Time for a poultry break

Remember in Bloom County, when the world just got to be too much, Milo and friends would head out to the field for a "dandelion break"? Well, I just got back from a poultry break. Until I find out if we are or are not buying a new house, I can't start packing up and painting this one. Instead, I sat with the girls for awhile, and decided to regale my blog readers with some chickens. This is a poultry-rich post, so skip it if you don't get the point of it all. I'm not a sentimental girl, but I love my pet chickens.

Here are the girls:

Starting from the front, that's Portia (crested Polish) on the right, in front of Lindy (silver-laced Wyandotte). Janet is the buff Orpington on the left in all her golden feathery splendor, with Georgia Rae, the black Australorp right in the middle. Daisy is the light Brahma in the rear left (only you can't see her feathery feet in this shot. And Xena, Warrior Chicken (a bantam or part bantam of unknown heritage) stays off in the rear.

Portia, our "foofy-headed chicken," is a bit flighty so it's hard to get pictures of her in focus. She's the nervous nellie of the group. Janet and Daisy, behind her, are part of our original flock and came to me at one day old about 3 years ago. Georgia Rae came with them. The other three have gone to that great henhouse in the sky.

There were also, at one time, Debbie and Lorraine, two birds I liberated from the local egg farm. They didn't last too long because, not being streetwise they decided to find out once and for all why chickens DO cross the road. They never found out. But they were wonderful to watch and I got  great pleasure out of seeing them adjust to grass beneath their feet and warm sunshine on their feathers. Although I only had them a few months, I feel like at least they got to experience the great outdoors and a nice relaxing lifestyle that included scratching up bugs, running to the kitchen window for treats, and laying eggs in a pile of brush instead of onto a conveyor belt. Their beaks had been mostly chopped off  by the egg farm people (because cage living in close quarters makes you peck-y) but they managed just fine. Here are a couple of photos of them from 2004:

Don't underestimate the powerful beauty of the dustbath. You can bet chickens in egg factories don't get them. Not only do dustbaths help get rid of parasites, but chickens go into an altered state of nirvana when they're taking one, especially if it's sunny out. Quite a sight, if you like looking at blissed-out chickens and stuff.

Here is Hoss (like from Bonanza; we didn't name him), who came to us like so many of our pets, as a hand-me-down. He wasn't fat when we got him, but once we got him accustomed to living indoors instead of outside on a six-foot-leash on a concrete slab, year-round, he came to embrace the good life rather quickly. He has little interest in the birds; more in their treats. Today it was sunflower seeds so he got bored. The girls don't quite trust him but he doesn't bother them.

I had planned on adding two more chicks this spring, but if we do move I might not be able to brood them at home. Having a crate with chickens under your computer desk (why, so you can have bonding time during the day, of course!) doesn't go over well with prospective buyers. We'll see.

And last, I'll leave you with the late, great Sally. She was not my buff Orpington; she came in the same batch as my first chicks in 2003 but went to live with my friend Beth. Sadly, she fell victim to a skunk this month and is no longer with us. Typical of buff Orpingtons, Sally went broody last year, meaning she got determined to hatch out some eggs. Since neither Beth or I had a rooster, we had no fertile eggs. So Beth managed to score two fertile ones from the same farm where Portia (the foofy-headed one, remember) came from.

Sally dutifully brooded, hatched out, and raised two chicks. The one visible below is actually Portia's biological child (the other is under her feathers). You can almost tell from the picture how strong a maternal bond Sally had with her chicks. We had a great time watching her show them how to scratch and how to eat. She broke up their food for them, protected them in times of danger and from the other chickens to the point of drawing blood on any bullies. Obviously, if you are still reading this, you know I have a thing for chickens. Well, if you could hear the mother-y noises Sally used to make to these two chicks, you would melt. Adorable.

But enough about that. I've got cleaning to do and yarn to sell and the day is slipping away. And you need to get back to work and not waste your time on frivolous chicken stuff.

Comments

[Libby]

I totally envy you and your chickens and your doggie and your land.

I live in a condo in Seattle. No chickens, no doggies. Lucky! :)

[christine]

I love the farm animal pictures ---I don't think I've ever seen a chicken up close........poor me!

[hornblower]

I'm so glad you posted about your chickie girls! They sound fab. My kids are agitating for a pet chickie but I have to say the avian influenza thing is kind of worrying me. Aren't backyard flocks more vulnerable? I have heard that free range farms in Holland must either vaccinate their birds or put them inside....

[Rise]

Ooh, such a timely post. I have recently been thinking of getting some chickens for our farm. I haven't discussed it with DH yet. I'm not sure he would go for the whole idea. Problem is I don't know the first thing about raising/keeping them. Do you know the best place on the web for such info?

[Kat]

I didn't realize how badly I needed the poultry break until I took it. They are wonderful. Thank you.

[Christina in Washington]

Thanks for the chicken pictures! My sister and I raised a pair of cochens (from a few days old) when we were much younger. They are so much fun!

[Cindy]

I am so envious. I have always, always wanted to have chickens. You are so lucky. BTW, your pup looks like a bigger and older Dylan Thomas (my pup).

[scout]

I can't wait to show these to my kids!

[Carrie]

Frivolous chicken stuff? The one time there's a legitimate use of the phrase "chicken shit"...
They are lovely, though. The foofy one reminds me of a stained glass quilt of a chicken. My aunt would just die from her loveliness.

[Donna]

Now you're making me want chickens! Twinkie is fond of a dustbath too :)

[Manise]

I have a black lab and 2 conures (small parrots), but would really LOVE to have a few chickens. Yours are beauties! I grew up hearing neighboring roosters crow and chickens clucking. Such a comforting sound. Thanks for the chicken rich post!

[Kelly]

Your chickens are great. I think Portia is my favoriate.

[Jane]

I really enjoyed seeing and reading about your chickens. Even though it's the city, the guy a couple doors up from my son has chickens. We see them walking around sometimes, but that's the closest I've been to live chickens in a long time.

[Natalie]

I love your chickens, they are so pretty! My kitchen is decorated with a slight chicken theme. I'd love to have some real ones someday!

[lynne s of oz]

We want chooks, but bird flu is only one country away from us so no chooks for a while yet... what breed(s) do you recommend?

[jasmine]

I'll admit to not quite understanding the chicken thing. My sister, who grew up in the city like myself, moved out to 15 acres and soon acquired chickens and goats and sheep. Before my nieces came along she had chairs set up to go out and take a chicken break. My mother, not to be outdone (and to move closer to the grandchildren) moved just down the road and built a house on 12 acres and got chickens -- she just hatched out 17 chicks and has a broody hen working on her own eggs. I should post the stained glass window she just made and put in the chicken house. I will see if I can't get it in the blog this weekend.

[Teyani]

LOVE the chick & dog photos ! Labs are such great dogs. And I totally get it what you mean about taking the chicken break when the world is nuts. Keeping my fingers crossed out in WA.

[JessaLu]

v cute chickens - *sigh* someday!

[Heide]

Chickens are wonderfully relaxing to be around. Maybe it's their complete simplicity, but I enjoy listening to their clucking and talking.

Your kitchen looks beautiful too. We've been trying to prepare our house for selling too. Yours looks like it holds a great deal of charm, room and history. Ours was/is a 1970's rambler nightmare... complete with dark paneling, popcorn ceilings and dark shag carpet. All of which will be remedied, but the house will still be boring. I am so loving knitting with your yarn. I'll have enough left over to make either a small pair of socks or to mix with another color and do a patterned full-sized pair. Fun Fun fun!