The four of them strut around their Brackendale yard like Mick Jagger on stage in his prime.
The Schaber family brought home the four hens when they were just chicks back in April.
Now grown egg layers, they have taken over much of the family's backyard.
They seem to know they own the place — and their owners' hearts.
Erin Schaber says that getting the birds during the pandemic made things more interesting and was frankly something for the family of four to do when so much else was forbidden.
Schaber grew up on Haida Gwaii, and her husband Mike also grew up in a rural region so they both are familiar with livestock and animals in general.
(They also have two dogs — Peggy Sue and Maggie May — and "the world’s oldest" guinea pig.)
She talks to the hens, feeds them treats, and calls them "girls.”
In return, they follow her around like she is the Pied Piper.
The idea originally was to get full-grown hens, but there were none available in Squamish.
Instead, they bought chicks from Delta.
They have been in touch with the District of Squamish throughout, she said.
It hasn't been all smooth clucking since the birds were brought home.
Pepper got into the neighbour's yard and was eating the grass, so the yard had to be better fortified.
"Mike gave the nieghbour... a dozen eggs, primarily Pepper's eggs, to say I am sorry for coming into your yard and eating your grass," she said.
The Schaber hens are Easter Eggers, which are a variety of chicken that lays large to extra-large eggs that vary in shade from blue to green to olive to aqua and sometimes even pinkish, according to www.mypetchicken.com.
Being the pandemic, like most families, the Schabers were watching more TV suitable for their two children, and their hen’s names reflect that. There's Virginia "Pepper" Potts, of Avengers fame; "Wanda," The Scarlet Witch; "Cluck" Norris and "Steve" Rogers, aka Captain America; and "Rocket" Raccoon.
In terms of the work involved, Schaber said the family babies the birds. Generally speaking, they require fresh and clean food and water daily and to be let in and out of their enclosure.
They have a nesting house and a coop where they sleep at night — with a swing for entertainment — that is electrified to prevent wildlife attacks.
These are cleaned weekly.
"They are not a lot of work all the time," Schaber said.
The hens are given free rein in the backyard during the day, including in the garden, something that will stop come next season, she said, noting that the "girls" have scratched the garden area to bits.
Schaber said her concern before getting the hens was that they would smell, but they don't.
And they have been fun and educational for the kids.
The two children have chores involving the birds, including ensuring they are fed and safe each night.
When first home, the chicks started under a heat lamp in the garage and later the children would get them little worms to eat.
They have offered a lot of levity in a serious time, Schaber said.
"They are really dumb, but they are really funny…. One will find a worm and the others will notice and they will all make a bee-line for that one. And you can see this chicken running with this worm in its mouth trying to eat it as fast as it can."
Each hen currently lays about five eggs a week.
They started laying in August. Cluck is the best layer and she lays large speckled eggs daily. Rocket is the less prolific layer. Her eggs are quite a dark brown.
Pepper's eggs are green. Pepper and Steve lay regular brown eggs of average size.
In terms of advice for newbie hen owners, Schaber says anyone considering getting chickens needs to understand it is a long-time commitment. Chickens can live five to 10 years.
She also says it is important to understand the municipal rules around raising urban hens.
And though it is possible to do things cheaper (she buys her hens organic corn), raising them well is not going to be cost-neutral in exchange for the organic eggs they provide.
For more on raising urban hens go here.
