I'm a little late, but we just celebrated NATIONAL POULTRY DAY. Well, you know you don't have to encourage me to celebrate chickens (and turkeys and ducks and quail). So here are a few facts you may not know about chickens! 1. Chickens can run at 9MPH, but they can't fly far. Their flight is more of a flutter-assisted hop. You won't ever see chickens soaring like eagles. 2. Chickens do not … [Read more...]
Cock-a-doodle Roo!
Four months ago, I hatched nine Silky chicks. They were/are adorable, and now they're mature. I have them all in a separate coop, and it's been fun to listen to the roosters learning to crow. One of them sounds like one of those old "a-oooo-gah" cars--know what I mean? He's really chesty and raspy and masculine. Another sounds like he has asthma and can't get his breath--or like he's too … [Read more...]
The Day I Did Not Kill a Chicken
In 2018, the year I began my flock, I lost half of them (about seven hens) to a terrible virus called Marek's. Even though they had been vaccinated, my birds began to exhibit signs of the disease--splayed legs, curled toes, drunken walk, etc. I took the first two victims to the vet, where I received the diagnosis and ended up paying about $100 each time to euthanize the birds. I cried, and the … [Read more...]
Husbands and chickens and possums, oh my!
In 2017, we moved to a house on a larger lot. In 2018, I implemented my dream of having chickens. They are entertaining, excellent pets, and always a source of adventure. Last night we had another night to remember. My chickens have two areas: the run, a huge wire pen, and the coop, where they sleep at night. The large coop has an automatic door, which closes at sunset and opens in the … [Read more...]