Thursday, August 2, 2012

August 2, 2012: Fifty Shades of Grey....Chickens

Thanks to my dear friend Sue for inspiring the title of today's blog.  Chickens are really quite beautiful creatures.  So many varieties, colors, personalities.  Yes I said personalities.

I believe every living creature has a personality, that which  makes them unique.  I am an identical twin, and while my sister Karen and I share many characteristics, we are different people.  For example, she is only mildly interested in chickens,  mostly she is interested in eggs.  Even chicken eggs are all different. 

"Chickens, The Essential Poultry Publication", has a great article about the color of chicken eggs and how many factors effect the color of a chickens eggs.  Did you know that chickens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs ( except for Araucana and Ameraucana).  After molting, the egg color changes, and some medications will effect the egg color.  AND, stress can effect egg color, making hens lay lighter color eggs.  Hens have stress?  I mean laying a big old egg several times a week does seem stressful and probably painful, but it make me feel sad that even sweet little hens have stress.  What is this world coming too, when even chickens have stress.

I plan on creating the most stress free environment possible for the girls.  We live in a city, so varmints other than cats are few an far between.  Our back yard is lovely, shady and green, and blissfully peaceful..well except for the dog, but we will get her trained to love the girls. 

Our yard will be a sanctuary where the girls can joyfully peck and  poop, free from the threat of critters.  Well except for Prince the big black cat from across the street who strolls through the yard flipping the kitty Bird at Annie our dog from time to time.  Perhaps Prince will have to take a toe ride over the fence.

1 comment:

  1. Cal can play piano music for them. That so relieves stress.

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