From Pet Chicken Acres - Merry Christmas!

One of my Pet Chickens decorating a tree, Merry Christmas from them all, and Moi, too!

That time of year - again! It's great, love it. Every year it seems to get here sooner, though, have you noticed?

Wanted to share this picture with you in case you didn't know about this website I found awhile back. It's called lunapic.com. If you find some time to play, you'll enjoy all the cool effects that can be applied to your photos - pretty easy, too.

A friend just loaned me a book I think you might enjoy, too, plan to read it during a few days off after Christmas. The title is About Dreams and Memories On the Old Farm, by Irv E. Francis. It's all about the author and his family's life on a farm in West Virginia. I think I'm going to learn a ton from it. Nothing like learning from people who've been around for many, many years.

I highly recommend seeking out the great Grandma's and Grandpa's at your Christmas gathering. Listen to their stories; such a different world from today's! But then, guess you might need to share my love of history to enjoy those stories. Either way, have a great holiday!

Pet Chicken Study Being Conducted - Your Invitation to Participate

Do you love your pet chicken(s)? If your first thought when you read that was "Of course I do" this is for YOU! Below is your official invitation to participate in an important study! It's about pet chickens and our manner of communicating, understanding and interacting with them.

It takes just a few minutes to fill out and is administered by a student at Eastern Washington University, located in Cheney, Washington (the State). See all the details and contact information below.

Hope you'll consider participating. Sound interesting? Okay, read all about it below:



"Hello!

My name is Desalyn Graybeal and I am conducting a study on human with chicken communication as part of my studies via the Department of Communications at Eastern Washington University. I am hoping that you will take just a few minutes to complete the survey via the link below. Please know that your participation in this study is completely voluntary and that your responses are anonymous as this is a blind survey conducted via a third party survey service. If you have any questions about the study or would like a copy of the final study, please contact myself by phone at 509-953-1691 or by email at desalyngraybeal@gmail.com. If you have any questions or concerns about your rights as a participant in this study, please contact Ruth Galm, Human Protections Administrator, 509-359-7971 or rgalm@mail.ewu.edu. In the case your pet chicken is no longer living, please respond to the questions as though they were written in past tense .In participating in this survey you agree to the aforementioned terms. http://surveys.verticalresponse.com/a/show/1697031/5bebc926a2/0

Thank you!

Desalyn Graybeal"

Pet Chickens You've Never Seen Before-And a Unique Idea For Christmas Gifts

Pet Chickens modelling chic fashions . . . and you finally get to see them! Let me know what you think, okay? Here's the link:
http://www.therunwaychicks.com/

Pet chickens, "no", but frugality and sustainability? "Indeed!"

My family found this poem that my Grandma had packed away . . . boy, are we ever lucky these days. At least we can be comfortable. Amusing, though -- Enjoy!

The Flour Sack

 . . . Author unknown

When I was a maiden fair

Mama made our underwear.

With many kids and dad's poor pay,

We had no fancy lingerie

Monograms and fancy stitches

Did not adorn our Sunday britches.

Panty waist that stood the test

Had "Gold Medal" on my breast.

No lace or ruffles to enhance

Just "Occident" across my pants.

One pair of panties beat them all,

For it had a scene I still recall

Harvesters were gleaning wheat

Right across my seat!

Rougher than a grizzly bear

Was my floursack underwear.

Plain, not fancy, two feet wide

And tougher than a hippo's hide.

All through depression, each Jill and Jack,

Wore the sturdy garb of sack.

Waste not, want not learned,

That a penny saved is a penny earned.

There were curtains and tea towels, too,

And that is just to name a few.

But the best, beyond compare,

Was my flour sack underwear.

The End

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Guess we live in pretty good times, hmm? . . .



Pet Chickens in Halloween Costumes

Hi Fellow Chicken Enthusiasts,

According to the Stat's, this post gets quite a few views, even though it's really old. Thought I'd give you a little update, since you may be interested in chickens in costumes.
Since this video was done, there are a few more costumes. They're over on a website named The Runway Chicks. (the 22 more mentioned haven't yet come to fruition [turns out, they're sewn by hand, that takes awhile], and neither is last year's calendar, but there's always this year, right?). 

To great ideas and worthy plans and never giving up,

Scott 


Two of my pet chickens are appearing in a Halloween video . . . see it by clicking the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR1N1H-dEPk

It's pretty cute, they're dressed in Halloween costumes.

My friend Carrie made the little outfits. now she's working on 22 more. She'll be making a 2011calendar with a pair of chickens all dressed up in appropriate outfits for each month.

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Fitting and Showing the Old English Breeds

"The Old English Breeds". That's my automatic response whenever someone asks me what my favorite breed of chicken is. There are many other beautiful breeds, and I've never seen one I didn't love, but the Old English is number one. In part, it's probably their long and colorful history.

For showing, though, the roosters have to be dubbed. Dubbing, in case you're not familiar with the term, means cutting the comb. This was done when they were used in cock fighting and apparently it became the standard because of that. This means I don't show my Old English roosters, as I've learned to do dubbing, just isn't my favorite activity. Besides, I think the combs add a whole lot to their beauty.

It's the Old English roosters (bright red combs intact) that are used in much of the chicken decor, including weather vanes, dinnerware, and kitchen linens. During the founding of the United States, they were proposed as the National Bird, but barely lost to the Bald Eagle. Despite losing that vote, they are still a patriotic symbol of American grit and independence, pride, and nobility.

They don't need to be trained to fight each other, they're genetically programmed for that. So. if you have more than one rooster they need to be kept separate from each other. The hens are plainer looking than the roosters, but make good brood hens. If you're looking for pet chickens, especially if you have young children, an Old English rooster might not be my first recommendation, as they each have their own personalities. Some can be mean, but many do make good pets, it's just hard to predict.

Within the urban farming movement the Old English wouldn't be the best choice, but in rural areas where crowing isn't too frowned upon and land is abundant they are still enjoyed by many chicken enthusiasts. Along the backroads of the Pacific Northwest they're seen quite frequently. In fact, one of my favorite things to do is travel the backroads and see all the farms, the animals, and the buildings used to house them in. It's quite an education. Lately, it's been a bit sad, though, as some places that used to have lots of animal life have been abandoned . . . this bad economy taking its toll.

The one fair I've been to so far, though was very lively, lots of animal exhibits, and the poultry barn was full. Seems to back up my theory; raising chickens as a family hobby, getting fresh eggs, and fitting and showing your best birds is an inexpensive and fun activity for families to participate in.

If you haven't done so yet, you can get the free report about fitting and showing your chickens on my website .

Getting Kids Started in 4-H with Chickens

Lately, I've been sorting through boxes containing my childhood memories . . . looks like I saved every scrap of paper!

One thing worthy of re-visiting is a booklet from my first year in 4-H called "Raising Fancy Poultry". As I leaf through it, the 4-H pledge draws my attention:

I pledge

My head to clearer thinking,

My heart to greater loyalty,

My hands to greater service and

My health to better living for

My club, my community,my country,

and my world

What parent wouldn't want their kids to think clearly, be loyal, work hard, and eat wisely and exercise to become a contributing member of society? A good 4-H leader models these values and promotes teamwork, personal responsibility, and excellence. Of course, it's up to parents to personally check out the club and get to know the leader before sending a child around the block to absorb God-knows-what from a leader who may have beliefs (and shares them with members) that you vehemently disagree with.

Over all, though, when kids participate in a 4-H project they learn valuable life lessons, from contributing as a team member to performing basic business operations. They're required to keep detailed records about their project, the costs associated with it, and the final outcome. Just as in sports activities, they learn to compete, win with humility, and lose with class. Then, when they lose, they're motivated to work even harder next time . . . a valuable habit to form at a young age.

The 4-H organization was formed as a result of the Cooperative Extension Acts in May and June of 1914, and is a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I tend to be wary of gigantic government programs, but at least back when I was a member it appeared that there was a lot of local control, though printed materials and lesson plans were conveniently provided for leaders. As with any group, the quality and culture of the program will be a reflection of the adults who choose to be involved, so parental oversight is always advisable.

You can learn about local 4-H groups by going to your county fair, contacting your county extension office, or searching the Internet. Since home farming, raising chickens as pets, and sustainable urban farming have become so popular, being involved in fair competitions just seems like a natural next step to take. And during the fair, kids learn to interact with attendees (learn customer service skills) which is helpful when they become teenagers and get their first job.

I have no regrets about spending much of my childhood as a 4-H member and am grateful for the leadership provided by volunteers in my club. But, one thing I wonder about today is whether membership has suffered due to the popularity of video games and such.

To Life, Liberty, and the Independence of All

Happy 4th of July! My chickens are free now, more so than they've been in awhile. Finally captured the hungry raccoon that's been stalking and killing several of them this past month.

After living in a wilderness area for more than three years, this has been my first all-out war with predators. Thought I was living a charmed chicken-keepers life. Before moving my chickens in I armed the chicken yard with Nite Guard lights. Apparently, they did their job, as until recently I didn't lose any of my birds.

Well, there was one rooster who was snatched by an owl, but I solved that immediately by putting a couple of the lights on top of fence posts . . . duh, no more problems. Still miss the rooster.

Raccoons look cute, endearing, and so innocent, as you likely know if you have chickens, but they are smart, capable, and patient at getting what they want. I love all animals, but I was almost ready to shoot this particular one. Instead, I bought one of those HAVAHART traps, set it, then waited. And waited, and then, you know . . . waited . . . some more.

Finally, yesterday morning I went outside, and there he was . . . peering intently through the wire enclosure at me. If I hadn't seen the evidence with my own eyes, probably would have freed him immediately. Turns out, the little bandit was more attracted to dry cat food than the canned tuna I'd been using to entice him into the trap. Glad I keep my cat inside!

As soon as my chores were done, I put him in the back of my pickup and went for a long drive, past the wilderness parks, over multiple bridges, down narrow winding logging roads, and well into the dense forest. Every once in awhile, I'd glance back at him. He seemed to be playing hide'n'seek, covering one eye and peeking playfully out at me.

Eventually,I stopped, brought the trap to the ground and quickly lifted its door while backing away at almost the same instant (hey, it was my first time - was a little afraid he'd attack me). He was gone in a flash. By now, he's no doubt happily exploring his new habitat . . . forty miles away from my chickens.

Wow! What a great weight off my shoulders! And my chickens can get back to their normal routine.

If you're having problems with raccoons, first of all, you have both my sympathy and empathy. I have learned that the traps do work, so I can recommend them, but I'd understand if you prefer the more immediate method of assassination (all the experts point to just the two solutions). And, certainly, shooting the little rascal would have been a lot less expensive and time consuming.

I'm curious about how you have -or would have- handled the situation. Do you think I behaved like a coward, an extremist animal rights activist (please, no!), or did I do the right thing?

Did I mention that I enjoyed the ride, anyway? Guess that means it wasn't entirely a waste of time.

Almost Time to Choose, Which Chickens to Show?

Do you show your chickens at your local county fair?

Someone asked me the other day, "which chickens do best in competition?" Immediately, my thoughts went back to my junior high 4-H experiences. My 4-H leader had an answer to that question that made a lot of sense.

She recommended, all other traits and requirements being equal, that we'd give ourselves an advantage if we showed a breed that was either all white or all black. Her reason? Well, simply put, no barred, spangle, lacing, or any other pattern of design is expected in a breed that is all one color. Therefore, no points can be taken off if a feather or two is missing the perfect pattern.

My friend, Carrie, who asked that question is all excited now. She has a White Leghorn trio she's decided to show. Last night she invited me over to see them. They look great, hope she wins a trophy as this is her first year participating.

Personally, I've decides to show Pebbles and Bam Bam, a Japanese pair. They're mostly white, and their tail feathers look up to Standard.

How about you? Feel free to comment below!

By the way, especially if you're new to fitting and showing chickens, feel free to download the free report on the subject. You can access it from my website, http://www.fortheloveofchickens.com/ . Then I'd love to hear your feedback, either way.

Happy Fathers Day, Guys

Feeling a little left out today, but I did just adopt a puppy. That qualifies, right? Well, kinda, sorta, in a way . . .

Anyway, since I keep reading "you don't even need a rooster" to keep chickens and enjoy those delicious eggs, I'm dedicating this post to the mighty and awesome ROOSTER.

That would be the same ROOSTER that's required for fertile eggs and the miracle of birth, or hatching, of one of the cutest baby farm animals that exist! I know, the reason roosters have gotten short shrift is because of the popularity of urban farming. Not keeping a rooster with a flock of hens keeps city dwellers within the confines of local law. Roosters are usually banned because their early morning 'cock-a-doodle-do's' are considered to be noise pollution by some people. For others, this "noise" brings back nostalgic memories of rural living.

Personally, if you're living the 'country life' without the presence of a rooster, I believe you're missing an important part the experience. And I understand, the law is there to be obeyed, and there's not a lot you can do about that.

Roosters are beautiful, living, moving, crowing works of art. Each one has a distict personality. Some are mean and independent, and qualify as "deadbeat dads", while others actually welcome the baby chicks under their wings. And, you can't automatically judge roosters as poor choices to develop into pets. Often, if you start early, and spend time with them , they'll become great pets, even defending your home much like a watch dog. Like my Old English Bantam, Spike, who struck fear into a six-foot-four former football hero.

Then there's my liberty loving Auracauna Rooster, Radio Flyer. He gets out every day, along with his harem of four hens. I can hear him now, "peck, peck, peck". When he hears I'm up and about on the weekends -- he wants his treats, which he gallantly shares with his hens.

Roosters share a prominent place in history, are used in art, decor, and are featured in many customs around the world. They deserve a little tribute today, in my humble opinion.

Okay, I'm off to do the chores, call my Dad, and walk my new puppy.

What do you think? Got any good rooster stories?