What a great breed of chicken....
(splash, blue and buff)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Chickens Are Smarter Than Dogs.....!!!?
I do not like PETA, I think they are an activist group that has taken their charter WAY TOO FAR. I believe it is conceivable to get behind "causes" with tact, shrewdness and effectiveness. PETA has taken their cause to a level of unnecessary shock, lewdness and division. This is no way to sway thoughts or beliefs and usually galvanizes people against them.A chicken could figure this out.
Why the PETA comments, because much of the information on livestock, poultry and household pets comes from organizations like PETA. When I say information - I mean "learnings" things which are going to teach you about the creature. Since becoming a Backyard Chicken Farmer, I have jumped into the deep end and wanted to learn everything there is; based on my preconceived notions that chickens are dumb, of which my chickens are not helping my notion. Since they appear to be "cute", I thought I would research this a bit and lo and behold lookie here! Chickens are smart. Simply stated, they have personality therefore they must have some vein of intelligence somewhere. Well here is what I found out.
"Leading animal behavior scientists from across the globe now tell us that chickens are inquisitive and interesting animals whose cognitive abilities are more advanced than those of cats, dogs, and even some primates. Chickens understand sophisticated intellectual concepts, learn from watching each other, demonstrate self-control, worry about the future, and even have cultural knowledge that is passed from generation to generation. Dr. Chris Evans, who studies animal behavior and communication at Macquarie University in Australia, says, "As a trick at conferences, I sometimes list these attributes, without mentioning chickens, and people think I am talking about monkeys.""
Chickens comprehend cause-and-effect relationships and understand that objects still exist even after they are hidden from view.(2) This puts the cognitive abilities of chickens above those of small human children(3). Scientists are so impressed with what we now know about the intellect of chickens and other birds that a group of international experts recently called for a new naming system to reflect the complex, mammal-like structure of avian brains.(4) Dr. Christine Nicol, who studies chicken intelligence, reflected, "They may be "bird brains" but we need to redefine what we mean by "bird brains" Chickens have shown us they can do things people didn't think they could do. There are hidden depths to chickens, definitely"(5)
When in their natural surroundings, not on factory farms, chickens form complex social hierarchies, also known as "pecking orders" and every chicken knows his or her place on the social ladder and remembers the faces and ranks of more than 100 other birds. People who have spent time with chickens know that each bird has a different personality that often relates to his or her place in the pecking order, some are gregarious and fearless, while others are more shy and watchful; some chickens enjoy human company, while others are standoffish, shy, or even a bit aggressive. Just like dogs, cats, and humans, each chicken is an individual with a distinct personality."(6)
Attribution for this article is here -
1 William Grimes, If Chickens Are So Smart, Why Aren't They Eating Us? The New York Times 12 Jan. 2003, late ed..
2 Grimes.
3 Grimes.
4 Rick Weiss, Bird Brains Get Some New Names, and New Respect, The Washington Post 1 Feb. 2005: A10.
5 Ananova, Chickens Not Just Bird Brains, 2005.
6 Michael Specter, The Extremist, The New Yorker 14 Apr. 2003.
http://www.goveg.com/f-hiddenliveschickens.asp
More to come
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Week Two: June 10, 2009
The chickens have found the ramp to the Hen House...Pretty cool. I come home from work and the chickens have found the ramp to the Hen House and have even traveled up there, pooped of course, and scratched the hay down to the lower level. They are also practicing their flying skills by getting up on the ramp and flying down. It is as though they are challenging each other and practicing - not sure whether this is good, as flying was not one of my pre-requisites for owning them.
The Arcauna's are the most daring and, by far, the most spirited. The two Buff's are like foreigners, seemingly wandering the COOP looking for a place to stay and good restaurant. They follow everyone else and stick together. They are the most vocal though.
The RIR is completely aloof to everything, yet has grown, in size, substantially. Kapalua the one pictured in the middle with the white stripe is a freak. You walk into the coop and she goes nuts... Hoot right in front to the right... is like a dog. Walk in the coop and she runs off because all the others do and then eventually saunters over to me and just looks.
They are eating like pigs and drinking like sailors. We are feeding them (pictured here)
My next determination is how to water them without their need to take a dump in the trough!
Chicken Wreck
It doesn't get much worse than this....
These were fryers... so their fate was sealed, but what a way to go. Actually probably more humane than a processing facility.
Carmel Valley and Chickens Part 2
As you ramble down Carmel Valley road it becomes clear you have moved from the well-to-do retirees to well-to-do wineries like Bernardus, Chateau Julian, Talbott among many others. The landscape is stunning and as you drive the valley seems to narrow with oak studded mountains becoming closer and closer.
Is it any wonder why celebrities and dignitaries call this place home; Doris Day, Betty White, Clint Eastwood, Earth, Wind and Fire (at one time), Merv Griffin, Leon Panetta, Charles Schultz (Peanuts), Charles Schwab, The Kohler Family, The Firestone Family to name a scant few.
Once deeper into the Valley you come upon the Village. Once a cowboy hitching post has now become a village of great restaurants, unique shops and artisans. The newest and one of the more lively is the Volcano Grill owned by Billy Quon Lee. Mr. Lee made a name for himself back in the 80's by opening a string of successful restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula. His success seems to continue.
http://www.volcano-grill.com/
If you dig a little deeper there are great spots to stop and take in the view, the Carmel River and even go for a horseback ride through the foothills and wineries at Holman Ranch.
http://www.holmanranch.com/
My point to this travel tip is; ranches and farms are everywhere. Chickens meander about along with wild turkey, quail and jack rabbits. Horse stables abound and discoveries are awaiting.
This is getting too sappy...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Coop maintenance and your garden....
I stumbled across this video on You Tube. Grab your pillow and a binky, cause this guy should be professional bedtime story-teller. After I wiped the drool from my keyboard, I realized he had some great information. Pine shavings and chicken waste, already cut down and ready to be amended into the soil - brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljyyhk1xESA&NR=1
Nighty night.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljyyhk1xESA&NR=1
Nighty night.....
Week Two: June 8, 2009
They made it through the weekend, without us. Like they wouldn't have... they are in a protected area, have water, food, warmth, other curious birds, sun, each other, hay, stuff to scratch and pick at and bugs! If life could be so simple. Can you imagine if they had more responsibilty? Wait... where did the term "Hen-Pecked" come from? Maybe there is tremendous stress in this coop, maybe I need music, a counselor - maybe there are other bird types they can "serve" them... quail? duck? goose....? If there are "Horse Whisperers" are there Chicken Cluckerers...? This is going to cost me a lot!!!!Chicken Breeds
Here is a great link to chicken breeds. Makes me second-guess my choices, but this is a learning process.
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/dual.html
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/dual.html
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Carmel Valley and Chickens
Carmel, CAOK, when most of us think of Carmel we think of Clint Eastwood, golf, quaint shops, incredible beach and a storied history and tradition. How many of us, know or realize there is much more to this area than the aforementioned? This place has it all. As Robert Louis Stevenson said - "It is the greatest meeting of land and sea and chickens and sustainable living in the world" OK, RLS did not say this, but if he was living today, he might have.
Having grown up on the Monterey Peninsula, I have had the chance to explore, learn and grow to love it. There is not place I have ever been which brings such an incredible peace. I am feeling very vulnerable right now and need to cry for a moment... OK I am over it. Really this is a wonderful place and should be visited by all. Just make sure I am not there and not all at once.
So, off the beaten path you head south on Hwy 1 to Carmel Valley Road making a left you are now heading southeast. Essentially this road, Carmel Valley Road, is a treasure trove of fun. Not to turn this into a travel site, I wanted to focus the imagery on sustainability and travel, inspiration and, of course, chickens - really this is what it is all about. As you head out you have "The Barnyard" a group of shops set right at the mouth of the Valley... in a, well, barn-ish setting. The irony is thick here, as The Barnyard (pictured to the left) telegraphs the Valley's true character. As you meander through the pines, oaks and homes, you will also begin noticing fields, horse-ranches and wineries. Dotted in between, there are nurseries, golf courses and FEED STORES!!!! Yeah.... The coolest one I've come across is Hacienda Hay and Feed at 7180 Carmel Valley Road.
This place, situated due east of Quail Lodge and the Wagon Wheel restaurant (Good Breakfast Spot). This is essentially a working feed store, providing all the essentials to many working ranches and horse stables, but is a wonderful garden center and, yes, even petting zoo. Although one time we were there and there was a peacock roaming around and it freaked us out as it followed us, step for step, mocking us... we'd stop, he'd stop, we walked, he walked, we ran, he ran - utterly unnerving. This is a place to stop, eat at the local restaurants, visit the stores and take in some memories. Oh yeah and some killer chickens. More to come on Carmel Valley.
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