Chicken News, New Voice, No Eggs, & Potato Bugs

One of are lil Chicks has found his/her voice
This evening we were outside in the back yard with all the chickens. We were letting Lil Banti in with all the rest of the adult chickens.

All of a sudden we here a screech! we are looking all over the place. We turn around and look into the fenced in brooder run and find that the little Brown chick was squawking. I wouldn't call it a crowing noise. But it was something. And after he/she figured out he could do it he kept doing it every few minutes. Very cute. I can even here him/her from inside our house.

He/She is even bigger than this now. And the comb is even redder... But still not big enough to go in with the brood. Maybe next weekend! :)
Big Red at it again, or not at it... depends on the way you look at it.
I don't know what is up with Big Red. Again tonight I go outside to check on everyone and find Big Red in the coop on her perch trying to lay an egg that wasn't willingly coming out. Called John out got out the gloves and mineral oil. Luckily she dropped out a gosh of liquid egg. But no shell. Caught her and luckily the shell/membrane was starting to come out so I removed it. The husband got to feel to make sure all of it was gone. She wasn't fluffed any more when we put her back on the ground and the rest of the hour or so we was outside she was not trying to lay any more egg. So thats good. I am really going to have to figure out how to get calcium into her. I think I am going to take some of the eggs and put them whole into the bullet blender, add some more calcium and give it to her that way. Or just get some yogurt. I am not sure but I am going to have to do something.

Potato Bugs
On Sunday Lil Banti was beyond herself how to get out of the brooder coop. She was excited and as soon as I opened the door she ran out and started frantically scratching around. I watched her for a couple minutes. She has never wanted away from her babies. So I thought it might be time to be her back with the rest of the Adult Chickens. John comes home later that evening and I take him out and show him how she is acting and she does that exact same thing. I take her over to the other chickens and she still wasn't happy. So I take her back to her babes and she runs out and frantically digs again.... John said "Its the potato bugs!" and it was. She can't get enough of them. They are her favorite and every time I open the brooder she comes out to hunt down all the potato bugs she can.