Waiting, just waiting......

For Spring to truly come, although today is pretty nice - sunny, if cool and windy.   My radishes are coming up gangbusters, and I see germination on everything else I planted too, even with the snow we've had and a heavy, icy frost yesterday.  Only 3 out of a dozen of the strawberry plants show any sign of life.  I can't blame Walmart, where I bought them, because I bought at a long-established seed store last year, and got 0% growth. 

I got tired of Abigail moping around the coop, and doing nothing but sit in the nest box. She not broody anymore, because she will waddle out of the box with some enthusiasm if I throw down a handfull of scratch grain.  She adores scratch, but I will only give her a little every few days so as not to throw her balanced feed out of balance. 

I took her out of her coop and plopped her on the 4x4 inch carpeted pad on top of the cat's scratching post.  That livened her up!  She looked outside and cackled loudly.  Thinking she wanted out, I took her out on the deck, but it was cold and damp, and all she would do was crouch and shiver.  I put her on my lap and wrapped her up in my arms, and I think she would have stayed there until dark, just looking around. 

oooooooooh, what do you see, Abigail?   

I've been taking her out pretty regularly to roost and watch the outdoors and she seems to love it.  She makes those purr/chirp noises that seem to mean that.  Believe it or not, the 'step-up'  thing is not working out too badly.  Like all of my animals,  she hates being taken out of  her coop/cage, but if I put my arm in and tell her to step up (I usually have to help and tap her bottom a bit)  she will perch on my arm, come out without a fuss, and is content to ride on my  arm like a parrot.

Abigail and her buddy (?) Ciaran sitting on their respective perches.  Notice how she has confiscated the big round cat tower top, and left him the 4x4 pad!   She doesn't really trust the cats, and I don't blame her.  They've never tried anything with her, but I'm always at arm's length when she is out. 

Her feathers aren't ruffled - she must have some 'frizzle' in her background , because she has some of each kind of feather.

Watching the world go by........

All this pampering hasn't caused her to start laying again (I think she's a young bird?) and tomorrow I'm going to go get her a friend or two.  Due to quarantine she won't get to meet them for a while.  I'm hoping she will be happier in a 'flock."  I'm working on a chicken tractor/playpen that will serve both the birds and the buns.  I've got one panel done (you can see it outside the door) but I'm waiting for warm weather to finish it.