Friday, July 16, 2010

Poppa Bear, Momma Bear and Baby bear?


Hahahaha. Here is a shot from my sister-in-law.
Her current chickens laid the big one, and her new chickies that just started laying laid the next two. What is UP with that little one?! hahahahaha.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Sookie laid her 2 eggs!


Yep! Yesterday, Sookie laid an egg in her kennel and then last night we took her back out to the coop to sleep with her sisters and this morning she laid the other. HIP HIP HORRAY!!!!
She's no longer egg-bound! She's a happy chicken.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Sookie: Egg Bound!





OK, so another chicken ordeal. Saturday, went out to the coop to pick up Barb's remaining feathers and saw Sookie. Sookie's vent was NOT attractive and it looked like she had hemorrhoids. I could tell she was in pain, because she want' moving or eating and was low to the ground. Took her to the vets. We were there for almost 5 hours and they took x-rays. Yep, TWO EGGS STUCK! Soooo, what does this mean? Since Saturday, we have been giving her antibiotics for a small infection around her vent, liquid calcium twice a day in a syringe in her mouth and vitamins in her water... along with extra oyster shells in her protein layer food and yogurt and greens. We cut the cracked corn. The vet said that this ordeal happened because all Sookie was eating was the cracked corn and not her layer food (which has all the calcium and vitamins to produce a strong egg to lay) Basically her shells on the eggs were too soft and thin to lay, hence them being stuck. So, now we wait. She's acting well. She seems like a normal bird. We dealt with her being sick last year and didn't think she would make it. But Dr. Mohan is just wonderful. He knows how to take care of birds! Because she's acting well could be that she's gone broody and doesn't want to lay yet. OR she laid them and ate them, if they were soft. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Green Chicken Coop: NEW WINDOW SHIPPED!



Well, I have to give a shout out at Green Chicken Coop. Dan at GCC was SO thoughtful! I sent him a letter with regards to Barb being taken by a predator from the coop. And before I knew it, I had a nice thoughtful email and a package at my front door within a few days. He personally rebuilt and mailed us a new stronger window. These guys at GCC are GREAT to deal with. They really do build wonderful coops. They have been showcased on the Martha Steward Show. We have the The Victoria design. We love it.
Thanks so much. We really do appreciate it! I will share new pics when it's installed.


Thursday, June 24, 2010

One of The First Ladies finally laid an egg!



GREAT NEWS!
One of The First Ladies (the hens of our friends in Ohio) finally laid an egg! Yep, my friends, Jeanne and David got their first egg! Here is a picture of proud David with the prize. It's a big one! It had double yolks!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

We will catch the beast!



WARNING: THIS IMAGE MAY MAKE PEOPLE SAD, seeing all the feathers.
However, I was telling my husband, at least whoever took her, didn't just kill her and run. He/she had her for dinner. No waste. We are setting out a trap this week. We are now being told, it may be a fox, since it did so much damage. STAY TUNED.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

RIP: Barb the chicken killed


It is with great sadness that I regret to report, our chicken, Barb was killed in the middle of the night, Thursday June 17th. It was a raccoon, we believe, that took her life. I was on vacation, so I did not see the mess and sadness the raccoon left. My husband, Dave was going out to feed the girls Friday morning when he noticed the feathers everywhere and the mesh wire was ripped apart in their coop window. So sad. No Barb. She was taken with just feathers left everywhere.


Barb was at the top of the pecking order. She was the bird in charge. She was the one that always let me pet her soft feathers. Yes, we may have called her the mean one at times... But she was the strongest of all of them. She was the alpha hen. We bet that she was picked by the raccoon because of her fight that she put up to protect her sisters.


She will be missed. I know some may say, "she's just a chicken". But when you raise them from day old peeps, and name them... They each have their own personalities.... It's just tough. She was a pet. And a great chicken.


We will miss ya Barb.


RIP.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Ouch! Very large egg!


My sister-in-law's chickens lay some big ones every once in a while. Geesh!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Thursday, April 22, 2010

The first ladies have made it to the white house!





So my friends, Jeanne and David decided to take up chickens. Yep. That's right. We're all getting inspired by chickens and their personalities and of course, their yummy eggs. So they moved their 8 Golden Comet hens into their new home. David built it. It's gorgeous. It even has a solar panel for the automatic door! Each hen is named after a first lady. I don't have the list... but how cute is that?! So here ya go folks. Some great shots of their new home, here in Ohio.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

5 eggs from 5 chickens!


Well, I am thinking that Sookie, our chicken that was sick last year, has layed an egg. We never thought she would lay.
We have 5 hens and this past weekend, I went out to the coop and found 5 distinctly different eggs!
How cool is that!?

Monday, March 29, 2010

It's that time of year again...

they totally gross me out...

  • Each Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps, shaped like chicks, as well as Marshmallow Bunnies and Marshmallow Eggs, making them the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.
  • As many as 4.2 million Marshmallow Peeps, bunnies, and other shapes can be made each day.
  • In 1953, it took 27 hours to create a Marshmallow Peep. Today it takes six minutes.
  • Yellow Peeps are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, and white.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Formation of an egg


Those are egg yolks that are maturing and then it goes into the oviduct and a day later out pops an egg! Sick. But cool at the same time.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Make 17 Meals from One Chicken


Yep, 1 chicken! However, I am not eating mine. Mine are for eggs. But this is pretty interesting!

Monday, March 1, 2010

HEN Salt & Pepper Shaker with Stand


The oval or egg shape salt & pepper shakers are made heavier at its base to keep the container upright. The magnet inside the base further keeps the container in position on the metal stand without falling down. The soft cover of the container can be easily removed by gripped its edge slightly to push out or separate from the plastic base.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Chicken Ark


Thanks for this cool forward, Ryan Gialames:


Go green and get fresh eggs for free with help from the Chicken Ark ($500). Handcrafted from renewable Douglas Fir timber, each ark provides space for up to four medium laying hens, and offers them a covered run, elevated roost, and separate nesting box — all the tools they need to leave you with nutritious eggs that are both better and cheaper than the one's you'll find at the local supermarket, while keeping your grass trim as a bonus.