Karen's Backyard Chickens

Manufactured Demand (The Story of Bottled Water)

2010-04-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

What's bottled water got to do with chickens? This blog began out of my desire to take closer look at how our food comes to market. Better to become informed rather than buy into what BIG Corps. are feeding us- both literally and figuratively. Please start speaking with your pocket books and wallets; our dollars do matter, MONEY talks!

Happy Spring!

2010-03-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

The girls are happy to be out of the coop! They perched upon this rustic fence I built to secure them. Jay and I have installed a three foot high fence around the coop. The large open space should be enough for them to free-range about. We now are on bird alert as they easily fly over the short fence and wind up in the yard and gardens and sometimes walking down the road! Yikes! We decided to limit their free ranging on the property (they used to range on ~ 1.4 acres). They nearly destroyed the small vegetable garden we put in last year. When the girls forage and scratch for food they really make a mess. They are ardent lovers of Digging!! These older girls are much more independent and willing to take risks- they still do a good job staying together as a flock; which is a blessing as it is getting more challenging to get them inside when they DON'T want to. We are getting back into the routine of letting them out late morning~ 9am and then letting then range until late afternoon ~4-5pm.Then they are lured into the aviary with cracked corn (which is given as a treat-not a stapple!). Once in the aviary the girls are safe from predators; namely fox and hawks.

Surviving Winter

2010-01-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

The girls are managing winter well. Only on the coldest days are they confined to the coop. Yesterday we had a record seven (7) eggs- trying to figure out which hen did NOT contribute. I have started supplementing the hens' diet with flaxseed, as their days to free range are limited. Our household does not generate enough compost material to share with the flock and due to the lack of access to foragable foods such as bugs, slugs, seeds and grass- the girls simple are not getting enough wholesome nutrients. Sound familar?

Mabeline's Aura

2010-01-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

This aura, created from the camera flash, was comforting. Jay and I decided this was the best way to honor or give thanks to the gift God gave us.

I realize some readers may be offended; however, our birds are treated better than most birds on the commercial market. Many of you know this. Many become vegan when the learn the truth about where their food actually comes from and how it is processed. The hawk did the "dirty" work for us; Jay and I carried out the rest of the process- which included plucking feathers by hand, cleaning the cavity (which, surprisingly, was really not nearly as bad as I imagined) and singeing stubborn feathers off.

It was a laborious and time consuming task.

Now we both really can appreciate the five dollar rotisserie chickens we pick up at Wegman's from time to time. It is a deal, but lately I wonder what price we are really paying- what are the hidden costs to society? How safe is our food? It may be delicious but is it really nutritious? Too many unanswered questions- but they are worth asking and investigating--don't we owe that to ourselves and our children?

A dual purpose chicken is a good layer, producing ~an egg per day. "Duals" can also provide meat. This chicken was raised to lay eggs and thus not fattened up (called finishing in the business). Factory massed birds do not free range- many have no room to turn around and are so obese they cannot hold their own weight; their bones are brittle- think osteoporosis. This was NOT the case with our free range chicken. While breast meat was fair-wing and leg meat is tough and leg bones were very strong and difficult to break. Provided nourishment for three adults; two meals: roast and chicken and rice soup.

Hawk Attack!

2010-01-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

Real farmers know you don't name your live stock; hippy chick-farmer wannabes don't listen. On Thursday, January 7, I shoveled out a swath of grass on the path to the coop. My intention was to let the girls feast on some fresh grass in this winter wonderland. Every instinct in my body told me this was a BAD idea. Ever since the girls were just a few months old they avoided the open areas in our yard, preferring to navigate through this part of the yard quickly in order to find a safer area to roam. The pines offer a perfect retreat and the girls know this. Knowing that this open area could place the girls in danger, I strategically placed a few stakes over the path to deter hawks from swooping down on my girls as they grazed. Returning to the house I had an uneasy feeling and I continued to look out the window onto the backyard every few minutes.

Eventually, I convinced myself that the girls would be fine and I stopped looking out the window.

That afternoon, around 3:30, my son looked out the window and asked what all the feathers were doing in the path. I completely panicked and searched in vain for my winter coat- which was hanging on the back of a chair in plain sight. Jay heard my screams and came out from the studio to see what all the commotion was about. I spotted the hawk on the ground near the coop, sitting up straight in the garden near the “wishing well” (a project in progress). The hawk was large and it was guarding his victim. Jay moved in and retrieved our girl- but it was too late.

Only three chickens were in the coop. Frantic and sobbing uncontrollably, I ran off to try and locate the rest of the flock. Jay located Ditzy and Jenny under the deck and made two seperate trips carrying each bird from under the deck to the coop. I was in the neighbor’s yard tracking foot prints in the snow. I spotted the hawk sailing effortlessly in the sky above, which provoked me to scream furiously at it as I shook my fist in the air. I was just climbing out of a snowbank near the roadway when I realized I must have looked like a complete lunitic to the people passing by in their cars.

We identified Mabeline as the unfortunate one and Jay placed her gently near the aviary and the search for the last two missing girls continued. The path was covered in black feathers- which did not belong to Mabeline. Martha and Eleanore were accounted for; they were in the coop. I feared Elizabeth (Lizzy) may have been taken too, as she was still missing and a Black Australorp. Thankfully, Jay found her and Susan B. Anthony under the pines near the coop. We lost one…it could have been much worse.

Dear Friends,

I implore you: Trust your instincts; listen to your intuition.

A close call for Lizzy, but she is just missing feathers- not a scratch on her. The girls puff up their feathers when they sense danger...now we understand why they do this. They freely give up their feathers this way when attacked- making it harder for their prey to latch onto their flesh.

Turf Wars; Green Grass VS. Artificial Turf

2010-01-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.njea.org/pdfs/HS_GrassTurf_May08.pdf Currently, the Webster School District, like many schools across America, are encouraging citizens to consider picking up the cost of artificial turf. The hippy chick in me, which was recently reawakened, largely due to reacquainting myself with the "green movement" (which first arose back in the seventies) is shouting loudly..."Heck NO! We' d rather mow!"
Artificial turf does not "sanitize" itself like natural grass. The process to clean artificial turf is high maintenance. At best, artificial turf lasts ten years. While turf salesmen and saleswomen state that the materials used in artificial turf can be recycled (speculation- based on the belief that someone might find a use for the spent material) the cost to remove this artificial playing surface, once spent, is expensive. Costs to remove such waste will only continue to rise as landfills around the Nation continue to fill up to capacity with our garbage. No one welcomes a garbage dump with open arms. The message from citizens is always the same, "Not in my backyard!" Seems to me that most urban and suburban dwellers don't mind dumps located in far away communities-often very rural, as long as they don't have to see or smell it...and be sure the waste- our waste- does not leach into our water supplies. Out of sight....are we out of our minds?
Please follow the link to njea (artificial turf) and post your comment.
http://www.njea.org/pdfs/HS_GrassTurf_May08.pdfppwPpppww.njea.org/pdfs/HS_GrassTuorf_May08.pdf

So this is Free Ranging (in the winter).

2010-01-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

Okay...maybe clearing a swath of perfectly good grass was NOT a good idea. I imagined the girls would eat the grass...not dig to CHINA! Their feet were coated black with the soil they dug in. Later, when I held Ditzy, she reminded what it felt like to be six and allowed to dig in the dirt. My mama was never afraid to let us, her children, explore the world around us...Oddly, I feel the need to provide just the same nuturing to "my girls" as that which I recieved from my own mama. Gosh she's the best! BTW, Happy Birthday, MOM. Luv ya.
~Karen

Happy New Year; Welcome to our Winter Wonderland

2010-01-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

Amazingly beautiful.

I am thankful I still appreciate the beauty of a heavy, but fluffy light snowfall. I actually enjoy shoveling, which is good, as the path to the coop seems far longer now that I have to shovel it to and fro! The girls are never happy to be cooped up...and I feel bad that they have no where to range free. While shoveling the path I found that the grass is still "spring" fresh. I may dig out a large swath and let them graze.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T07:35:00.000-08:00

Cat Asserts Territory

2009-12-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

Peepers, our cat, asserts her ownership of crabtree- which is located just outside our entry door. Clearly, she was fed up with sharing her tree with the chickens. I am hoping for a sign that world peace is possible;
I will be sure to video Peepers and the chickens if they ever choose to cohabitate in the tree-Peacefully.
Peace and Goodwill to all...

Love,
Karen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoLV5m9Eujw

View post Who's at the Door 12/07/2009

A Civil War Hen Fact

2009-12-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

During the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate Army, carried a hen with him so the hen could lay fresh eggs for his beakfast.

Huge egg!

2009-12-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

Beautiful eggs from my beautiful girls!No wonder the egg was so big; a double yolk;twins!

Winter Blues

2009-12-15T17:30:00.000-08:00

Just for fun, Karen's Backyard Chicken Blog has a new look.
The girls are still frolicking all over the yard. As long as the wind isn't blowing fiercely, I believe they will continue to venture outside. They do not like to be cooped up and they do not hesitiate to vocalize their displeasure with me when I close them up into the aviary which is attached to the back side of their coop.
The girls are five and one half months old now. Three are laying: Yolanda, Ditzy and Mabeline (I think). Yolanda's eggs are light brown with small white specks. Ditzy's are a soft beige/brown all over. Mabeline's eggs are dark brown. One of the girls layed an egg without the shell in the yard under some pine branches that came down during last week's strong winds. I am not concerned, as this is common according to experienced keepers.

Brrr Chilll!!!

2009-12-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

Three brave chickens came out of the coop today. The rest remained inside-they don't like the cold and wind any more than we do! The coop is insulated; however, it is not heated. After researching the care of chickens- I took heed of the warning not to heat the coop. If the coop was heated the birds would not have acclimated to the cold, therefore if we experienced a power outage the entire flock could perish during the outage. The birds I keep, Barred Plymouth Rocks, New Hampshires, Rhode Island Reds and Black Australorps are all winter hardy. I may have to protect their feet and combs from frostbite- using a gel such as that used on cow udders. It's no wonder I felt right at home wearing an oversized flannel shirt today! I am turning into a farmgirl!

Who's at the Door?

2009-12-07T17:47:00.000-08:00

"Honey, someone's at the door- could you get it?"

Our First Egg!

2009-12-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

On November 28, 2009, Yolanda laid her first egg; she is now officially a hen. Yolanda was very vocal all morning and pacing back and forth from the coop to the side yard. In the afternoon, I traversed the yard to locate the flock- to insure their whereabouts (no need for them to be crossing the road or visiting neighbors' yards). Yolanda was not with the flock. Worried, I stepped up my search and located a wide eyed Yolanda sitting atop our potting bench which is tucked under the deck. Talk about being at the right place at the right time- she laid the egg right then and there- I scooped it up and ran into the studio to report the joyful event. Jay was in the midst of a large family portrait as I bounded into the portrait session with the freshly laid egg. Luckily, guests of our studio are always gracious when they encounter our "farm animals" and the enthusiastic wife.
I invited one guest to touch the warm egg; I proclaimed that it was still warm, so when after touching the egg and in fact finding it warm- I was slightly disheartened when she frowned and hastily retreated her hand from the egg.
This experience made me realize just how much we have lost touch with practices that were once common, everyday occurrences, in just a few generations.

A few days later I had three beautiful brown eggs for breakfast. My grandmother, Sara, taught me how to prepare eggs sunny-side up. When I stayed at her house, she always rose out of bed earlier than me. She would not cook breakfast for me if I straggled too long- which I always did; however, she taught me how to make perfect eggs! The yolks on these fresh eggs were so proud that when I initially turned them over I didn't think they were going to cook evenly because the whites were not laying flat like they do with less than "oh-so-fresh" eggs. Hard to believe that Gram would have been 100 years old, just a day after my Yolanda laid her first egg. Momma Jozina and cousin Jo P. say Gram would be proud of my flock. Thanks for the lessons Gram!

The Tell Tail Heart ATTACK!

2009-12-07T08:25:00.000-08:00

A visit from this mouse was NOT welcome! While reaching inside the food bin- with both hands, to refill the chick feeder, this little field mouse was scrambling frantically for safety. To say I was startled is a gross understatement! I ran to the studio to explain the reason for the blood curdling screams that disrupted the quite autumn afternoon and to assure my family that I was indeed safe and not needing emergency assistance. I returned to the coop with the aide of a willing boy who was visiting the studio with his family. We turned the field mouse loose near the small wood pile just outside the coop. We were both amazed how far this little creature could leap. The thirst for freedom is a powerful motivator.

How Sweet it is!

2009-11-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

Fresh local apples and a handy gadget that peels and cores apples in a jiffy...and Voila! Okay, so I have been cheating with the store bought pie crusts from Pillsbury--"America's #1 Pie Crust," so the label claims. The ingredients listed do contain partially hydrogenated lard- but hey, it's pie for goodness sake-a treat. Treats are not intended to be staples of a healthy diet; so why are America's shopping carts filled with potato chips and pop each week? Chew on this "food for thought" this Thanksgiving.

Apples and Omega 3 Fatty Acids; for Jim

2009-10-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

A bushel of Cortland apples; yum! The porch is bursting with ferns and a few geraniums. Soon they will head upstairs to surround the indoor pond we create for the goldfish. Good thing we did not remodel and take down the groovy mirrors and grow lights from the 1980's. The space has come in handy for wintering over plants and having a mini paradise throughout the cold winter- which is coming soon enough.

Jim stumbled onto this blog while searching for information on Omega 3 fatty acids and eggs.

Current research suggest that a healthy diet should include essential fatty acids such as Omega 3. Industrial farm practices have greatly reduced the amounts of fatty acids in the foods we commonly eat. My free range chickens will provide me with brown eggs rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Check out the November issue of Prevention Magazine for more information on this topic and other health and wellness tips.

P.S. Mom, keep eating that Albacore tuna--it's rich in Omega 3's. Wild salmon (NOT farmed salmon) is also a good source of Omega 3's.

Who's Following?

2009-10-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

I am inspired by those of you out there who are reading my posts and checking in from time to time. I am extreamly curious to know who all of you are!

Please take a moment to reply to this post with a simply message- Let me know how we are connected: Are you a former student or the family member of a student? Are you a member of my family or a friend of a family member? Are you a friend- or the friend of a friend? Did you stummble on the blog and are here following links to other blogs and such?

Just curious to know who is responsible for making the visitor counter rise so steadily (with the exception of my mom and me checking in three time a day)!
Thanks for following:>)

Sincerely, Karen
This is the only photo I had readily on hand! With the holidays fast approaching I wanted to share this product. While I should be making pie crust from scratch- I love this product! (Thanks Amy)

Cortland apples are my preferred choice for apple pie.

Why Chickens?

2009-10-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

The question on everyones' mind is "Why Chickens?" Most of you want to know why I had the desire to raise and keep chickens. I suppose it was curiosity that prompted me to this adventure.

Like many of you, I have been challenged by the "green" movement to learn where our food comes from. Fairly recent reports on e-coli outbreaks on spinach coupled with information on farming practices, particularly egg and poultry factories (they can hardly be called farms as we know them) led me to research the long tradition of keeping backyard chickens.

Having read the benefits of free-ranging foul and the lack of omega-3 in factory produced eggs, I was ready to try my hand at raising a flock of my own.

Introducing My Girls; guest starring- Ditzy

2009-10-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Check out October 1 video of Chickens trespassing; navigate to older posts.

Ditzy Now! You can tell by her crooked toes...

2009-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

Ditzy Chick

2009-10-11T16:37:00.001-07:00

The Backyard: click on photo to view

2009-10-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

We fell in love with our property when we first set eyes on the backyard. Over the last nine years we have taken approximately seventy (70) trees off the property! Jay "stitched" a few photos together to display the wonderful view we now have looking out onto the backyard.
The chickens roam freely during the day when we are home. They have done some damage to the gardens but the "girls" are so rewarding to watch and care for that we have forgiven their trespasses; however, in the spring we will be adding some fencing to prevent them from all but destroying everything in sight. The chickens did do more damage then I expected-especially in the vegetable garden when they discovered the summer squash and the tomato plants. Good grief! They are so lucky that I am crazy about them (and I suspect hubby is too)!

The Start of Something Good

2009-10-07T17:35:00.000-07:00

Jay's parents have a way with picking out gifts that turn into hobbies,
-gone wild!
Jay's successful photography studio started with the Pentax camera his parents bought him for his high school graduation gift.
This gift-the Vino Vida-prompted Jay to try his hand at producing wine. He has been so successful that he has stashed a few bottles of Pino Grigio (my fav!) to save for reserve; but alas, he has stated that I enjoy it so much (edited for young audiences- substitute words in italic for words that rhyme with pink and past) he"ll never be able to have a reserve. Oh well, any decent wine maker or wine connoisseur knows that white wine should be consumed young- reds age well- and Jay consumes the reds! Touche!

The Stairway Garden

2009-10-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

This was the view from the new deck Jay built last year. Wow, he did a fantastic job!
It is so nice to enjoy the fruits of our labor- and I mean OUR (mostly Jay's) labor.
Plans are in my head to continue the staircase and finish it off with a "sunken" garden.
Soon the fish will need to come in- they cannot winter over in our too shallow pond.

chicken coop

2009-10-07T09:46:00.001-07:00

Downsizing Chickens

2009-10-06T10:38:00.000-07:00

13-4=9 That's the equation. That is the new size of my flock as of this morning.
Yesterday my neighbor Bea called and inquired whether or not I was willing to sell a few birds to her cousin. Jay and I have been considering downsizing the flock for a while now. The girls are so much bigger and winter is fast approaching. As the weather turns colder, I know that thirteen birds cooped up is too many.
Bea's cousin Ruth, who used to babysit for us when she lived across the street, came over with her husband. My girls dutifully followed me to the coop when they arrived. I spent some time deciding which girls I would be willing to adopt out- I wouldn't think of parting with Cher, Mabeline or Lizzy (Elizabeth Cady Stanton). Having four Rhode Island Reds I parted with two- Henny and Penny. I kept Jenny and Yolanda (I think!) Itsy Bitsy also has a new home (she is a New Hampshire). I kept her sisters Susan B. Anthony and Ditzy (who is not a rooster after all!) Lastly, Mariah, one of three Plymouth Rocks, couldn't handle to be separated from Itsy Bitsy or Penny so she jumped up onto the crate that was to transport them to their new chicken condo. I was relieved Mariah made the move because I know she is with those she pals around with and she will be happy.
All this happened so fast- but I know the birds will be happier and healthier as they have more room in the coop and I will spend less money on feed and such. I am also looking forward to a cleaner coop- which has been my obsession these last few months~!

trespassing

2009-10-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

Okay...I am fine with the chickens roosting in the pine trees next to the road- only because they all came running when they heard me sweeping the coop with a broom- which they usually fear! So after realizing that they will be fine in the pines, I thought I was homefree... until this morning.
As Jay (hubby) was eating breakfast he spotted a chicken roaming about in front of the huge silver maples. My flock made their way into the front of the studio. As I was putting on my shoes (a pair I have assigned to coop duties) he was laughing and continued to laugh as I made my way out the door to investigate. Sure enough...they were out front- in the neighbor"s yard just beyond the row of bushes that separate our yards. Yikes! I had to trespass around the bushes and shooed them into our yard. Thankfully the flock of thirteen then dutifully followed me back to the coop. They were richly rewarded with some scatch feed; however, Sunday chicken dinner is starting to sound good!

Come Follow Us

2009-10-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Free Ranging

2009-09-30T17:31:00.000-07:00

13 Naughty Chickens roaming too far from the coop; Henny is the ringleader-she is a pioneer that needs to let her feet roam. Just why she started to lead the flock into a stand of pine trees along the road is unclear. If by chance they actually make it across the road, will I be forced to ask the age old question? Why....?
Jay is a sport and uses a large broom to shoo them out from under the pines and I holler and move the chickens down into the backyard-usually with our dog on a lease encouraging her to chase them too. After doing this three times in one morning- I enlisted Steven to wield the broom. He managed to get most into the aviary. The last few needed extra persuasion- which put me in a FOUL mood!