops.

Thanks for the osprey tip!

If you were at Blue Springs you could a driven through Devils Hammock kiddo. If you had you might have seen my JEEP in the morning cause I was in there filming wild hogs, snakes, gators, and scenery.


Patti,
I know all about never ending dogmiss.
He sounds like one great dog.
My brother's neighborhood had wandering chickens too until one neighbor took chicken control into his own hands.
Who doesn't enjoy rooster crowing?
I love it.

Anonymous said...

She's so cute with her non-nest on her chair with the flip-flop! Aren't chickens funny critters?