Monday, July 26, 2010
the secret life of chickens: And now a word from our sponsors:
the secret life of chickens: And now a word from our sponsors:: "Chicken talk 'okay,okay, i think she's coming, cluckcluck' 'no cleo, that's not her, that one doesnt have the red toes' 'o, i thought it was..."
And now a word from our sponsors:
Chicken talk
"okay,okay, i think she's coming, cluckcluck"
"no cleo, that's not her, that one doesnt have the red toes"
"o, i thought it was her but it's one of those roosters shes got in her coop. he's just pinning more colored wind catchers on that high perch thats way too thin to hold on to. they drip when you walk under them you know, buak."
"yeah bauk, he wont let us out, oh and he let that four legged one out again, bauk"
"o wait bel, shes coming, ill get her attention...buaaaaaak buaaaaak,that always gets her. i think she feels sorry for us when i do that, buaaaaak... ooo here she comes, cluck cluck cluck"
"cluckcluck , its so exciting, shes coming over here, ooo she stopped, shes pulling out more of that greenage"
"buaaaaak, buaaaaak, there now shes coming"
"yeah, she sure does react when you howl like that cleo"
"it worked, quick run out the gate before she changes her mind cluckcluck."
"ok cleo were out. wait, what she doing, shes getting our dish, !!SHES GOING TO FEED US!!!"
"shoot bel, i wanted to play tag, but food and theres corn too, o well, maybe shell let us out later, cluckcluckbuak.
"okay,okay, i think she's coming, cluckcluck"
"no cleo, that's not her, that one doesnt have the red toes"
"o, i thought it was her but it's one of those roosters shes got in her coop. he's just pinning more colored wind catchers on that high perch thats way too thin to hold on to. they drip when you walk under them you know, buak."
"yeah bauk, he wont let us out, oh and he let that four legged one out again, bauk"
"o wait bel, shes coming, ill get her attention...buaaaaaak buaaaaak,that always gets her. i think she feels sorry for us when i do that, buaaaaak... ooo here she comes, cluck cluck cluck"
"cluckcluck , its so exciting, shes coming over here, ooo she stopped, shes pulling out more of that greenage"
"buaaaaak, buaaaaak, there now shes coming"
"yeah, she sure does react when you howl like that cleo"
"it worked, quick run out the gate before she changes her mind cluckcluck."
"ok cleo were out. wait, what she doing, shes getting our dish, !!SHES GOING TO FEED US!!!"
"shoot bel, i wanted to play tag, but food and theres corn too, o well, maybe shell let us out later, cluckcluckbuak.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Chickens are your American duty
Really, I am proud to be an American.
http://muedemaus.blogspot.com/2010/05/wwi-poster-uncle-sam-expects-you-to.html
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A close incounter with Jack
7/21/10
Last night was a close call.The neighbor's dog, Jack, got out of his fence--not something that has happened before. He came over to visit Beyonce and discovered chickens. The girls were out in the yard. Jack thought this was an open invitation and his birding instincts (he is a bird dog) kicked in. The girls know that their safe place is under the deck or in the coop. Bel couldn't quite make it there without losing a tailfeather. Luckily that was all she loss, except some confidence in the security of the backyard. It was a bit of excitement and a dilemma--should I have let Beyonce out to defend her pack? Probably, but I didn't think it through until I was too far away from the door and closer to intervening myself. I think Beyonce would have at least distracted Jack enough so that Bel would make a clean get away. She did get away minus one feather and a little trauma. She seems fine today and didn't seem to upset when Beyonce wanted to play. Play for Beyonce means a little chase and an escape to the underdeck.
Last night was a close call.The neighbor's dog, Jack, got out of his fence--not something that has happened before. He came over to visit Beyonce and discovered chickens. The girls were out in the yard. Jack thought this was an open invitation and his birding instincts (he is a bird dog) kicked in. The girls know that their safe place is under the deck or in the coop. Bel couldn't quite make it there without losing a tailfeather. Luckily that was all she loss, except some confidence in the security of the backyard. It was a bit of excitement and a dilemma--should I have let Beyonce out to defend her pack? Probably, but I didn't think it through until I was too far away from the door and closer to intervening myself. I think Beyonce would have at least distracted Jack enough so that Bel would make a clean get away. She did get away minus one feather and a little trauma. She seems fine today and didn't seem to upset when Beyonce wanted to play. Play for Beyonce means a little chase and an escape to the underdeck.
Monday, July 19, 2010
the anatomy of a chicken
When I first considered this venture , I knew next to nothing about chickens. I was a city girl, worse yet, I grew up in the burbs. After I had lived in the inner city for a while I realized the depth of my ignorance about real life when I knew that "duck" meant "hit the ground"or "take cover" and not "look in the sky at the flock of them flying over."
Now that I own some dirt in this city I feel a connection to a farming instinct, not out of innocence, but survival.
Gardening, yes, but I never thought I would be raising chickens.
What I knew of chickens was limited to food sources. Chickens lay eggs. I can cook and eat the eggs in many ways. I can cook and eat the chicken in many ways. But really, which came first the rooster or the egg? Do you need a rooster for a hen to lay an egg? What do roosters have to do with the egg laying process anyway? I know that you need a rooster to fertilize the egg, but when does this happen? Do hens and roosters really get it on? They always refer to the birds and the bees, but I missed the day they showed the movie about the birds.
I know now that hens lay eggs without having a rooster so I don't need a rooster to get the eggs. It's a good thing too because roosters make a lot of noise and not just at the crack of dawn. And, you need to get permission from about a thousand people in your neighborhood to be able to have a rooster. If one says no, then you can't do it.
So I have two hens that I am told will produce eggs for me come fall. But We'll figure that out when it comes time.
diagram courtesy of: http://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-anatomy.html
Now that I own some dirt in this city I feel a connection to a farming instinct, not out of innocence, but survival.
Gardening, yes, but I never thought I would be raising chickens.
What I knew of chickens was limited to food sources. Chickens lay eggs. I can cook and eat the eggs in many ways. I can cook and eat the chicken in many ways. But really, which came first the rooster or the egg? Do you need a rooster for a hen to lay an egg? What do roosters have to do with the egg laying process anyway? I know that you need a rooster to fertilize the egg, but when does this happen? Do hens and roosters really get it on? They always refer to the birds and the bees, but I missed the day they showed the movie about the birds.
I know now that hens lay eggs without having a rooster so I don't need a rooster to get the eggs. It's a good thing too because roosters make a lot of noise and not just at the crack of dawn. And, you need to get permission from about a thousand people in your neighborhood to be able to have a rooster. If one says no, then you can't do it.
So I have two hens that I am told will produce eggs for me come fall. But We'll figure that out when it comes time.
diagram courtesy of: http://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-anatomy.html
the history
Belina
Cleopatra-definitely likes getting her picture taken!
Oh,we also got a new puppy, Beyonce, the same week as the chicks.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
the day the chickens hatched
7/18/2010:
It was Palm Sunday, 2010. Bel and Cleo came out of their shell and into a new world. 24 hours later, they were in a plastic crate with a warming light and some bedding in my living room. This was the start of a new relationship--or 2. Now they are an integral part of our everyday lives. The City Chicks were home to stay.
It was Palm Sunday, 2010. Bel and Cleo came out of their shell and into a new world. 24 hours later, they were in a plastic crate with a warming light and some bedding in my living room. This was the start of a new relationship--or 2. Now they are an integral part of our everyday lives. The City Chicks were home to stay.
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