Meet Thelma and Louise

In photography by webmeister Bud

This past Sunday was Mother’s Day so, naturally, we adopted two mothers and put them into our backyard. Meet Thelma.

20160511 - Thelma and Louise-0001Canon EOS 550D (T2i) · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 145 mm · 1/640 s · f/2.8 · ISO 400

And, meet Thelma’s first egg.

20160511 - Thelma and Louise-0002Canon EOS 550D (T2i) · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 35 mm · 1/500 s · f/4.5 · ISO 200

Resisting all urges to cuddle the chickens all day and all of the night, we were sitting on the patio when we heard *clunk*.

“Did you hear that?”

“I heard that.”

We opened the trap door, and there was a perfect, warm, perfect speckled little egg.

20160511 - Thelma and Louise-0003Canon EOS 550D (T2i) · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 24 mm · 1/500 s · f/4.5 · ISO 200

I imagine you might be thinking to yourself at this moment, “Chickens, Bud?”

Why, yes! Didja know there’s a service called Rent the Chicken? Oh, yes. Yes, there is.

Much giddy research was done on the system — which involves renting chickens and their coop from May–October, at which time, if we’ve fallen in love with our little featherheads, we may buy out the lease, as it were, and keep them — the logistics, the pros and cons . . . and, in the end, we decided to Rent the Chicken.

Well, the chickens. Meet Louise. Hey, Louise! Wake up!

20160511 - Thelma and Louise-0004Canon EOS 550D (T2i) · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 200 mm · 1/640 s · f/2.8 · ISO 400

Homestead Kate and Homestead Mike (these are their Rent the Chicken callsigns; everyone I talked to throughout the investigation process had the prefix “Homestead”), from Bees Please Farms in Saanich arrived with the chicken coop they constructed and these two girls inside.

They’re Bovans chickens. I don’t know what that means, but apparently, they’re much cooler and less common than, say, your typical Rhode Island Red.

20160511 - Thelma and Louise-0005Canon EOS 550D (T2i) · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 75 mm · 1/500 s · f/2.8 · ISO 400

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE PATH— oh, never mind.

20160511 - Thelma and Louise-0006Canon EOS 550D (T2i) · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 98 mm · 1/1250 s · f/2.8 · ISO 400

It’s only been a few days, but it’s been great fun hearing these two burble softly at us for food or treats, letting them roam our yard, chasing them away from the veggie garden, attempting to catch and hold them, petting their ridiculously soft feathers, and blinking the tears away as they eat mealworms out of my hand.

It really hurts, but it’s too cute to resist doing.

20160511 - Thelma and Louise-0007Canon EOS 550D (T2i) · Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM · 160 mm · 1/1250 s · f/2.8 · ISO 400

Plus, fresh eggs. Lots and lots of fresh eggs. Omelettes for everyone!

20160511 - Thelma and Louise-0008Canon EOS 550D (T2i) · Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM · 29 mm · 1/640 s · f/2.8 · ISO 400

Kitara made up a song in celebration of our new houseguests:

? Baa baa black chick(en), have you any eggs? Yes sir, yes sir, underneath my legs! ?

=)