tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88235250986420528492024-02-21T05:05:51.348-08:00Outright ChickenChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-58155272430137040692021-04-23T10:53:00.001-07:002021-04-23T10:53:34.703-07:00Fertile Eggs: Not To Be Egg-nored<p><span style="font-size: medium;">When people talk about chickens - especially backyard
chickens - the subject of eggs always comes up.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5aSsqymoY2x1slRPquk5uGUXH7PLto4sDDbeKKOiKP_HdcAbWUhQUQFyHEDZZSLi22wT9f6bEwokG5wuKMJRMHaeXJEr11xyvkSdikiHumOphC410RZb4oHU3NSYOsaECujM62dAfvDq/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2048" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5aSsqymoY2x1slRPquk5uGUXH7PLto4sDDbeKKOiKP_HdcAbWUhQUQFyHEDZZSLi22wT9f6bEwokG5wuKMJRMHaeXJEr11xyvkSdikiHumOphC410RZb4oHU3NSYOsaECujM62dAfvDq/" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eggs</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Inevitably certain questions about eggs come up as well. Questions like...</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Do fresh eggs really taste better than the ones you can
buy in the store?</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Don’t you need a rooster in order for your hens to lay eggs?</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>If you have a rooster, aren’t all of your eggs going to be fertilized?</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Can you eat fertile eggs?</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, the first question is easy to answer. The eggs my
hens lay absolutely taste better than those bought from a store. You can even
see how much better they taste because the yolks are a deep orange instead of a
pale yellow. But this is a subject for a different blog post.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">As for the second question, as any chicken owner can tell
you, hens do <u>not</u> need a rooster to lay eggs. The egg laying process happens
with or without a rooster being present. But if a rooster is present... well </span><span style="font-size: medium;">this brings us to not only the third question, but the subject of this blog post.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b>Fertilized Eggs</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And now that we ourselves have a rooster in our Flock - and what a rooster Rudy is! - the idea and question of
fertilized eggs has come up a lot. (Check out my previous post <a href="http://outrightchicken.blogspot.com/2021/02/a-rooster-by-any-other-name.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> to learn more about Rudy.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">So let’s answer those remaining two questions: <i>Will
all of the eggs our Girls lay be fertilized?</i> And also: <i>Can we eat those
fertilized eggs?</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">To dive into these questions, I think we first must
understand how the fertilization process in animals like birds and other
egg-laying animals works. This brings us to two different types of fertilization.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b><i>Internal Fertilization</i> and <i>External Fertilization</i>. </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>External Fertilization </b>is used by a whole slew of animals. Animals such as most fish - Salmon and Cod and Trout are just a few to mention. It’s also
used by amphibians - Frogs and Toads and Salamanders and such. And it’s even
used by animals such as Clams and Coral and <span style="background: white; color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sea Anemones.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white; color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 115%;">The basic way external fertilization works is this:</span></span><div>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZcTMtVrY2ig9DXc4sqzLrwzt0P6rgqYi9FHYj1G-5n4mE0pMZARys6o0UmxB_ajsxHHXeHlOL74iR1S1OOJPf3f1pZkynRdyQ-kks8gXcYFVm6zJywp555FORnFxXVacXRJs6iz_GQ2Z/s1927/Cropped+Toad.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1469" data-original-width="1927" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZcTMtVrY2ig9DXc4sqzLrwzt0P6rgqYi9FHYj1G-5n4mE0pMZARys6o0UmxB_ajsxHHXeHlOL74iR1S1OOJPf3f1pZkynRdyQ-kks8gXcYFVm6zJywp555FORnFxXVacXRJs6iz_GQ2Z/w320-h260/Cropped+Toad.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">External Fertilization is my business.<br />Business is good.</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The female of the species releases a large amount of eggs from her body. These eggs are immediately
fertilized with sperm from a male. Some fish and
amphibians will do this in safer places where the eggs won’t just be
swept away by tide or current. Others,
like Coral and Sea Anemones will just let their eggs fly and hope
they join with the sperm the males of their species let loose into the water. One of the reasons this works is that the amount of eggs
and sperm released by these animals is absolutely immense. Millions upon millions of each. And
chances are, because of this, a good amount of eggs will be fertilized.</span></p><div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This brings us to <b>Internal Fertilization</b>, which is exactly what it sounds
like. The eggs that the female will lay (but hasn't yet) are fertilized while still inside of her body. These eggs will
then be “Fertile” when they are indeed laid. As a quick note, believe it or not there are some fish that
use internal fertilization. Fish like Guppies and Mollies and Mosquitofish
among others. Their eggs will be fertilized by the male of the species using a
special fin called a gonopodium fin to</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> deposit sperm onto the eggs </span><i>inside</i><span> of the female. And the female’s fry
will be “born” live in the water once the eggs inside of her hatch.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">To belabor the point - see what I did there? - here’s a
video I found on YouTube of a mama guppy giving birth to her fry.</span></p>
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lkZvTTfOa6M" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This brings us to Chickens. It always comes back to Chickens, doesn't it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chickens
- and all birds, actually - reproduce using Internal Fertilization. Which means that sperm from the male was placed into the female and her eggs are fertilized
before they are ever laid. So, to clarify...<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">An egg can only be fertilized by a rooster <u>before</u> it
is laid. That means that once an egg flies out of a chicken and hits the nest,
if it’s not fertilized at that point it <u>cannot</u> be fertilized. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Okay. So now with all of that information out of the way,
let’s answer - or try to answer - the questions from earlier.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Will all of the eggs our Girls lay be fertile?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chances are, yes. If a rooster is doing his job then the eggs that are laid by the hens will be fertile. And
this can start in as little as a day or two after putting a rooster and your
hens together. In fact, after a rooster and hen mate, even if you separate
them, the hen can still lay fertile eggs for about two weeks. Why?
Because the rooster’s sperm is stored in the hen’s oviduct - the tube that the newly-forming
egg travels through from the hen’s ovary in order to be laid. It would be
during this “traveling” that the forming egg would be fertilized by the sperm
that’s just waiting around to do its job.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">That pretty much answers that question. Yes. The eggs
will be fertile.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which brings us to: Can we eat those fertile eggs?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And the simple answer to this question is: Absolutely! </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In fact there are several grocery stores that sell fertile
eggs, Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s being just two of them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And while fertilization means that ultimately, if given enough time and the right atmosphere, and temperature, and humidity, there will be
a baby chicken inside of the egg, if the egg is removed from the nest and
refrigerated in a timely manner any and all development inside of that egg
stops. Now. If you leave a clutch of eggs under a chicken for more than a couple
days, then development will have not only started, but progressed. So. Yeah.
No. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is there a way to tell a fertile egg from a non-fertile egg before
cracking it open? Yes. And the method is called “Candling”. Basically, after
about a week (although I’ve read it could be in as little as three days) the egg
is held up to a bright light so its interior can be observed through its exterior. From this there will be specific signs of fertilization
or not. And it’s called Candling because back in the day eggs would be
held before a candle flame to see what was going on inside. I won’t get into the what
of it all, but click <a href="https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/the-complete-beginners-guide-to-egg-candling/" target="_blank">HERE</a> for information on candling. In short, though, Candling
is used to see which eggs are developing enough to try and hatch. So, in
my opinion, considering you’re waiting more than a few days in order to find
all of this out, it’s not the best option if you’re looking to eat the egg.
Again. My opinion. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Other than that, the only other way to tell if an egg is
fertile is to crack it open and see if there is the tell-tale sign of
fertilization. Let's get into that!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In an unfertilized egg there will be a small, faint whitish spot
inside of the yolk. This is called the <i>Blastodisc</i>. And it’s perfectly normal.
If you see this single little spot in the yolk - and it can be extremely hard to see sometimes - the egg is <u>not</u> fertile.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQ69iu6LLlw7AWaxi5XDZWiTEzR0yVY4aRFpso5N98PShxymi118Lt-w5oeAEa42yvN4Lt4jbCG_0m3vz-r6BOH3IKGfIsKm5wyj78cLAmNpnd24yP9KtNjko3rHev0s6XGN5bBBir7OT/s300/infertile+yolk.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQ69iu6LLlw7AWaxi5XDZWiTEzR0yVY4aRFpso5N98PShxymi118Lt-w5oeAEa42yvN4Lt4jbCG_0m3vz-r6BOH3IKGfIsKm5wyj78cLAmNpnd24yP9KtNjko3rHev0s6XGN5bBBir7OT/w200-h200/infertile+yolk.png" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/poultry/chicken-embryo-development/">Alabama Cooperative Extension System (aces.edu)</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">However, if that little faint whitish spot in the yolk looks more like a little </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>faint whitish</span><span> bullseye - a small dot with a small ring around it - you’ve just found the
<i>Blastoderm</i>. If you see it - and if you’re not looking for it you might not even
notice it - then you’re dealing with a fertile egg.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQm58_NFYwUUza5YvGzC4TZTGkOsbd99jwAkF2CDY6-_Ocxy45FJu8t1RSh-janpiN2ri19ZCvwzMyVK2N_Uf7YYdFy8BOLuwXFwcCn_ZvGWxaGKoJoJ5Qr93z8c18o5slGEQhI2Vuatye/s300/fertile+yolk.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQm58_NFYwUUza5YvGzC4TZTGkOsbd99jwAkF2CDY6-_Ocxy45FJu8t1RSh-janpiN2ri19ZCvwzMyVK2N_Uf7YYdFy8BOLuwXFwcCn_ZvGWxaGKoJoJ5Qr93z8c18o5slGEQhI2Vuatye/w200-h200/fertile+yolk.png" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From <a href="https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/poultry/chicken-embryo-development/">Alabama Cooperative Extension System (aces.edu)</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I guess there is a third way to tell if the egg is fertile. And
that’s to let it sit under a hen for three weeks. If it hatches, it was
fertile. If it doesn't, it wasn't.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">So there you go. Our questions have been pretty much answered.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Yes</b>, our eggs
- considering we have a rooster who knows his job only all too well - will most
likely be fertile. And <b>Yes</b>, considering we pull our eggs out of our hens' laying boxes almost immediately after they are laid, we can and definitely are eating them.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And they are eggs-cellent!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /></span></o:p></p></div><p></p></div>ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-33340259295340508172021-02-18T13:28:00.003-08:002021-02-18T19:36:18.042-08:00A Rooster By Any Other Name...<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As mentioned in my last posting (check that out <a href="http://outrightchicken.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-quick-chickeny-introduction.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) Ruby’s
feathers were pointing more toward cockerel than pullet. And things have
finally become official.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviAARschyXOSNUpc1kgvQNnbIKxrBNe_Ot5rSxJ0E5kFssb0RIwOPHMTrCh4rj_vTWIwOulupxC4zYatF0QnzPXW75ZBQ1qJ6f7DxfZMlO-bI4clj0Kgg_6PLej2T96Pj5LBI-sMvR8Fk/"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjviAARschyXOSNUpc1kgvQNnbIKxrBNe_Ot5rSxJ0E5kFssb0RIwOPHMTrCh4rj_vTWIwOulupxC4zYatF0QnzPXW75ZBQ1qJ6f7DxfZMlO-bI4clj0Kgg_6PLej2T96Pj5LBI-sMvR8Fk/w320-h320/Rudy+Square+Photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000;">This little Bantam Rhode Island Red has finally crowed!</span></b></div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The chicken we’ve been calling <b><u>Ruby</u> </b>will now be called <u><b>Rudy</b></u>,
and we’re extremely excited by it. I’m not sure if our neighbors are, but us? Definitely. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzbIF7Hqmj6DGrHB1SN3uXQ50QG_m7ZKFHKQiSFLZClvZtWJYjKdk1M5w4Bi1iLxR8NHiMaSp27iJDIwy8ZDg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><b>Let’s see Rudy in action!</b></span></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>When we first brought our Flock home, they were all
underweight and infested with chicken lice. (More on this a few Posts back, so check that out <a href="http://outrightchicken.blogspot.com/2021/01/welcoming-girls-home.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.) Obviously we didn’t know this. And I doubt
the place where we got them from knew it either, as it wasn’t as reputable as all
of its online reviews said.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Ruby - as he was known back then - was small
and had a very pale comb, usually the sign of a pullet if everything I’ve read
is correct. Anyway, that’s probably why the man who helped us thought she was a
female. Or maybe he just didn't care. Also, the fact that she was going through her first molt didn’t help
matters. There were no hackle feathers. There were no saddle feathers. There
were no sickle feathers. But again... it was her first molt and what eventually
would become her full-on self - or his full-on self, as we know now - hadn’t begun to show.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here’s a quick Before-and-After comparison of Rudy from when we first brought him home and now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUGgMFRp4UINEoKKTO4jnzBjL1i2PZSdyrnZW3gAKrfRbRbxgrSH37JZkMnoF72Mg5HFG_aXre_6MuMvkjUVYlGvPsQb9d3TH8Cpux3yhewZdkSDufLidBXjZ1-kVAvtl4-3so7RB2dxX/s767/Young+Rudy+Square+Compare.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="767" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUGgMFRp4UINEoKKTO4jnzBjL1i2PZSdyrnZW3gAKrfRbRbxgrSH37JZkMnoF72Mg5HFG_aXre_6MuMvkjUVYlGvPsQb9d3TH8Cpux3yhewZdkSDufLidBXjZ1-kVAvtl4-3so7RB2dxX/w200-h200/Young+Rudy+Square+Compare.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocCnLxa8BFgzy4s2vTWCe7LI5nyO3VJUANtXVXktvyBlmg9N0A5jova_-WjV2L5ASTGffovcHbcENYpCt2msx_yQVrrui8-9X7axATa7LyBLGaxtJyEdMrm8Qak3gbZs1sZPoew3DYlrd/s2013/Older+Rudy+Square+Compare.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2013" data-original-width="2013" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocCnLxa8BFgzy4s2vTWCe7LI5nyO3VJUANtXVXktvyBlmg9N0A5jova_-WjV2L5ASTGffovcHbcENYpCt2msx_yQVrrui8-9X7axATa7LyBLGaxtJyEdMrm8Qak3gbZs1sZPoew3DYlrd/w200-h200/Older+Rudy+Square+Compare.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yep. That's the same chicken. It's amazing what can happen after some proper care and a good molt.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">What’s that, you ask? What are <i>hackle feathers</i> and <i>saddle feathers</i>
and <i>sickle feathers</i>?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Hackle Feathers</b> are the group of feathers found on the neck of a chicken. When it comes to hens, the hackle feathers are usually a little bit wider and maybe even a bit rounded. And with roosters these feathers are generally long and thin and pointy-looking, kind of like hair.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3gEd2nBvbl5aFZNZlrREt63i_co82dWVACd6lI_0lH0pc2f-cB8UnL5Tcmgh7DpM1Ml-qudZinQL4B86lX8khyphenhyphengheLFf40zzvko2oWKKD0dit_36l_LWnxV4KtsgzdzOnQ8c0KzjpmFl/s2048/Rudy+Feathers.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2012" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT3gEd2nBvbl5aFZNZlrREt63i_co82dWVACd6lI_0lH0pc2f-cB8UnL5Tcmgh7DpM1Ml-qudZinQL4B86lX8khyphenhyphengheLFf40zzvko2oWKKD0dit_36l_LWnxV4KtsgzdzOnQ8c0KzjpmFl/s320/Rudy+Feathers.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Rudy and his Hackles, Saddles, and Sickles</b></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>As for </span><b>Saddle Feathers</b><span>, this is the group of feathers that look like, well... a saddle. They sit on the back and are right in front of where the tail starts. Hen and Roosters both have saddle feathers, but a rooster's saddles are generally longer and come to a point.</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>This brings us to</span><b> Sickle Feathers</b><span>. These are only found on roosters. And they are the tail feathers that are long and curved like... wait for it.... like a sickle.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can read more about Hackle, Saddle, and Sickle feathers <a href="https://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/What-are-hackles-sickles-and-saddles-H338.aspx" target="_blank">HERE</a>. And a lot more about chicken feathers in general <a href="https://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/feather-structure" target="_blank">HERE</a> and also <a href="https://web.extension.illinois.edu/eggs/res12-feathers.html#:~:text=Feathers%20act%20as%20a%20protective,closely%20and%20tightly%20knitted%20together." target="_blank">HERE</a>!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway, Once these three groups of feathers started to become pronounced, it was just a matter of time before the crowing started. And start it did!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>So, we now have a rooster in our midst. And
while we may not be the most popular family in the neighbo</span><span>rhood because of it,
I think it’s pretty cool.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></p>ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-35843782473986163722021-01-27T19:29:00.002-08:002021-01-27T19:29:32.614-08:00A Quick Chickeny Introduction...<p><span style="font-size: medium;">As was mentioned in my last post (check it out <a href="http://outrightchicken.blogspot.com/2021/01/welcoming-girls-home.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>), we
purchased a flock after several years of not being able to. Seeing as it was late-autumn, our options were limited as to where we could actually
get a new flock. So we did what anyone would do and we turned to the internet
to find a reputable chicken-seller, be it a feed & pet store or ranch.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">All of the feed stores in our area had no chicks available. This
was completely understandable considering how late in the season it was. And
they also had no adult chickens available, as it seems that the pandemic - at
least in our area - has prompted people to start raising chickens. (Read an
article about that <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pandemics-california-animals-coronavirus-pandemic-1a2e8fab7176ee9ad8e0a195d1951871" target="_blank">HERE</a>) I’m 100% all for this! Let’s give chickens good homes and good, long lives. Either way, if I wanted chickens I needed to go to a ranch. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Again, the internet was where I turned.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The closest ranch to me that was selling chickens wasn’t all
that far - something like 20 miles or so. It came very highly rated online so
that’s where we headed. When we got there we saw goats and sheep and alpaca and
turkeys. And, of course, we saw chickens. A lot of chickens.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The man
who helped us showed us the heated Chick House where there were more chicks
than I could count. We didn’t want chicks as we didn’t want to have to deal with setting
up a brooder or any of that. We have a full-on Coop and Run, but a brooder is
another story. And with temperatures on the cold-side... chicks weren't what we were after.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The man then showed us runs filled with adult chickens.
Again, we didn’t want to go with adults as we weren’t sure of ages and laying
capacity and they all seemed established and happy. What we really wanted were
pullets.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">A pullet is a female chicken that is under one year old and
hasn’t started laying yet. The “hasn’t started laying yet” was important to us.
So off to the Pullet House we went!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There were more than several young birds running here and
there once we arrived. Supposedly they were all between two and four months
old. A lot of them looked the same - a blur of whites and tans. But several
stuck out to us. The breeds of each of the Girls is not really known. I think
there was a lot of cross-breeding going on, as roosters and hens of different
breeds were housed together. Either way, we came for four and left with five.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>And while these five have been briefly
introduced in the previous post - with photos of each from when we got them -
it seems only fair to give a better and more in-depth introduction to each of
them here, with updated and more recent photos to boot!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">One thing I will say before jumping in, while all of the
chickens we bought seemed healthy at the time, when we got them home we found
them to be underweight and full of lice and dealing with respiratory
conditions. The weight issues and lice were fixable with some good food and a good delousing. The respiratory condition on the other hand was a bit more of a issue. But after an expensive visit to a reputable avian veterinarian and two weeks worth of medication, things were looking up!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Having said that, a call to the ranch to explain this all
was met with less than concern. The guy who runs things - not the man I dealt
with - said his chickens are vaccinated and healthy. And that he considers it
all more of a hobby than a business. Yet somehow he’s on Yelp. Either way, we
came home with our five Girls and they are - in my opinion - infinitely better
for it. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway. Enough of that. We’re here to celebrate our Flock. So,
without further adieu...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Ruby</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruby is supposedly a Bantam Rhode Island Red. This is
suspect to me because her legs are not the yellow color that Rhode Island Reds
usually have. They're more of a white or dusky white. But who knows. As mentioned, there were several different breeds,
both male and female housed together so it’s more than possible she’s some sort of combination. So, Bantam Rhode Island red and... something.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueDrhgeehi1rk_ZQNFIWdjVwC5Te4tbL8liTS-pvD171QzpgCRZz2W4prsorfgDxaeg8VUuBurwMDg33q1hF6i6Vf9V6_3qfyAo_3BhAbEzXMNLhFbRQ2fT__kf8swEVljC0-BWyeiHCy/s1869/Ruby+Portrait.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1869" data-original-width="1869" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueDrhgeehi1rk_ZQNFIWdjVwC5Te4tbL8liTS-pvD171QzpgCRZz2W4prsorfgDxaeg8VUuBurwMDg33q1hF6i6Vf9V6_3qfyAo_3BhAbEzXMNLhFbRQ2fT__kf8swEVljC0-BWyeiHCy/s320/Ruby+Portrait.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Either way, Ruby is energetic and vocal and
personable (chickenable?) and inquisitive and fast! She may be the smallest of
the Flock, but that doesn’t stop her from holding her ground and letting the
other Girls know that she won’t be pushed around. She likes to wedge herself
under the others while they’re sunbathing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And she likes to sit on our shoulders. Ruby is as Ruby does! And it’s
pretty great!</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">ALSO! The older Ruby gets and the more she fills out, the more we're thinking... Ruby may be Rudy? No crowing yet, but her feathers certainly seem to be more cockerel than pullet. We'll see. Updates on the Ruby/Rudy Front to come!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Molly</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">When we first got Molly unbeknownst to us she was severely underweight - the most underweight of the group - and infested with chicken lice. Not a great combination at all. It’s from
Molly’s condition that we realized the ranch where we got the Girls should not have been rated as highly as it was. But after a good
delousing of the entire Flock and treatment of the Coop and Run, and a good
mixture of starter mash and grow crumble as food, Molly and the other girls
started to put on some weight and are now where they should be weight-wise.
Anyway... back to Molly.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-u0Ce2_1om12VN4Osi8ryORtjNwMslk5_fN_lWX8zqPf-7GGUOVzHOA863-2W3en5Vg4LTieH4PWZxeRcZjb5jEcgz7E_MVz4UT8riRYLeCl-ND1pE5KOeV3iR4iDwDvHEvBh_d4lang/s2048/Molly+Portrait.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-u0Ce2_1om12VN4Osi8ryORtjNwMslk5_fN_lWX8zqPf-7GGUOVzHOA863-2W3en5Vg4LTieH4PWZxeRcZjb5jEcgz7E_MVz4UT8riRYLeCl-ND1pE5KOeV3iR4iDwDvHEvBh_d4lang/s320/Molly+Portrait.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>We have absolutely no idea what breed Molly is. At first we had
no idea because of her <br />condition. But as she started to become healthier we
began to think maybe she was Araucana or Ameraucana, as she started to have the
telltale cheeks. After several searches online, we are settling into
full-fledged Easter Egger (more on Easter Eggers <a href="https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/easter-egger/" target="_blank">HERE</a>, and more on the difference between Araucana</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">s, Ameraucanas, and Easter Eggers <a href="https://the-chicken-chick.com/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana/" target="_blank">HERE</a>) </span><span style="font-size: large;">We’ll know more once she
starts laying and we get to see the color of her eggs.</span><div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The best way to describe Molly is “Lap Chicken”. When you visit
the Run she’s the first one to hop into your lap and cuddle up and make herself
comfy. She coos and hums. And she is definitely the sweetest of the Flock. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Fern</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We have <u>zero</u> idea what breed or breeds Fern can be. And when the guy who owned the ranch told us on the phone that she was a "black feathered chicken" I threw up my arms in resignation and decided we were on our own. Probably for the best, honestly.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMYPqTxzVtPXFE2UGnCZKNEjXPVPKl-jFFGpK6vTgWNHBnYxeBXXnergutOgG5VWqCZUUv_QunZ_6E_jyrqZKgtCOApopuOjpGgFQfh5BnYx6CBCg2hlMpIaMpIUWPsVRr3RVzsY2M7T2/s2048/Fern+Portrait.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMYPqTxzVtPXFE2UGnCZKNEjXPVPKl-jFFGpK6vTgWNHBnYxeBXXnergutOgG5VWqCZUUv_QunZ_6E_jyrqZKgtCOApopuOjpGgFQfh5BnYx6CBCg2hlMpIaMpIUWPsVRr3RVzsY2M7T2/s320/Fern+Portrait.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Fern has
gorgeous black feathers that when hit by sunlight have that iridescent
green-blue sheen like a beetle's wings. She has a pale comb and wattle - for now, anyway. She has long
slate-colored shanks. And she has blue-ish ears. Again, no idea what we’re
dealing with here. But since when does that matter?! She’s awesome nonetheless!</span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;">Fern is curious and alert. And she's been Molly's partner in crime since day one. She's always right behind her to greet us at the
Run door when we approach. And she loves to hop up onto laps and gives Molly a
run for the cuddle bug of the lot. Plus, she’ll fall asleep in your arms if you
give her the chance. Sweet, sweet Fern.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;">Daisy</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Where to begin with Daisy. When we got her the man who helped us said she was a Barred Plymouth Rock. And she totally looks like a </span><span>Barred Plymouth Rock</span><span>, but again - even with the coloring - there’s a good chance she’s a mixture of breeds.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwxnczaVku5bm-kUMBjY8zGUyz8Zx1hoyuHqZchdpw-zq9gpYfuesLOar0SAysqztteh1wVR79o67gScAMWMfl9373JkYS7LKmWB6Zxmxh3Wcpa-QO0RCMwZWtqi1mZ7chsAvI9BJ8mYD/s2048/Daisy+Portrait.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwxnczaVku5bm-kUMBjY8zGUyz8Zx1hoyuHqZchdpw-zq9gpYfuesLOar0SAysqztteh1wVR79o67gScAMWMfl9373JkYS7LKmWB6Zxmxh3Wcpa-QO0RCMwZWtqi1mZ7chsAvI9BJ8mYD/w320-h320/Daisy+Portrait.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Either way, she has been sturdy and solid and sweet as can be since day one. Even so, she’s not afraid to let the other Girls know when they’re bugging her with a quick spreading of her wings and a quick lunge forward and a quick squawk of sorts. Having said that, she does a lot of cuddling with the others, too. A lot of it! Specifically with Molly and Fern. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Daisy is curious and observant. She’s active and fun. She loves to be as high up on the roosts as possible and when she shakes it all out after a dirt bath it's a joy to see. Plus, she’s gorgeous. She was fairly small when we brought her home, but today Daisy is one of the largest of our Flock, second only to Kit.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Kit</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kit is an enigma. Unlike the others, when we got her she was much larger and looked much older than the rest. We’re guessing she was about eighteen or
twenty weeks old when we bought her. And we're not sure exactly why a chicken that old or that large was in with others that were so small and young. Maybe she was being bullied by larger chickens in the next pen over? Not sure.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2ZtQ8qz2lxOnQ6fExMlV90q-ZkpV0p1vIYn7Fi1nyO8JDna7RBgCpOqD2PC0VNPpKLg7YrS0i9EXPfygtdaFkKngRhY615MwqbXgHlQNd-5A7gnnJqcqzSBkEcsO_X65hWrfa-mASkma/s2048/Kit+Portrait.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2ZtQ8qz2lxOnQ6fExMlV90q-ZkpV0p1vIYn7Fi1nyO8JDna7RBgCpOqD2PC0VNPpKLg7YrS0i9EXPfygtdaFkKngRhY615MwqbXgHlQNd-5A7gnnJqcqzSBkEcsO_X65hWrfa-mASkma/s320/Kit+Portrait.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>We were told by the guy who owns the ranch that she’s an Ameraucana
at least in part, but honestly she doesn’t really have that many Ameraucana traits that
we can see. Maybe some coloring, but that's it. Also, she has a crest on her head that speaks more to the Cream
Legbar breed. Plus her reddish-orange eyes speak to that, too, at least from
what I’ve read. </span><span>(Read more about the Cream Legbar breed </span><a href="https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/cream-legbar-chicken/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<span>)</span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">One other big thing is that she’s the first to have started
laying eggs! And they are a gorgeous <span style="color: #2bb4c0;">BLUE</span>. We are so happy about this! As for
her demeanor, she started out as incredibly shy. When we’d come into the Run, she’d head
into the Coop. If we were in the Coop, she'd head to the Run. Eventually she started not run away, but just hide out in the Run's corners. But now she’s warmed up to us and, while petting her really isn't an
option yet - although she's put up with it once or twice - she is fairly comfortable with us around. I call that a win!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Well. Those are our </span><span>Girls!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Five wonderful additions to our family. They are all </span><span>warm and personable.
They’re all curious (even Kit, when she doesn't know we can see her!). They’re all loving. And I am so thankful that we were able
to take them from where they were just one-of-many to a place where they are
now each individuals. Each cared for, one-on-one.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are lucky to have these Girls. And I like to think that they feel the same.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p></div></div></div>ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-70805645196653523372021-01-06T15:10:00.016-08:002021-01-27T19:31:04.977-08:00Welcoming the Girls Home!<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">It’s
been a long, long time since I’ve updated this Outright </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 115%;">Chicken blog - almost seven years - and there’s a definite reason </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> I’m updating it now. But before I go into that, let me give you a bit of history...</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
started my Chicken Adventures in October 2011 (check out my first Outright Chicken entry <a href="http://outrightchicken.blogspot.com/2011/10/abs-so-its-begun.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>). My flock consisted of Bronny (a Dark Brahma), Mary and Sophia (both </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ameraucana</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">), Miss Lynn (a Red Star), Little Jo (a Black Silkie), and Arabella (a White silkie). <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: medium;">Our set
up is a 4’x4’x6’ coop we call Coopenhagen. And we have a trapezoidal Chicken Run (Hensylvania) measuring roughly 12’x7’x6’. Shelter from the elements, safety from predators. A nice, roomy area, both inside and out. A great place to raise a small Flock.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: medium;">Arabella passed away in March of 2013 (this was my last post up until now - check it out <a href="http://outrightchicken.blogspot.com/2013/03/arabella_5783.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>). The rest of the Girls each lived much longer and productive lives, the last of whom - Miss Lynn - passing away in Autumn of 2017.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: medium;">In 2018, California announced a Virulent Newcastle Disease Outbreak (read about that <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/Newcastle_Disease_Info.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) and any and all chickens needed to be quarantined. This also meant that there was a moratorium on selling chickens in California. And that meant that there was no new Flock for us. At least not at that time. But...<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: large;"><b>Welcome
to 2020!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: medium;">Not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the best year on record in recent times, but as of June 1<sup>st</sup> California's Newcastle Quarantine was lifted. New chickens were once again available to be purchased or adopted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: medium;">In the three years since Miss Lynn left us, Coopenhagen and Hensylvania started to run down. Paint faded. Hardware rusted. Ivy grew through the hardware cloth and took over a lot of the once wide open Run.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: medium;">In early November of this year all of that changed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Operation: Chicken Revival</span></i> </b>took effect. </span>A new coat of paint for Coopenhagen. New Hardware on all the doors. A diatomaceous earthing of the Coop interior. The de-ivying of Hensylvania. A new Run door, as the last one had warped to the point of not being able close - and that just wouldn’t do. Why? Because it was time for us to re-chicken. And since a new Flock was imminent, their homestead needed to be not just in working order, but comfortable and safe.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Flash forward to November 16, 2020. Everything from fresh bedding in the Coop to new feeders and waterers to a bowlful of grit to a cabbage dangling from a chain in the Run was in place. The only thing missing was a Flock. Having said that, I'd like to introduce to you..</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;">.</span></span></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Girls</b></span></span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhs8ylxFTUVkqXeZvjxpAzfqigYBjaq6lpZQfl_BI2pjHToNHHzRkrglM3DpuPFTFtAW7mUIA4xJNO1swBy-JLWB36eCjfYl2J0z5yggNQgLDichcsPGNgOI0e8XgInl-QdX2BsbNyKu0q/s1170/Ruby.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ruby" border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1170" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhs8ylxFTUVkqXeZvjxpAzfqigYBjaq6lpZQfl_BI2pjHToNHHzRkrglM3DpuPFTFtAW7mUIA4xJNO1swBy-JLWB36eCjfYl2J0z5yggNQgLDichcsPGNgOI0e8XgInl-QdX2BsbNyKu0q/w200-h200/Ruby.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Ruby</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWLJyXv0A2XGm6Nryq_gMcM2doI300rfGkXuOXjVU4YrOjnwirtA6WcrROhX5-IHQ_Bl4oR_VsPqCT67z4jhGZ6c-AeYLYm4eCbF965C6gcIYB62W9Y6avpNn1n5uSIHgimVUgDIVxIaZ/s1195/Molly.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Molly" border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1195" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWLJyXv0A2XGm6Nryq_gMcM2doI300rfGkXuOXjVU4YrOjnwirtA6WcrROhX5-IHQ_Bl4oR_VsPqCT67z4jhGZ6c-AeYLYm4eCbF965C6gcIYB62W9Y6avpNn1n5uSIHgimVUgDIVxIaZ/w200-h200/Molly.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Molly</span><br /><br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyKKyICgPgkrbrjDWhn6E9Vl-I4GUTh0ZnkO1KaDqM7emv4rS5VSmU75mxJbUhfEX5Wkan0xuz7GWLjF5HkbrjS1rRGok6A0KWWJzkyWhq1P1s59cIDktItLkhUKepZvEAsxcTMu1hmzg/s1288/Daisy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Daisy" border="0" data-original-height="1288" data-original-width="1288" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyKKyICgPgkrbrjDWhn6E9Vl-I4GUTh0ZnkO1KaDqM7emv4rS5VSmU75mxJbUhfEX5Wkan0xuz7GWLjF5HkbrjS1rRGok6A0KWWJzkyWhq1P1s59cIDktItLkhUKepZvEAsxcTMu1hmzg/w200-h200/Daisy.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Daisy</span><br /><br /></b></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCgvWQtJwOnU3ldTBt43_L2CPLFQ8YK9RzHhEBXFxsSUZYVyyv0Hy5UvOxje6lDc_cJJ5KC2MYkuu4775Ev2Pt042erQKZh6I9Eafs2oTYgYvta37GqCrJTnIL0efQuEWWpTiTosbfCRW/s1311/Fern.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fern" border="0" data-original-height="1311" data-original-width="1311" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCgvWQtJwOnU3ldTBt43_L2CPLFQ8YK9RzHhEBXFxsSUZYVyyv0Hy5UvOxje6lDc_cJJ5KC2MYkuu4775Ev2Pt042erQKZh6I9Eafs2oTYgYvta37GqCrJTnIL0efQuEWWpTiTosbfCRW/w200-h200/Fern.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Fern</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQw1OBjlsNtRAGpUGTYjFKtTZbBOGtxiWwwn3qozNbkaTF7N3YbMi39eOustuR03XDBzlx6fqJMnrQRTizdd5RtyTFNf7x1ObyPUDnF_Xy4p1bQn_DJNUxXCmFyzJwsXj6_5eq72Ha5yt/s1077/Kit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Kit" border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1077" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQw1OBjlsNtRAGpUGTYjFKtTZbBOGtxiWwwn3qozNbkaTF7N3YbMi39eOustuR03XDBzlx6fqJMnrQRTizdd5RtyTFNf7x1ObyPUDnF_Xy4p1bQn_DJNUxXCmFyzJwsXj6_5eq72Ha5yt/w200-h200/Kit.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Kit</b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For now we'll stick with this brief introduction. A future post will delve more into who these Girls are and hopefully answer a few question, while probably asking a few more. Stay tuned for that!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium; text-align: left;">At this point, these Lovelies have made Coopenhagen and Hensylvania their own. It’s been a fun and interesting and informative time with them so far, and there will be more on all of that in upcoming posts, as well. Either way, we are thrilled to be able to raise these beauties. And we look forward to our time together and the stories that will come from it all.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: medium;">Chickeny Updates coming soon!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: medium;"> </span></p></div></div><br />ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-63253659792163702682013-03-30T22:08:00.000-07:002013-03-30T22:08:57.255-07:00Arabella<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Normally my blog posts are more informational than
personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But not today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Today I write about one of my flock. Her name is
Arabella. She’s a white silkie and was hatched October 13th, 2011.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0i5QcdlYjcShcdlrz2eof4cAd46iMcL_BD9iM6FA0s-Tj-PPrPATEvXA6w15DyNTKig1z8O7TiFfkjwEEkGgsKy7wmNeLswoN3sxLHJKGzMvpKcZQXrFbUjpHoQXq6NlYTNTcdnh_dVBN/s1600/Arabella+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0i5QcdlYjcShcdlrz2eof4cAd46iMcL_BD9iM6FA0s-Tj-PPrPATEvXA6w15DyNTKig1z8O7TiFfkjwEEkGgsKy7wmNeLswoN3sxLHJKGzMvpKcZQXrFbUjpHoQXq6NlYTNTcdnh_dVBN/s200/Arabella+cropped.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arabella</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">About sixteen months ago I started down a path.
Knowing next to nothing of chicken rearing, I built a Coop, built a Run, and
purchased six chicks, each two days old. And every day since has been a crash-course
on everything chicken. I’ve learned so much, but I realize I know only a
handful of what I truly need to know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdOZHw_NB0HqGyVmxn8HjPYxRI5_aS-arO3Qvts_0yMk_H1dl37xqWVziNZq1OQtUzphJZL0Qhf6vAreSvgHFoR7hwJ1adZvr2kteSxdvgfWP5BiyBCBE2KU3GqkZ3OTFd11YSy0k-EXZ/s1600/Arabella+Little+Jo+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdOZHw_NB0HqGyVmxn8HjPYxRI5_aS-arO3Qvts_0yMk_H1dl37xqWVziNZq1OQtUzphJZL0Qhf6vAreSvgHFoR7hwJ1adZvr2kteSxdvgfWP5BiyBCBE2KU3GqkZ3OTFd11YSy0k-EXZ/s200/Arabella+Little+Jo+cropped.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arabella and Little Jo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Yesterday, while filling my girls’ feeder and
freshening their water, I treated my flock to a few handfuls of mealworms, their
favorite treat. Five of the six came running. Peck-peck-pecking at the ground.
And that happy sound that only Chicken Owners can understand filled the silence.
But one girl was missing: Arabella, my often-broody, somewhat shy White Silkie.
I peered into the small door of Coopenhagen (as my Coop has come to be known)
and saw her lying in the straw. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It only took a moment to realize what the situation
was. Arabella, at some point in the past twelve hours or so, had passed away. And
there she was, still fluffy as ever. But gone.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQf99FV6oAyD22yZB15shMjC5xF0XF_A1k0zThtXzMprE1_xyHwI-RJjvPq9o11kg2WMtbU6K1MIJW10mhvBmm22PrIYr71uP6bZrCeWlERN_GdntcLERpapKZIoJ-_RakERV7wnzyRyxx/s1600/Arabella+sandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQf99FV6oAyD22yZB15shMjC5xF0XF_A1k0zThtXzMprE1_xyHwI-RJjvPq9o11kg2WMtbU6K1MIJW10mhvBmm22PrIYr71uP6bZrCeWlERN_GdntcLERpapKZIoJ-_RakERV7wnzyRyxx/s200/Arabella+sandwich.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arabella and her flock<br />enjoying a veggie sub.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A shock went through me as I went to tell my wife.
And then, once that was done, I had to think of anything and everything that
might have caused Arabella’s passing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On our several-times-weekly free-range around the
yard, Arabella would stay back to herself, sometimes not even leaving the Run.
But that didn’t stand out, as she was the broody one of the bunch. Then, three
days ago I noticed she was roosting on the lower-most roost by herself when the
hens were put to bed. And, after finding her barely-cold body in the straw, I
noticed several – more than several – white silkie feathers scattered around the run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64IVmH-GeeEcy7mtTFYt2NCXQYwwYvROh0B2oyAF74jvK8DW-cYnPw6Hj1Pt1fX2We2fhQpqGyG8Uxj0jRy27vUSKOySFkqeBTK2oHydri0mNRGvS15SQ02Zzp2MyPugO9wVgva6vV434/s1600/Arabella+close-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64IVmH-GeeEcy7mtTFYt2NCXQYwwYvROh0B2oyAF74jvK8DW-cYnPw6Hj1Pt1fX2We2fhQpqGyG8Uxj0jRy27vUSKOySFkqeBTK2oHydri0mNRGvS15SQ02Zzp2MyPugO9wVgva6vV434/s200/Arabella+close-up.jpg" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White. Fluffy. Relaxed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">None of this really tells me anything, to be honest.
She was eating and drinking. At least when the others were free-ranging. And,
being broody more-than-not, she kept to herself quite a bit. As for the
feathers in the run, I assumed they are from her summer molt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Yes, there's the possibility of the others bullying her. It happens even in established flocks. And Arabella was at the bottom
of the pecking order, being the smallest and most timid of the group. But she
had no bruises or cuts or scrapes or any evidence of being pushed around. At
least none that I could see.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So the question remains: What happened to Arabella?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXm8ucLxlFTlKPDBv8GdU1PuU8SA9q8D4o3mGpHdRJFGuwLUMJFqYfcy6SEpyhCHhi3fVczYnk8GPmOKhTe7tk2oIAEPsabw69AzOZHiohC6xSWrvQzZr8_zGgXipYJnASxfsXw0BYPaLN/s1600/Arabella+hard+rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXm8ucLxlFTlKPDBv8GdU1PuU8SA9q8D4o3mGpHdRJFGuwLUMJFqYfcy6SEpyhCHhi3fVczYnk8GPmOKhTe7tk2oIAEPsabw69AzOZHiohC6xSWrvQzZr8_zGgXipYJnASxfsXw0BYPaLN/s200/Arabella+hard+rain.jpg" width="191" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mad as a wet hen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I will never know for sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What I do know is she was a sweet, funny girl who
made me smile, not only because she ran in that special sort of silkie-way, or
scratched for grit like only she could, or devoured mealworms in a fluffy-white blur. But because she was a truly wonderful
hen. She was not only a part of my flock. She was a part of my family. Like my
dog. Or my two cats. And after the sixteen or so months spent with her, she
captured my heart.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We miss you already, Arabella. Rest in Peace.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeG4yUfr-Pk-LaPogOlVcRlxm-pQmTQGlMLJverEd8hJJyQYoo372cBOxhDa9eWf0bbsIL515bmjlxw3_1YuU0CWi4ZorZq_uAKgmRXbbgggj_7n-SlA15jt6K_E3kEzN7MWxPc5USOaE/s1600/Arabella+at+rest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibeG4yUfr-Pk-LaPogOlVcRlxm-pQmTQGlMLJverEd8hJJyQYoo372cBOxhDa9eWf0bbsIL515bmjlxw3_1YuU0CWi4ZorZq_uAKgmRXbbgggj_7n-SlA15jt6K_E3kEzN7MWxPc5USOaE/s320/Arabella+at+rest.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>Arabella</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><strong>October 13th 2011 to March 29th 2013<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-6642599610931125192012-05-16T21:58:00.000-07:002012-05-16T21:58:05.208-07:00The Chicken and the Egg<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keeping chickens, I
can honestly say, is one of the most fulfilling endeavors I’ve ever undertaken.
From being in awe of the first egg my flock laid to being freaked out by Bronny’s
first molt. From dealing with a broody Silkie to dealing with ‘Straw-mageddon’.
Each and every day is a learning experience.</span></span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKGNCpWRREwg4vhOamNVRr8j7VgesxCqcd8KyCRQKaMM-RUzGu0ea63h4Z2uTxFpdnxv8MXcWjgkIlWIvd_yG7kAJahevp4URySEaxQtC2h7kQdAHBn8H9sl8qeuT-1lMwGwOTygcsBaT/s1600/Miss+Lynn+Rampage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKGNCpWRREwg4vhOamNVRr8j7VgesxCqcd8KyCRQKaMM-RUzGu0ea63h4Z2uTxFpdnxv8MXcWjgkIlWIvd_yG7kAJahevp4URySEaxQtC2h7kQdAHBn8H9sl8qeuT-1lMwGwOTygcsBaT/s1600/Miss+Lynn+Rampage.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's Miss Lynn<br />
looking at <u>me</u> differently.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In addition to the
everyday ‘here’s-what-you-got-yourself-into-by-deciding-to-raise-chickens’ knowledge,
I’ve also been a huge advocate of diving in (to google) and trying to wrap my
head around actual cold, hard facts about chickens.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some are small facts.
Chickens have more bones in their necks than giraffes, for example. Others are eye-opening.
Like the chicken is the closest living relative of the t-rex. With each new
piece of information, I look at chickens in a new light. And since I’m looking
at chickens differently, I’m obviously looking at eggs differently.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In my latest sojourn
into all things chicken (and egg), I decide a history lesson was in order. So
here’s what found... <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">A little chicken
history.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chickens have been
around since before humans, obviously. And way before historians. So, it’s hard
to pinpoint exactly when chickens became domesticated but there’s speculation
that it happened 8000 years ago in what’s now Thailand. But recent research
suggests the good old chicken may have multiple origins in different areas of
South and Southeast Asia. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(More on that </span><a href="http://archaeology.about.com/od/domestications/ig/Animal-Domestication/Chickens--Chang-Mai--Thailand-.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And then there were
the Egyptians. And the Chinese. Both of whom domesticated chickens like crazy
not only for meat but for eggs. In about 600 B.C. domestication happened in
Europe. And then Columbus went out to find the new world and took along some
chickens. These chickens, whose strains originated in Asia, are the ancestors of the chickens that lay eggs in North
America now. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(More info </span><a href="http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/basic-egg-facts/history-of-egg-production/from-ancient-times" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now, a little egg
history.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We (humans) have
been eating eggs since forever. Eggs have always been easy to find (unless you
run out of them at 11:00pm on Christmas Eve and still have three dozen cookies
to bake), they’re easy to cook, and they were (and still are) part of a lot of
socio-religious symbolism and tradition. Just look at Easter.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At some point
someone realized that if they take the eggs out from under a chicken, that
chicken would lay another one instead of going broody (unless that chicken is
my Silkie Arabella). So, eggs became a good and easy source of food. And this
all happened around 3200 B.C. in India. And in China and Egypt in 1400
B.C.-ish. Maybe earlier.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Interesting.
Possibly even fascinating. Or boring. Depending on where you stand on history lessons from blogs.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, with all
that early chicken and egg history running through my mind, it got me thinking about a question that has been haunting civilization since the
beginning of time.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, here it is. The
biggest chicken question of them all:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Which came first,
the chicken or the egg?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNNxWClEkU7V_fB_W41iw8JHDmHxWaBGXuBKSDgFxEtLI20BfFRrmQ-27oTygyXWULoYtan3nIw9QyejYeEZ8Z7lw4NZkX-GKimIeJovrt-kY8sa56vgSBZ-brXYAuCTU5Ad02s_BdFxQ/s1600/Chicken+or+Egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZNNxWClEkU7V_fB_W41iw8JHDmHxWaBGXuBKSDgFxEtLI20BfFRrmQ-27oTygyXWULoYtan3nIw9QyejYeEZ8Z7lw4NZkX-GKimIeJovrt-kY8sa56vgSBZ-brXYAuCTU5Ad02s_BdFxQ/s320/Chicken+or+Egg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, the argument
usually goes something like this: The chicken came first! Then where did the
chicken come from? The egg! But what laid the egg? The chicken! Then where did
the chicken come from? The egg!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Up until a couple
years ago this was it. There was no real answer. But, in July of 2010 the
answer was found. At least that’s what scientists in Great Britain claimed.
They say that they discovered a protein in chicken ovaries that is absolutely
necessary to form a chicken egg. Without this protein the egg isn’t truly
‘chicken’. Which means, in order for there to have been a chicken egg laid at
all, there had to be a chicken to lay it. No chicken. No Protein. Therefore, no
egg. So. There’s your answer. The chicken came first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
And here's the <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38238685/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/which-came-first-chicken-or-egg/" target="_blank">link</a> to prove it!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Very exciting. Or boring.
Depending on where you stand on awesome answers to impossible questions on
blogs.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">*** ***</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to know more?
Click <a href="http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodeggs.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> for a great page (where I got a lot of my info) about eggs and the history
of different variations on their cooking.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">--Chicken Dup<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></div>ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-10984306968174166882012-04-07T15:50:00.001-07:002012-04-07T15:52:03.859-07:00The Stinking Rose<span style="font-family: inherit;">So. One day, I’m in Lowe’s Hardware and I see a poultry
magazine praising the benefits of garlic in a chicken’s diet.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, when I got home, I hopped online and did some research about garlic and
chickens. And the first thing that came up was a recipe for Garlic Chicken.
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(For that recipe, click </span></span><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/chicken-with-forty-cloves-of-garlic-recipe/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not what I was
hoping for. So I decided to just look into the benefits of garlic in general.
And then see how they apply to chickens.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So. Let’s talk garlic.</span><br />
<br />
It dates back over 6000 years and is native to Central Asia. There are about 300 varieties of garlic and it's sometimes refered to as <em>The Stinking Rose</em>, but it's actually part of the lily family. And I, for one, love it.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKAsBL13jKqqYbuafUPS3FqbHFCqU0dCiOVgLfsK1xRtUqPKOmHiJiov7qqz9NA-ulXRBPXCfzS9RtAyDs2zxbsozvb0Wt2j_w0zHnQrSK3ThY9QqVUvzzgoHfO2hJofG4taL29Dm2TPV/s1600/garlic+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKAsBL13jKqqYbuafUPS3FqbHFCqU0dCiOVgLfsK1xRtUqPKOmHiJiov7qqz9NA-ulXRBPXCfzS9RtAyDs2zxbsozvb0Wt2j_w0zHnQrSK3ThY9QqVUvzzgoHfO2hJofG4taL29Dm2TPV/s1600/garlic+cropped.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can something so small bring so much joy?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I use garlic in everything. Liberally. And apparently,
according to folk-lore, old wives’ tales, and Whole Foods, I’m doing the right
thing. Garlic is wonderful. And to paraphrase this website </span><a href="http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-health-summary.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">…</span></div>
<br />
<ul type="disc"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The medicinal properties and
benefits of garlic are strongest when it is raw and crushed or very finely
chopped<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Raw, crushed garlic is an
anti-fungal, however it can produce skin blistering<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Raw, crushed garlic is a powerful
antibiotic<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cooked prepared garlic is less
powerful but still reputedly of benefit to<span style="color: black;"> the </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">cardiovascular system</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Garlic cloves cooked whole have
very little medicinal value however their milder taste makes them more
acceptable to some people<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There have been claims that
garlic can help with </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">cholesterol management</span></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;"> however the research is
inconclusive<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>
</span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Vampires do not like garlic.
Everyone knows it, but these days not too many people are promoting it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></ul>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the vampire factoid is mine. But the rest
of it sounds pretty good.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black;">Now. How does this
all relate to my flock?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well according to
the Mudbrick Cottage website, with regards to chickens, garlic is <u>the</u>
best organic treatment for worms. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Click </span></span><a href="http://www.herbcottage.com.au/blog/2010/10/herbs-for-healthy-chickens/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> for the treatment)</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The site also says that garlic is good not only for worms, but
also for lice, mites, and chicken health in general. Other sites do, too. Check
out </span><a href="http://gardentenders.com/members/XploreOrganics/blog/40" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span><a href="http://www.veryediblegardens.com/iveg/chooks" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, and </span><a href="http://theherbarium.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/herbal-health-for-chickens" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And speaking of mites, the red mite keeps coming up in my
research. </span><a href="http://poultrykeeper.com/chickens/health/red-mite.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">PoultryKeeper.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">
says this about them:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Red Mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) is a blood-feeding ecto-parasite that lives in cracks and crevices in your chicken house, coming out at night to hop onto a bird for a feast. They cannot fly but are a very serious problem for poultry keepers and a large infestation can kill your birds by sucking their blood, making them anaemic.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7voj_97oUcjL_Lw_LCwyDWS9uAgkuBzpJFqbG7w_1uXWhe8YMQARsPdZtFRuVU25Wtg_WJ6Zvlna0m0rEDkqp2cpxGD9sRecSQNEzoxntSh2GcYSWw4dAnKmetR3Q3IxF0pIAcmWY8j29/s1600/Dermanyssus_gallinae_mite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7voj_97oUcjL_Lw_LCwyDWS9uAgkuBzpJFqbG7w_1uXWhe8YMQARsPdZtFRuVU25Wtg_WJ6Zvlna0m0rEDkqp2cpxGD9sRecSQNEzoxntSh2GcYSWw4dAnKmetR3Q3IxF0pIAcmWY8j29/s320/Dermanyssus_gallinae_mite.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How can something so small cause so much pain?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">Red Mite photo from </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermanyssus_gallinae" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;">Wikipedia</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Wait. Blood-feeding? Comes out at night? Can kill by making its
victims anaemic? Wait. That sounds familiar. Don't tell me. Don't tell me... Vampires! That’s right. So maybe
that little factoid up top wasn’t so far off. Oh. And yes, red mites hate
garlic. A lot. They don't like how it makes the chicken's skin smell or how it makes the chicken's blood taste.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So. Those are some positives. Now what about the negatives.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, a couple resources have had minimally negative things to
say. Primarily that if chickens eat a lot of garlic, the garlic will taint the
taste of the eggs. (Same goes for onions and fish, by the way.) So, there’s that. Garlicky eggs. I couldn't find much else that was all that bad.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, the results are in. And I guess I should have just listened to what that magazine at Lowes had to say. Garlic is indeed good for the flock.
Its health benefits certainly outweigh the garlicky eggs thing. And if it’s
only fed to the chickens every so often, this shouldn’t even be an issue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Plus. It will keep those pesky vampires away. So, there’s that.
Which is nice.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">--Chicken Dup<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-84711758139455582442012-03-07T22:14:00.000-08:002012-03-07T23:05:12.174-08:00A Lot of Fuss and FeathersAt just over twenty weeks of age, my six Girls are coming along just fine.<br />
<br />
Miss Lynn, so far, is the only one laying any eggs <span style="font-size: x-small;">(click </span><a href="http://outrightchicken.blogspot.com/2012/02/best-laid-plans.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> for more on this)</span> </span>, and the others are gearing up to start soon (hopefully). The roost I constructed from discarded tree limbs seems to be used quite a lot, based on the pattern of chicken droppings below it. And all day a steady cooing, clucking, and buk-buk-buk-bukawwing emanates from The Run.<br />
<br />
But there is one thing that bothers me.<br />
<br />
I noticed Bronny (my Dark Brahma) has a patch of feathers missing from her neck. Curious. And I also noticed that when Bronny jumped up onto the roost inside Coopenhagen ready to turn in for the night, Miss Lynn hopped beside her and immediately started pecking at her neck.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-fnL0jM3slHEUHrEpT6Fn1Jflh__QfgQltM7_GU5CMk63Ms_t0e6G8BF4LLtGjHWc-M_eFIl5vN5razvtk6wHM9yCTzv1HdcKw4-1cGJgzw7NZZUXFfpNzzC45la7n3-Z7f3lPaa34M1/s1600/Bronny+molting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-fnL0jM3slHEUHrEpT6Fn1Jflh__QfgQltM7_GU5CMk63Ms_t0e6G8BF4LLtGjHWc-M_eFIl5vN5razvtk6wHM9yCTzv1HdcKw4-1cGJgzw7NZZUXFfpNzzC45la7n3-Z7f3lPaa34M1/s1600/Bronny+molting.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WHAT?!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Poor Bronny.<br />
<br />
The next day when I examined Bronny's neck, I saw this...<br />
<br />
Again. Poor Bronny.<br />
<br />
It looked like Miss Lynn pecked the feathers all the way down to the quills. How painful must that be? At least Bronny's skin wasn't broken. <br />
<br />
Then I did some research. On Google. As usual.<br />
<br />
What I thought was chicken-on-chicken abuse was simply part of the molting process. Even Miss Lynn's feather pecking.<br />
<br />
Now what exactly is molting? It's when old feathers are lost and new ones grow in to take their place.<br />
<br />
According to this <a href="http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/27_2709.htm" target="_blank">website</a>, there's a specific order in which feathers are lost and regrown. First from the head and neck, then from the saddle, breast and abdomen (body), then from the wings and finally from the tail.<br />
<br />
Aha.<br />
<br />
And what I thought was pecked-away quills is actually the new feathers growing in. They're called 'pin feathers' and they're what pushed the old feathers out. <br />
<br />
Aha!<br />
<br />
Now why the feather pecking?<br />
<br />
Well, feathers are about 85% protein. And to regrow lost feathers it takes protein, so eating them makes sense (to chickens). And where's the best place to get nice fresh feathers? From other nearby chickens.<br />
<br />
AHA!!!<br />
<br />
This, by the way, is also why egg production goes down during molting. All the protein that's usually used to make the eggs is now used to make the new feathers. A good idea during the molt is to up protein foods and treats to supplement what the chickens lose while their new feathers grow in. Meal Worms, anyone?<br />
<br />
Having taken all of this in, I think it's safe to say: Chicken Mystery solved.<br />
<br />
And as I said before, at just over twenty weeks of age, my six Girls are coming along just fine.<br />
<br />
--Chicken DupChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-26704268628638414542012-02-20T16:55:00.000-08:002012-02-20T22:18:21.933-08:00Best Laid Plans.<span style="font-family: inherit;">Each morning I drag myself out of bed, slip on some shoes, and trudge through the backyard headed for Coopenhagen. My Start-Of-Day-Chicken-Chores have become a daily regimen that's as necessary as it is mundane. And since the Girls have moved from the Brooder into the Coop, it's been the same thing, day after day. Day in, day out.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Until recently.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let me explain.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">See, here's what I do each morning:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAY-l9Gv9WMJJmAJreX_z08ufdV8IeZpTUJnmmsDiO0ktVf01Vfx_sJKp9P8znB8TxV11HOHV4WmENdW4TjYMFlTIG5Yq0nNpDqSyStClTiiltqHGXDKQmBxQn4WEcM9vXdwbCvZIvs85/s1600/Coopenhagen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAY-l9Gv9WMJJmAJreX_z08ufdV8IeZpTUJnmmsDiO0ktVf01Vfx_sJKp9P8znB8TxV11HOHV4WmENdW4TjYMFlTIG5Yq0nNpDqSyStClTiiltqHGXDKQmBxQn4WEcM9vXdwbCvZIvs85/s320/Coopenhagen.jpg" width="230" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Every morning starts with</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">a cup of coffee and this.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><u><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">List of Start-Of-Day-Chicken-Chores</span></u></strong></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">1. Open the little red chicken door and watch as my flock of six comes swooping out, each one squawking and complaining because I wasn't there at the break of dawn to let them into the Run.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">2. Make sure the waterer has plenty of clean, fresh water. No poop, please.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><br />3. Make sure the feeder has plenty of food. Again, hold the poop, please.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><br />4. Open Coopenhagen's window to help get a little fresh air in the place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><br />5. Check the nesting boxes to see if any of the Ladies finally started laying</span>.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And it's here that we'll stop. At Number 5.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After four months of patiently waiting. Four months of scanning the wood chips... scrutinizing the straw.... It finally happened. I got to number 5 on my list, popped open the Nesting Box lid, and there it was: A beautiful brown Egg!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vJA52BNU4lGiYjfHIpz5sVz4aWbsv9-qhq8L9h2PA7a-cAmfspRgyIIYrbr04JcHyduMMNWhQ6Cg9lI3oC-la6wWmc8mhi589sf5fndQ2uKFv1HC_lt0YyWHXmoATr_ywJ-yq9eSm6YB/s1600/Egg+with+Arrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vJA52BNU4lGiYjfHIpz5sVz4aWbsv9-qhq8L9h2PA7a-cAmfspRgyIIYrbr04JcHyduMMNWhQ6Cg9lI3oC-la6wWmc8mhi589sf5fndQ2uKFv1HC_lt0YyWHXmoATr_ywJ-yq9eSm6YB/s320/Egg+with+Arrow.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Omeletting you know, finding this was very eggciting.</span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now I've read (on Google) that the first eggs a chicken lays will be small. And this first egg was exactly that. Small. But no worries. Because I also read that as a chicken ages and her body becomes accustomed to laying, her eggs will become larger until they're eventually the proper size.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCQDAz1D_bQ4pBU5loh7lHGfE3ING075CCzKkVvKh82EbG3X9qVdYgE4K1lTpqcmuZQ84JJ9qVt2kRsujrhw-n2NTr-iedHIUYL0fJHfQwGzFpOrZBpZkKBid251yipIre-zix14l2A0Z/s1600/Egg+and+Coins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiCQDAz1D_bQ4pBU5loh7lHGfE3ING075CCzKkVvKh82EbG3X9qVdYgE4K1lTpqcmuZQ84JJ9qVt2kRsujrhw-n2NTr-iedHIUYL0fJHfQwGzFpOrZBpZkKBid251yipIre-zix14l2A0Z/s320/Egg+and+Coins.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first Egg (middle) with coins for size reference.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A penny, a quarter, and for those across the Atlantic, a one pound coin.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, now that I have the egg, and have an explanation as to why the egg is small, the next question on everyone's mind, I'm sure, is: Which of the Girls laid this little bundle of protein, cholesterol, and amino acids?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, according to Google (I find myself saying this more and more these days) these are the approximate ages for my breeds of chickens to start laying eggs:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My two Silkies - 8-9 months</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My two Ameraucanas - 5 months</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My Dark Brahma - 7-9 months</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My Red Star - 4-6 months</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, the Girls are just a little over four months old, so the late-blooming Silkies and Dark Brahma are out of the equation. And considering the Ameraucanas lay blue eggs, I can cross them off of the list. Which leaves only one. And that one is...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My Red Star. Miss Lynn. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhPBr4n8FTkdfObOxuMJwZmMwdfxdiJrZmpcutiCnjCYGfrW-5RpWU_OqEyDvSy8xq-_HH1Iy0tYwIpyCSNINw_EqdsxtvfoXMcXdb9Y9Vyf4mifXS_G4H5aaucuUbBQ0-4923WNaeSbv/s1600/Miss+Lynn+-+Egg-Layer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhPBr4n8FTkdfObOxuMJwZmMwdfxdiJrZmpcutiCnjCYGfrW-5RpWU_OqEyDvSy8xq-_HH1Iy0tYwIpyCSNINw_EqdsxtvfoXMcXdb9Y9Vyf4mifXS_G4H5aaucuUbBQ0-4923WNaeSbv/s320/Miss+Lynn+-+Egg-Layer.jpg" width="317" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello. My name is Miss Lynn. I lay eggs.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Congratulations, Miss Lynn! You're now earning your keep. Good work!!!</span><br />
<br />
Now all I need is about five more of her eggs and I can make a decent omelet. I found a great recipe on Google.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">--Chicken Dup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-16453946611659293222012-01-30T16:12:00.000-08:002012-01-30T16:12:33.570-08:00I’d Like to Give a Sprout-Out to all my Peeps<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, a
few weeks ago I was perusing all the chicken-related people I’m following on
Twitter and there was a tweet that caught my attention. I wish I could find the
original tweet to give credit where credit is due, but I can’t. Sorry. Anyway,
the tweet was about easy protein sources for the flock during winter months. And it was touting exactly how easy certain protein sources are to come by, or even grow in your own kitchen. There was a link attached that took me to a site about sprouting <span class="SpellE">mung</span> beans. Mung beans? Yes. Mung beans. And you know them. You've probably even eaten them. The bean sprouts used in Chinese restaurants are mung sprouts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, me,
being ever-curious when it comes to my Girls’ nutrition and treat consumption,
decided to do some research. Apparently there are something like 13,000 types of
beans and legumes out there. Seriously. 13,000. Somebody counted. That
must be where the term ‘bean counter’ comes from.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway,
where do <span class="SpellE">mung</span> beans fall on the list of 13,000 with
regards to protein content? Right there at #31 with 7% of the bean being protein
(14.2 grams per cup). Not bad considering that’s about the same as the amount of
protein in a turkey burger patty.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But where do they rank on ease of sprouting?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to several websites
with unchecked credibility, <span class="SpellE">mung</span> beans are one of the
easiest – if not <u>the</u> easiest – beans to sprout.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well,
that just knocked it from #31 to the top of the charts for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So. I
figured I’d try my hand at a little germination. I did more research and soon I knew everything I needed to know:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rinse.
Soak. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Enjoy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s
it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for
those of you who want more, here’s everything in detail.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, I
went to Whole Foods (and when I say ‘I’, I mean my wife) and bought a scoop or
two of dried <span class="SpellE">mung</span> beans from their bulk section. Then,
I gathered my sprouting supplies.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beans. A bowl. A peanut butter jar. A small strainer. A 1/4 cup measuring cup. That's it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3LIT_d06ogbQZJlXSyRX6BxrSjPIPc5uONnOUFgjPK2FD8xEEn1Vw_t4dg0-iSpQEai0XpO6IroN7OAoeMpYbaHV0_1ZXcqxS2ZNhxZKIa51jb5w-2spxST-iFS0_mp6ezOrQWTPR37X/s1600/bean+equipment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz3LIT_d06ogbQZJlXSyRX6BxrSjPIPc5uONnOUFgjPK2FD8xEEn1Vw_t4dg0-iSpQEai0XpO6IroN7OAoeMpYbaHV0_1ZXcqxS2ZNhxZKIa51jb5w-2spxST-iFS0_mp6ezOrQWTPR37X/s200/bean+equipment.jpg" width="195" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper towel not necessary.</span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></tbody></table>
<div class="WordSection1">
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</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQG1mAr11pG-31cuwu89-69joB1d4j5xgKhJJEZu_SZbD1yCGUXG2WCbfJb9GSD8TwgL05AECYIKd2ocwXNSL6nh8USQQ4jrAZkiaRjucGwTu7Bozgsn3KGLEHzQTmeeisCD9RkjSigVlg/s1600/holed+lid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQG1mAr11pG-31cuwu89-69joB1d4j5xgKhJJEZu_SZbD1yCGUXG2WCbfJb9GSD8TwgL05AECYIKd2ocwXNSL6nh8USQQ4jrAZkiaRjucGwTu7Bozgsn3KGLEHzQTmeeisCD9RkjSigVlg/s200/holed+lid.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
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</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No holes. No sprouts.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I drilled a few holes in the jar lid. Why the holes? Well, as the beans start sprouting, they conduct heat. This
heat needs to be released. And a sealed jar just won’t work. Things get too hot. So, the holes in
the lid vent the heat and help the sprouting process.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that, I measured out the dry beans. Any amount could be used, I guess, but I used 1/4 cup, just to keep it manageable. I rinsed the dry beans in the strainer and put them in the empty jar. Then, I added cool
(not cold) water. Three times as much as the amount of beans. I used 1/4 cup
beans, so I used 3/4 of a cup of water. I like easy math.</span><br />
<br />
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</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShstA98XZs0m5O_2P6hfF51yNZM3k09-slY9SRWiH0fDjkjVO1KZcX_xBvOj1EL_x138HL8l0t7MQjtaHUs1UKryFU7-G_nu2-LeZ-01VHAmAjdLG02jVlgM67qFpGoWmQSZr-Ib4RH6m/s1600/soaking+start.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShstA98XZs0m5O_2P6hfF51yNZM3k09-slY9SRWiH0fDjkjVO1KZcX_xBvOj1EL_x138HL8l0t7MQjtaHUs1UKryFU7-G_nu2-LeZ-01VHAmAjdLG02jVlgM67qFpGoWmQSZr-Ib4RH6m/s200/soaking+start.jpg" width="116" /></span></a></td></tr>
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</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holy Frijoles!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The beans need to soak for 8-12 hours (it <span class="SpellE">kickstarts</span> the germination process) and they need to be put in a place that's not-too-bright-not-too-dark. I took that to mean my counter beside the toaster oven. After all of that hard work, I went to bed. The next morning I woke up to find the beans had doubled in size, more or less.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I drained all the green water out (just
poured it through the lid) and filled the jar with cool (not cold) water and
drained again. Just to rinse any <span class="SpellE">mung</span> off of the beans. (HA!) Then back to its place beside the toaster oven for another 10-12 hours. Then another rinse. Another drain. Another 10-12 hours. After four days, those little dried beans turned into...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8fjx8iYIta9HIr3joaxBmrx1MKktgQgYdy0n2CKWhsP9NsN_5FnImNDYGTZCFKvEQ7k3OZOzoSj9a5uwKI3f83VrPK_i3b6JQ5qh5xbw4SyNekmgiyT76i9P28pZVfxkXbxk-YodMllU/s1600/morning+day+four.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8fjx8iYIta9HIr3joaxBmrx1MKktgQgYdy0n2CKWhsP9NsN_5FnImNDYGTZCFKvEQ7k3OZOzoSj9a5uwKI3f83VrPK_i3b6JQ5qh5xbw4SyNekmgiyT76i9P28pZVfxkXbxk-YodMllU/s320/morning+day+four.jpg" width="182" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></td></tr>
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</span></tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">... little wet sprouts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And a lot of them, too. It was work getting them out of the jar. But that was really the only work involved. Everything else was easy. Just like I said: Rinse. Soak. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Rinse. Drain. Enjoy!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was pretty cool to see just how fast it all happened. And they taste exactly as you'd expect. Healthy. Take that as you will.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I
know what all my one follower is thinking: Good source of protein or not, did the chickens go crazy for them? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well. 'Crazy' is a strong word. But they ate everything. Eventually. And in doing so, I
avoided having to grill them turkey burgers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Chicken Dup</span></div>ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-75019099932895604232012-01-15T09:26:00.000-08:002012-01-15T09:27:29.524-08:00Sod off!<script src="http://dm.demdex.net/event?d_ld=containerid%3D268%26_ts%3D1326604600645&d_rtbd=json&d_dst=1&d_cts=1&d_cb=demdexDestCallback1326604600645" type="text/javascript">
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</script><script gapi_processed="true" language="JavaScript" src="http://r.nexac.com/e/getdata.xgi?dt=br&pkey=kdii33k3nlxia&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fpix04.revsci.net%2FD08734%2Fa1%2F0%2F3%2F0.js%3FD%3DDM_LOC%253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fna.com%25253Fnada%25253D%3Cna_da%3E%252526naid%25253D%3Cna_id%3E%252526namp%25253D%3Cna_mp%3E" type="text/javascript">
</script>So, I admit it.<br />
<br />
I search the web for all things chicken related. Articles on coops. Articles on hens. Articles on roosters. Articles on chickes. Message boards discussing this breed or that breed. What's the best bedding? The best grit? The best way to introduce new members to an established flock. Things like that. I love it all. Unapologetically. And in all my reading, one subject keeps cropping up. And that one thing is 'Grass' (the legal variety, of course).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx2UYwcNxBbXXfhrjiupSqWV_qH9c-qwr5xD_u_lAs1-cc86kUQA8UyRAjCZAGIzwaDTQ-hXTIZ6iQGtC3uCDakFX4wecNs3FZ5OEm5NAc0D5W0c3nwmtUq6B6Z4QCCBWra83vfvhfkyO/s1600/IMG_0332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgx2UYwcNxBbXXfhrjiupSqWV_qH9c-qwr5xD_u_lAs1-cc86kUQA8UyRAjCZAGIzwaDTQ-hXTIZ6iQGtC3uCDakFX4wecNs3FZ5OEm5NAc0D5W0c3nwmtUq6B6Z4QCCBWra83vfvhfkyO/s320/IMG_0332.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to the Coopenhagen Resort<br />
All-You-Can-Eat Grass Buffet.<br />
Please ignore the popcorn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A lot of the articles were devoted to keeping chickens from destroying the stuff. 'How do I stop my chickens from tearing apart my lawn?', 'What can I do to keep my chickens from ruining my yard?' 'I've just planted fresh grass and flock has completely annihilated it' Things of that nature.<br />
<br />
And then there were articles devoted to how good grass is for chickens. One said, not only can chickens eat lawn grass, but they should eat it. Considering greens is a normal part of a healthy diet, and grass is essentially green (except for my neighbor's), it fits the bill. It's chock full of vitamins and a great source of roughage. Plus bugs love to run around in it. And chickens love bugs. (Another article I read).<br />
<br />
So, all of this grass-talk got me thinking. If people are having trouble maintaining their lawns because chickens eat so much of their grass <u>and</u> it's actually good for chickens to eat the grass, then why not serve it up buffet-style.<br />
<br />
And that's exactly what I did.<br />
<br />
I went to Home Depot (as I tend to do this several times a week, I'm finding) and I picked up one piece of fresh sod. Five square feet of grass blanket, all conveniently folded soil-side-out for easy, albeit it dirty, transportation. All for about $2.50. How do they stay in business at these prices?!<br />
<br />
Anyway, when I got home, I put the sod in the Run, unfolded it, brushed my fingers through it a couple times to give it that messy-look to make it seem more appetizing, and...<br />
<br />
Nothing.<br />
<br />
The chickens were distracted by a few pieces of popcorn in the opposite corner. <u>But</u> once the popcorn was gone. And they were sure the popcorn was gone...<br />
<br />
Well. Let's just say the flock went to it like... chickens to grass. They loved it. LOVED IT! And they will continue loving it until it's either pecked away or dried out, which ever comes first.<br />
<br />
--Chicken Dup<br />
<br />ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-39283929097477342702012-01-12T19:22:00.000-08:002012-01-12T19:22:42.614-08:00A Coop by any other name...A Chicken Coop has two doors. If it had four doors it would be a Chicken Sedan.<br />
<br />
Yes. I went there.<br />
<br />
Anyway, speaking of chicken coops, it's almost time. Time for the girls to leave the Pen, that is. What's the Pen, you ask? The Pen is exactly what it sounds like: a pen. But not some run-of-the-mill pen. Not for my Girls. Their Pen is a nice little comfy number set-up in a corner of my garage. Soft woodshavings, a couple roosts, nice little light, treats thrown in whenever possible. But they can't stay in the Pen forever. No. Relocation is inevitable, I guess. And that relocation is to...<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77x5oOGj7HkPvHMmRqnUCUD13g0yn9wX3tXLKub2YjPjvZ6KEbgFpzQdRQvPhZqCDcINJucysQZPMF4B_LxTCBzVyX4aykVeiletgFboANYqUa1m_9KidA5g_wlVxUQPp8PjFMYN6yNTY/s1600/IMG_0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg77x5oOGj7HkPvHMmRqnUCUD13g0yn9wX3tXLKub2YjPjvZ6KEbgFpzQdRQvPhZqCDcINJucysQZPMF4B_LxTCBzVyX4aykVeiletgFboANYqUa1m_9KidA5g_wlVxUQPp8PjFMYN6yNTY/s400/IMG_0323.JPG" width="300" /></a><strong><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">COOPENHAGEN</span></strong><br />
<br />
That's the name of my Coop/Run combo. The name is official. The only thing missing is a plaque announcing Name and Est'd date. (It's on it's way!) Yessirree! 5'x4', working windows, ventilated eaves, roosts, three, count 'em... three nesting boxes, and a chicken door that leads to an enclosed 130 square foot Run. <br />
<br />
Now, the hens have been enjoying their afternoons perusing what will eventually be their home for some time. Scratching through the dirt, taking dustbaths, pretty much whatever they want to do until dusk hits. That's when they're taken back to the Pen.<br />
<br />
And this is all very exciting. But the excitement doesn't come without a few worries and racked nerves.<br />
<br />
For example: When I finally say, here you go, Girls. Coopenhagen is your new home. 24/7. No more cozy Pen in the comfort of the garage, I'm going to worry. I mean, how cold, really, does my garage get at night? Not as cold as the Coop, I'm guessing. Not this time of year.<br />
<br />
And...<br />
<br />
Well...<br />
<br />Well, that's my big concern. The night-time temperature. It is January, after all.<br />
<br />
Yes, my Chickens are three months old. Yes, they are fully feathered (I think). Yes, the Coop is fully enclosed with roosts and nesting boxes and places for the Girls to snuggle close for maximum body heat. <br />
<br />Granted it's not as cold as some places. Where I live the night time temperatures dip into the low-40s. Yes, I hear the laughing from those of you Back East. Low-40s is nothing compared to the temps where water needs to be thawed three times a day, but still. I'm new at this and it's hard to pull the trigger. I've pampered my Girls. And I worry about them becoming Chicken-sicles. I'll be a nervous wreck the first night. I know. So maybe I won't move them out this week.<br />
<br />
Maybe next week. Or the week after. Either way, Coopenhagen is ready even if I'm not.<br />
<br />
--Chicken Dup<br />
<br />ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-36122040167783805132011-12-17T21:04:00.001-08:002011-12-17T21:40:05.067-08:00A chicken by any other name...Going on two-and-a-half months and my six girls (that's what I'll call them until I know otherwise) are all doing fine. I was going to move them out into their Coop and Run at the beginning of this month, but it's been too cold and too rainy. I don't want to risk a heat lamp fiasco or a chicken-sicle incident. So, the hens are still in the Pen. And the Pen is still in my garage.<br />
<br />
There's no real hurry to relocate them, I guess. They have plenty of room and are in a climate-controlled area. It's clean, with plenty of fresh food and water every day. Plus, they spend some time, weather permitting, running around their Run some afternoons. <br />
<br />
Oh, well. They'll move out into the real world soon enough. Maybe January. We'll see how January is. <br />
<br />
Now. On to the names of the chickens. In Blogs-past, I've mentioned a name or two. Some of the hens were named right away, some we needed to see their personalities.<br />
<br />
And see there personalities we did. <br />
<br />
So, without further hemming and hawing... The Chicken Names:<br />
<br />
Mary - Ameraucana<br />
Sophia - Ameraucana<br />
Miss Lynn - Red Star<br />
Bronny - Dark Brahma<br />
Little Jo - Black Silkie<br />
Arabella - White Silkie<br />
<br />
Well... that's the list. Seemed more exciting when I was thinking about blogging them. Anyway. Those are my girls. And each name fits each chicken perfectly. <br />
<br />
Next up: What to call the Coop. ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-58062175929802899312011-11-06T22:14:00.000-08:002011-11-06T22:14:40.361-08:00Only a month?!Well, it's only been a month since I started in on my flock. Four of the girls are four weeks old, two of them three. And all of them have about tripled in size. And everything in The Pen has gotten way too small. The waterer. The mason-jar feeder. The roosts. Everything.<br />
<br />
Admittedly, I need to buy a new waterer. There's no shortage of water, mind you, but it would be nice to have something a little bit bigger. Maybe something that won't catch every woodchip that flies its way.<br />
<br />
And the mason jar feeder? Too small. At least for my six chicks. So, here's what I did...<br />
<br />
I bought a two gallon paint bucket with a lid, cut a few holes on the side at the very bottom, and bolted the bottom of the bucket to the lid of a five gallon paint bucket (the Home Depot type). I filled it with Crumble and my girls are good to go! Easy. And cheap. It cost me about $7.00.<br />
<br />
And that brings us to the roosts! Initially I made two small roosts: a crossbar with a couple foot-stands. Each about eight inches long. But those are being kicked aside these days. So, I've fashioned two 'I-mean-business' roosts in two of the corners of the chicken pen. Basically, I took 1"x1/2" pine rods and slid them diagonally into place in the corners of The Pen. Different lengths, different heights. And... success! The girls love them. They've been all over them since the roosts went in.<br />
<br />
Other than that, everything is business as usual. More feathers are coming in every day. The chicks' coloring is becoming more and more apparent. And the personalities are starting. The bold. The shy. Everything in between. It's pretty great.<br />
<br />
Now, only another four weeks until the big move from The Pen to The Coop.<br />
<br />
A lot to think about. And a lot more to do. But hey, it's only been a month.ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-32684496129528545122011-10-27T23:42:00.000-07:002011-10-28T00:38:05.784-07:00Well, what do we have here?So, I'm spending time with my six girls: a Red Star, a Black Silkie, a White Silkie, an Ameraucana, a Dark Brahma, and a Light Brahma. We're singing. We're chirping. We're having fun. When all of a sudden, I realize...<br />
<br />
Little Miss Light Brahma doesn't have feathered feet!!!<br />
<br />
Now for most, my sister Jennifer included, this would be no big deal. After all, a chicken is a chicken, right?. But for those who don't fall into that prickly 'Most' category, the fact my Light Brahma doesn't have feathered feet is an issue. An issue like: Well... She's not a Light Brahma!<br />
<br />
Now. I don't really care that she's not a Light Brahma. In fact, it was a surprise when the people at the Feed Store said they accidentally got a Light Brahma mixed in with their order. I said I'd take it for variety's sake, and that was that. <br />
<br />
So. Now that I know what she's not, I need to find out what she is. And I think I have an answer.<br />
<br />
She's a little lighter than, but completely resembles my Ameraucana. And she has the puffy cheeks that are a trademark of the Ameraucana breed. I don't know what she'll end up looking like, but it seems I have... another Ameraucana! And it only took me three weeks to notice! There. I said it! Now no one else has to.<br />
<br />
Having said that. And having scrutinized her for a good while, I noticed the footprint of her comb. It seems a little wider than the other Ameraucana's comb. Does this mean that she is not only not a Light Brahma, but an Ameraucana AND not only not a she but a he? <br />
<br />
Only time will tell.<br />
<br />
Either way, he or she is doing well -- the biggest of the six, in fact. And that's all I can hope for at this point. A nice, healthy chicken.<br />
<br />
Even my sister Jennifer can't argue with that. <br />
<br />
~~ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8823525098642052849.post-35460265090803784092011-10-26T23:45:00.000-07:002011-10-27T23:05:47.017-07:00And so it's begun...When my family and I decided to raise a few chickens, we didn't take it lightly. We knew it would be a lot of work in the beginning. And we dove in head first. <br />
<br />
Where would they live? That was the first question. We analyzed our yard and realized, wih a little heavy lifting, we could have an incredible place. Move a small sitting area. Move a compost heap. And there it was. A nice area in the corner of our side yard where all-things-chicken would go nicely. Enough sun. Enough shade. Level and quiet. The only thiwere missing were a coop and a run. <br />
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Cut to:<br />
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A month later.<br />
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The coop is in place and my run is all set up. I'll be posting photos soon! The coop was built by a friend and has about 20 square feet of space inside. Plenty of roosting. Three nice-sized nesting boxes. Windows in the front to catch the morning sun, and in the back to get the evening sun. The big door makes it easy to clean. The little chicken door leads out into about 120 square foot run. Heavy-duty. Nothing getting in. Nothing getting out. <br />
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Now the only thing missing was the chickens.<br />
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Cut to:<br />
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Two days after that. We bought 4 chicks from a local shop. 1 Red Star. 1 Ameraucana. 1 Dark Brahma. 1 Light Brahma. They were all sexed, so in theory we have four hens. We'll see. <br />
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Being only two days old, we couldn't put them in the coop. Not yet. Not this time of year. So, we bought a 100 quart Rubbermaid container. I cut two holes in the lid and covered one side with a screen to support a heat-lamp. The other side I covered with hardware cloth, the 1/2 inch metal screen-type. My wife filled it with pine shavings, threw in a water bottle and a bowl of food and everything was good to go. The chicks were introduced to their new home and loved it!!!<br />
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For the next week, we handled them daily and talked to them a lot. My wife even sang to them. And the Ameraucana, in particular, loved it. She would just sit and watch and listen as my wife sang such hits as 'Turkey in the Straw' and 'You Are My Sunshine'. Very calmly. very awesomely. She (the Ameraucana) is still the easiest to handle from the group. <br />
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Cut to:<br />
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One week later.<br />
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We went back to the same pet store and saw they had a new shipment of chicks. Silkies and Japanese. So, we bought two more. 1 Black Silkie. 1 White Silkie. Each of these being bantams, they weren't sexed. Meaning, there's a 50/50 chance of getting a hen. We'll see. <br />
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We put them in with the other four and everyone got along. We were worried, because of the age difference, that there'd be an issue. But, no problems. No problems at all.<br />
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Meanwhile...<br />
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More handling. More talking. More singing. A lot of growing. <br />
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Cut to:<br />
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Today.<br />
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The chicks have pretty much tripled in size and have been moved into a 16 square foot pen in the garage. Their original Rubbermaid brooder is in with them, a large hole cut in the side to enter and exit. And the heat lamp still shines down through the original screen. I've built two small roosts and everything is well.<br />
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Every now and then, we take them out and let them roam the yard or put them in the Run. But only for a bit. This time of year they explore for a short time then eventually huddle together for warmth. When we see this it's back to the pen. Back to the heat. <br />
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I think it'll be another month or so until our girls (are they all girls?!) can live permanently in their coop. It'll be good to see them doing what they do out where we've built a place where they can do it.<br />
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~~ChickenDuphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06978862277975408054noreply@blogger.com0