Sunday, May 31, 2009

Chick-Chat...

The girls take a break and gather around the water cooler to gossip about the latest happenings...




The chickens will also eat right out of my hand!

After I collect the eggs for the day...

...I then go upstairs into the kitchen, write the date on each egg, and put them in an egg carton. They sell for $3 a carton around tha 'hood.

What sign is your chicken?


Astrological Signs of the ZodiEgg
(Chicken Horoscopes)

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18):
Chickens born under the sign of Aquarius are strong independent spirits longing to break free from traditional conventions and restrictions and the status quo. They are innovative and idealistic always replacing old outdated thinking with fresh perspectives. They are strongly driven to oppose social injustice and oppression. They are always experimenting to discover their own identity. They will cross the road because it is forbidden to do so and by doing so it will be easier for others to do so in the future.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20):
Pisces chickens are dreamy and sensitive. They are blessed with deep intuition and a wealth of emotion. Pisces are romantic, creative and full of love with a potential for great happiness and lasting joy. Their imagination is so strong that it frequently merges with fantasy. They usually cross the road because they had a vision telling them that this is the means to the happiness they are striving to achieve.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19):
Chickens born under the sign of Aries are natural leaders possessing a pioneering determined spirit, who wish to make their mark on the world. They cross the road to assert themselves and seek action, daring and adventure.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20):
Taurus chickens are strong willed and have a down to earth attitude toward life. They are overly interested in material things and have a real need for security. They feel unsettled unless comfortable. They will cross the road only if there is more security on the other side or to obtain material possessions.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20):
They are highly restless and are always seeking a wide variety of contrasting experiences. They cross the road because they are curious and to avoid the boredom of their mundane existence.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22):
While having a tough shell-like exterior, Cancer chickens are very sensitive and vulnerable. They have very delicate emotions, and are always attuned to their environment and the feelings of those around them. They have a constant and urgent need to feel safe and always act defensively. They will only cross the road when there is danger to themselves or others on this side.

LEO (July 20 to August 22):
Leo chickens are majestic and proud with personalities that need to shine, and greet opportunities with fervor and vitality. They always need to be in charge. They will cross the road with great enthusiasm for the opportunity to escape a normal, humdrum existence.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22):
Virgos are practical and adaptable. They have a strong desire to succeed, are very discriminating and tend to be critical of others. They strive for perfection. They are very poultriatarian and will usually cross the road for the good of other chickens and because it is the proper or correct thing to do.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22):
Libra chickens are thoughtful and sensitive, and are always seeking balance and harmony. They need the respect and love of other chickens more than any other group. They think carefully before making any decision. Libra chickens are prone to stop in the middle of the road to try to decide which way to go, making the crossing a considerable risk to themselves and others.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21):
Scorpios have a depth and intensity of their emotions that gives them a strong inner power. They are creatures of passion whose focused desires assist them in achieving their aims. They can be ruthlessly self-critical in their quest for truth. They are uncompromising, and stick to any commitment they have made. They cross because they promised to do so.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 to December 21):
These chickens are restless and visionary. They love to explore new horizons and see life as a journey full of adventure. They greet every new experience with a warm heart, a ready smile and an open mind. They cross the road because of a passion to see more of the world and a spirit which longs to be free.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19):
Capricorns are very ambitious and are always striving to reach the top of the coop. They are tenacious in planning every step to achieve their goals, and leave themselves little time to relax before looking for new peaks to climb. They cross the road they must to achieve the success they feel should be theirs.

Kinda makes me not want to eat an egg this morning...

Today as I greeted the chickens I noticed something, well, a bit odd with Georgette.

It was...Chicken Egg Butt.









Was this normal walking-around egg-laying procedure?
Did Georgette need help?
Was I, the inexperienced chicken sitter, to aide in the birth of this egg?


I'm happy to report that both hen and egg are doing just fine and, although not connected at the butt any longer, neither party is suffering from separation anxiety.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Breaking News!! Why did the chicken cross the road?

Finally, an answer to the age old question 'why did the chicken cross the road?' KXLY's Sally Showman explains...


Thursday, May 28, 2009

Barnyard musings...

(**note: some of the photos and/or videos in this and future chicken blog posts were taken during the previous week, hence you might see our friend Ethel in them...sorry for any confusion or sadness that this might cause...)





Each time I visit the chickens, I first change into the proper 'chicken shoes' before heading over to the coop...

...this morning I accidentally forgot and went down to the coop in my flip-flops. It wasn't until a chicken started pecking at my shiny painted big toe that I realized my faux pas.


(almost live) chicken cam!



This chicken thing is all so new to me, but after over a week and a half here now with the girls, I still am amazed that each hen is so, well, PRETTY! Beautiful, unique feather markings...beautiful, unique eggs...who knew?!






Some of the chickens have really distinct personalities. It's so cool! A few of these sweet girls like to have their back scratched from a human friend every now and then too!



I'm told sunflower seeds are like crack for chickens!




As soon as the sun sets, the chicky-poos head into their little chicken house all on their own (hopefully sans rat) and I'm told that they always sleep in the same order on their perch! To me, that's pretty amazing. This was a shot taken right at their bedtime.


Nighty-night, chickens!

sad news...


RIP Ethel

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Guest chicken blogger says...

Pea has a few chicken-related items to share here on the chicken blog!

Here is a little video he shot the other day. Chicks rock!







and some photos:

and a little story on NPR about raising chickens:

....and a related feathery friend sign:
yay, duck crossing!
Thanks, Pea!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Chicken Blog Backlog!







Heya peeps -
(haha, get it?!)








Well, as you may or may not have noticed, I have not written in the chicken blog for a few days now. Sorry to keep all of you waiting in extreme anticipation! I'm back from taking Northern California by musical storm (haha...."Hellooooo Cleveland!") and ready to document all of the wild, crazy moments here on the chicken and kitten sittin' front again...




There is quite a backlog of material, but I'm going to just start with today's madcap adventures starring Deirdre, Jaena, and Noah, who live 15 minutes away in Alameda and who visited here this morning...










Just like me when I first got here, Jaena (who is 2) had never really seen a chicken before! I equipped her with my leftover salad from the night before to feed her new feathered amigas and voila! a beautiful friendship was born...


The Hens snuggle-bug with Deirdre, Jaena, and Noah and talk up a storm!




Deirdre has always cracked me up! My favorite quote from her today: "That (chicken)'s gonna come down the ramp...or maybe she'll fly and land on your head....wouldn't that be funny?"!! (see video below...)





Jaena made herself comfortable sitting in the chicken door...

Noah seemed fascinated for awhile too : )


And Jaena gets the egg!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Chick Talk




the girls are involved in some intense conversation...I suspect that one day when I come down to check on them I'll find them with knitting needles and cups of coco on their table!


Monday, May 18, 2009

Egg-citing breakfast!

This is a pictorial account of my very first hand-picked straight-out-of-the-chicken-coop egg breakfast....mmmm!



look at this amazing feast in the frying pan!



My eggs were quite good!
Thank you chickens, Bok Bok!




OMG!

It's hardly Day 2 and I've already had a mini disaster!

The day started out pretty good...I got up wonderfully late and gingerly made my way down the stairs to greet the little feathered ones, feeling a bit like Fern from Charlotte's Web. The chickens were chatty and excited to run around in the sunshine while I searched for my first egg to collect! (see video below)...







...however, I totally got freaked by a chicken that jumped up on a trash can lid that I was standing next to and, well, I dropped the goods. I'm a little weirded out at what happened next (see next video)...









Is it ok for a chicken to eat a chicken egg for breakfast?
?




Seeing as the girls devoured the broken egg before I could figure out what to do next, I fled the scene of the crime into the garden area where I stumbled upon a beautiful pea plant! I ate one off the vine and it was deliciously sweet and crunchy and fresh. Heavenly!

Day 1 - So Far, So Good!

Here they are!!
These are Maureen's girls! I don't know which name belongs to which chicken, so in no particular order, may I introduce Anais, Ethel, Isabella, Beatrice, Celeste, Rose and Georgette!!


This morning, after putting the special visiting-the-chicken shoes on, I walked down to the coop and opened the doors. I was greeted cheerily by my talkative new friends! After checking on their food and water, I sat on the nearby chair to watch these alien (to me) creatures walk around investigating their area, kicking up dirt as they looked for treats buried beneath. I love how chatty they are! They are a little bit rich-old-lady-in-white-gloves-ish in the way that they interact (kind of like Mrs. Howell!). It's like they are in a private society, and I am a guest at their club. : )





do you have a memebership card, miss?


chicken vogueing

scoping (is) for chicks


america's next top models

Where did I leave my velvet clutch?


There is something important I have to remember to do when I come down to the chicken's area. Apparently there is a huge, old rat that likes to hang out inside the coop overnight. If he's still inside when the big door to the coop is opened, well, he runs out - which will scare the jeebies out of me I'm sure! Even though I'm pro-rat, I really don't want to meet the little guy. So I have to remember to talk loudly as I walk up and to open the door while standing behind it, giving the rat ample opportunity to ski-daddle out the door rather than over my foot.


A pleasant discovery that this city girl wasn't prepared for...the eggs! Wow - they're quite beautiful! Each one is unique, varying in shade, markings and size. Miniature edible works of art!