Our youngest child has long loved Ladybugs and often tells people as they leave not to step on any ladybugs or rolly-pollies. We have an abundance of lady bugs, much to her delight.
Our chickens love to eat grasshoppers and crickets. We have plenty of them too, one of our sons and our youngest child like to catch them to feed the chickens.
Lately we have seen several Praying Mantis, both green ones and brown ones.
In other adventure
Our youngest has a grand time catching chickens.
She loves collecting eggs and checks several times a day for them.
She keeps as apprised as to who the Rooster has mated with.
(I did not think about the fact that having animals would be teaching this to her:)
Yesterday she was super excited when she got a very shy chicken to eat from her hand.
Our children were upset when I mentioned that the one that is still lacking a significant number of feather is in danger of freezing come winter and it might be a good idea to have her butchered.
She is the ugliest, yet favored chicken because of her personality.
Two of our daughters decided she just needs a sweater for the winter with a neck scarf...
(It is really a thing, look it up online)
They tried taking a sock and cutting the end off to cover her neck.
It did not go well. They got it on alright but it is not tight enough to stay up.
I am interested to see what they try next.
The chicken have been allowed to free range some.
The Rooster and the youngest chicken (Malibu),
(My sweetheart says she has a teenage crush on him)
were adventuring together and tried to check out the shop.
They were not happy when I shewed them out.
It did feel a little like chaperoning a dance,
and having to find those sneaking off by themselves.
My poor sweetheart was not happy when Crazy Malibu,
somehow got herself lost on the far side of the fence,
and was running herself into the fence trying to get back in.
He had to go around through thistles to try to chase her back to the gate.
Sadly he was wearing flip-flops at the time
and did not think to come back to swap shoes until it was too late.
I was not thrilled when the chickens discovered my little garden,
and helped themselves to some tomatoes.
Thankfully, I have enough for us to eat and to share,
and don't expect enough to can this year.
We have a series of compost piles we have been running this summer
to kill off weeks under
and to build up some good soil to go in raised beds for next year.
The chickens decided to help us turn them
and dug in them so much,
they flattened them all out.
We were kind of confused at first as to how the piles got so flat,
until we let the chickens out
and they headed over and started digging there again.
It is fun to see what they get into and see their personalities.
Who knew that chickens could have so much personality. Funny that the rooster announced that the chicken had laid an egg - is that normal. Loved all your comments about bugs as well. I have long been fascinated by praying mantises. Thank you for sharing all your adventures.
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