2/28/2013: Mabel The City Chicken



                                                             Mabel The City Chicken

Well dear readers I finally finished the first draft of my children's book, "Mabel The City Chicken."  It's reality based and written from Mabel's perspective. 

I wanted to bring a message of hopefulness, facing changes and fears, and the importance of loving support for children to build resiliency and self worth through Mabel's journey from chicken ranch to our back yard.  The known into the unknown. 

It is currently being edited and is in the infancy stages of ever getting published, but it is exciting to get it down on paper.  I know nothing about getting a children's book published, but figure I can learn that. 

Meanwhile Mabel could care less.  She and Barbara are happy going after worms in the newly seeded backyard lawn.  You may remember that we used to have a lovely yard with a rich green lawn off our patio.   That was BC, before chickens.  Now with the building of the chicken run, and limiting the girls free ranging time each day, we may be getting out lawn back, or a reasonable facsimile of a lawn anyway.

Annie continues to sneak into the chicken run whenever she can to eat chicken feed, Mabel is sleeping a little later in the morning, and Barbara is a constant source of chicken joy.   I just saw her pull an entire worm out of the ground today and eat it.  It made me want to hurl! But hey she loves them and I believe they are an excellent source of protein.  I won't be eager to see that activity again.

Peace and Love to you all dear readers.

February 26, 2013: Mabel Waits Her Turn.

Yesterday I went out to visit and chat with the chickens.  Barbara was trotting as fast as she could into the chicken run, ran up the ramp into the nest and commenced to making her "here comes an egg" announcement.  I wandered back out into the yard looking for Mabel.  No Mabel! 

I called to her and she came running, ran right past me and into the chicken run.  She was cococoing, and seemed agitated.  I followed her into the run.  There she was pacing back and forth in front of the coop, just squawking up a storm.  WTH is wrong I asked?  She just kept up the tirade.  Clearly she was annoyed with Barbara.  

Up and down she paced, squawking.  She even ran up the ramp to look into the nesting area.  OK now I get it!  Mabel wants to lay an egg too! I mean she really needs to lay an egg!!!

See, chickens are funny little creatures of habit.  Once they start laying their eggs somewhere, that's where they will continue to lay.  Well, even though there are two nests up in the coop, the girls both like to lay their eggs in the same nest. 

Then Mabel started jumping up and down, actually trying to look up into the door of the nesting area.  OK enough is enough.  Get on with it Barbara, your little sister is pitching a fit.

Finally Barbara came down the ramp, and was nearly knocked over by a frantic Mabel.   Several moments later Mabel emerged, relief clearly apparent on her face. 

In the nest area I found two little eggs, one blue and one a creamy brown, resting against each other,  both still warm from the efforts of these two sweet little things. 

February 22, 2013: Coop Cleaning Day

Oh joy!  Today we get to do the monthly coop and chicken run cleaning.  Isn't that fun?

Actually with only two hens it's not too bad.  If we want the girls to stay healthy and not get foot rot, we need to make sure the nesting area and run is clean and dry.  We use pine shavings that are easy, smell great, and provide good insulation for the girls in the nesting and cooping area.  They are cheap too.

We clean out the poop from their nests every day, as chickens are indiscriminate poopers, and the same with the run.  It's only about a 5 minute task. 

But today we are throwing the girls a curve.  We're going to move the coop inside of the chicken run so they have more room, then well as change the bedding with clean fresh pine shavings.  I have noted that chickens like humans are creatures of habit. I hope moving the coop won't throw them for a loop.  ( see I made a poem there)

We are also reseeding the grass today that they destroyed off our patio.  It took us several weeks to notice.  It was subtle, then holy crap the lawn is now mud.  Chickens are hell on lawn.  This is why we no longer let them free range all day.  They took a while to become adjusted to being in a lot of the day.   They cackled and grumbled for about two weeks, then settled in to this new routine.  They still dash out lickety split each morning, to get the worms.

They just love it when we clean the coop/run.  They kick pine shavings all around, and have a great time.

While cleaning the chicken area is not my favorite task, it pales in comparison to what I had to do when I worked as an RN.  All you nurses out there know what I'm talking about.  And...Mable and Barbara are worth it.

February 21. 2013: Chicks are Cheep !

Went by Tractor Supply to pick up feed and scratch for the girls yesterday.  Walked in and there were pens with little bitty chicks in them.  OMG they were the cutest thing, and one whole area were pullets ( females).  I almost went nuts.  They are the cutest little things. Standing there was a young couple debating about getting some chicks.  Clearly they were novices, but also egg lovers with 4 kids.  I  launched into my spiel about our girls,  and how sweet they were, what their names were even showed them the video of the girls jumping for raisins.  I said we had two for 2 eggs a day.  The wife wanted to just get two and see how it went, but you had to buy 8  minimum.  They were only $1.99 each.  How cheap is that? 

The salesman was loving my extolling the virtues of having our girls and how friendly they become if you treat them sweet.  I suddenly realized that the folks probably thought I was wacky talking so much about our chickens.  "  What is that old lady talking so much about her chickens for"?  I gracefully edged away and we went about our original plan of getting supplies. 

A few minutes later I saw the couple leaving....with a small crate with 8 chicks in it.  Tractor Supply should hire me! 

I wanted some of those little chicks so bad.  At least I wanted to hold one, and pet it.  I came to my senses before I too left with a carton of 8 chicks.

But I'm going back to see if I can just hold one of those darling little babies.

February 15, 2013: Chickens on the Roof!

It has been one busy week. Some surprises and some amazing discoveries.  What a week! 

Yesterday morning I entered the coop as usual to let the girls out, give them their scratch, and do some clean up.  While taking the sleeping bag/insulation off the roof, I discovered some chicken poop.  WTH?  How is that getting up there I asked myself. 

Today Cal went out to do the morning chores with the girls.  He called me to come see.  Mabel was on the roof of the coop looking at us.  That answered my question about how the poop got there.  I mentioned my find the day before, to Cal.  He shared with me that he had found some too a few days before, but thought I had thrown it up there.  WHAT!  Why would I do that? 

Anyway, turns out Mabel likes to spend time up there.  No idea why.  Maybe she likes some alone time away from the coop, or Barbara.  Remember when Cal got the scare of his life seeing her sliding down the roof of the coop.  Perhaps it some form of chicken sport, roof gliding.  Or protest, roof sitting.  I watched her nimbly walk down the slanted roof, jump/fly into the portable dust bath.  No fuss, no muss.  She had clearly been doing this routinely.  These girls are a laugh a minute.

The big discovery has to do with finding that apparently chicken feed is the universal pet food.  Not only do they love it, so does Annie.  Now found a neighborhood cat eating chicken feed I spilled on the patio outside the chicken yard.  I'm also guessing that the local fauna, such as mice, rats, perhaps an opossum or two, are also enjoying any spilled or scattered feed.  Universal pet food, yep.

So, after this very busy week, I'm laying on the bed this afternoon reading and playing Words With Friends.  I hear a tapping at the glass doors.  Looking up I see Cal with Barbara in his arms and he is making her wave at me by lifting her wing and gently flapping it.  My chicken is waving at me through the window, being held in the arms of my sweet Valentine, Cal.  This is the life!

February 8, 2013: I Gave My Chickens Diarrhea

Most of you know that before I actually got the chickens, I read all about them, everything I could lay my hands on. 
I learned that Chickens do not make pee pee. 
Lots of people fear chickens.
Lots of people love chickens.
Roosters are aggressive by nature, to protect the hens.
Chickens live to be up to 15 years old.
It takes about 23 hours for a chicken to make an egg. 

I learned that you never give them apple seeds, avocado, or raw potato peels.
I learned how to deal with a hen who is egg bound, even if she actually isn't, and she ends up traumatized for several days cause I'm having trouble finding her vent.

I learned that they are very social, love to be petted and chatted up. 
And they are the closest living thing to dinosaurs.  Such interesting little creatures.

OK so Tuesday I wake up to chicken diarrhea.  Believe me, that is not a delight.  I waited a day thinking " maybe it will go away".  They were eating, drinking water, running around as usual.

Next day, still there.  I accused Cal of feeding them too many raisins.  Gotta blame someone, right?

My husband is a computer genius, and hit the computer.   He presented me with a document from a chicken website.  Guess what, Monday I gave the chickens some non-fat milk thinking then might need the protein.  Turns out they get diarrhea when you give them milk.   I had to eat a whole Crow, if you get my meaning. 

February 6, 2013: Every Day It's Something New!

This morning when Cal went to release the girls into the yard, he was greeted by the sight of Mabel on top of the coop.  How and why she was up there ...no clue.  The coop has a slippery sleeping bag on it as insulation.  Just as Cal went in, she decided to dash towards Daddy, and began to slip down the roof.  Cal as any good Dad would do, geared up to save her.  "Gearing up" at 70 years old is no easy feat.  Most of it  takes place inside the body, i.e. blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, muscles tense getting ready to spring into action.  All this is taking place inside my sweet hubby, while the outside is frozen. 

Just before he can jump to catch her, she flies past him and out the door.  All that energy wasted, and when your our age, energy must be conserved for real crisis, not chickens on the roof of the coop.

Got an e-mail from my brother in law, Carl, Cal's brother,  who lives in the frozen north, otherwise known as Michigan.  He too has chickens.  It was a brisk 5  below zero degrees that morning and he had installed a heater in his chicken coop for the benefit of his flock.  Did he get any thanks from the chickens?  NO.  As he so perfectly described it, they just fixed him with their "dinosaur glare".  All you chicken keepers have seen this look.  It's somewhere between "I want to eat you and, where am I?"

Have a blessed day my friends.  Sharen, the Chicken Wrangler.

February 4, 2013: Chickens Made Me Famous

Briefly, in my life I have  been an RN, Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice for 35+ years, EAP Counselor, Child Therapist, Critical Incident Responder for the Dept. of Defense, published author, blah blah blah.  Not telling you this to brag, just background information.

Four months ago we got our chickens, Barbara and Mabel.  I began posting on FB and my blog even before that. 

Jump to Saturday night, Feb. 2nd.  Cal and I and our Italian cousins + my twin Karen and her husband ( also Italians) attended a huge Rotary Crab Feed.  900+ people there.  Saw lots of people I knew.  Great food, lots of fun, and the following:

Comments about my 47 year long career life:  1
Comments about the Italian Cousins:  1
Comments, questions, discussion about the chickens:  14

Lesson:  I should have gotten chickens earlier or become a chicken rancher and not bothered with all that other stuff!
Insight:  Lots of people like chickens...no not chicken as in BBQ'd, fried, or baked,  just chicken on the hoof, so to speak.  LOLOLOL!!