Urban Chicken Adventure

New Girl Update

2010-04-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

The baby chicks are about four weeks old. I'm looking forward to moving them outside in a few weeks as the basement is starting to smell no matter how clean I keep their box. Also, they are clogging up their waterer faster than I can unclog it.

They aren't very fond of us yet. I handle them at least once a day, but it's completely terrifying for them. At least the part where I pick them up. If I let them perch on my hand or the rocking chair downstairs, they're a bit happier. I tried buying their affections with some plain yogurt. No luck. I'll have to keep trying treats until I find something they like.

Getting Started with Backyard Chickens

2010-04-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Check out my second guest post at digthedirt.com

First Blue Egg

2010-03-19T17:21:00.003-07:00

2010-03-19T17:21:00.001-07:00

Glamour Shots

2010-03-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

2010-03-17T09:01:00.001-07:00

2010-03-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh, What's in Here?

2010-03-13T12:09:00.000-08:00

Meet the New Girls!

2010-03-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

Ben wanted a Jersey Giant (top) and we also got an Australorp (under).
I know, we are crazy.

2010-03-12T16:57:00.001-08:00

Chickens: A Cost Benefit Analysis

2010-03-07T15:17:00.001-08:00

Please check out my guest post at digthedirt.com.

2010-03-07T13:27:00.001-08:00

Wing Clipping

2010-02-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

I finally had to bite the bullet and clip the girls' wings. On Saturday, Ginger went missing and I was worried she went over the fence and became a dog's breakfast. Really, she was taking a dirt bath behind one of the azaleas. Then, this morning, our lab, Hoover, took a run at the flock and Colonel Sanders flew to the top of the shed. I immediately went to the house for clipping supplies.

The hens practically crawled in my lap for the privilege of getting clipped. I squatted down and placed an old towel on my thigh to prevent getting scratched. I had corn starch at the ready in case I clipped too far back and somebirdy started bleeding. Then I took one birds at a time and spread one wing. I cut the longest feathers with a sharp scissors in a line with the shorter feathers, erring on the side of leaving them too long. It was much easier and less traumatizing than I had feared, for me and the birds.

You can see a few snipped feathers on the walkway under Estelle.

EGGS!

2010-02-25T19:36:00.004-08:00

After work, I went out to the coop to give the girls fresh water. I checked the nest. Nada. When I was getting more feed out of the metal garbage in the corner of the coop and looked down to see...an egg! Lying right there in the pine chips on the side of the metal bin. I looked further back...another egg! Someone (probably Estelle) had been busy (and sneaky). Obviously, they are not keen on the 5-gallon pail nest I made them, so I grabbed an empty milk crate and stuck it in the corner where I found the eggs. After taking photos for posterity, we ate the finest eggs I've ever tasted.

2010-02-25T19:36:00.003-08:00

2010-02-25T19:36:00.001-08:00

2010-02-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

Hankering for Some Exotic Breeds

2010-02-14T14:49:00.000-08:00

The chicken calendar on my fridge is displaying a gorgeous Silver Spangled Hamburg hen for the month of February. She makes my Rhode Island Reds look positively plain.

When I decided to keep chickens, I was sure that egg production was all I cared about. Who needs fancy? Like all hobbies, it's not a matter of need, it's a matter of obsession.

The Urban Farm store got their first batch of chicks on Friday, and apparently I'm not the only one with chicken fever. By the time I got there on Saturday to stock up on oyster shell and 5 grain scratch, there were only about a dozen chicks left. It was all I could do to stop myself from snatching up the last two Brahmas.

However, I can't get more birds without building a bigger run. Well, maybe I could squeeze in two more...a big run is a good summer project...and the farm store is getting Silkies in on Monday!

Poultry Vengeance

2010-02-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

Came home from work yesterday and realized I'd left the coop door closed. Girls practically exploded into the run. They missed a day of beautiful sunshine. I may be projecting, but I believe they were punishing me by pecking extra hard when I fed them some grain from my hand. Estelle even jump to peck my hand when I was putting the lid back on the can where I keep the feed.

Needless to say, no eggs were laid during their unjust incarceration.

Egg Watch

2010-02-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous, sunny day in Portland. Rather a rarity in February. As I sat at my desk, longing to be out in the sun, I became convinced that today was the day I would find the first egg in the nest. The days are getting longer, the girls are getting older. Call it an egg premonition.

We hustled home and before even entering the house I went back to the coop to check the lay box. The girls were out in the run, soaking up sunshine. I fancied that Ginger looked rather proud. I opened the door to the coop and held my breath.

Nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

I long for the day when I can be nonchalant about egg collecting. As it stands now, cracking that first egg is nearly all I can think about.

Lay Box for Cheapskates

2010-02-07T19:24:00.001-08:00

A lay box for the financially impaired, or those without carpentry skills. I screwed this five gallon pail into the wall of the coop about two feet off the ground. I still need to block off the bottom a bit so the eggs don't roll out. A wooden dowel should do the trick. Or, if I get lazy, duct tape.

Egg Watch

2010-01-31T14:12:00.000-08:00

I was trying to take a picture of the poop and the chicken got in the way. I believe that yellow glob behind her is a malformed egg, which can happen before a chicken has started regular laying. It can't be too much longer!

Egg Watch

2010-01-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

I just discovered that Rhode Island Reds could begin laying as early as 16 weeks. Then I realized that the two older girls, Ginger and Estelle, have redder combs and wattles than they used to, which is a sign of maturity. I better start checking the lay box regularly. I plan to make a video of Nora collecting the first egg.E

2010-01-04T13:01:00.001-08:00

The girls did quite a bit of poking around the garden on Saturday.

2010-01-04T12:59:00.002-08:00

2010-01-04T12:59:00.001-08:00

Lights!

2009-12-06T14:47:00.000-08:00

It's cold in Portland this week. We are keeping the chick light on in the coop at night and have moved that waterer under it to prevent freezing. I am also having to check the plastic on the windows and make repairs as needed. We started with just plastic and staples, but the wind kept pulling the plastic down. Then we made some wood lathing and stapled that up. That worked for awhile but anotehr wind storm pulled the staples right out of the wood. Now I have used nails. I'm wishing I would have started with the strongest measures instead of having to do this chore three times.

2009-11-26T08:36:00.000-08:00

Progress

2009-11-23T07:50:00.001-08:00

Estelle ate a raisin out of my hand yesterday! The sun was shining after raining for most of the day. Nora and I grabbed some raisins and went out to the run to coax the girls outside. I sprinkled raisins all the way down the ramp and Estelle trotted out and ate a raisin from my outstretched palm. This made Nora nervous. "Put it down!" she cried. I think both sides still need some more trust building exercises.

2009-11-22T09:30:00.002-08:00

2009-11-22T09:30:00.001-08:00

2009-11-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

Cooped Up

2009-11-17T07:18:00.000-08:00

The girls hardly ever come out into the run. Granted, the weather is usually rainy, but even when it's nice I have to herd them out of the coop and into the run. Perhaps we'll get a proper cover built and then move their food out there.

Boring Chicken Movie

2009-11-12T06:46:00.001-08:00

Chicken Chaser

2009-11-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

This touching moment was captured at Kruger Farm on Sauvie Island in October. The boy was apprehended shortly after this photo was taken.

Chicken Calendar

2009-11-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

Estelle & Ginger

Approximate DOB: Sept. 3rd
12 Weeks - Switch to developer feed: Nov. 26th
20 Weeks - Switch to layer feed: Jan. 15th
6 Months - Begin laying: Mar. 3rd

Colonel Sanders & Sally Turtle

Approximate DOB: Oct. 1st
12 Weeks - Switch to developer feed: Dec. 24th
20 Weeks - Switch to layer feed: Feb. 12th
6 months - Begin laying: Apr. 1st

Stats

2009-11-09T09:44:00.001-08:00

Our coop measures 10 x 14. It has windows along the entire west wall which are covered in hardware cloth and plastic sheeting. Eventually, we'll install shutters instead of plastic.

The existing structure is much larger and built in the 1940s without the aid if a level or measuring tape; I say this to explain that the run is level with the earth, the coop is not!

The run is 4 x 12. It is made of 2 x 4s and hardware cloth. We attached hardware cloth to the bottom and dug a trench around the perimeter, flaring out the hardware cloth and burying it to keep predators from tunneling in.

Peek-a-boo

2009-11-08T07:41:00.001-08:00

Very rainy yesterday. I looked out the window to the backyard and saw Estelle in the doorway of the run staring out forlornly.

Colonel Sanders & Sally Turtle

2009-11-07T06:49:00.002-08:00

2009-11-07T06:49:00.001-08:00

Chicken Tasks for This Weekend

2009-11-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

1. Spread more pine chips.
2. Nail cleats on ramp.
3. Add another roost.
4. Clip wings.
5. Add plastic or plywood to a section of the top of the run for rain protection.

New Girls

2009-11-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

We picked up the girls after work last night. They were very talkative on the way home, unlike Estelle and Ginger. I had to traumatize them as soon as they came out of the box, as their legbands were getting tight and needed to be removed. I left some raisins in apology.

Ben and Nora have the honors of naming these two. Ben is thinking he'll name the Ameraucana "Colonel Sanders." He says girls can be Colonels, too. Nora is having a tough time making up her mind (she is a toddler, after all). First it was "Helicopter," then "Sally Lou," then "Sally Sue" and currently, "Sally Turtle."

It was already too dark to get good picks. I'll get some tonight.

My Sister Wants Me to Get Ducks

2009-11-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

This photo was her means of enticement:

Email Exchange with My Brother re: the Girls

2009-11-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

Steve: Damn cool. They’re adorable. How is Hoover adapting to life with the girls?
Are the wings clipped so they can’t fly out of the yard?

Me: So far, there has always been a barrier between Hoover and the girls. He is a spaz, but starting to calm down. I haven't done any wing clipping yet, but it needs to be done. I'm a bit freaked out at the thought. I'm sure it will generate a post of it's own when it happens! You're supposed to wait until evening, when the birds are nice and docile. I may just wait until the middle of the night!

Steve: So you are going to get 2 more yet for a total of 4? 3 Rhode Island Reds and 1 Ameraucana?
How social are they? Do they need company? Like parties? Are they gossips?

Me: Yep, we pick up the other Rhode Island and the Ameraucana tomorrow. The two we have think that they are only one chicken. They are never more than 8 inches from one another and whisper to each other, "Now it's time to take a drink...now it's time to eat...now it's time to scratch." Chickens are very social. That's why you need at least two. Also, they also have a
hierarchical social structure (pecking order), so you want to join groups of birds, not just add them one at a time. The single addition would get picked on.

Everyone says chickens are stupid but I don't see it. They knew right away where the door to get in the run was and would peck at it befoer it had ever opened. They listen carefully when they are outside and imitate other bird noises. They watch you dig and wait for worms to fall from the shovel.

I'll get back to you on the gossiping -- if they gossip, I'll find out when the new girls arrive!

Susan Orlean with her Chickens

2009-11-02T15:55:00.001-08:00

Garden Party

2009-10-31T19:08:00.001-07:00

Let the girls out to run around the yard unfettered. They spent most of time under the steps of the coop. We were finishing up the predator proofing of the run and as we dug in the hardware cloth, we threw them all the worms we found. Nora fed them raisins. I think they are starting to like us.

Our Other Little Chicken

2009-10-31T14:05:00.001-07:00

Survived the Night

2009-10-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

Whew! Checked on the girls this morning and they were alive and still a bit bewildered. Had bad dreams of racoons scaling the walls and entering through the three inch space between the wall and the roof that doesn't have hardware cloth on it yet.

The Girls are Home

2009-10-22T20:21:00.002-07:00

The girls came home in a cardboard box. They were very quiet on the way home. I turned the radio off so they wouldn't get sensory overload. Nora chatted and squealed all the way home. When we opened the box in the coop, they were hunkered down in terror. After a few seconds the larger and darker of the two (I named her Estelle), popped up. The smaller one was the first to venture out of the box. I'm calling her Ginger and she's already my favorite. Nora helped stock the feeder and we gave them fresh water. It didn't take them long to find it. We got them some raisins to ingratiate ourselves. I haven't figured out the pecking order yet. I thought Estelle was in charge but when she pecked at Ginger to stay away from the raisins, Ginger was unphased.

I set up a heat lamp for them, but they didn't need it. I checked on them twice and they were not huddled under it. I think I'll only use it when the temperature gets down in the thirties.

When we went back in the house to make dinner, I have to say I felt smug about my close-in suburban setting growing more bucolic.

Final Preparations

2009-10-22T12:57:00.001-07:00

The coop is ready for occupancy and the Urban Farm Store called to stay the pullets are getting crowded in their brooder. Nora and I will be picking up two of the Rhode Island Reds after work today. The Ameraucana and the other Rhode Island Red need a bit more time as they are too small to move to an outdoor coop. We'll pick them up in a few weeks. Ben will be working on finishing the run this weekend. The whole thing looks great, considering the ramshackle structure we started with.