Striking The Pose!

They are growing up so fast. It seems like only yesterday they were coo'ing and giggling and now they want the keys to the car and new feathers. No one tells you how tough the teenage years are. They are constantly trying to get out of of the coop, always trying to get away and "Fly The Coop" That cute little saying didn't come about because the chickens love to sit in the coop and stay close, although at bed-time they are quick to return, but boy once they are up and fed... they want OUT! In the foreground is HOOT. Really this is a beautiful bird, never thought I would every write those words. I like to build stuff, play guitar, break things, go to the mountains - Lake Tahoe to be exact, but never, ever...ever utter "pretty bird". Anyway - Loa is in the background, Sunny to the right and Millie in the foreground. Today is going to be spent mostly out of the coop and roaming the yard. I need to go grab a saw and cut something.

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

Whew - Time Is Flying And Chicks Are Growing!!!

UPDATE - June 25, 2009. I took these pictures this morning before flying off to work. Loa (Arcauna) is on the left. This bird is looking good. Gold with brown and white markings. Loa has this weird little trait where she, tilts her head in 20 different directions in order to check you out. I understand I am confusing and she does not understand my sense of humor...sometimes I don't pick up my shoes or leave soda cans around the house... wait am I still talking about Loa...? Anyway, Loa is great fun and very curious. Millie (RIR) is a spaz, but taking on the typical reddish coloring and flat back of a RIR. Hoot (Arcauna) is on the far right and is getting some nice coloring as well. Gray and white, she is looking like an Eagle, but flies like Eddie The Eagle - remember him from the 1988 Calgary Olympics?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7MmJIy0bjo

Not sure what language they are speaking, it has to be Scandanavian or Jibberish...

Here is another picture with Millie in the foreground, Loa on the left and Hoot in the back. Hoot is always the first to the dinner table, the first one out of the coop and the first one to fly AT me.

By the way, the ABM bedding material is working out great. At first there were some "drive-bys" and I could smell the stench, and then it seemed to level off and become non-existent. Thank goodness, nothing like having trailer trash farmer wanna-be's living next door to you.

Rhode Island Reds

Great article I discovered on Rhode Island Reds (RIR). We have one of these - Millie. She is a cool little hen and is turning out to be stunning. This is an excerpt from a radio interview I grabbed from "Living the Country Life" Website. Another nice website.

One of my favorite chicken breeds is the Rhode Island Red. It's the chicken of choice for those who want quality egg-layers and good fryers.

Bud Wood owns a hatchery and says Rhode Island Reds are one of the earliest breeds developed in the United States and are among his best sellers because of their production qualities.

'They're a fairly gentle breed, and they lay a nice big, dark brown egg," Wood says. "They're a hardy breed, and easy to raise. Rhode Island Red is probably the beginning genetics of all of the commercial brown egg layers today."

At peak production, the hens are egg-laying machines. Just one hen will give you five to six eggs a week.

The Reds have a larger body type than other breeds. Wood recommends feeding them a commercial layer mix, which gives them all the nutrition they need. You can also provide a place to forage. It cuts their consumption of commercial feed way down, maybe even in half. Grubbing around the yard for plants and bugs makes their yolks a brighter yellow color.

We attempted to let them out in the garden yesterday, but they are as trepiditious as a kid is eating brussel sprouts.

Happy Father's Day

Flock Update - June 19, 2009

I love having these birds (famous last words). They are becoming very friendly, very curious, seemingly happy, but who would know... I don't even know if they know their happy. Honestly, if this was the case celebrities with chickens would need to spend their money on chicken counselors and chicken play days and some other insane regime for the birds and for them to spend their money. I will research this and find out what celebrities do with their chickens, maybe I can get a guest interview...! Maybe not.

I still need to order the Never Auto Wata... which I have neglected to do. I need to finish painting the coop and putting on some new cedar shakes. I also need to build a little stop on the upper nesting shelf, since the hay and shavings I put up their get's scratched down.

I also am scheduled for some trips to Sweden and Denmark for business and I will make chicken farmers a focus, so I can make this an international blog. Pretty important stuff here.

(Hoot (Arcauna) is pictured above with Millie (Rhode Island Red) in the background)

More to follow - we have big day tomorrow... chickens are going to roam free while I clean and alter the interior of the coop.

They May Not Drink Coffee, But They Know Their Chickens!

Utah State University has a great article here on correlating a hen's egg production with her physical appeareance.

http://extension.usu.edu/htm/publications/publication=9870

Chickens and Dinosaurs

(pictured are Hoot (Easter Egger), Millie (RIR) and Scat (Buff Orpington) on the ramp)

Good grief, I am not trying to be cruel, but these things are the strangest two legged winged creatures I have ever seen. I was told they go through a "questionable" appearance stage but this is ridiculous. They have bed head, they are disproportionate, their feet are the size of a pterodactyl and their heads look like a mish-mash of hair, feathers and a raisin. Now to pick on one breed.. the Arcauna is really the oddest. The Buff and the Rhode Island's are actually aging gracefully.
Now on to more kind observations - they not only have found the ramp and the second floor.. they are now flying up and sitting on the wood clothes rod. Well not all of them... the Arcauna's and the RIR are there but Buff's are still like foreigners.

"Oh luuk Sven....the others are sitting up dere, shall vee join demm?" "No, jus snap unz picture and send zem baak to Sveeden" - ( Oh my lord I cannot believe I just tried to mimic a Swede forgive me if you are Swedish). Since the Buff's originate in England read it with an English accent. "A look Clare... they've popped up to the rod... shall we join them?" "Oh Imogen you're so impetuous, let's just relax and sip some water..." (ahh that's better)

Week One: June 6, 2009

WOW, Saturday morning and they look like they've grown significantly. From left to right: Sunny (Buff), Loa (Arcauna), Hoot (Arcauna), Kapalua (Arcauna), Scat (Buff) and Millie (RIR - she is already an old hen).

My daughter did a fresh water change and food refresh as we are taking off for the rest of the day.