MEET THE DECEMBER 'CHICK OF THE MONTH'

Oh, boy, need sleep . . . 😴

"My First Baby Chicks, What, Exactly, Do I Need to Prepare?"

It's never too early to start planning! Christmas will come and go quickly, then in just 90 days or so we'll see the exciting signs of Spring.

This baby chicks question arose last night while I was at work. We got a couple of new employees there, and strangely enough the conversation during break gravitated toward chickens.

Truth be told, and as you probably suspected, there was a lull in the conversation and I brought up the topic, so it wasn't really such a strange phenomenon. 😉

Well, I'm happy to report that I now have this great chicken hobby in common with a fellow worker - who recently made the decision to get started by ordering ten baby chicks from one of the hatcheries.

She asked me to make a list of everything she'd need to do in order to be all prepared, so I did, and will share it with you, too.

Have a coop ready or within days of completion before you order baby chicks. Time goes fast!

• Buy or build your own brooder. If you already have a brooder, make sure it's sanitized, all the parts are in working order, and test it out, including the heat settings, within enough time to purchase another one if it's not working. Set it up 24 hours before the first day of delivery stated on your invoice for the chicks. Often it will be "either" "or" within a 2-day window..
• If you're buying baby chicks from a local feed store, know what you want ahead of time and what the babies of that breed look like. The hatchery websites usually have a picture of both the babies and grown chickens of the breeds they sell and are a reliable source of correct identification of breeds. Often, the feed stores will nearly sell out one breed and put the remaining baby chicks in with a tub filled with another breed. This is a good idea in order to keep them warm, but if you have your heart set on seeing the breed you've chosen when they grow up, you may be disappointed. I learned the breeds by ordering brochures from all the hatcheries I could find, then studying them for hours on end when I was fourteen. It was free, and, of course we have the Internet today.
• Get your feed (non-medicated if you've chosen to have the babies vaccinated for Coccidiosis by the hatchery) and water containers, buy chick feed a few days ahead of time and make sure you have chick grit, any electrolytes you've chosen, pine bedding, paper towels, hydrogen peroxide and other common first aid supplies in case there are any injuries(rare).
• Read extensively about caring for the babies days or weeks before you get them. It's not rocket science, but you'll need to show them where the water container is (dip their beaks in it) watch for common issues like "pasty butt", splayed legs, beak issues, signs of illness, pecking, and such.
• Different people who write about chickens sometimes have different ideas about what to feed baby chicks. Some boil eggs, peel them and mash them for the babies for the first couple of days. Since the embryos were nourished in this way before hatching, this is a solid plan. Others stick with a high quality commercial chick feed that has been researched and developed to provide all necessary nutrients. Some use corn meal, mash, or ground oats mixed with a little water. Everyone has their favorite, but I've never seen any recommendation that would have the potential to harm the babies.
• Baby chicks seem less stressed when you have some soft calming music playing, so you might consider that.
• Follow all sanitation procedures, keep consistent feeding schedules . . . and enjoy your chickens first six weeks! 

In Gratitude to Chickens - For Centuries of Service to Humans

In Gratitude to Chickens - for Centuries of Service to Humans

The purpose of this book is to debunk the common stereotypes about chickens that the "uninitiated" just seem to accept as truth!

After seven months researching and writing, I'm comfortable predicting that most people who read it will come away with the realization that we each owe a debt of gratitude to chickens.

Their contributions to our improved health and longevity alone certainly warrant that, don't you think? And this began way back in the days of Aristotle.

A preview reader said this book was "Fun and Addictive". He's not a fan of chickens, but is still planning to give the book as a gift and a Christmas party hostess gift! Fancy that!

I chose the highest quality white paper with images in full color for the print version; I figured chickens deserve no less, though not every image in the book is of chickens. Naturally, this meant an increase in production costs. 

Will be adding the file to Kindle in a couple of days, with a very special launch price.

Here's the link to 'In Gratitude to Chickens' if you want to check  out the sample pages available:    http://amzn.to/2fQwAW4

"CHICKEN PEOPLE" , The documentary Movie, Gets My Highest Recommendation!

Just watched this last night . . . Really enjoyed it.  I had pre-ordered it. According to the Amazon listing the CD will be available on December 6th. It's under $10.

This documentary film by CMT teaches a lot about chicken exhibition, demonstrates many qualities about chickens that cause us to become addicted to them, and showcases several people, the breeds they love and some of their trials and tribulations with life in general and with their chickens.

It's filmed primarily at the Ohio State Fair, where one of the largest chicken shows is held every year in the United States.  

If  you're a "chicken person", you'll love this, I'm sure! If not, you'll learn some of the answers to the question that may be on your mind like - "why on earth would anyone want to raise chickens?" 😊

Human-Chicken Interaction Study Almost Completed

Have you seen this? If you're anything like me and love to learn about culture, history, and chickens this promises to be very fascinating. Experts in fields of study such as History, Biology, Anthropology, the Behavioral Sciences , etc. at these universities are conducting the research.

Learn more    http://www.sciculture.ac.uk

Comparison Chart for Chicken VS. Human Ages

The question was "Where did you get it?", speaking of the chart I blogged about a few years ago that compared chicken age to human age. I ran across a little booklet the other day that I'd bought through the mail years ago. turns out, it has that chart information in it! Now I know, that's where I got it!

The author, a well respected consultant to breeders has passed away. His book was self-published, before computers, and I'm not sure whether he had family that re-published any of his material or not.

For new readers who may be interested I've added an image reflecting the info in it. Please respect the copyright on the image (don't copy it!), but the information in it is available to anyone who looks at it. I have a 'helper' now. She does publishing, creates images for me and does other online work, too.

Not that all chickens necessarily die at age seven, but the chart has to stop somewhere, I guess. I just lost a Yokohama hen who had almost reached the age of 16.  I once had three Yokohama hens - the one that lived so long is pictured on the top right. She was very tame and sweet.

Back to work on those projects - soon as they're published will link to them, then you'll see how hard I've been working for the past year. 😊

Breaking News!!! The Return, To My Pet Chicken Enthusiast Friends

Dear Friends in Pet Chicken Addiction Land;

Just wanted to say "Hi" after a long absence. A life changing accident occurred a couple of years ago that 'threw me for a loop", but I'm back now, healthy, and happy to be here! That traumatic incident is securely locked up in the Do Not Disturb vault for eternity.

Life goes on, and it's true - time heals all wounds. I hope your life has been going smoothly!

There is some more news I should pass on. For the past year, I've been working on a couple of projects I'd love to share with you in just a couple of days. You might say they're 'in the oven', not quite done yet. Therefore no links to share yet. Yep, they relate to our precious feathered friends!

Haven't lost my passion for chicken keeping!

Just checked my email, recently resurrected,  and someone asked about the Comparison Chart for Chicken VS. Human Ages.

Will publish this post and address that question in another - coming right up!

Chickens in Character - Book Discovery With a Good Story Behind It

Hey, Fellow Pet Chicken Enthusiasts! Hope the new year is coming along great for you! Or, too soon to guess? . . .  yeah, me, too, but "Think Positive's" the best response, right? I've got eggs, potatoes, my animals are doing good, my family is relatively healthy - always plenty to be thankful for.

I found another book . . . who could've guessed that would happen? Hope you love to read, too!

It's by David Boyett (he's a pet chicken enthusiast, too!). He wrote it to honor his late father; I thought that was a great gesture. He said it took about two years to complete, a significant investment in time.

 It's themed around the stories his dad told about the old timer's in the area (love old timers stories!). Now, keep in mind, I haven't finished the book, in fact I've only read the available sample. I'm really looking forward to actually reading it all, still not finished with the books I got for Christmas, though. Will get it and read it, but wanted to let you know about it right away so you could check it out, too - I loved the part I read about the baby chick named "Chick" (he sleeps in a shoe), his family and a bullying incident. I'm sure I'll be sharing more about it later! It's for adults, but kids would probably enjoy it, too. I'm sure it's going to be very funny, too.

You can get it on Amazon, at:

http://www.amazon.com/Chick-Homestead-Chickens-Grymme-Hollow/dp/1491827386

Tried to copy the cover, but failed - great graphics, Mr, Boyett created them himself!

Just goes to show - tons of Pet Chicken Enthusiasts, and each is really smart and talented. Little do they know (they know who they are) when they call us, er, me, anyway - "bird brain"! One of the books I got for Christmas has a lot of research on the brains of birds, and they are very impressive - just say'n.(-:

Anyway, I haven't even tried very hard and have still unearthed several entrepreneurial spirits who've created products around this great hobby. Congratulations to each and every one!

Oh, by the way, Mr. boyett has a video, too-on the chicken dance-very lively and fun to watch his chickens-I shared it from You Tube to Google Plus, or at least went through the motions. The channel is in the author's name, pretty sure. He's on Facebook, as well, I'm going to look him up and 'friend' him - and check out his Page - It's DVB Nonprofit Chicken Ranch - might see you there, look'n forward to it.

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!

Cyber Monday Deals for Pet Chicken Enthusiasts, Too



 Chicken Coop Wheels (TM) - Portable kit turns any chicken coop into a chicken tractor! See Below for details!


Cyber Monday Deals, closely following Black Friday (and even early bird Thanksgiving shopping opportunities) are made to order for those of us who love our pet chickens and are looking for related items.

The Wall Street Journal published an article, entitled 'Fowl Fans See Golden Eggs in Catering to Pet-Chicken Market', written by Sarah E. Needleman, in their online edition on July 8, 2010. You can read it here. It featured entrepreneurial ventures from chicken diapers to baby chicks. Since then, there have no doubt been many more adventuresome entrepreneurs catering to pet chicken enthusiasts.

This is a market, that, according to a recent study conducted by Eastern Washington University Communications Department student, Desalyn Graybeal, reveals that our pet chicken hobby does, indeed, make up a diverse 'sub-culture' of today's society. See the post immediately below this for details. The study has been completed . . . thank you to those of you who participated after having read about it here.

So, who are some of the other enterprising people who've started fulfilling needs for this "Pet-Chicken Market" since that article was published? Well . . .

One Entrepreneur has solved the Problem of How to Mobilize a Chicken Coop . . . and Turn it Into a Chicken Tractor

His name is Harry, and he says his product is the result of a need his wife identified. "My wife decided to start raising chickens for the fun of it and so that we could at least partially control our food supply", he related.

He said that "As a romantic, she wanted to free-range the chickens, but was determined to keep them protected from predators all the while."

She had researched the issue before beginning to build a coop she fully intended would provide the best possible protection from dogs, coyotes, and other common predators of chickens. Then, he said, "she asked me for suggestions on how to stiffen it up; after awhile, I figured out how she could add wheels so it could be moved around."

It turned out to be just what she was hoping for! In an interview last week, Harry stated that "My wife showed me videos of coops that had wheels, but there were none available in the form of a kit that could be attached to an existing chicken coop so that it could be mobilized." Harry said he got ideas from existing chicken tractors that others had used successfully, and that "I think I managed to come up with a pretty good kit."

Quite possibly a modest understatement! Harry has been successfully manufacturing and marketing his Chicken Coop Wheels since early this year. You can learn all about them at http://www.chickencoopwheels.com. Harry provides convenient delivery to happy customers throughout the United States.

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This looks like a really solid kit, so check it out if you already have a chicken coop, but would like to be able to easily move it around your property.

Are you a member of the Pet Chicken Entrepreneurs Club? Okay, there's not really a 'club' yet - that I know of. Wouldn't it be interesting to learn about all the products created just for the participants of our growing 'sub-culture', though? If you're one of those like Harry who've set out to solve a problem around this hobby, you're special. Drop me an email at scott@fortheloveofchickens.com , I'd love to include your product here.

Oh, and please remember to check out the "Everything Chicken Store" over at my website. It'll save you a lot of time finding chicken decor, country gifts, chicken supplies, and more - because I've already gone to the effort to find them - often having to chase them down in multiple categories. Stay home and relax; you'll find more here than at any mall, if chicken-related items are on your list!

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"