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Children’s Books Featuring Chickens – FAQ

...of the book. Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman 2006 Exuberant and madcap fun. Also worth finding are: Big Chickens , Big Chickens Fly the Coop and Big Chickens Go to Town by Leslie Helakoski, illustrated by Henry Cole Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins My Life as a Chicken by Ellen Kelley Chicken Boy , by Frances O’Roark Dowell, is a middle school novel about a seventh grader in a dysfunctional home. Chickens play a large part in teaching him about life and helping him cope. It’s well-written, touching, difficult yet hopeful....

Blueberry Clafoutis – Recipes

  The classic French dessert, clafoutis, is not as popular as it should be here in the USA. It’s truly easy to make and absolutely delicious. It’s rather like a Dutch Baby Pancake, but thicker and dotted with fruit. Blueberry Clafoutis 1 teaspoon sugar 3 large eggs (I used 4 pullet eggs) 1/3 cup organic turbinado raw cane sugar* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (real, not imitation!) 1 1/3 cups milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen— don’t defrost) 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish with non-stick...

Do Chickens Transmit Diseases to People? – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...the press. Instead, let’s go over what you need to know about the hens in your backyard. The biggest fear that many have is of Bird Flu. The first cases of H5N2 appeared in North America in December of 2014. This is highly pathogenic to poultry, but at this point is not a concern to humans. Cases in the news of people getting sick are almost always in situations in which many dead and diseased birds are handled in close and unsanitary conditions. Even in those situations, the symptoms are mild. There are no cases of human to human transmission....

The Molt – FAQ – Health and Behavior

...doesn’t molt at the same time or pace. It can take a several months for everyone to lose their feathers and during that time the coop will look as if there’s been a pillow fight overnight. Every night. Although books will tell you that all molts progress from neck to back, wing to tail, your own hens will likely be the exception to the rule. Lulu, who did everything more dramatically than the other hens, lost her tail feathers first, until all were gone but two. She looked like she was wearing one of those costume Indian headdresses that used...

A New Blog – HenBlog – Monday, May 2, 2016

...reporting on a daily basis from the plethora of grim news going on in the rest of the computer world. Your oasis of calm and peace in a disturbing and unsettling world of war, politics, murder, and quarreling made a huge difference to me in my daily life. You brought humor, compassion, and insight into day-to-day living. You were active. You cared. You made a difference. You taught things worth learning with your chickens, your goats, your dogs, your horse, your cooking, your gardening, your trips, your family, your various endeavors. I could tell you about my Mexican burro, Jenny,...

Fox Neighbors – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 19, 2013

...is beside herself. She can see the fox from my office porch. She barks. She announces what an affront it is to have this fox in view, in her neighborhood. The fox doesn’t care. And clearly, in his body language, lets Lily know. Scooter hears Lily. He has no interest in tangling with a fox. But, it is an opportunity to claim Lily’s bed. I’ve seen this fox’s mate. I believe that their den is under the tumbledown stone wall at the corner of this field. Poor Lily, when the kits come out to play, it’s going to make her...

Unseasonable Heat and Animal Care – HenBlog – Thursday, March 22, 2012

...in the sun cloaked in layers of fur. I’ll be checking their water bucket a couple of times today to make sure it’s fresh and clean. A goat, even a thirsty one, will refuse water if it is even the littlest bit contaminated with a speck of dust. I’ll also go out and give the boys a good rub with the curry comb, too. This heat makes them so itchy! Pip enjoys the morning sun, but later today you’ll be seeing him in the barn, where it’s shady and the concrete floor keeps things cool. The Beast has emerged from...

Protecting Chickens From Predators – HenBlog – Friday, February 1, 2013

...to get through it. Kit Terry, I think the fox might have sarcoptic mange. I know foxes can get, as well as raccoons and coyotes. I know usually is the news or people start reporting chupacabra sightings, then more likely than not it was a coyote, dog, raccoon, or fox suffering from mange. So if you see any news about chupacabras, don't be suprised that if they catch it might be a fox suffering from mange. I know a raccoon suffering from mange really scared some people, until they caught it and people thought it was everything from a walby...

A Sad Day – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 9, 2013

...a very good life. She will be greatly missed. It will warm up enough to bury her under the peach tree today. I will get another rabbit, when and what breed I don’t know yet. Today I’m just thinking of Candy. I expect that a lot of you will be as sad as I am to say good-bye to her. I welcome your comments and memories, but you’ll understand that I’m not up to responding. I have barn chores to do today, which is good, as that’s where I need to be when I’m sad. But, I’ll miss Candy’s supervision....

Visitors – HenBlog – Thursday, January 17, 2013

Dawn came pink and sparkly. An hour later, it was blue and white. Pretty is too bland a word for the world outside on this cold but still morning. Yesterday, the chickens and goats were all safe and snug in their barns while the snow fell. This morning Steve shoveled a dry patch in their pens so that they could enjoy the day. The fish move slowly through the pond. It all looks peaceful, but look closely and you’ll see tales of wild animal comings and goings. A fox trit-trotted past our back door. It’s fox mating season, and Lily...

A Life Transformed – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 17, 2013

...CI, when sounds began to normalize, it was like a switch was flicked and my world was transformed. It was like going from a black and white Kansas to the colorful world of Oz. It was like upgrading from a tinny AM radio to a Bose system. I don’t just hear voices. I hear richness and beauty. Two CIs were more than the sum of the parts. It is only now that I am hearing so well, that I realize how much I lost with my hearing disability. A gradual hearing loss is an insidious thing. You don’t realize what...

Writer’s Procrastination – HenBlog – Thursday, April 14, 2011

I’m working on a big book. Now, a lot of people say they’re writers and never actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard.) I have to admit that this book is mostly in my head. But, having actually written books that have been printed, I know how to buckle down and force myself to write. Which I’ll do soon. But not today. Today it is GLORIOUS out. It is a day to procrastinate. But, being as how I think of myself as a writer, and thus feel guilty if I’m not writing, I procrastinate very, very productively. That...

Today’s Happy Photo – The Vintage Hen – Monday, July 8, 2013

...times today. I needed to wipe off their beaks to clear their airways of mucus. The care that I could give them would make a difference, and so I stayed. I’m totally bummed about not being able to head out in my car with my family, and it’s draining to do the sort of nursing that I’m doing for the hens. But here’s the thing about having animals around, there’s always that good moment. Always. This is today’s. This whiffily, nose-twitchingly friendly conversation between Pip and Phoebe was just the salve that I needed. What was your happy moment today?...

The Best View – HenBlog – Thursday, October 15, 2015

Today might possibly have been the most perfect day to be out in the woods all year. This morning the biting insects were gone. Fallen leaves that smelled sweet, and yet somehow like old campfires, were underfoot. The sky was blue and the sun lit up the leaves still in the trees so that the world glowed like old stained glass. I had the perfect vantage point to take it all in.   Last weekend Tonka and I were in a dressage show. We placed second and third in our class. A couple of people, watching the competition, commented to...

1916 Eggs – HenBlog – Thursday, January 6, 2011

...and make a good living. In NYC, a dozen eggs sold for 31¢. That’s $6.22 in today’s dollars. Eggs were valued and not yet a cheap commodity. Of course, the farmer didn’t see the full 31¢. It would have taken as many as 5 middlemen to get that egg to market. Still, the farmer would have received 20¢ – about $4.00 today. $4.00 isn’t bad – it’s about what those of us who keep backyard hens sell our eggs for, and, as my numbers in my previous post showed, it’s enough to cover feed costs and then some. But, why...

A Second Cochlear Implant – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Marie Wishing you the best success with your operation! Cresca Albright Exciting and scary all at once! I know it will be successful. Are you scheduled to do this soon? Corrina Sending blessings your way, may you be surrounded by healing and beautiful birdsong! Best of luck today. :-) Colleen I hope the surgery goes well, again! I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress. Dee Fox Good Luck, will be praying for you! David & Wendy Scott Good luck and hugs from the West Coast. You will be in our thoughts lots today and over the next couple of...

A Sea Change – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 17, 2015

...of dogs who are entered in local competitive work-outs, and watch how human and dog interact with the fun of competition. Wouldn't a sea change in dog shows be wonderful all around? I love the positive edge to this post. A sea change is giving me a wave of hope. Cheers to you! Christine O. Ah, a sea change like that is something to cherish. I think that most of the craziness and brutality we are seeing around the world is the last gasp of the power-hungry corporations trying to maintain their profits and dominance over the world. We only...

Lily’s Birthday – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 1, 2014

...humans are often focused inward, or on the computer screen, or at a task. Combine that with our dull senses, and we go through our days barely aware of the world beyond the extent of our physical reach. A dog like Lily, who is vigilant and hyper-aware, can change the very space that we live in. Some people find dogs like this demanding and impossible to live with. Not me. I am grateful that she clues me into this greater world. It’s hard work, being Lily. She never takes a break.   But, today is your birthday, Lily. The sun...

Perrie – HenBlog – Friday, August 1, 2008

...today to clean her up. Stop reading here if you are squeamish. Trust me. This gets nasty. But I’m going to write about it because it might happen to one of your girls. I’ve had chickens for more than a dozen years, and this is a first for me. Thank goodness for internet searches – I know this isn’t unheard of. But it’s not in the chicken books, either. Okay, here goes – I picked Perrie up today to look at her vent and right below it was a big gaping hole that was swarming with maggots. Poor hen! My...

Fox! – HenBlog – Sunday, December 13, 2009

...them no further than you can throw them. This past spring I heard my hens raising cane (thankfully it was nice out and I had the windows open) and when I looked out the window I saw one running the fence of my run terrifying the hens. I sent Fu (my lab/chow mix) out to deal with it, she chased that fox right over the fence that surrounds the yard. Thanksfully I have not seen it since. Terry Golson Fox are quite useful for keeping down the small rodent population. I love watching them in the field leap and pounce....

Blog Birthday – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Today is Twinkydink and Edwina’s birthday. They’re eight! Today is also my blog’s birthday. I started writing about my hens in this space seven years ago and I haven’t stopped. I’ve added a few more characters along the way – the Beast, the goat boys, the dogs, and others. I’ve written about my garden and the flowers in the woodland. I’ve kept it all focused on this small world in my small backyard. Some days I’ve put up two posts, and yet there’s a backlog of tales for the telling. I thank you all joining me on my travels here...

A Rainy Day – HenBlog – Thursday, September 8, 2011

...in all the way to the hand with room to spare. I fear them getting a foot caught and breaking something. Water seems to do no good. I guess I could run sprinkler 24/7 but $$$ Terry, also, I wonder do the Gems have a roosting hierachy on your ladder roosts? In other words, do certain hens always get the top rung and on down the line? Terry Golson Right now the Gems all crowd the top two rungs of the ladder and it is impossible to see a hierarchy. I'll try to get a photo. Also interesting is that...

6th Anniversary – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Today is HenBlog’s 6th anniversary. The writing that I do for this blog is the most consistent, longest work project of my life. Writing itself isn’t new to me – I’ve always thought of myself as a writer. One of my clearest childhood memories is of putting down my thoughts and stories in a notebook. Over the years my identity as a writer was confirmed by the publication of five books and numerous magazine and newspaper articles. My sense of self-worth was tied into whether an editor and a publisher deemed my words valuable and interesting enough to put into...

Traffic Jams – HenBlog – Friday, June 19, 2015

I live in a town so small and quiet that we don’t even have a traffic light. Recently, though, I’ve been stuck in a few traffic jams. I stopped to let this fox cross the road. By the time that I got my iPhone out, it moved into the woods and continued on her way – she’s heading up the road towards my backyard. So far, though, I haven’t seen this fox on my lawn.     This mother mallard and her six ducklings stopped both lanes of traffic. See them heading under the guard rail? There’s wetlands on the...

Agatha’s Turn – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 11, 2012

...her to a school and her tail was down. She didn’t eagerly look at the children. She didn’t want to perch on my arm. If she had suddenly started speaking in English Betsy couldn’t have been clearer. It was time to retire. Agatha was ready in the wings – actually in her travel crate – I’d brought her as a backup. As child after child came up to pet her, Agatha sat contentedly in my lap, chortling greetings to each. A new star was born. So, Agatha will be in the car today, not Betsy. We’re going to have fun....

Rainy Day Chicken Care – HenBlog – Wednesday, October 19, 2011

...how much I look forward to your posts. Even when they don't hold happy news, they always encourage me. Thank you so much for posting even when you "should be" working on your writing projects :) Denise Rain and muck on a farm always makes the animal care more difficult. Donna It does look dreary there, Terry! But everytime I checked yesterday and today, those Polish are running around having a ball! I too look forward to your posts as it is a routine when I get to work. Coffee? Check! Computer on? Check! HenBlog? Double check! Kitty McKnight If...

Draft Horses – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, October 8, 2014

...She loved that horse and she needed him too. By the 1940s draft horses almost disappeared. Today many breeds are endangered. But some people loved them. Loved them enough to keep them going, despite the fact that they are no longer necessary on farms or to take the family to church. Hundreds of these big horses will be at the World Percheron Congress this week. Every few years this show is held at a different arena, and not always in the USA. It’s also been staged in Canada, France and England. This year the World Percheron Congress is not only...

In the News

I’ve been fortunate to be able to talk about a life with chickens with reporters, bloggers, television hosts and others, and to share my love and understanding of my animals with people around the world. Here are a few of the highlights so far: HenCam in the Press The Boston Globe did a wonderful story about my project to bring chickens to a nursing home as therapy animals. HenCam has been mentioned in articles in Hobby Farm Magazine and Backyard Poultry Magazine, and featured in Chickens Magazine. I’ve been in local papers like the Lexington Journal and the Carlisle Mosquito...

Back (?) To Simplicity – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 13, 2011

...create. To make your own simple life, start your day in a coop. If you can’t keep your own hens, I’m happy to share mine at HenCam. I don’t rail against this modern world. Having read about housekeeping in the early 1900s, I am ever so grateful for my washing machine, central heat and electric lights. I’m especially grateful for modern medicine and the miracle of my cochlear implants. But I don’t want to be so immersed in the modern world that I miss out on Mrs. Kine’s fields and streams. The barns in my backyard act as a counter-balance...

Your Hen’s Hearing – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 25, 2015

...caring and of course giving of treats. My husband has observed when in the garden that the girls run towards the sound of my footsteps be it flip flops in the summer or boots in the winter but ignore his footsteps. He also says when watching through the window that they run to the sound of me unbolting the back door first thing in the morning. I talk to the girls all the time and they definitely respond to the tone of my voice. If I talk to them affectionately they like to get up on a perch at eye...

The Chicken I Eat – HenBlog – Friday, June 15, 2012

...restaurant and the most interesting item on the menu is chicken, I’ll order it. The reality is that the poultry industry is a trillion-dollar, world-wide business. My buying power isn’t going to make even a pin-prick of a dent if I opt out. On the other hand, my buying power makes a world of difference to the small farmer who is doing animal agriculture right. All of the red meat and pork in my freezer is purchased from local farms. Up until recently the best choice I’ve had for poultry is to buy organic at the regular market. Organic doesn’t...

The Garden – HenBlog – Thursday, June 4, 2015

Today I need to get into my (neglected) garden, and so will forgo a time-consuming post about chickens. For the last two days we had chilly temps and rain. Today is my chance to get the last of the tomato plants in. Also, now that the ground has softened up, I can pull up weeds (it’s a difficult task when the soil is like concrete.) A thorough weeding now will greatly reduce my workload later in the summer. The deep winter snows provided cover for voracious voles, who girdled the rose bushes and the grape vines. A hard pruning has...

Book News! – HenBlog – Saturday, November 10, 2012

...out as I only have a stick blender, but voila! Wonderful! Bobbie HOORAY! Congratulations Terry, that is fantastic news! Sean Congrats! Natalie, the Chickenblogger Wonderful! Congratulations, Terry. It would be an honor to share the news at Chickenblog... when the time comes. Cindy B This is good news! Just had to return my borrowed-from-library copy but can now look forward to purchasing your newly expanded version and having it permanently at-the-ready. Thanks Terry Allison Great news! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Terry Golson Most are vegetarian recipes, though not vegan, of course, since I use...

Red Fox – HenBlog – Sunday, January 20, 2013

...straight into the bin or hours of soaking in bio-enzymes and disinfectant followed by a boil wash. Foxes in England are just less romantic than foxes in New England! Terry Golson The foxes can be a problem here, too. However, I think that the coyote population keeps them in check. I don't think that in England that your foxes have any predators to worry about. karen We have both a fox and coyote problem. Like you I put the girls to bed early and let them out late and our solar powered electric fence around the coop and run is...

Where I Belong – HenBlog – Tuesday, October 15, 2013

...but I also went to UNH and got a BS degree in Animal Science, with a focus on horses. I worked for awhile at barns; I rode dressage and trained with an FEI judge. I had a fancy young horse that I was schooling. But, she went lame and at the same time, I changed course and got into the food world, first cooking in restaurants, and then working as a food writer. Over the years, my riding life was sporadic. I didn’t, couldn’t, own another. There were times that I could lease a horse, but always there was an...

Snowbound Chores – The Vintage Hen – Tuesday, February 10, 2015

...shock, my family would probably call in the men in the white coats to take me away. :D Karen Oh Lord, I can tell you ironing would be the last thing on my list, I'm terrible at it and avoid it at almost all costs. I also clean and organize some when the winter weather keeps us in more than out. Isn't it awful, all this snow and cold? Bleh. Jan Just been watching the usa today slot on Boston, showing the road, rail and air disruption ( amazing set of pictures ). Feel for you guys you're really going...

The Broody Hen – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 16, 2010

...her back in the coop and she immediately became broody again. I would give up, except she’s so intimidated the Polish hens, that they’ve started laying their eggs on the coop floor. I found one broken, and one here: So, today I have put the two broody hens, Coco and Lulu, out in the goat paddock. They’ll pace the fence to get back to their nests, but I’m going to ignore them until the other hens have had a chance to lay their eggs in the boxes. I’m hoping to get five eggs today. I’d like to make chocolate pudding....

Antibiotic After Effects – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 14, 2011

...matter of time until she is gone. Today I found a thin, empty, bloodied shell on the floor of the outdoor run. Agnes had just finished eating the yolk from inside of it. It was a medium-sized white egg, so I knew it was laid by one of the Polish hens. I picked them up and looked at their vents. Siouxsie’s was bloody. At least her eggs are coming out whole. The two hens laying the soft eggs are the ones treated with doxycycline. The hens that were treated with just Tylan are fine; I collected three sturdy eggs from...

Hens Don’t Have Teeth – HenBlog – Friday, April 20, 2012

Contrary to what you see in the movie Chicken Run, chickens don’t have teeth. Like all birds, they have beaks. Which means they can’t chew – at least not in their mouths. Instead, they eat tiny rocks, which are stored in their gizzard. The gizzard is a tough and powerful muscle, and as it squeezes and churns, it uses the rocks to grind up the food. Today is one of those days that I wish I had a beak and a gizzard. Instead, I have teeth, which despite me doting on them day and night require much attention by my...

Russian Easter Toy – The Vintage Hen – Monday, March 25, 2013

It might snow today. Or rain. Or freezing rain. Which isn’t as bad as what blew down on the midwest overnight. Whatever the weather, it’s the sort of day that could use a cheerful pick-me-up. Silly windup toys always make me smile. Here’s one from my collection. It’s Russian.   I think it resembles Jasper.   What’s cheering you up today?  ...

Happy Face – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 27, 2012

April What a cue face! I was offered a goat today, but I still enjoy having my husband around. So I had to politely decline. He's still in shock about the chickens, and it's been about 7 years! Sheri Oh, what a silly face! I just love Pip (and Caper, too). He's a beautiful goat with such great expressions. He does seem to always be smiling, but I've seen him sleep, eat & chew too. Today he followed his brother back and forth from the barn to the side yard to wait for you to tuck him and Caper in....

February Eggs – HenBlog – Sunday, February 7, 2010

Every year, just when I despair that the winter is going to go on forever, and that my hens are never going to lay again, I get a glimmer of hope that spring is around the corner. Yesterday, for the first time in months, one of the Bantam While Leghorns laid an egg. And today, Tina Turner laid an egg! Her first one! It’s well below freezing, and the winds are gusting at 20 miles per hour, but Spring is in the air. Thanks, girls!...

Hearing Loss – HenBlog – Tuesday, October 27, 2015

All of us face challenges in our lives. Those of you who have followed this blog for years know that my ring of fire to go through was hearing loss that eventually resulted in deafness. Starting in my twenties, I wore hearing aids, but as my hearing declined, that technology no longer filled in the gaps and I could barely function in the hearing world. Even dinner table conversation with my son became impossible. In December of 2010 I had a cochlear implant installed in my left ear. The following year I had one implanted in the right. I had...

Follow the Ears – HenBlog – Friday, November 6, 2015

...Robin I have a Border Collie puppy. I now know when there are crickets running through the grass in front of me! :D chickencarol When I am in the run with the girls very often a bird will call overhead and they freeze and look up while listening. I know I can actually hear it too but I see how aware they are. Jan Our cats ears and tail always tell me when she's up to no good !! Wonderful photo's, Scooter is so adorable even without radar ears...:) April My Malamute's ears have cued me into a person approaching...

Believe the Ears – HenBlog – Wednesday, October 7, 2015

...of the horse’s world goes by different rules. Twenty-two or so hours out of his day the horse has little influence on what goes on around him. Often the horse is in a restricted environment, and everyone else who cares for him relies on pressure, restraint, etc. during their interactions. Many horses are rightly not trusting or are shut down. Positive reinforcement requires that the animal actively engage in the training by offering behaviors. A horse used to being punished for a hoof out of place is not able to do that. The horse that does understand that the rules...

A Chicken’s Sense of Smell – HenBlog – Monday, February 24, 2014

...up scratch feed like it is their last meal but pick all days long at their laying pellets? Mine are so ticked at me in the morning when I put layer pellets in their feeder rather than scratch. They run in, look and run back out into the run. I can't imagine that the grain is any better tasting than the layer feed. Robin And then there's the excited chicken version of "Yes!" followed by the mad dash after anything that wiggles and squirms. :) Lesley S Well chickens have eyes too Ken. A good chef will tell you a...

What Does Your Hen Say? – The Vintage Hen – Saturday, August 17, 2013

...Was the coffee named for the sounds, or did some adman come up with the hen logo with the thought that the brand name sounded like a hen clucking?   There are plenty of coffee cans with images or roosters crowing wake-up calls, but this is the only one that I know of with a hen. In any event, I’ve been collecting what hens say around the world. I’m told that in Turkey, a chicken says biak-bik-bik, and that in the the Dominican Republic a flock sounds like this: cocoteeecoco. What do hens say in your neck of the world?...

Noisy World – HenBlog – Friday, February 18, 2011

It is a very noisy world. I knew this, but since, for the last thirty-five years I’ve been slowly, gradually losing my hearing, sounds slipped away until I didn’t realize they were gone. In December I got a cochlear implant and last month it was turned on. My brain is being bombarded by electrical stimulation directly on the auditory nerve. Thankfully, it’s choosing to tell me what it’s hearing a little bit at a time. Tick-tick-tick-tick. When I’m in the hallway, there’s a noise. It starts and stops when I start and stop. Is it something I’m wearing? No, it’s...

Hurricane Irene Wind Speed – HenBlog – Saturday, August 27, 2011

Last night, while watching The Weather Channel, IT Guy typed some code into his laptop, and now you can see the wind speed here at Little Pond Farm (along with the temperature that we’ve always had on the top right of the HenCam screen). That is, you’ll be able to keep tabs on our weather until the power goes out. Today is the lull before the storm. The animals are acting 100 % normally. Obviously, I can’t rely on them to let me know that a hurricane is brewing. The animals are relaxing on this hot, humid day, but we...

Holiday Weekend – HenBlog – Friday, August 31, 2012

...as if all of a sudden the garden switches to fall-mode, too. Pumpkins are ripening and there’s a hint of orange is in the trees (the goats are pleased about that and are snarfing up the first of the fallen maple leaves.) But, for today at least, the temperature will be hot – in the 90s – and the frogs will be hanging out in the pond. I’m working flat out on several projects (I hope to tell you about them soon!) but I’m going to take a break today and join the frogs. I’ll catch-up with you on Monday!...

The Poultry Industry – HenBlog – Monday, February 25, 2008

The worldwide poultry industry is huge. Here is a report on the recent numbers just from the USA: Exports of U.S. poultry, eggs, and related products surpassed $4 billion for the first time in 2007, according to the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC). Total worldwide sales last year of all poultry and egg products, including poultry meat, live poultry, table and hatching eggs, processed egg products, and other products such as feathers and down, reached $4.0167 billion, nearly 40 percent over 2006, said USAPEEC, citing year-end data compiled by the Foreign Agricultural Service of USDA. Meanwhile, here at...

X is for Fox – The Vintage Hen – Monday, January 12, 2015

I bet you were wondering what chicken would be on this card. I think that the illustrator’s solution was quite clever (albeit a tad realistic!)   Keep hens long enough and you’ll have an X, whether it is by a fox, a neighbor’s dog, a hawk, or a weasel, a raccoon or a bear. The list of animals that want a chicken dinner is long. I’ve written numerous times about predator protection. Here’s one blogpost, and I have more on this FAQ about coop design criteria. Although once in a long while, a predator needs to be removed from the...

A Solstice Tale – HenBlog – Friday, December 21, 2012

...young as five I didn’t think that animals had to speak in English in order to communicate. However, despite my puzzlement and skepticism, the thought of a cozy barnful of talking animals has stayed with me. I don’t remember any of the specific stories from my childhood, and so I’ve written one of my own that takes place on the winter solstice. Since today is the solstice (and a particularly dreary, dark and rainy one at that) I thought I’d share it here. It’s meant to be a picture book, but as I’m not an illustrator, you’ll have to use...

Fatty Liver Disease In Hens – HenBlog – Thursday, July 16, 2015

...running. I know, because I’ve trained mine to come, and it’s hilarious and a lot of fun to watch (See video here.) But, corn, or the similar product of scratch grains, is nothing but empty calories. There’s no reason to feed it to your hens. Even “scratch grains” are not necessary to feed. I do have corn on hand for calling the hens back to the run, but I know the danger of feeding too much. Each hen gets less than a teaspoon as a treat and I don’t feed it on a daily basis. scratch grains for hens  ...

Home From Italy! – HenBlog – Thursday, September 10, 2015

The trip to Verona, Italy, started out with a nighttime flight across the Atlantic. Flying east, the light of dawn hit the airplane wing as we flew over Ireland.   I traveled to Verona with Karen Pryor for the TAGteach International World Summit. This conference was all about how to use the science of behavior and positive reinforcement in applications as diverse as earthquake safety training, to teaching modern dance, to improving the skills of call center employees. It was a week of intense conversations, a hah! moments, making connections, and deep thought. But, because it was in Verona, Italy,...

Outgrowing the Nest – HenBlog – Friday, July 10, 2015

...five days they transformed from bare, wobbly, eyes-sealed-shut, helpless beings to these voracious and demanding creatures.:   Soon, they’ll leave the ledge on the porch. Then these Eastern Phoebes will enter the wide world.   It’s not simply a bigger space, with food to find. It’s a community, and not just of other Phoebes. Birds are aware of and know other species of birds. They’re familiar with the squirrels and the chipmunks. The birds in my yard know my dogs and my goats. They know me. There’s a wonderful book, Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL...

Chickens Surprise Scientists – HenBlog – Monday, November 27, 2006

A paper published in the scientific journal, Biology Letters, has challenged scientists’ view of the intelligence of chickens (and other creatures). Many scientist have long believed that only humans use language to denote things in the world — that we’re the only ones who can point at an object and give it a verbal label. But the research by Dr. Chris Evans and Linda Evans showed that golden Seabright bantam hens had twenty observed and specific calls. For example, there was a difference between the clucking one did for corn and for pellets. It was also noted that they could...

Web Cams – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 31, 2006

...installed very good cameras and linking it all to our server, etc. wasn’t easy. And then there was the Web design… But it’s all been worth it. Today I watched the indoor Web cam right when Blackie was trying to crowd Snowball out of a nesting box. It was a match between Stubborn vs. Immobile. Mine is not the only hencam. At least a dozen other people around the world have had the same idea. Our set-ups differ, but the purpose remains the same — sheer fun. The best listing of hencams is on a German Web site. Go see!...

Barnyard Friendships – HenBlog – Friday, November 13, 2009

...world by taste. This is partly why they have a reputation for eating everything. If it’s there, if it’s interesting, it goes in their mouths. Not unlike human toddlers. Candy and Pip were next to each other. A quiet, companionable moment. Then Pip reached down, and nibbled Candy’s ear. Soon, a big part of the ear was in his mouth. The next moment, Candy was hanging in the air – Pip had picked her right up by the ear! This was NOT acceptable bunny behavior. Candy growled. Yes, rabbits growl. Pip dropped her. Candy shook herself and hopped away. Well,...

At The Conference – HenBlog – Sunday, April 22, 2012

...all of the senses. (By the way, Cynthia is a HenCam fan. I like thinking that my hens are flickering on computer screens around the world, calming and inspiring writers.) When I sat down at the large round banquet table I noticed that the woman next to me had “chicken” printed on her name tag. Wow, I thought, other people are into chickens here, too. Why don’t I have chicken on my name tag? And then I realized that “chicken” was her entree choice. I do live in my own poultry-centric world, don’t I? It was a two hour drive...

Ascites in Hens – HenBlog – Wednesday, October 15, 2014

...ejected is dark and vaguely food-like. Your hen might have sour crop, which is when the crop isn’t doing it’s job, and yeasty, sour-smelling liquids accumulate there. Your hen might have peritonitis, which is often caused by internal laying and a subsequent infection. Dark fluids fill up the body cavity, and when there’s nowhere else for them to go, they come out the beak. It’s awful. I’ve seen it here. If the fluids coming out of the mouth are clear, then it is likely a case of ascites. This is a disease seen across the animal world. Humans can get...

Look Up, Look Down – The Vintage Hen – Monday, October 13, 2014

...and commuted to the suburbs to work. We made things out of jute. I clearly remember her saying how much more real natural materials and colors were. In her mind the natural world was muted. I never understood that. I saw this,   and this:   What is colorful in your world? I have many readers in Australia and Brazil. Do you see wild parrots? Back in high school I made a fiber hanging based on feathes from our pet lovebird – vibrant greens and yellow and reds (actually, rather like the colors in these photos) which shocked my teacher!...

The Beast Eats – HenBlog – Thursday, July 25, 2013

The weather last week was terrible. It was hot. It rained on and off. There were long stretches of torrential downpours. When it wasn’t raining it was hot and the air was dense with 100% humidity. We humans were miserable. The rabbit stretched out on the concrete next to a frozen bottle of water. The hens stayed inside and complained. The goats refused to graze and asked for more hay. But, the Beast was in her element. Fish must stay submerged in water, and so her world is constrained to under the surface of the pond. The Beast and her...

Roasted Hakurei Turnips – The Vintage Hen – Monday, July 1, 2013

...roasted them in a dressing of maple syrup, mustard and soy. But, at the beginning of the summer bounty, I crave simple recipes in which the vegetables themselves are the stars, and so just simply roasted them. Serve at room temperature with a drizzle of the best balsamic vinegar that you can afford.   For lunch today, I’ll have a salad with lettuce and these vegetables, tossed with feta cheese. But, as much as I like these Hakurei turnips, I think that I prefer the regular purple tops. I’m going to buy a packet of seeds today and plant them....

Little Pond Farm – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 30, 2008

...has lived in this town for 60+ years, and has raised ponies and golden retrievers, calls her place a “farm.” But she has more right to that title – not only does she own forty acres, but broodmares and foals make for a real farm, don’t they? Years ago, she also kept chickens. In 1942, she did what I do now, sold eggs to her neighbors. Back then, she got 35¢ a dozen, which in today’s dollars is $4.45, more than I get today! Well, whatever you want to call this little slice of land, I’m happy to be here....

The Truth About Sharing – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Yes, in Tillie Lays an Egg, the hens share and take turns. But, sorry, that’s a work of fiction. This is what happens in real life: Philomena and Agnes both want to lay their eggs. There are three nesting boxes. The other girls are outside. Plenty of room, right? Wrong. They both insist on the middle box. Today. Yesterday they laid eggs in the right-hand box. What one has, the other wants. It’d be funny, except sometimes they get so pushy that they trample their eggs. The egg that you see to the right is a decoy egg. It’s wooden....

They’ll Be Sleeping – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, March 19, 2015

...Mix, they are always anxious when they think I am leaving for more than my usual day at work. I find if we are out for the day on a Saturday or Sunday, they won't drink any water until we return. It is as if they are worried the water will run out. But as soon as I walk through the door, they all three run to the water dish. Dogs - life with them is wonderful. Have a great time. Durbin Ken Dogs are amazing. Just like Lily my Lulu knows what the suitcase means. She hates it. She...

A Sick Hen – HenBlog – Friday, October 9, 2009

I’ve been keeping an eye on Eggers. Two days ago she was the last one out of the coop in the morning, which is most unlike her. Yesterday she was the first to go to bed. Sometimes it’s those subtle clues that let you know that an animal isn’t feeling well. But, with no other symptoms, I left her alone. Today, she looked like this: Eggers is on the compost pile, in the corner of the yard – the warmest, least windy spot. Her eyes are closed, her wings and tail droop. This is a sick bird. It’s a cold,...

What's New is Old – HenBlog – Sunday, January 6, 2008

I have a collection of poultry books and pamphlets from the early 1900’s. The material looks charming and dated, yet the advice is good -or better- than what is found in books and on-line today. The Lay or Bust Yearbook, put out by the feed company of the same name is a case in point. Their market is the “back lot poultry keeper.” My favorite bit of advice from this brochure is, “don’t go into the poultry business if you do not like hens.” Can you see Perdue saying that to their contract farmers? But, it makes great sense if...

Sunlight and Dirt – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 17, 2009

...couple of days to make sure they won’t bring diseases onto the property. Today, while the older hens were outside foraging in the lawn, I let Agnes and Philomena into the yard of the big barn. They each took two steps onto the hot, dry soil and collapsed! It was quite the dramatic flop into the dirt and I imagine that a new chicken keeper would have panicked. Here they are, in a pile of feathery ecstasy. There’s a health reason behind this chicken “spa treatment.” Dirt worked under the feathers and rubbed onto the skin, kills external parasites. Sun...

Hot Chickens – HenBlog – Thursday, June 1, 2006

It’s in the high eighties today and humid so the girls are in the shade. The bossy ones have settled into the prime real estate of the loose cool dirt near the compost pile. But there’s not enough room there for everyone, so a few others are off to the side of the chicken house where it is shady and breezy. Still, chickens are restless and easily distractible creatures, so if you watch long enough you’ll see a hen or two wander by. And if you see them all suddenly come charging into view, it’s likely that I’ve just opened...

Feeding For Egg Production – The Vintage Hen – Monday, November 12, 2012

This is the booklet that I quoted in today’s post. Although in 1923 farming was on the cusp of change – chickens were moving into climate and heat controlled housing and flocks were getting larger – the vast majority of chickens were still raised in small groups on diversified farms. Not yet invented were antibiotics that in the future would allow for crowding and the brutal conditions of factory production facilities. In the early 20th century, farmers had to rely on light, air, exercise, sanitation and observation. These remain the foundation of good backyard chicken keeping today. My favorite line...

Let’s Take A Walk – HenBlog – Friday, October 12, 2012

...farming days. Now ferns and wild grapes soften the edge of the field. It was a short walk and we are back home. Today it is clouding up and the light isn’t glowing through the leaves. The wind is blowing and a freeze is expected. This landscape is ephemeral. Still, it is lovely out. I’m going to declare today a “too beautiful to work” holiday and take the dogs far into the woods all the way to the Hemlock Forest. When I come home I’ll get down the box of winter gloves and scarves. We’ll be needing those soon.  ...

Treats and Toys – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 17, 2007

It’s 8 degrees this morning. Where are the chickens? Outside pecking at the scratch corn. Where is Candy? In the chicken house, drinking warm water and eating the laying hen pellets. But, the wind is supposed to pick up and it is going to be brutal out later, at which point the girls will go indoors and annoy each other. I’ll put a cabbage in the henhouse later today to keep them busy (and healthy – greens are very good for hens). Cabbages are cheap, right? Not if you’re shopping at Wholefoods Market and the only options are organic green...

Twinkydink Lays An Egg – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Tomorrow Twinkydink turns 8 years old. Today she laid an egg. None of the hens that live in the Little Barn have laid an egg since last July. In fact, in all of 2012, Twinkydink and Buffy, between them, laid about all of eight eggs. I don’t like chicks to have access to nesting boxes until they’ve learned to roost. This keeps them from getting into the habit of sleeping in the boxes. Now that the chicks were moving into the Little Barn, and because the Old Girls weren’t laying, I had Steve remove the boxes. Last week I noticed...

Sunlight and Coop Design – HenBlog – Thursday, February 10, 2011

There have been days this winter when the sky was the color of dirty socks. There have been many days when the chickens have been coop-bound, holed up, indoors, with nothing but some pine bedding to unenthusiastically scratch in. Today, thankfully, the sun glares on the ice crusted on the snow. I squint when I go outside. The chickens in the HenCam coop stand desultorily around in the sun for awhile,but it’s cold and a bit windy, so they spend most of their time inside, peering out the pop door. The girls in the big barn can’t go out at...

Oriole – HenBlog – Sunday, August 7, 2011

It’s been a difficult couple of days. Good Dog Lily, in her effort to rid the yard of a scourge of blackbirds and a curse of squirrels, has been in chase mode. Her sprints are cheetah-worthy. She killed a squirrel on Friday! But, yesterday, she ripped her dew claw, so today we spent a few hours at the emergency vet clinic getting her patched up. Scooter, left home, yowled and yowled. Lily will be fine, but is presently bandaged up and will be on leash for a week. Also worrisome, I noticed that Coco was looking tail-down Thursday. On Friday...

Poultry Tobacco Cards – The Vintage Hen – Friday, December 19, 2014

...a surprise!) So, I’ve decided to do a light-hearted series to bring us through the New Years. At the turn of the last century, before tobacco was evil, cigarette companies put beautifully lithographed cards into their packets, rather like baseball cards in today’s packages of gum. To encourage collecting and sales, they did series. I have the complete set of poultry cards. Let’s go through the alphabet! Today we’ll begin with the letter A.   The best bit of these cards are the poems on the back.   I’ve never owned an Ancona hen. Have you? Tell me about her....

Today’s Blooms – HenBlog – Saturday, March 24, 2012

For the last three days in a row, temperatures rose above 80º F. Yesterday, if I stepped outside and blinked, there’d be another plant in bloom! I have no idea what this is. It’s in my shade garden. These crocus and scilla are in the front woodland. There are pink buds and flowers on the ornamental cherry. As pretty as this is, I’m worried. There’s going to be a snowstorm this week. I am 100% sure of my weather prediction because Steve is going to California for a conference today, and we always have dramatic weather when he’s gone. I’m...

Putting the Girls to Work – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 13, 2012

...ready for planting, there’s one chore to do before I can plant. There are bad bugs lurking in the leaves and the dirt, and I know just who can dispose of them. Yesterday I lured the Gems into the fenced vegetable garden and shut the gate behind them. The chickens would rather be in the pumpkin patch or the woods, but they soon understood the task at hand. The Gems set right to work. Go get ’em, girls! Today I planted the greens. Today, when the girls had their free-range outing, they were on the other side of the fence....

It’s Pumpkin Season for Chickens – HenBlog – Thursday, October 3, 2013

Yesterday I put the one and only pumpkin that I was able to grow this year into the Gem’s pen. They know all about pumpkins and went right for it. Today, all that’s left is a shell.   Pumpkins are the perfect treat for your hens. Pumpkin is filling but not fattening and is consumed over the course of the day, not in a fit of gluttony. Pumpkins contain good nutrients, including carotene, which will go right through to the yolk, and which will be good for me, too. My scrambled eggs at breakfast will be bright orange this week....

Pumpkin Patch Help – HenBlog – Monday, April 23, 2007

...area and dumped in all of last year’s compost. I’ve set up an old patio umbrella, put out a waterer, and when the weather is good – like today – I take three hens out there. They turn over the old leaves and grass clipping and garden scraps, eat up bugs and level it out. They’ll have about 7 weeks of glorious scratching, and then I’ll kick them out and plant pumpkins. When the growing season is over, I’ll have a lovely plot of dirt. Last year’s pumpkin patch is ready for wildflowers. I bought 3 packets of seeds today....

Today's Eggs – HenBlog – Friday, February 20, 2009

It is bitter cold outside, yet some of the hens are laying. It’s early in the season, which means that sometimes some odd eggs appear in the nesting boxes. This is what showed up today: The two pale eggs are laid by the bantam white leghorns. They’re supposed to be like that. But the one on the left? The dark brown egg with the two pointy ends? That was laid by a standard-sized hen. It should be large, like the eggs to the right. Sometimes, the first egg that a hen lays at beginning of the season is small like...

At The Poultry Show – HenBlog – Sunday, January 19, 2014

...English Game Bird a meat chicken, like a pheasant? Jean R Love the Champion Continental -- if she were a dog she'd be a dalmatian. But I suspect the funky chicken category would be the most fun. Velvet Sparrow Quick, someone develop a new breed and call it 'Funky Chicken'! I always look at Modern Games and think, 'If those decide to run, I'll NEVER be able to catch them.' Vicki R The Blue Wheaton is lovely with her large eyes and perfect proportions, I'm fascinated by the odd dinosaur chicken, and that speckled "funky chicken" is really kinda beautiful......

When Will My Hens Start Laying? – HenBlog – Wednesday, November 16, 2011

...5)have laid pretty well all summer but now are molting and hardly laying at all (I did get one egg from them today) The Marans lay very dark brown eggs which I think are very beautiful. Shep lays white eggs. My one Ameracana, Muffy, hasn't laid an egg yet but when she does it should be blue or green. Muffy's two handsome brothers (who lived in a boxstall) unfortunately were killed by a fox who dug under the stall walls. Their Delaware rooster friend, Butterfinger, survives in a hopefully more secure pen. Scott_D Depends, is so right. My girls seem...

Independence Day – HenBlog – Thursday, July 3, 2014

...Days Parade, in which my grandson marched in the middle school band. Great fun here in the Pacific Northwest. Looking forward to our first 4th here in WA. Judging from the number of places selling fireworks it should be a loud and sparkling event. Happy Birthday USA! I love it here! BTW, I think that's the most awake I've ever seen Scooter! Kim Happy 4th July Terry! We would love to live in the USA but your government wont let us :o( . Have a lovely day! April It appears you live in the perfect small town! I wish mine...

Sick Hens – HenBlog – Monday, July 8, 2013

Friday morning, when I opened up the Big Barn, Ruby remained on the roost. Obviously something was amiss. She was hunched, tail down, and one eye was swollen shut.   The other eye was clear, but when she blinked, Ruby looked the image of misery.   The other Gems were bright-eyed and energetic. So, I do what I always do when there is a sick hen, I isolated Ruby and observed. Her comb felt feverish to the touch. I cleaned her face off with a cold, wet washcloth so that I could have a better look at her eye. It...

Chickens Have Messy Bottoms – HenBlog – Thursday, August 18, 2011

...off with clean water. It was a hot day, so I held them under a hose. No one seemed to mind much, but I’d dunk them in a tub of lukewarm water if the weather was cooler. Here is Maizie getting bathed. Once each hen was cleaned up, I squirted the providone on the bare skin near the vent and rubbed it in. Use gloves and don’t wear clothes you care about. This stuff stains! I treated the hens in June, and look at how lovely Buffy’s bottom is today. No runny, stinky secretions. And here is Eleanor. Her bottom...

The Week In Review – HenBlog – Sunday, October 14, 2012

...peppers. The ground was white in the morning. The zinnias died. But a few raspberries remain. Today it has warmed up a tad. It’s raining. This is the most dangerous time of year for chickens – much more so than when it is dry and freezing. They get wet and cold and that brings on respiratory disease. There’s mud so they can’t dust bathe (which is why I give mine a tub with sand and food-grade DE in their run.) Most of the hens are molting. Florence looks like a discarded feather duster. Here she is eating the green bean...

Social Feather Picking – HenBlog – Monday, March 24, 2014

...Gave her a good epsom salt soak, cleaned the wound with iodine, blow dried her and she's now residing in a wire dog crate in the breezeway until she's completely healed. She's not overjoyed with this situation but the alternative is pretty grim for poor little Aunt Betty. The hens have a great coop and run. They each have over 8 sq feet inside and another 8 sq feet per hen in the run, lots of south facing windows in the coop, plenty of layer, grit, oyster shell to choose from. I clean the coop daily and rake and clean...

Looking Better! – HenBlog – Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Melinda this is wonderful news! I am so happy for you and those sweet girls. Amanda Yay!! I have been anxiously waiting for this post today. So glad to see them doing better. Pat D. I am so relieved to hear the girls are getting better! I enjoyed the horse pictures,also. Thanks! Pamela W. Not raising chickens myself it would never have occurred to me to feed a chicken eggs. This was the new thing I learned today. Carol Caldwell So, So glad to see the improvements. Hope you are on the way to complete recovery. This post is truly...

Protecting the Hens From Predators – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 12, 2011

...built a fortress for our chickens to live in! I was shocked by the shoddy, weak housing available to buy in pet shops. We spent three weeks building our run alone and I still feel nervous when I see foxy snooping around! Meghan Great photos! I am wondering what type of wire mesh you used for your runs (like in the photo showing the rocks)? We are making a bigger better run for our girls this summer and have been searching for the right type of fencing locally (we're also in Eastern MA). Terry Golson Chicken wire works just fine...

The Beast Emerges! – HenBlog – Friday, March 27, 2015

This is a good news post. All winter, the Beast, the humungous 12-year old koi that lives in the water feature, has lived in a state of suspended animation. Late in the fall, when the water temperature drops to around 40° F, she slows down and stops eating. As the pond freezes over, she stations herself in her cave and waits out the winter. She swims just enough to stay upright. The pond has a pump that moves water through the gravel on the far side, up through the hole in the 17-ton rock, and down into the pool where...

1000th Post Giveaway – HenBlog – Friday, September 7, 2012

...tell me what key you would hang on the chain. It can be a real key, like the one to your front door, or one you wish you had (I’d take a pickup truck, horse van and horse!), or one to something intangible, like the key to a loved one’s heart. Leave your comment here for one entry. If you post this contest on FB, let me know here and you get a second entry. If you post on Twitter, come back and tell me and you get a third entry. I’m happy to ship anywhere in the world (I...

What I Can Hear Now – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 20, 2011

...we block them out. We take them for granted. Sad, isnt it? The everyday sounds on the farm make me happy :) The sound of a proud hen after she lays a nice egg. The Rooster waking up the farm (and annoying some peole...) . Congratualtion on your new sense of hearing-I know you'll enjoy it to the fullest :) Chris Magic Cochin I so pleased for you that your implants have reopened up a world of sound. In my studio today I have a 5 day old chick, she's making that happy continuous chirrup sound which tells me that...

A Gem Laid An Egg! – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 14, 2011

...:) Dianne That's great news! I remember the excitement over finding those first eggs. Wish the camera was a little more on the nest boxes so we could see who's on. Shannon Hooray! Finally, an egg! That is so exciting, Terry. My two 23-week old chickens have laid a couple of eggs over the past few days, but in random places where they have cracked or been eaten by the other chickens. Finally, today, we had our first unadulterated egg! It was tiny, but so exciting! Georgene from Florida EGG-CELLENT !!!!!! Kristin Yeah! I got my second egg today. One...

New Year’s Greetings – HenBlog – Sunday, January 1, 2012

...later today. For now they’ll sun themselves in their paddock. There is no better way to begin a new year than doing morning barn chores on a crisp winter morning. But, to leave you with an honest picture, coop cleaning means stinky chicken dust, which sticks to hair and clothing. When I came in I had to shower and change. Real animals are smelly and messy, noisy and demanding. Still, barn cleaning never fails to put me in a good mood. I hope that this morning’s beauty and peaceful companionship of my animals are harbingers of a good year to...

More Winter Eggs – HenBlog – Monday, January 14, 2013

...eggs already today. I am reading your past archives since I just found your hencam last month and gaining so much great helpful information. Thank you for your dedication to helping others. God bless you. Jen Stanton Thanks for this info Terry! Have you noticed any runny poo after feeding the alfalfa? Terry Golson Poo as normal as always. Joyce Renshaw It is 4:15 your time and looks like the old gals have gone to bed already. The gems seem to be out still. It is really cold here for us. Not quite freezing but unnaturally cold for Cambria. joyce...

Opal On The Mend – HenBlog – Thursday, July 11, 2013

...all is well or atleast on the mend. Jaye This is the best news - I'm so happy for all of you at Little Pond Farm! Christine O. Happy news! Yeah, Opal! Yeah, Terry! Tori Yay! Vicki in So. CA So glad to hear this news!!! Sue ****sigh of relief**** Sara So happy to read your news. On a lighter note: Is that a bunny blocking the door to the little barn??? Deborah Pruden Great news! Hang in there girls! Debbie I'm glad that Opal is doing better. Ken Good. The better news is they should all have built up...

Bird Flu and Backyard Hens – HenBlog – Thursday, March 5, 2015

...the most about in the news because they have caused several hundred human deaths. Look closely at these cases, and you find that the stricken people were often exposed to large quantities of diseased dead birds in unsanitary live poultry markets, or they were collecting feathers from dead wildfowl. There has been no human-to-human transmission. Nor is there a risk when eating properly cooked eggs and meat. The poultry industry is rightly worried about this virus spreading. They have a lot of animals at stake. Some barns house 50,000 hens, and exposure to the virus means that all of the...

No to Chicken Rental – HenBlog – Thursday, April 30, 2015

...(I went into the rental knowing I would purchase after the month), I was able to get a ready made coop (large, spacious coop for my four hens Trudy, Betty, Peggy and Joan) with an attached run that is predator proof, mobile (tractor) and easy to clean. For a first time chicken keeper, I couldn't have been happier. The people that run the business are trying to promote good chicken keeping. Isn't responsible renting (these two business people care for their chickens, promote supervised free ranging and if someone isn't able to care for these chickens, they can return them...

Sandy Blows Through – HenBlog – Thursday, November 1, 2012

...that you are all ok. Very sad for all those who lost their lives - or who are now homeless. Good to see things are getting back to normal for you. Just interested, what is the name of the board game you were playing(?) - i really like the look of it! Elaine @ Sunny Simple Life I am so glad you are all well. Great news. So many are in such bad shape. It is heart breaking. Debbie B Happy to hear you and all our anipals weathered the storm safely. I keep checking to see when your power...

Cochlear Implant Update – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 25, 2011

...are sounding more normal. Voices continue to have a metallic echo, but already I have more clarity than I had with my hearing aids. For thirty years I have dealt with being hard of hearing, and with the anger, frustration, grieving, and acceptance, that comes with a disability. Because my loss is progressive, I went through that emotional cycle over and over. I’d learn to cope, and then have the rug pulled out from under me and have to go through it all over again. The CI has stopped that. I know my baseline. If I never hear better than...

Authentic. Or Not. – HenBlog – Thursday, October 9, 2014

...we wonder why there's so much pressure to be the "perfect" woman....when will we learn and appreciate the beauty of the natural-self? Michelle Ah yes, it happens in every breed – of horse, dog, sheep, cow.... The "fashions" of the show ring have ruined more good animals, and entire breeds! Laura Ever since you put the World Percheron Congress link on your blog, I've been hooked on it. I sneak peaks at it all day while at the office, and have it on my laptop with speakers at home at night. So, thanks Terry, for giving me a fun thrill...

Fine So Far! – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 27, 2015

...late! Where’s the hay?   Thank you for your comments. It’s nice to know that you’re thinking of us. Not to worry. Weather like this is a challenge, but we’re fine! Also, thank you to everyone who sends me “coffee.” (Which, if you haven’t checked it out, is $4 via PayPal.) The cams are expensive to maintain, and I couldn’t do it without support from my viewers. I love sharing my bit of the world with others, and I appreciate the contributions that enable me to do that. Today, I think, I should change the coffee icon to hot cocoa....

Rainy Day Blahs – HenBlog – Wednesday, November 14, 2012

...shortened daylight hours, laid an egg. Candy had her morning hop-around but was quite annoyed at the mud. She spent most of the day glaring disdainfully at the world from her hutch. Goats hate to get wet. I gave them extra hay, so as far as they were concerned, it was a good day, anyway. The goats are nothing if not optimistic that all works out in the end. Lily was bored, but she remained vigilant, which was worth it because not one, but two, UPS trucks pulled into our driveway with deliveries. The UPS trucks are a sheer joy...

Good Morning – HenBlog – Monday, February 25, 2013

...speak of so far this winter so it is nice of you to share some of yours. I must admit though I am thankful that Spring is well on it`s way here and spending time outdoors with the Chickens is pretty darn sweet these days! Carrie Lee McCleary Beautiful, just beautiful! Jonathan I am glad we didnt get snow or rain today! It was a perfect day here to clean the hen house and let the girls free range in the yard today. Sad new I didn have to give my Rooster Francis the second away, he was a big...

What I’m Hearing – HenBlog – Monday, March 19, 2012

...it being confused, with the cartoon sounds from the right? Marie Terry, I am so very happy to learn of your news! thank you for sharing this experience with us. Wishes for continued healing. ps. Happy birthday to Candy.....I do love her antics. Louise What exciting news. It must be wonderful. I cannot imagine what it must have been like to struggle to hear your family and livestock - even if they are like cartoon characters for now. Thought you might like to hear news from my household! My Australian Shepherd puppy, Harris, is settling in well and is quite...

Buffy – HenBlog – Thursday, January 2, 2014

...catching up with the news now. RIP Buffy - seven and a half years lived happily thanks to Terry and Steve. Kudos to Steve for doing such a difficult job. I will miss this lovely golden hen. Jaumie Just checking up with your news. So sorry to hear about your nice Buffy. Enjoyed watching her too. We will see her again at The Rainbow Bridge. She will be missed. Jaumie P.S. I just found out about your cute Siouxsie. So sorry to hear this sad news too. I enjoyed watching her entertaining antics. I will miss seeing her too. :'(...

Clear Eyes, Smooth Eggs – HenBlog – Thursday, July 18, 2013

Celia Hart This is such good news Terry! The Gems are looking so much happier and well - the are so lucky to have you to take care of them. xx Lynn Noone Oh, Terry, this is such good news! Thanks for the update! sue noy Brilliant news, so pleased they have come through. On another subject, the new webcam.....I sent a message saying I couldn't view it on my tablet, but this morning I fired up the PC and I can view it on there so its obviously something to do with the tablets configuration. I will seek the...

A Garden Day – HenBlog – Monday, May 16, 2011

...the British love their pantalooned hens. They like the fluffy bottomed big birds. Very few of the Mediterranean type here. The hens aren't all perfectly behaved - Celia's have dug up a bit under her tree, but they haven't ruined her flower beds! Jenn Those colors look very south/southwest Americas to me. A nice surprise of bright in an English garden. Jenn Caught the timing on the cam today to say "goodnight" to the goats. Love your cams, thanks for having them. Kit I rather live next door to peacocks and rooster than Guinea hens, know those things are annoying....

Automatic Chicken Coop Door – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 25, 2013

...a hen has taken up residence in the rabbit hutch. Never a dull moment. Carol Caldwell I know where you are coming from but my coop is in a predator proof run and in England it's foxes we have to worry about not the more difficult predators that you have. I would not trust the coop door if wasn't in a run that I have made predator proof. jennifer bevins That was Twiggy, cracked me up too! Christine O. We've had an automatic door on our coop for a year and it has been especially great in the mornings because...

A Heat Treat – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Khris Januzik We too had record breaking heat at the end of June & beginning of July... 108 with a heat index of 114. I have to say that watermelon rules when it comes to hot chickens! Even if we and the girls don't consume it all, it goes in the freezer against the next heat wave. They love frozen and semi-frozen cubes of watermelon or just frozen chunks and slices with the rind. They have learned how to defrost it in a hurry. It is amazing how much better they seem to feel after eating it in extreme heat....

And More Snow – HenBlog – Monday, February 9, 2015

...hope it lets up soon! Carol Caldwell I don't know how you keep going in these conditions (although you have to of course), it's so good that you have the type of barns that you do. I hope things get better for you soon. Jan Pip and Caper enjoying their branches in the sunshine. Boston is in the news in uk, hope the weather doe's not come in as bad again as they are saying. Have put a card in post today, hope it gets to you ( probably at least a week or two ). As always keep safe...

How Many Eggs Do Your Older Hens Lay? – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 21, 2010

...day here or there. But, usually, you’ll get plenty of eggs from your new hens. When the chicken is about 18 months old, she’ll go through her first molt. Egg laying ceases. Old feathers fly. New ones grow in. And then it’s winter, and this time through, the dark and cold slow down or stops the egg laying. When spring comes, she’ll resume her egg-laying, but not at the pace of her first year. The shells will be thinner and more prone to breaking. By the time her second molt and winter comes along, a farmer who needs her chickens...

Drought – HenBlog – Thursday, August 5, 2010

...marks. I saw him running around happily eating cabbage, then he just died. I have fans on all day and night and have fenced in my entire backyard for them, mist the coop and give them watermelons for hydration as well as more waterfountians so they don't have to travel so far. A gray fox comes by to get a drink from the bird bath. All are Patiently waiting for rain. Ken I wish I could figure out how to send some of ours to you. We got a tad over an inch again in the middle of the night....

Merry Christmas Wishes – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 23, 2009

I grew up in a Reformed Jewish home in a neighborhood of Protestants. I enjoyed looking at Christmas lights, but I never yearned for a tree of my own or a visit by Santa. There was, however, one aspect of Christmas that captured my imagination. When little, I read a picture book about how the animals talk (in English!) on Christmas Eve. I didn’t need that magic with my own dog (who I perfectly understood) but I oh so wished for a barn in the backyard, filled with animals, and one night of the year when I could snuggle in...

The English Sussex – HenBlog – Friday, May 13, 2011

...my part of the world! Have a lovely holiday! xx Elizabeth Beller Beautiful gardens and hens... amazing that they don't tear up the lawn. I have garden and chicken envy!! Thanks for posting the photo story. So glad to see you are having such a wonderful time! Denise That is just so lovely. An English cottage, garden, and hens. Are you having tea out in the garden? Martha I've been following your site for a while now. I have garden envy, trip envy and chicken envy! The municipality I live in does not allow chickens so I live vicariously through...

A Group Portrait – The Vintage Hen – Monday, January 6, 2014

What with the sad news posts I’ve been writing, I thought that we could all use a charming vintage photo to puzzle over. What’s going on here? UPDATE: the caption on the back reads: All of my family except for the chickens. Taken in our back yard about a week ago. Weston, Texas, Feb. 1930 Have you tried to photograph all of your animals, at one time? Can you imagine the rumpus if I tried to do that here? Just the thought of it makes me smile. (By the way, take a look at that terrier. Her legs are in...

Animals IN Nursing Homes – HenBlog – Tuesday, October 21, 2014

...pasture. There’s a destination for the exercise. Yesterday a camerawoman and a producer from Chronicle, the Boston ABC station’s long-running human-interest news show, came to Life Care. They filmed the hens. In this photo you can see an occupational therapist encouraging her patient to stand up to get closer to the chickens.   It was a beautiful fall day and so the patients were out on the track, viewing the animals, doing physical therapy, and getting fresh air and sunshine.   Llamas are unique creatures and Ellen needed someone who knew how to work with them, so Ellen sent one...

This & That – HenBlog – Monday, March 11, 2013

...it seems empty out there without one. There’s a rabbit show in May that’s not too far away. I’ve penciled it into my calendar. Who knows what I’ll come home with. On other news, my publisher has informed me that the egg cookbook will not be published until 2014. I had no say in this, and of course, it’s frustrating. They might release the ebook this year. I’ll keep you informed. What else? Yesterday I collected 9 eggs from the 12 Gems. This bounty coincides with a luncheon being planned for our small town’s library staff. One dish on the...

Horse Training Attitude – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, August 28, 2014

...earlier. The rider does need to assert himself as the controller, not for power struggle, but because deep down a horse has a sense of humor, and he will remove you from his back and laugh about it. And the smarter the horse the more games he can think to play with you. Terry Golson Sadly, there is still "breaking." More worrisome to me is the "natural" horsemanship that bases the training on incorrect assumptions about how horses see the world. They claim to be natural and kind, but it's actually punishment. Terry Golson Hi Erney, as I've said in...

Chocolate and Caramel – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 9, 2010

I’m a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, which means I get to hang out with some amazing, talented, accomplished women in the food world. Last night, my local chapter had a Chocolate and Caramel event. We met at Kelly Delaney’s Cakes for Occasions kitchen. Lee Napoli, one of the most inventive chocolatiers in Boston, showed us her truffle-making technique. It’s all about very good chocolate at the right temperature. Next, Denise Baron, of Burton’s Grill, made caramel. I’ve struggled for years to get caramel right. The step where you boil down the sugar is so tricky! It seizes up. It...

A Charming Coop Door – HenBlog – Monday, May 27, 2013

Rebecca Sitting on the porch here in TN enjoying a coffee and all the birds calling. Wanting to Thank all our Service Men and Women here and around the world....for the opportunity to do it. Freedom is not free it comes with a price. Remember them all this Memorial Day. Lesley S That is a great door! Beautiful craftsmanship! My joy today will be using my new sifter that my son made me yesterday. It is hardware cloth on a square frame to make cleaning our sand floor chicken run easier and I won`t be composting as much sand. It...

Watch Me Skype – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Tomorrow is World Read Aloud Day. I’m taking part by donating four Skype visits to classrooms from California to Maine. Skyping is a live-streaming video tool. Because Steve has put WiFi in the coops, I’m able to video chat with the kids while surrounded by hens! For WRAD, I’ll be sitting in the Big Barn, and you’ll be able to watch on the BarnCam. I’m going to try and read Tillie Lays an Egg, but chaos might ensue. The hens are fascinated by my iPad, and who knows what Agatha will do! My first visit is set for 11:15 am...

Birthday Boys – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 26, 2011

...when something is right. I put a deposit down on two, yet to be born, goats. And this is what I got. These are my first goats, so I don’t have any other goats to compare them to. That said, these are the absolute best goats in the entire world. I have worked with many and varied animals, but I must say that goats are unique unto themselves. Yes, they fit in the four-legged furry farm animal category. But they are nothing like horses. Or donkeys. Or mules. Or cows. Or sheep. Goats have goat obstinacy and goat humor. Goat...

Snow Horse – HenBlog – Friday, January 30, 2015

...weight, and can find forage in a wide range of places. It took a few thousand years, but horses became stronger, larger, faster, and more suited to the tasks required by humans. The domestic population surged, the wild dwindled, and now there are no truly wild horses left in the world. (Herds out west are feral, not wild.) Recent DNA research confirms this. Even the Przewalski horse is descended from domesticated species. Still, there is something of that wild steppe equine in our modern horses. Does Tonka have an ancient memory of snow-covered Mongolian plains as he makes his way...

Springtime Beauty – HenBlog – Monday, May 5, 2014

There’s a reason that there’s an expression spring has sprung. One day there’s a hint of color on the trees, and, as if you’re living in a time-lapse video, all of sudden, the world is lushly green. One day you notice a glimmer of pink on your favorite decorative cherry,   and you marvel at the buds.   Then, three days later, the bush bursts into glorious blooms.   You know that those flowers are coming, but still, the sheer beauty of it takes you by surprise. Every year your heart leaps at how pretty it is, as if you’ve...

Ears Do More Than Hear – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Ears are for listening. The horse’s ears swivel in response to sounds both near and far, so if you pay attention to the ears, your world opens up. My horse hears far better than I do, so by watching his ears I see things that I would otherwise not have noticed. I recently followed Tonka’s ears and saw a person far off the trail in the woods. Because Tonka let me know that there was someone there, as the hiker emerged from the trees later, neither of us were startled (although the hiker was!)   Ears also communicate a horse’s...

There’s Always One in a Crowd – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The other chicks are content to run about in the brooder and perch on the branches in the coop. Not this one. She’s discovered the HenCam mount and very much likes the view. I wonder if she’ll be a “top hen” and lord it over the others when full-grown? So far, pecking order seems to be entirely about size. But, I haven’t sat and watched for any length of time, so there’s probably more going on than I’ve noted. I’ve been concerned about spreading the mycoplasma to the chicks and so do my chores quickly and leave them alone. However,...

Come For a Walk With The Boys – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Every morning I take the goats for a morning munch in the meadow (don’t you just love alliteration?) This is their chance to see a bit of the wide world and graze on the varied foods that are so good for goats and that they so love. Please join us. First, we hurry out of the stall. Although I’m teaching a “come” and a “follow me,” they’d rather eat my flowers and mint than do as told. Notice the leashes. I’m about to use them. The boys like different foods. Caper always goes for the sunflower leaves. Pip is partial...

My Sane Place – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, October 29, 2014

...cat or two. Pure serenity. Kris My sane place is with my 8 year old boy, laughing until we have tears running down our cheeks. I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day and am always running around feeling rushed and hurried. But at the end of the day, he's what makes me feel like the happiest person in the world. :) Connie Moreau Sitting on my yard swing watching my busy chickens! Linda DITTO to Connie's quote! Lesley S I am never so relaxed as I am when outside in my garden with no chores in mind...just...

The Pumpkin Personality Test – HenBlog – Thursday, November 16, 2006

As you’ve probably noticed, the girls have a new “friend” in the chicken yard. Each hen had a different reaction. Aloof Perrie ignored it. Edwina and Eleanor gave it a wide berth. Petunia checked to see if it was edible and quickly lost interest. Snowball walked right up, stared at it, circled it, and eyeballed the stranger some more. Tweedledum wandered over, decided that here was a new friend, and stood companionably next to the pumpkin for the afternoon. To everyone in the USA – Happy Thanksgiving!...

Rooster Puppets Giveaway! – HenBlog – Monday, April 16, 2012

...gal would come up with! Chris I am a Kindergarten teacher. My class is currently in the process of hatching chicken and duck eggs in an incubator in our classroom. My kids would go nuts for these. Nenette Seaux WITH ALL THE THINGS GOING ON NOW TODAY IN THIS WORLD, THIS IS QUITE A CUTE AND FUN GIVEAWAY Daniel Sampson Cool! Barbee Jobe My daughter is a 2nd. Grade teacher in the Cleburne ISD in North central Texas. She wiould love to add this to her classroom!! Kim My preschoolers in Portsmouth would love a rooster puppet! Just adorable! Karen...

Happy Thanksgiving! – The Vintage Hen – Sunday, November 23, 2014

Here in the USA, it’s the week of Thanksgiving. Children are home from school, family and friends visit, and a lot of cooking goes on. As I do every year, I’ll be making pies for my annual Pie Party. (I’ll give an accounting of that at the end of the month. For now, suffice it to say that I’m making at least 15 pies!) This is also the week to store flower pots inside before the snow hits and do the final winterizing in the gardens. (Unless you’re in Buffalo – then it’s a lost cause.) So, I’ll be taking...

Euthanizing a Hen – HenBlog – Tuesday, October 28, 2014

...for enough hens to have the benefit of hindsight. Steve euthanized Etheldred by breaking her neck. This is difficult. Death is instantaneous, however the heart keeps beating (those stories of “a chicken running around with it’s head chopped off” are not far-fetched). I did a necropsy. There was an impacted crop (It’s that white ball on the left of this photo.) But there was also this – an abdomen filled with solid, rubbery yellow material. In a healthy hen none of that would be there. None.   There was no room for the intestines to function. There was no room...

Broody Girls – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Three of my hens are broody – Blackie, Snowball and Marge. A broody hen sits in a nesting box, and if there are eggs there, she’ll roll them under her to keep them warm. I don’t know how Snowball stays balanced. At times she is perched on four large eggs that weigh almost as much as her. A broody hen stops laying for weeks, and sometimes months, and so a backyard hen keeper has to decide if he or she wants to go to the bother of breaking the broody cycle. It is possible, but not easy. Being broody is...

An Egg Is Clean – HenBlog – Saturday, July 13, 2013

...at me! How much clearer and smoother the image is on my iPad2. (Only thing I can't do now is screen capture an image, but that's ok.) This is great. It'll be hard to tear myself away! Thanks! Cindy B Fantastic! Terry and Steve! I just saw Phoebe run fast out of the barn and across the run. So much action is displayed in the new fast streaming cam. It's a lot of fun to now be able to see the chickens move and 'dance' as they do in real life. What a wonderful new view you have given us....

Nancy’s Soft Eggs – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, October 16, 2013

...has eaten it. Soft eggs break easily and the chickens find them irresistibly delicious. That sort of egg eating can lead to the bad habit of egg-breaking and eating, but it hasn’t happened. Her eggs are so unlike the hard-shelled ones laid by everyone else that I don’t think that the hens have made the connection. It can be hard on a hen to lay a soft-shelled egg. They’re squishy and don’t slip out easily like smooth, correctly formed eggs. I worry about her. Sometimes soft eggs are caused by a poor diet. But, I know that’s not the case...

Gratitude – HenBlog – Thursday, November 28, 2013

...through this sense – a dog’s pant, a twig snap, the tick of my wristwatch. The sounds of birds in the trees have become birdsong. A running stream is musical. Every day I give thanks to the long line of researchers and scientists and doctors who have made this possible. I know that on this planet, I am one of the lucky ones, here, today, with my wealth and my freedom, my ability to make choices, and the wherewithal to make them reality, I do not take any of it for granted. The underlying tenet of the type of animal...

On Her Own Terms – HenBlog – Sunday, January 5, 2014

Twinkydink had been ailing for a long time. Last year her comb went grey. That’s a sure sign that internal organs were shutting down.   And yet, she went about her days in an unobtrusive way. Once a bossy hen of top status, she slid gracefully into the role of friend of the even slower Buffy. The young hens liked her. Twiggy took a shine to Twinkydink. Twinkydink continued to eat and drink. She still roosted, albeit on a lower rung. About two weeks ago she took a noticeable turn for the worse. She slept more. A hen who rarely...

Horse Care – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 15, 2014

...rainy spring is over and the sod has firmed up.) Because his paddock doesn’t have grass, I’ve been hand grazing him daily, gradually increasing the amount of fresh greens that he eats. We both enjoy this peaceful time near the wetlands, where birds are singing and the spring peepers (small frogs) are making a ruckus.   A horse carries himself (upwards of 1,000 pounds) plus a rider on four hooves, which aren’t simply solid cartilage – no, they have bones and capillaries and cushions, all of which can be damaged. The hoof walls are continuously growing, and so need to...

Why I Don’t Use Deep Litter – HenBlog – Thursday, December 5, 2013

...do agree with the advocates of deep litter that earth and compost contains healthy microbes, and that loose dirt to scratch in provides necessary activity and also protein from the bugs that are consumed. But, you don’t need deep litter to provide these things. I have a compost pile in the chicken run. It does all of the positive things of deep litter, but it also keeps the run and coop dry and tidy. My compost in the chicken run is a modified deep litter. There’s soft earth for digging, healthy microbes, and bugs. I toss in garden refuse, bedding...

More Snow. – HenBlog – Monday, February 16, 2015

...any more snow!! picassospaintings Oh, and forgot to mention- snowblower is a MUST!!! Jan Terrible news about the train carrying crude oil in West Virginia makes snow and rain seem trivial even though its hard work. Had a thought if all watchers from around the world collectively send a coffee there would be money for a snow blower and maintenance ( good idea? ) Will admit I do not do electronic money, but have sent mine by snail mail. The cams and blogs bring me hours of entertainment, well worth every dollar. Keep up the good work. Jan May stop,...

Amazing Expanding Goat Bellies – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 21, 2015

...rumen is when you look at the boys top-down.   The rumen is not centered inside of the goat, it’s actually more to the left. New goat owners often panic when they see something the size of a volleyball protruding on one side of the goat. It’s actually a good thing to see a full rumen. And, it should be noisy! Inside of the the rumen are millions (billions?) of bacteria doing the work of breaking down the feed into usable components. Put your ear to the side of your goat and you’ll hear rumblings and grumblings. Silence is an...

A Full Crop – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 8, 2014

...to be active and work for their food. Their systems aren’t made for eating a few distinct meals a day. But, sometimes what a hen swallows is big. I once saw Lulu slurp a baby snake down whole, like a strand of spaghetti. Sometimes hens find a bonanza of bugs in the garden and gorge themselves all in the course of a few minutes. The first stop for all of this food in the digestive process is the crop – which is a pouch in the hen’s neck. Physically breaking down the food happens later, in the gizzard, which is...

Feeding During the Molt – HenBlog – Friday, October 10, 2014

...very expensive and wouldn’t last a week. A bale at the feed store usually weighs over a hundred pounds! But, you can find what you need in the horse aisle: chopped alfalfa mixed with molasses. (This is horse feed, the molasses makes it more palatable for the animals; the hens don’t mind.)   This is the brand that I feed – it comes in a 40 pound plastic bag, the size and heft of a bag of pine shavings. Every morning, I toss a handful out into the run. Because the stems are chopped, your hens won’t get impacted crops....

An Improved GoatCam – HenBlog – Tuesday, November 11, 2014

...invite the manufacturer to do product testing here. There is jostling in the stall. Stuff (of the unmentionable kind) gets on the protective plastic lens.   Here are the goats rubbing against the Goat Maid’s rubber boots. Wearing boots that they can rub against is one of her jobs.   Much to the goats’ chagrin, she often fails at this, and so the goats have to resort to rubbing other things. LIke the cams. So, enjoy the improved live-streaming, and I apologize in advance if you see it through a haze of goat dirt. IT Guy can’t solve every problem....

It's Cold Out – HenBlog – Thursday, January 11, 2007

We’ve been having a record-breaking mild winter in New England, but last night it got down to 15 degrees F. Did I worry about the girls getting cold? No! I find it amusing that the only chicken fanciers who worry about heating their henhouses are those who live in warm climates. People in the moderate Northwest advise heat lamps. Folks in the south put in a heater if there’s a frost. But trust me, the hens will be fine. We do have a heating pad under the waterer; chickens must have fresh running water at all times. This simple gadget...

Broody Hens – HenBlog – Monday, June 18, 2007

...and toss her out. Within seconds, she is happily scratching in the yard. But only a few minutes later, the impulse to brood takes over and back in she goes. Hens bred to supply most of the world’s eggs have been selected to lay an egg each day, and once they’ve done their job, to ignore that egg and eat and drink so that they can make more eggs. Even some of the old-time breeds of chickens were developed to lay but not sit on their eggs. This makes a lot of economic sense. So, even within a backyard flock,...

Compost Bins and Chicken Manure – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 22, 2012

...might contain bits of internal parasites, and it might harbor the intermediary hosts of those parasites. It also smells. Bad. That pile of poo is about 75 % water. It will eventually shrink, but it while it is dehydrating and breaking down it has to go somewhere. I keep compost piles in my chicken runs. It keeps them busy with things to shred, scratch and eat. Much of my kitchen and garden scraps go there. But, that’s not where I put the manure. I don’t want the hens mucking about in their own waste and possibly ingesting parasites. I want...

Thin-shelled Eggs, Old Hens, and The Miracle Diet Cure – HenBlog – Friday, July 8, 2011

...eggs, the common advice is to add calcium to the diet. That might work -for a young flock. But, if you’ve got older girls, or if you’ve been cleaning out your kitchen shelves, don’t use your hens as garbage cans. A correct diet really is a miracle cure. My hens are relieved that I’ve finally figured this out. It must be mighty uncomfortable to try to push out breaking, rubbery eggs. They’re now walking upright and with gleams in their eyes. In a few more weeks, I’ll add some of the healthier kitchen scraps back into their diet and I’ll...

Agatha’s (Mis)Adventure – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 13, 2011

...hawks, fox and coyote. I had to get them back into their pen. Agatha thought about stepping down onto my arm, but even standing on a stool, I was too far off. I was just able to reach up to poke their chests and push them back into their run. Their landing wasn’t exactly elegant, but it didn’t hurt, either. Now, there’s just one compost bin in the run. I’m putting more string up, too. If bulky, awkward Agatha can get out, a hawk can fly in. They’re safe. For now. But who knows what Agatha will think up next?...

The Risk of Adding Hens – HenBlog – Wednesday, January 16, 2013

...from the farmer who got me started with my original flock 1.5 years ago. I kept the new girls isolated (a run within the big run with their own coop, food, water, etc.) for 4 weeks. Both small flocks had limited contact through a chain link fence on 1 side. They now have all been together in the same run for a few days. So far, so good. I am watching everyone carefully for signs of illness, lethargy. A certain amount of establishing the new pecking order has been going on but not too much. The run is quite large...

Barn Cat – HenBlog – Sunday, January 10, 2016

...from the animal shelter with the name Dirk, that none of us like, so we call him Fat Cat. There are barn cats, and then there are felines that are indoor, indulged pets. Babying animals isn’t a new phenomena. Here’s a flapper carrying her beloved kitty. Note the collar – zoom in and you’ll see that it’s as fancy as the fox wrap that the woman is wearing. My guess is that this cat enjoyed her life. House cats can be just as happy as barn cats, even without a 110-foot tree to scale. Lindy, taken last summer 1931  ...

The Cochin Molts – HenBlog – Friday, September 5, 2014

...rest of them...so cute...it made me smile and love them more. Carol Caldwell I put similar photos to these on my blog as Topaz is moulting. It is amazing how many handfuls of feathers there are to pick up. She also loses them as she runs and has the pins coming in the bare bits. She doesn't look quite as scruffy as poor pearl though. She will look beautiful again when she is all feathered up once more. Terry Golson Yes, so funny to see feathers flying in the wake of a running hen. Terry Golson She'll be ready for...

Before and After – HenBlog – Tuesday, January 19, 2010

...back to shape. I should have before and after pictures of me – I went from dry to snow-covered. This is not the sort of snow that slides off my jacket, or flutters down. It whomped me and got under my collar. But, it was worth it. The tree is a “Fox River Birch.” It has the most gorgeous bark, and every year wrens and robins make their nests in it’s branches. Tomorrow I’ll have to go shake the Chinese Beech trees in my backyard. They’re twice as big. I’ll have to wear protective headgear. Maybe my son’s fencing helmet?...

Compost – HenBlog – Friday, April 24, 2009

...weeds go into a section of the chicken run. You can see it here – this view is in the HenCam yard. It’s around the corner to the side of the coop and out of sight of the HenCam camera. Notice that there’s a piece of fencing in the yard. The materials to be composted get tossed behind it. The chickens can get in – there’s a foot opening on both sides, but because of the fence, despite the girls’ active scratching, the material stays in that corner. I don’t bother to chop up the stuff that goes into the...

A Bad Hair Day – HenBlog – Monday, August 17, 2009

...to her. Meanwhile, the hens have barely laid any eggs this summer. Their excuses are rainy dark days, heat, and old age. After providing only about two eggs a day from the whole lot of them (15 hens), they have now decided that it is time to stop laying for good and to go into molt. The first day of the molt there are so many feathers on the coop floor that I stop and count the hens to make sure that what I’m looking at isn’t a fox attack. Not to worry, they’re all there. But, what a mess!...

Wildlife at Little Pond Farm – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 30, 2008

...because it keeps coming back, despite the dog that chases it away. I live a short 35 minute drive to Boston (that is, not during rush hour!) so it’s not like we are way out in the country. However, this little town is an oasis surrounded by suburbs. By a fluke of nature – lots of rocks and wetlands – it wasn’t overbuilt. And in the 1960s a large dairy farm here got turned into a state park. Also, Harvard University owns 900 acres of forest right next door. There’s a lovely river that runs along the boundary of our...

Chicken Talk – HenBlog – Thursday, April 29, 2010

Roosters crow. Even if you’ve never seen a rooster in real life you know what he sounds like because we grow up with storybooks about roosters, sing songs about them in elementary school, and have watched cartoons with pompous rooster characters. In English, we write the noise as cock-a-doodle-do! Other languages have different words, but they are always loud and brash, and instantly, universally recognizable as rooster talk. Hens, when their voices are written about at all, are usually relegated the boring cluck. This is a shame, because listening to the hens talk is one of the pleasures of the...

Christmas In The Barn – HenBlog – Saturday, December 24, 2011

...the same tonight and think of our Lord entering the world in a stable, surrounded by gentle creatures. He chose the right place. Happy Christmas to everyone and may the new year bring green pastures and contented critters. Kim Merry Christmas Terry xx Deborah Pruden What a beautiful post. My kitty, Rusty, is a descendant of the cat that was there on the first Christmas night. He carries the mark of Mary on his forehead. Blessings to your family as your Chanukah celebration continues! Deborah Barb Olds *~* Happy Holiday to Everyone at Little Pond Farm *~* Kit Mackerel tabbies...

Vintage Chicken Photographs: A Book Of 30 Postcards – The HenCam Store

...heads, in arms, and even on a bicycle! The postcards are large, 5 inches by 7 inches, and printed on high-quality heavy card stock. Unlike most postcard books, this one doesn’t have a perforated edge for card removal. Instead, It’s bound cleanly along the top. Leave the book whole, or tear off a card as you would a sheet of paper from a tablet. Wholesale inquiries welcome. $10 Quantity: We're Sorry   Product Details Hardcover: 64 pages Publisher: HenCam (October 1, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 0985981709 ISBN-13: 978-0985981709 Product Dimensions: 5 x 7 x 0.5 inches Shipping Weight: 10 ounces...

New England Poultry Congress – HenBlog – Monday, January 14, 2008

I spent a couple of enjoyable hours on Saturday at the New England Poultry Congress, where hundreds of birds were on display. This view is of only half of the building! The man in the white coat is one of the judges. There were classes for junior exhibitors. There were people walking around with their favorite birds. I had a chance to talk to knowledgeable people. I finally learned how to tell the difference between White Old English Game and Bantam White Leghorns. (Snowball fits a bit of each description but her yellow legs gives her away as a Leghorn....

Faces From The Show – HenBlog – Monday, November 5, 2012

I spent a few enjoyable hours at the Boston Poultry Exposition on Saturday. The organizers did a superb job of set-up; they decorated the rows with straw bales, grasses and flowers, and there was even a turkey ice sculpture. But, the stars were the animals. I was smitten with the soft and elegant coloring of this silver ducking Old English Game pullet. I liked this pullet’s alert expression. This Houdan was calm and serious. The roosters had attitude. This one rocked a beard, too. Other faces were not so pretty, but endearing for their own reasons! I talked with the...

Vintage Farm Animal Photographs: A Book Of 30 Postcards – The HenCam Store

...affection and admiration of farmers for their animals. The postcards are large, 5 inches by 7 inches, and printed on high-quality heavy card stock. Unlike most postcard books, this one doesn’t have a perforated edge for card removal. Instead, It’s bound cleanly along the top. Leave the book whole, or tear off a card as you would a sheet of paper from a tablet. Wholesale inquiries welcome. $10 Quantity: We're Sorry   Product Details Hardcover: 64 pages Publisher: HenCam (August 1, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 0985981723 ISBN-13: 978-0985981723 Product Dimensions: 5 x 7 x 0.5 inches Shipping Weight: 10 ounces...

Vintage Dog Photographs: A Book Of 30 Postcards – The HenCam Store

...and love that we get from our dogs. The postcards are large, 5 inches by 7 inches, and printed on high-quality heavy card stock. Unlike most postcard books, this one doesn’t have a perforated edge for card removal. Instead, It’s bound cleanly along the top. Leave the book whole, or tear off a card as you would a sheet of paper from a tablet. Wholesale inquiries welcome. $10 Quantity: We're Sorry   Product Details Hardcover: 64 pages Publisher: HenCam (August 1, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 0985981716 ISBN-13: 978-0985981716 Product Dimensions: 5 x 7 x 0.5 inches Shipping Weight: 10 ounces...

Epsom Salt Soak for a Hen – HenBlog – Monday, August 4, 2014

...every day for almost a month in a row. Yesterday evening she was just standing at the pop hole to the coop as if she wasn't sure if she had the energy to go in. She did, after I went over to see if she was alright. I will give her an Epsom salts bath today, even though she seems herself again, the reason being that she has runny poop and a messy bottom. I figure that I can take the opportunity to check her out while she is soaking. I was wondering,can I give her the bath in the...

This and That – HenBlog – Friday, September 23, 2011

There’s no big news here, but there’s plenty going on. A Great Blue Heron has been fishing. Lily chased it out of the pond three times yesterday. It’s a huge bird, and slow to rise into the sky, so I give it a head start before telling Lily to “get it!” There’s too many small goldfish in the pond, and I wouldn’t mind the heron eating a few, but I don’t want it stabbing The Beast, who is too big to swallow whole, but is still at risk for being stabbed. The fish eat algae and mosquito larvae in the...

Towers – HenBlog – Sunday, September 11, 2011

Magic Cochin I'm remembering too. I remember standing on top of the tower, feeling on top of the world - it was my birthday! I remember all the smiling people and the people rushing about their working day. I love your solid colourful lego tower. Celia x Terry Golson Yes, and when you looked down out those windows it looked like the building was arcing away from you so that it was as if you were on a precipice. Deborah Pruden I come to this blog to see your beautiful animals and hear about your life as mother, author, hen...

Waiting For Eggs – HenBlog – Monday, September 5, 2011

...builds these boxes and sells them on-line. As a general rule, you need one box for every five hens, so the girls could use another. I have too many nesting boxes in the HenCam barn, so I might move one over. Chickens innately want to lay in a safe, semi-dark place. But their idea of a good place is not necessarily yours! If they’re free-ranging, they’ll find a nook in a stone wall or a hiding place under a bush. So, when your girls begin to lay you might want to keep them from wandering. Keep them near the coop...

Boots! And Other News – HenBlog – Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I found these inexpensive rubber boots on sale at Sears. They’ll take me through the next couple of months until I switch to my hard-core snow boots (which are toasty and dry but not conveniently slip-on). I got the boots just in time. There was a hard frost yesterday morning, and a cold, driving rain, and possibly snow is predicted for the remainder of the week. Meanwhile, it appears that Garnet is no longer pulling out Jasper’s feathers. Four Gems are laying. I harvested the last of the kale from the vegetable garden. Winter is on its way!...

Updates – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 1, 2014

I wanted to catch you up on a few storylines going on here. The good news is that, what with the extra shade and the addition of pond salt, The Beast is fully recovered from her bout with sunburn.   The thermometer is registering temperatures above 90º F and it’s been humid, but I don’t need to look at a weather gauge to know that. I just have to observe Phoebe. She’s stretched out on the cool concrete inside of the Little Barn. If you want to see her active, check the cams at nightfall. She’s been letting us know...

Sunshine in the Barnyard – HenBlog – Saturday, March 12, 2011

...what with their big bellies and not having had exercise for months. They’re celebrating the sunshine and open space with much head-butting. My morning chores and a bit of spring clean-up took less than an hour, but the sun and the work and the cheery nature of my animals, and the feel of a warm wind makes me optimistic. The here and now of a sunny barnyard does that. Much needed after hearing the news out of Japan. Much needed most everyday. My next task today is to shovel snow off of my cold frames. I’d like to plant kale....

Bainbridge Farm Goods Giveaway! – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, September 12, 2012

(Update: this contest is closed. Patti Lincus won!) My friend, Susan, at Bainbridge Farm Goods has very, very exciting news. Her sign company is a finalist for the Martha Stewart American Made People’s Choice Award. Her signs are filled with goats, chickens, and vegetables. They are bright, modern, and playful. They are made in America (actually, in her corner of America, Bainbridge Island.) They look like this: And this: And this: Don’t you just need one? (I already have a Fresh Eggs sign, but I think I need the goat sign, too!) To celebrate her being chosen as a finalist...

Clever Goat – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 9, 2014

...The bottom one was off the hook. Yep, Pip figured out how to unlatch the chain and squeeze through the gate. (Notice that the chain on the top is still on. Notice the size of Caper’s belly. He must have defied some law of physics to do this.)   Recently a study made a big splash in the news. It announced that goats are intelligent! Those of us with goats read the study and shook our heads. The test that the researchers presented the goats was easy-peasy. It was like asking an MIT mathematician to recite the times tables. Obviously,...

Tuppercraft Rooster – The Vintage Hen – Tuesday, September 4, 2012

It’s a dreary, rainy, back-to-school day, so I thought that I should post a bit of turquoise and pink mid-century baby charm. This dapper rooster (just look at that bow tie!) held diaper pins. I read that the rooster’s tail was a way to unlatch the pins one-handed, but I can’t figure out how to do it. Does anyone know? News flash – I’ve figured it out! Push the pink clasp into the gap in the rooster’s tail, which holds it securely while you twist it open. Brilliant! I do know how to squeeze the beak in order to release...

House Chickens – HenBlog – Friday, April 1, 2011

...the nightly news and in People. I hope Tori had food and water waiting in the store for the hen. Silkies overheat easily. I know that Tori isn’t thinking of her animals because she also has a pet Nigerian Dwarf Goat. Just one. Goats should always have another goat companion. Tori’s goat is also kept as a house pet. Although he is (supposedly) trained to “pee-pee” outside, he leaves goat berries everywhere in the house. Tori Spelling has a toddler. Children should not be living with animal feces in the home. I wish this were a Hollywood phenomena, but in...

A Good Farm Dog – HenBlog – Wednesday, August 20, 2014

...the beach! Terry Golson Love your llama. Yes, he counts as the perfect farm "dog." Terry Golson Does your Malamute yowl? I knew one that talked and talked. He was hilarious. Ken My Dalmatian was a great farm dog. Never had a fox or coyote problem (when I lived in Illinois) once he matured and became self confident. He stood guard all day. Eileen Our Brittany's, Lucy and Ruby, while excellent bird dogs are very protective and non-reactive toward the chickens...which I know is unbelievable, but it's true! They understand that these birds are not to be hunted or run...

Saving Clementine, Part 3 – HenBlog – Monday, March 31, 2014

...loner’s life. Do not use the flock’s behavior as an excuse to make a house chicken out of her! The returning hen can and must be reintegrated into the flock. The first thing to do is to make sure that the coop and run are ready for her. Your coop should meet all of the basic criteria – plenty of space, sunlight (the hens need to see inside of the coop!), outside and inside roosts, etc. If the space is cramped, then a hen can be cornered and injured. Fill the feeder and waterer. If the ground is hard and...

Yoga With Goats – HenBlog – Friday, November 30, 2012

...I hear they have great personalities. Terry Golson Yeas ago I tried tai chi. I kept dropping that imaginary ball! Terry Golson Adult hens don't fly up much but bantams can. I have hawk netting over the run to protect from aerial predators. I like the fencing to be tall enough that I can stand up in the run. Vicki in So. CA Sorry to hear you're achy and tied up in knots. Yoga probably really sucks for you right now, but if you keep at it, and be gentle with yourself, it should help. The meditation at the end,...

Nursing Home Hens in the News – HenBlog – Thursday, June 27, 2013

Ken PERFECT!!!!!!! I think the fact that the chickens are moving and doing things is a big difference than the trained dog that is brought in and trained to lay and be petted. Don't get me wrong I think that is a great thing as well. laura Well, that's going to make me run out and buy the Globe today. Very well done, Terry. Terri What a blessing! sue noy Just read the article Terri, you must be very proud, a wonderful venture xxx Yvette This is beautiful, Terry. Well done. Joyce Renshaw I tried to access the article on...

Eggs from Pastured Hens ARE Different – HenBlog – Friday, June 19, 2009

...hen or by one kept in a cage. A researcher in New Zealand has come up with a test to verify what type of housing an egg was laid in. It turns out that a pastured hen, eating a wide variety of food, produces a very different egg than the caged hen. A synopsis of the article can be read in this poultry industry on-line newsletter. Awhile back, Mother Earth News did it’s own analysis of pastured eggs and came up with similar results. Those of us with backyard hens knew this already, but it’s nice to have scientific proof....

Revised Chicken Keeping Web Page – HenBlog – Monday, October 16, 2006

Check out my Chicken Keeping Web page. I’ve reorganized the resources and links section and added a few more useful sites to peruse and fun things to look at. I’m on the lookout for chicken artists (not hens that paint — though that’d be really interesting!) — but artists who are inspired by chickens. Also, I’ve added a list of blogs about hens. I’ll keep the list small and well-curated. You’ll know it’s current and worth reading if it’s on my site. (Don’t you just get so annoyed clicking out-of-date links?) On to henhouse news: Tweedledum is finally up and...

Sad News – HenBlog – Friday, November 17, 2006

When Steve went out to feed the girls this morning, he noticed that Tweedledum was barely sitting up, and she was gasping for breath. We got her inside, put her in a cozy bed, and gave her dropperfuls of antibiotics mixed in water. We’ve had other hens with respiratory infections who we could nurse back to health. But, Silkies are not the most robust of breeds. Within a few hours of realizing that Tweedledum was sick, she died. This is part of owning chickens — some become ill and die — but it’s never easy. Tweedledum was my son’s much...

News from the Rabbit Hutch – HenBlog – Friday, October 12, 2007

This morning I found an egg in Candy’s hutch. I’m sure it’s not hers. Whoever laid it sometime yesterday made a nice nest – the egg was securely at the bottom of a cozy hay bowl. I’m hoping that one of you HenCam viewers saw which hen did this. Perhaps Alma? Amazingly enough, Candy, inquisitive rabbit that she is, didn’t break the egg. My fourteen year old son has to catch the school bus at 6:35 am (!) He leaves in the dreary half-dark. Yesterday, walking down the driveway in a drizzle, he heard loud banging and ringing. As you...

The News From Here – HenBlog – Sunday, April 20, 2008

...for this type. Rabbits’ ears are their air conditioners. In hot weather, they stick them up away from their bodies, and the blood that runs near the skin in their ears cools in the breeze. Lop-ears can’t do this. Their ears are always hanging next to their warm fur. They need help to stay cool and healthy. So, Candy’s house has been moved. I’m sorry that you can’t see her there, but it is better for the bunny. Buffy Update: Whatever is wrong with Buffy isn’t going to go away. I assume she has a terminal illness, like cancer or...

Chickens are In! – HenBlog – Monday, April 28, 2008

...“fancy” – that is, those who show poultry – are worried that fewer and fewer people are enjoying their hobby (obsession for some.) But, overall, the number of small flock holders is growing. This is good news all around. It means that the producers of all of the things that we need to keep chickens, from waterers, to feed, to brooders, to the hatcheries that sell us chicks, will stay in business. It also means that there are more people to advocate for keeping domestic farm animals on a small scale. More people to keep an eye on NAIS. Don’t...

Snowball – HenBlog – Friday, May 30, 2008

Snowball died last night. I suppose there are euphemistic ways of sharing this news, but finding other words to say it doesn’t make losing her any easier. We buried her in the wildflower patch under the peach tree. She was as much a part of the family as a beloved pet dog....

NYC – HenBlog – Thursday, December 4, 2008

I’ve been a tad busy and unable to blog. First was the pie party. What delicious fun! Tonight my family consumed the last of the leftovers (and there’s still pie in the freezer!) A favorite was the Pear and Cranberry Tart (seasoned with a splash of good brandy) in an Almond Shortbread Crust. Guests with a serious sweet tooth loved the Peanut Butter Chiffon. Those with a savory bent ate up the Russian Onion Pie. As always, each person ate about a half pie per person. They all denied that they’d eaten so much – but the empty pie tins...

Tillie News – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Tillie Lays an Egg has been getting great reviews! My book got a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and raves in Kirkus and School Library Journal. It looks like people are having as much fun reading it as I had making it. Your local bookseller can order a copy and get it in time for holiday giving. In these days of re-evaluating what is good and lasting and necessary, I do think that books are right there in the “must-have” list. They’re a pleasure to hold, and are the ultimate hand-me-downs. However, if you’re on a really tight budget, make...

Accolades – HenBlog – Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I’m pleased as punch (do my overseas readers use that expression?) because HenCam has been selected as a Top Ten Cam by EarthCam! EarthCam has an international audience, and I’ve already heard from new viewers in Italy and London. Not only did I get this news on Mother’s Day, but I also got the sweetest present from my husband – he bought me the domain name goatcam.com, and as soon as the babies are old enough to come home (about the end of June), the goatcam will be up and running. Here’s a teaser for what you’ll be seeing: I’ve...

“Hen Mother” – HenBlog – Thursday, August 19, 2010

I’m in the local paper. I love my new title of “Hen Mother.” Don’t you? http://www.wickedlocal.com/concord/news/lifestyle/x1371493473/Concord-Carlisle-residents-find-their-way-to-local-food...

Their Eggs and Our Eggs – HenBlog – Tuesday, August 31, 2010

With the mind-blowingly huge egg recall happening, there’s some interesting information getting into the press about the difference between the health of backyard hens and their eggs, and those from factory farms. I learned something in this piece about how eggs stay microbe-free (at least they do when the chickens are healthy and the eggs are handled properly!) I subscribe to a poultry industry newsletter, which claims that the salmonella at the factory farm came from poor-quality animal-based feed (one reason “vegetarian fed” eggs are a step better than the cheapest eggs at the market.) The same newsletter had an...

Buffy’s Status, Etc. – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 20, 2013

...absorbed the added moisture, and become a dense mass. Some days Scooter can traipse along the top of it, sometimes he falls in and disappears. The shoveled paths are becoming worn. There are days that they’re muddy, and others that they’re slick with ice. The dead-end path on the left is Scooter’s bathroom area, which he only deigns to use when it’s warm and the snow surface can’t hold his weight. On other news, the Gail Damerow book contest is over, and Ruth won. I’m delighted, because she’ll be sharing it with her 4-H club. Lastly, you’ll notice that there’s...

Cooking For Comfort – HenBlog – Friday, February 20, 2015

Yesterday I received the news that a lovely man, the husband of a dear friend, passed away suddenly from a heart attack. They were high school sweethearts, married in their early twenties, and had forty-seven years together in a marriage filled with a generosity of spirit and mutual admiration. Both worked hard their entire lives. Just turned seventy, he was still at his job as an engineer, she a teacher. Last year they had finally managed to take a vacation together. They were looking forward to more. As you know, I am a person who looks for the good, for...

I’m On Chronicle – HenBlog – Thursday, November 13, 2014

A couple of weeks ago, I caught you up on the nursing home hens, and told you about how Chronicle, a New England human interest television show, was doing a piece about the project. The producer also spent some time in my backyard. The half-hour show, which they’re calling Creature Comfort, will showcase unusual therapy animals. It airs on WCVB channel 5, Boston, at 7:30 pm EST on November 13, 2014. It live-streams here. By next week I’ll have a link up on my In the News page....

My Take On Worming – HenBlog – Thursday, October 11, 2012

It’s gross and you don’t want to think about it, but chickens have nasty parasites inside of them. There are various types of roundworms, tapeworms and flukes that live in the intestines, the eyes, the throats and the gizzards. A chicken with a heavy parasite load shows a loss of vitality, fewer eggs and a lowered disease resistance. I’ve been researching and reading about this, both on-line and in books. But perhaps the best advice I’ve seen has come from this 1941 booklet. The good news is that the parasites that live inside of poultry are avian-specific. They don’t live...

Guess the Breeds Contest – The Vintage Hen – Friday, April 24, 2015

...nails. Robin I'm going to say terrier and border collie for Lily. Too many options to pick for Scooter. Can't wait to find out the results! Tyche's Minder Lily - Jack Russell cross; Scooter - Chihuahua cross. Will be fun to see the results. All the reports I've seen on this sort of thing just prove how hard it is to tell by looking at a dog. :) You gotta have the DNA. wyldstyle Lily- Border collie/ ibazinian hound Scooter- chiuaha (sorry about my awful spelling)/ parson jack russel PBF03 Lily is a Jack Russell Terrier mixed with a Border...

Chicken T-Shirt Giveaway! – HenBlog – Monday, July 25, 2011

...I rustled up some peeps and a coop. Never having lived around chickens before, I had no idea how entertaining they would be. I think I spent more time standing around, watching the chickens, than gardening last year. This year we have added on a secure, covered run extension, put a roof on the original, too-small run, and I am in the process of commissioning a tall, fenced day spa for the girls to scratch and peck in the open air. They demand it. I have a mixed flock: Betty, Priscilla, Olive, Lucy, and Hawkeye are the one-year-olds. (Britt Red,...

What Breeds? – HenBlog – Thursday, April 28, 2011

...Denise I have 2 Welsummers this year, my first of this breed. They are very mellow compared to my others. I think I'm really going to like them. I got 4 Golden Sex Links because I do not want or need another rooster. My Hannah has gone broody and I'm not taking any chances...last year 2 of 5 were roos. I need to read your suggestions for breaking a broody hen because she is collecting other eggs and breaking some of them. The yellow evidence is on her beak! Have fun. Terry Golson Good to hear about the Welsummer. My...

Keeping The Girls Busy – HenBlog – Friday, April 6, 2012

...Herring I glad to have read about you keeping your hens in their pens. I had to start doing the same thing. I miss seeing them free range. I had stop letting them out for their protection. A new dog and a fox is the reason we are having to keep them in their pens. I can handle the dog, but not the fox. The fox got one chicken two weeks ago. Since them the fox has tried twice to grab a hen within 10 feet of me watching. Thank you for the new ideas to help keep them happy....

Grape Arbor For The Hens (And Me) – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 3, 2012

...to the building. Viki in Grass Valley CA Terry, Do you know if hens are at risk from foxes in the daytime? I am always outside when my hens free range but I saw a fox outside the fence the other day. Terry Golson Agreed. I don't think you have fisher cats in Missouri, but they can certainly rip through most wire. Terry Golson Yes, I see foxes out and about during the day. Especially in suburbia, where they have nothing to fear, they'll hunt in the daytime, too, instead of the dawn and dusk hunting that more cautious foxes...

The Chicken Tick Patrol – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 25, 2014

...However, they sound the alarm when any predator -- flying or 4-legged -- is in the area, thereby protecting the hens. Guineas have even faced down foxes, going into a V formation as a fox has come into "their" zone, advancing on the fox and driving it back. The racket made by the guineas confused the fox and alerted me to come running with a rifle in case I can get a good shot off. This has happened twice. Are they perfect to the point that I don't lose any of guineas or chickens to predators? No ... but the...

Tonka’s New Home – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Horses are not like chickens. You can’t fit them onto a small piece of land. On the other hand, they are like chickens in that they need to live with at least one other of their kind. Because of this and a multitude of other reasons, I can’t keep a horse in my backyard, which is why ever since bringing Tonka into my life last December, he has lived at a boarding stable. I was lucky to find a tidy and well-run place for my horse just two miles up the road from home. Tonka lived out full-time in a...

Barn Boots – HenBlog – Sunday, October 16, 2011

...or Servus (both made in the USA) We have them at our Tractor Supply Stores in Virginia or get them online. They are just plain navy blue, not cutesy at all, but they get the job done and they hold up well. Cheryl LOL. We just bought our homestead last month...CAN'T WAIT till we're out there full time with our chickens and various other critters and start wearing out my own pair of boots! Anna We are a family of farmers/hunters and LaCrosse Burleys are the best rubber boat we have used! Martina White I like my cheap stretchy rubber...

Goat Beard Trim – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 13, 2013

...is right for you. Please get it from a local shelter/bunny rescue NOT a pet store or breeder. The shelters/rescues are full of bunnies needing homes. As far as chickens and bunnies together some people say no and others say yes. If the environment is kept properly the problems with diseases,bugs etc should not be a issue. My friend has chickens, ducks, bunnies and geese that all live together and are very happy.When the chickens bicker it's usually the bunnies you see breaking it up. Which is hysterical to watch. :) Candy loved hanging out with/ruling the hens. She never...

October Snow – HenBlog – Monday, October 31, 2011

...stall. Would love to see the snow outside. Terry Golson It's amazing that the camera works at all - the goats bang it, stand on it and rub their noses on it. IT Guy is out of town, but I'll have him adjust it when he gets back. (He missed the storm, so I'm blaming it on him!) Carol Calwell These are amazing pictures, I cant believe you have this in October with autumn leaves still on the trees. We in England are still having a warm October (at least last October day today). I am still in shirt sleeves...

Pepto-Bismol for Pip – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 25, 2012

...heart-breaking thing and over the years the details have dimmed.give pip -(pep) a hug with that picture, you couldn't help it Terry Golson Jean, farming so often is learning from one's mistakes, isn't it? And hoping the mistakes aren't too serious. Thank you for sharing your story. Terry Golson 20 pounds of dog food? Amazing. But rather funny about the breaking and entering :) Martina I thought of your boys when I saw this on the news: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1244150--goats-as-groundskeepers-golf-course-says-employing-animals-is-eco-friendly-alternative Glad Pip is ok. Love the pink beard. Terry Golson The goats would certainly prefer the poison ivy to the grass! I...

How To Stop a Broody Hen From Brooding – HenBlog – Monday, June 6, 2011

...year ? Jane Thanks Terry - you've spurred me on to break my Salmon Faverolle from her broodiness. Rita is such an adorable chicken who is driving herself crazy with this constant battle and I miss my eggs! Wendy Three days? Ha! Babbs, the Steve Mcqueen of the hen world, had me yelling at her to stop being an idiot after two weeks in the cooler. Gladys can brood on a perch - completely flat as if she was on her nest. There's nothing else for it but to let them hatch eggs these days. Gladys's are due on Friday......

The Girls Have An Outing – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 18, 2014

...spend some of it in NY- summer rainfall! Thunderstorms! :^) Russ That a girl, Lily. Did she get a special treat? Christine O. Good dog Lily! A much better ending than in Old Yeller which is my only education on rabies, oh, and To Kill a Mockingbird. jo buhr cote Amazing story! Lily is The Best Dog Ever! Yes, never trust friendly wild animals. Here in Eastern Oregon, we are blessed with a full array of predators: eagles, hawks, owls, coyotes, mink, badger, fox, skunk, coon, weasel, feral dogs, feral cats. Makes chicken keeping quite a challenge. We have a...

Grapes for Chickens – HenBlog – Wednesday, July 16, 2014

...so prolific. I am in MD Terry Golson Lots of green tomatoes, so I won't know for awhile yet. Peas were delicious but sparse. Dinosaur kale, is, of course, doing brilliantly (kale for me is like zucchini for everyone else - it just keeps producing.) Terry Golson Welcome! The circular structure in the chicken run is a compost pile. Read my FAQ about that here. We have hawks and owls in the sky, but a multitude of ground predators, including bear, fox, fisher cat, opossum, raccoon, and coyote. Oh, and weasels. Ken Weasels, those little devils. I had horrible problems...

Photos From The Molt – The Vintage Hen – Friday, September 27, 2013

...drop her entire wardrobe. Just.. gone. Except for a small cap of feathers around her comb. The rest of her was cartoonishly bald. Like a live rubber chicken. The first time it happened I found all the feathers first in the coop and thought a fox had somehow gotten in and eaten a hen. ... and then the naked chicken ran past me. I laughed so had I had an asthma attack. Her new wardrobe would come in nearly as fast. Maybe 4 or 5 days as a porcupine and then she was back to her normal sports car physique....

Why Old Hens Die – HenBlog – Thursday, February 17, 2011

...one research paper stated “laying hens are subject to the spontaneous development of ovarian and oviductal adenocarcinomas.” A vet that looked at photos that I took of Petunia’s necropsy though that she had a diseased and ruptured ovary. It sounds like adenocarcinoma to me. These tumors are so prevalent that scientists studying human ovarian cancer use chickens in their research. A study in 2005 of 676 four-year old laying hens determined that 45% had tumors! 18% of those were adenocarcinomas. In the end, I don’t know what specific virus is causing the tumors in my old hens. For my purposes,...

The Birds Know – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 19, 2014

...the local vet if I keep the chickens out in the fenced area? That´s because the birds moving from Africa might infect my chickens. I think that the sick birds probably have died before they reach Finland. I look your pages every day and really enjoy of them! Sorry the bad english. Terry Golson Your English is better than my Finnish :) Here in North America we haven't had any cases of the virulent strain of bird flu and so we don't have the regulations that you do. The government keeps a close eye on migrating birds and does testing....

Birds of a Feather… – HenBlog – Wednesday, November 4, 2009

...if there is a certain breed that is more aggressive than others or is this just per chance. We have a Rhode Island Red that we have dubbed as the "Boss". Have you seen a pattern concerning who's boss?? Thanks for your blog and your time. Carrie Rachel This is so true! My two Plymouth Rocks are best buddies as are my two Light Sussex bantams. The exception to the rule are my two odd-ones-out; I have a Pekin bantam and an Old English Game bantam, who are also best buddies. They go everywhere together! But at night time, Pepsi...

Sunday Blooms – HenBlog – Sunday, June 10, 2012

...Kit I know on Saturday we went to a place in Surry VA called Bacon's castle, and they had an English standard garden that was once featured on Time's magazine. It was kinda of bare to my eyes though, but had some nice blossoming lavender, okra and Pomegrante's. The heat and humidity can really kill you, I know here in VA it up to 89 today with high humidity. It's the sun that about kills me with sunburning, I can't go out for 20 minutes without getting sun burned. And ugh the humidity. Elaine Your photographs are gorgeous!! Nice work....

Exercise For Laying Hens – The Vintage Hen – Monday, September 24, 2012

...parts of it now and then for relaxing time, not only for the old fashioned recipes for feed, breeding, cleaning ("How to Rid a House of Vermin") and medicinal treatments, but also just for the fabulous English language they used in those days. The English sounds like it belongs with these pictures! Melissa Sunshine, greens and exercise: Good advice for humans too! Diana & Doug I'm the lady with 4 austrolorpes.....2 have been laying but we just had one that laid a bloody cracked egg in the garden...I'm scared...should I be? Terry Golson Sometimes there are issues with the first...

Peak Foliage and Rose Hips – HenBlog – Friday, October 19, 2012

...a recipe in the old, old Organic Gardening magazine - does anyone remember the small, original version with the newsprint pages? That was back when Ruth Stout was still alive and writing a regular column. I think J.I. might have still been alive too. Suzanne Gorgeous pictures! I have to agree with Ken, fall is the best time of year (with the exception of the aroma of manure that people here in S.Cal spread all over their lawns every October...) As for rose hips, I always enjoy the tea, purchased at the health food store. There's a rose especially bred...

Mt. “Healthy” – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 4, 2014

...with smaller breeders. The breeders aren't large enough to supply more than one company, but I could be wrong. They, obviously, don't like to talk about it. Bobbie SALMONELLA! Interesting article in USA TODAY/Business Section page 1 $6.8 million dollar fine for selling tainted eggs and it goes on to talk about bribery, etc. Bobbie I hit enter to soon. So people get so worried about neighbors and their backyard hens spreading this bacteria but look at this place! Christine Thank you for being a voice of reason! Common sense is unfortunately becoming less and less common. Given all the...

V is for Vessel – The Vintage Hen – Friday, January 9, 2015

...popular choice of winter watering vessel out in the run is a rubber feed pan. They come in lots of sizes, are very durable and because of their thickness and colour, they can hold heat for awhile, especially if they are located somewher sheltered and in a sunny spot. Folks like them in these parts because they can take a lot of abuse: you can stomp on them to get frozen water out and replace with fresh warm water. Christine O. I actually like a ceramic or plastic bowl on the ground because, as long as I don't fill it...

Not A Good Sign Of Spring – The Vintage Hen – Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Kim So glad to see Lily is OK! Wishing the snow would melt quickly for you. Judy Poor Lily. I was very relieved to see your final picture of her, ears up, on the job again. Good dogl Lily! Marsha Kern Glad she is ok. Karen Glad Lily is doing better.....Hate when our creatures are sick!!!! Rebecca She looks so sweet-Glad she is ok! ♥ Jan So glad Lily is okay, our old dog was always putting his nose where it shouldn't be. Do you have poisonous spiders in USA or more allergy related ? Are you able to see...

Trimming The Goats’ Hooves – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 18, 2013

...scratched! I have to use a gate, because one of my goats have horns! I loved seeing how you trim yours, thanks! Terry Golson If you don't have a good farm store near you, go on-line to Hoegger's (http://hoeggerfarmyard.com). Hoegger's also carries goat minerals - essential for their health and sometimes hard to find at local feed stores. PetSmart and Petco carry clickers, but to understand what you're doing, go to http://clickertraining.com. Have fun! Terry Golson In the long run, it takes far less time to train an animal than to wrestle with them each time. Even using a gate,...

Just for Fun – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Robin I think that kettle would survive use. The body looks like it was built to be used, not just looked at. I had a problem with my teapots and mugs and candle stuff. All of it usable, but my house is so small and things were just jumbled together all over the place and stuff wasn't getting used. And then I read about a seasons' table celebrating nature as the year past and that segued into 'monthly boxes'. I dug everything out and what I wanted to keep I divided up into months and boxed them. So every month...

Good Day Sunshine – HenBlog – Wednesday, July 15, 2015

...the Girls. They are always so bright and cheerful even on dull days. The other flower I grow lots of from seed are Cosmos there are so many different ones available, they are very easy to grow last for months and give you masse's of cut flowers. Do you have them in USA ?? Judy Your sunflowers are glorious, and it is good to see Scooter out and about! Rebecca Beautiful! Barb from Bethlehem Well, since I heard this morning on the radio that the CDC discourages kissing and otherwise canoodling with your chickens, say it instead with sunflowers. MicheleB...

Vintage Egg Valentine – The Vintage Hen – Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Pat D. Confident and sweet! fay (AK) sweet brings back memories And it was printed in the USA Christine O. Lovely! Thank you for sharing....

A Busy Morning – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 16, 2010

...a wing, and then the blood is collected in a vial. It’s a bit messy, but not a big deal for the hen. You might notice some blood on the girls today. Don’t worry about them! Each hen gets a silver band to prove that she’s been tested. It’s rather like a rabies tag for your dog. Because it’s been so rainy and muddy and the girls have been stuck inside, they were a bit dirtier than normal. The state tech had on her blue suit. I had on my jeans. After she left, I decided that I might as...

Black Turtle Beans – HenBlog – Friday, September 20, 2013

...crackle like old paper.     Inside were the most beautiful beans I’ve ever seen. Unlike ones I’ve purchased, these are glossy. They seem to glow. Perhaps that’s because they were shelled by hand. Perhaps it’s because they are so fresh. As I shelled them, I kept running my hand through the pile, scooping them up, and then letting them stream between my fingers, clattering back into the bowl.     However, what appears to be an abundant tower of twining vines, once harvested and threshed (a wonderful farming term for separating the shell from the bean) yields only a...

Last Summer Heat Wave – HenBlog – Saturday, September 14, 2013

...and cool morning today. It has also been very hot and humid this week in the mountains. We took our coffee and chocolate chip cookies up to the 3rd highest peak in the eastern USA. Once there we enjoyed the morning on top of Clingman's Dome. Great way to start a fall day. The last picture could be a Japanese painting....lovely! Jaye Lovely photos as usual - all of them! That first pic really shows Beatrix's feathering off beautifully. Young and old hens sharing a dust bath really warms my heart. Phoebe - such a character! Pip and Caper crack...

Blowing Out Eggs – HenBlog – Monday, January 28, 2013

...love that you have some of the eggs inscribed with the name of the responsible girl; little hen trophies! Lizzie Thanks to you, Terry, I bought my egg blower tool a couple of years ago... from the USA! I love being able to save some of my ladies' beautiful eggshells too. Got my two blue/green egg layers last year. Lulu (Lavender Araucana) gives me pale olive green eggs, whilst Pippa (Dorking cross) lays gorgeous pale blue ones. I have yet to find a good way of hanging them though. Tried treasury tags, but too bulky. Tried sticking knotted thread in...

I Spy – HenBlog – Tuesday, July 3, 2012

...it. Nothing here to harvest, he’d say and turn back to the house. I learned to ignore him and look under the leaves. I Spy something yellow and orange in the squash patch. Look closely! I Spy something munching in the flower pot. MANY somethings munching. How many do you see? Look closely! I Spy something noisily cheeping in the garden shed. It’s not in the nest. It’s a fledgling on the can! What’s that I Spy on the fence? Another fuzzy-headed Carolina Wren! There’s so much to see. You just have to look. What have you spied today?  ...

Brown, Green, Blue, White: Chicken Egg Color – The Real Story – HenBlog – Monday, February 6, 2012

...to select your backyard hens with an eye to what your egg basket will look like, but it doesn’t always go as planned. But, each hen has their own genetic makeup, and don’t always follow the rules. I got a Welsummer because they are known to lay chocolate-colored eggs. My Welsummer, Jasper, lays beige eggs. It’s my Rhode Island Red that lays deeply brown eggs with speckles. How the egg becomes colorful is fascinating and complicated. It takes about 26 hours for an egg to go from the ovary until it is laid. First the yolk is encircled with whites...

Little Pond Farm Retirement Home for Old Hens – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 17, 2010

...them 3 years 5 months old. Sylvie and Phoebe are now laying after a few months break for moulting and the dark days of winter. Ruby - I think her laying days may be over? She has laid one or tow lash since new year - and a few soft shelled eggs. She was head girl and now there's a man around... it's all a bit different. Like you, I love my 'old girls'. Celia Cathi Bouzide I have to think about this for me. I love the images and the sentiment. I have been keeping hens for the first...

That Coco – HenBlog – Thursday, October 21, 2010

...new location(usually takes a day or two)although my old gray barnyard bantie would sit on eggs on the roof if I placed her there I think ;-) I put the eggs I want to hatch under the hen at dusk when I am less likey to disturb her but my pet chickens are so tame I've never had a problem with breaking the broody up. Once the chicks hatch I play it by ear as to how long I keep momma and chicks in the cage. It really depends on how many hatch. I order eggs off of ebay and...

Why I Have Goats – HenBlog – Tuesday, September 6, 2011

...treat. A couple of days ago he turned to the goat cam at just the right angle and I could really see the rounded tummy that you described in an earlier post. This is much more flattering. Wish I could be a goat-maid... Melissa Hi Terry, Love the picture, hope the goats are helping cheer you up after the news of Little Blue. I'm trying to vote for you, I've voted twice now, but for the last two days I've gotten the same page that thanks me for taking the survey but doesn't take me to the survey page anymore....

Tracks in the Snow – HenBlog – Tuesday, February 18, 2014

...drought which is very sad. We have one of the remaining monterey pine forests left and it is feeling stressed. joyce Robin Yikes! By the time all your snow melts away, you'll be living in 'Bog Town'. 'Course that's always a good time for ripping out wild brambles and shrubs you don't want. :) We, too, have been getting snowed on and frozen. Not as much as you have, however. And today it's 40 degrees. *shakes head* The ice will start breaking up on the rivers after a couple of days of this and it will be flood city around...

Thinking About Pie – HenBlog – Thursday, November 10, 2011

...pie before but I think you have just inspired me! Celia Your pie's look delicious. I always have to make custard, pumpkin, and chocolate. Family members favorites. Betsey Freese from "Living The Country Life" has a fabulous looking pair of rubber boots up on Face Book today. Made me think of you...yellow and green with hens and roosters on them. celia Carol Calwell You must let us know how many pies you end up making. Seems like you are going to need a lot of pies. You must have a lot of patience to make so many pies. Let us...

Baby Robins, Day 6 – The Vintage Hen – Friday, June 21, 2013

...sounds awful to dispatch the runt, but the system ensures that there will be plenty of large and sturdy chicks surviving. Laura Hmmmm... being the youngest of four, I'm getting flashbacks of sibling attempts to do the same.... Terry Golson I'm the youngest of three. Yup :) Deborah Pruden Be there to catch it! sarah I'm raising a baby cockatiel,who's 10 days old .....not as advansed as yours...still has baby fluff no feathers showing eyes just started to open..... Emily We had a clutch of 3 robin chicks on our deck support. Great viewing through the slats. We noted a...

Smiling Goats – HenBlog – Friday, November 5, 2010

...surgery went well and your son is on the mend. Better that he does all his bone breaking now rather than later! Children mend so much more quickly. Leave it to Pip and Caper to bring a smile to an otherwise dreadful time, right? La'Nelle Jean Husson Hope your son is well on his way to recovery. I think Donna has it right. Pip is one of those remarkable animals that communicate on many levels. Go back and look at your "Got Peanuts" blog that has cracked me up on the many occasions I have returned to it. A Pip...

My Favorite Smell – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The summer that I was five years old, my brothers went to sleep-away camp. My mother, worried that I would be lonely, got me a guinea pig. His name was Chester and he had belonged to a family who no longer wanted him. He was full-grown and a chestnut brown and I thought him the most beautiful animal in the world. I didn’t miss my brothers at all. A few weeks later, when told that my brothers would be coming home soon, I howled and cried, thinking that their return meant that I had to give Chester back. Given a...

Egg Stomping – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 1, 2010

...event. Terry Golson As chickens get older, their shells thin. Despite plenty of calcium in their diet, the shells will be more susceptible to breakage. So, when the girls pile on top of each other to lay, or try to shove each other out, there's bound to be breakage. I've tried putting decoy wooden eggs in the other boxes, but they haven't fallen for that trick. Brigid Speaking of egg stomping.... My buff orpington has been broody for about 1 week now. She ended up breaking one of the eggs under her, and now has egg stuck to her underside....

Candy’s Ears – HenBlog – Friday, May 21, 2010

...calmly. When Candy came home, she hopped into her hutch and looked at me, waiting for the dried banana chips – her favorite things in the entire universe. Candy will have to stay in her hutch for a few days while her ears get treated. Right now, there’s bare skin, and since she loves to sunbathe, I don’t want her to get sunburned. I also want to keep her very clean. Candy is not going to be happy about this. Nor is she going to like having her ears handled twice a day and having medication rubbed on. You’ll see...

End Of Life Decisions – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 28, 2011

...which really means, we do what's best for them, and not what assuages our feelings and wants. Again, this is why I have much respect for you - it's about the animal, and not you! Thank you, Terry! Terry Golson Well put, Karla. If you make it about the animals, then life with them is even more interesting. How boring if all creatures were to respond to the world the way we do. How they see, smell and touch the world is unique to each type of animal, and also to each individual. When we interpret their lives through our...

Egg Variation – HenBlog – Wednesday, June 12, 2013

...Onyx the Barnevelder. Neither lay chocolate-colored eggs. In my flock, the hen that lays the darkest egg is Ruby, the Rhode Island Red. Ruby and Garnet are the same age and same breeding. Awhile back, Ruby had issues with laying large, pale, thin-shelled eggs. I stopped feeding table scraps like rice and bread, and the laying went back to normal. Normal, that is, for these two Rhode Island Reds. Ruby lays that dark egg. Garnet lays the pale one. Rhode Island Red eggs Despite raising chickens whose DNA is tightly controlled and in a narrow range, variation in egg color,...

Chicken Waterers – HenBlog – Thursday, September 20, 2012

Susan Belanich I use the same combination of waterers as you - galvanized inside the coop and the large waterer you show in the run. An occasional touch of ACV in the outside waterer - sometimes as a treat, but usually medicinally - but NEVER in the galvanized steel. I learned the hard way that the fastest way to rust out an expensive waterer is to use apple cider vinegar in it. I use a heated base on inside in the winter, but outside, the plastic would freeze. So each morning and each afternoon, I run outside with a half...

Church Basement Egg Coffee – The Vintage Hen – Monday, August 13, 2012

...about that scene, now I understand it Marsha Egg coffee was not reserved for Lutherans or Swedes. My Finnish grandmother in Middleborough, Mass., would stir an egg into her coffee inside her kitchen using the eggs from her chickens--no special brand needed, just the 8 O'Clock from the A&P. The resulting coffee was better and looked clearer. At least that is what the family and her visitors said (we children were forbidden coffee). Of course, the water was freshly hand pumped from the well. Finns, well known as the greatest coffee drinkers in the world, came to drink pots of...

Guess Who Is Broody – HenBlog – Monday, August 6, 2012

...she’s not laying. Of the three, I will be putting Beryl in the anti-broody coop today because in her deranged state, when she spies an egg in a nesting box she clambers over and claims it. She’ll leave one egg to go and sit on another. She’ll do this even if the laying hen is still there, finishing up. She shoves and stomps. She breaks eggs. It’s annoying and wasteful, so she’ll spend three days literally cooling off. When I return her to the coop she won’t be broody anymore. But, I’ll bet she starts molting. It’s that time of...

Pecking Order – HenBlog – Thursday, July 19, 2012

...can circle around it and no one gets trapped in a corner when trying to eat. Add a second waterer outside. When providing treats, set them out in several places. Chickens get bored, and hens kept in small dirt pens will get in trouble. That’s why I don’t give treats like corn that they quickly gobble up, but instead provide a compost in the run so that they have an interesting place to scratch for hours. That’s also why I give them pumpkins in the fall, hang a cabbage in the run when they’re closed up due to snow, and...

Coop Cleaning Routine – HenBlog – Monday, October 21, 2013

...and we all agreed it must have been the cedar chips.The next year, I was a poultry judge at the county fair, and the man who had the contract for providing bedding for all the poultry there, confirmed what we had decided...the cedar is bad news for chickens. The 2 local feed stores have warning signs in their poultry aisles, telling people not to use the cedar chips on poultry. Ken Wing flaps = flying newspaper = freaked out hens. Terry Golson I was about to say something similar, but you said it better :) Terry Golson I've heard the...

Topaz is (Still!) Broody – HenBlog – Friday, June 29, 2012

...were still in the nesting boxes. Then one day we had left over yogurt and we gave it to them. The next day they weren't broody anymore! It could be just a coincidence but the same thing happened to a friend of ours. Ken Love the photo of her looking between her legs. "mom what did you do?" I have four broody hens, I too have give up in breaking them. It was 108 degrees yesterday and at least the next 7 days predictions are over 100 degrees. Yesterday evening I went out at around five o'clock and the four...

Digging Dandelions – HenBlog – Wednesday, April 18, 2012

LB Mr girls love dandelions, so I confess, we don't dig them up, we simply harvest the leaves and flowers from time to time! Elizabeth On dandelion digging...If only the chore weren't so back breaking, it would be a joy. It's worth it to see how much your pets delight in this special treat. They are lucky, indeed to be living under your care. :) Carolyn Now if you could just train the goats to dig the dandelions and then share them with the hens and rabbit .... LOL :) Ken Dandelion wine anyone? My gramps use to make it....

Lauren Scheuer Visits and a Book Giveaway – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 20, 2013

...something new and lively going on at the farm. It could be a snowstorm, goats, chickens, the dogs, a fox, ice on the pond, something cooking, books, a walk in the woods or a story of the loss of a beloved animal. It is the circle of life in real time for us. Thanks so much for your effort. Jeff I'd love to win the book! Suzie So cute! First time I have visited and I will definitely be back. We have 7 hens, all different breeds, and they are always entertaining and the grandkids love them. Carol Hmmm I...

Happy Mother’s Day – The Vintage Hen – Thursday, May 9, 2013

Dee Fox How sweet! where do find these things? Barbee That is adorable! Thank you for showing us. Marie Too Cute I love the 3 cornerd diaper pinned in the back and the "sensible" shoes! jennifer bevins Love pictures like this. Is this illustration in any of your books? They thought of every detail. Love the little Humpty Dumpty book on the floor! Lesley S The Mamas ARE chicks, dressed in their Mama`s clothes and the Babies are their Dolls. Note the lil boy chick outside coming over to play. Darn sweet at any rate!! Jean R Love the copy...

Pushmi-Pullyu Hen – HenBlog – Friday, May 24, 2013

...of us check in each day, smile, and send heartfelt thanks to you and all the clan...... KathyG Bookmobile!!!!!! Bobbie We had a bookmobile that would stop by once a week, jeez, I wonder if they exist today! I always looked forward to the day it was time to return books and check out new books during summer vacation. KathyG, thanks for the nudge to the old memory here! Christina Rose And don't forget Anne of Green Gable--and the Little House on the Prairie series (same illustrator as Charlotte's Web, Garth Williams). So many messages about life, the world, gardens,...

And So Molting Season Begins – HenBlog – Friday, August 10, 2012

...are only 3.5 months old and going thru their juvenile molt. Feathers everywhere but they look as tidy as ever. Do you think they need a little extra protein at this age? They are still on starter crumbles. Terry Golson I should have mentioned the juvenile molt in the FAQ. Starter crumbles should take care of their needs. It's higher in protein than laying hen pellets. Don't add anymore. Greens and exercise are good for that age. Ken Looks like a fox got into my chicken coop. Donna Yep..I noticed it too last night when I went to collect eggs....

A Project In The Works – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 14, 2012

...photos to their Flickr account. Just a quick search brings up some great chicken photos. http://www.flickr.com/search/?ss=2&w=24029425%40N06&q=chickens&m=text Tracy Byers I like both ideas- but it usually takes me a couple of years before I can part with the postcards...so I think a book would win out! What a great idea! Susie Here's a couple of cute ones. I actually have this postcard of the boy with a pipe. A different time... and seems like the chickens were huge! http://enjoytherandom.com/tag/rooster/ Veda I would like both also. Can't wait to see what you do. Dee Fox The gift book, can't wait! laura h...

Bainbridge Farm Goods Sign Giveaway!!! – HenBlog – Monday, December 5, 2011

...All you have to do to enter is to look over their catalog and let me know which is your favorite sign. Please, one entry per person here on this blog. Want an extra chance? Enter a second time on FaceBook (please leave your comment on this post so I can keep track of everyone!) The contest will run until 10 pm EST on Wednesday, December 7. Good-luck! Update: the contest is now closed. However, Bainbridge Farm Goods is offering a special 25% discount to readers of HenBlog! Just type HAPPYFARMER when checking out! Offer good through December 14, 2011....

Eggers Goes Wading – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Jen Sorry that Eggers is ill, but at the same time your post cracked me up! Eeyore, hypochondriacs! I think they can be hypochondriacs! I also think they retain the "spa treatments" they receive when they are ill or act ill..... I have a hen that would prefer to winter in the house, cause she spent so much time in the house one year-- fox attack, rooster injury, very late molt. If the door is open, she will waltz right in the house, past the cats and head into "her" room asking, "where's my cage?" I guess sometimes everyone needs...

Lily Saves the Day – HenBlog – Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Lily is an almost perfect farm dog. In the six years I’ve had her, she has kept all woodchucks, foxes and raccoons off of the property. Coyotes trot through, but they don’t stay. Squirrels are banned from the bird feeders. Her high prey drive keeps the chipmunks off of the blueberry bushes. All would be perfect, except she is so reactive to movement, that I can’t ever let the chickens out at the same time as Lily. I can train her not to chase them, but I’d never be 100% certain that she wouldn’t go after a running hen. This...

Hidden Eggs – HenBlog – Monday, November 8, 2010

...just one of your ladies laying there -- those eggs are all different! Wendy My friend Charlotte recently thought one of her hens had escaped or been nabbed by the fox; it was only when tidying up the undergrowth in their run that she found her, sitting on a pile of 31 eggs! Ken I am having the same issue with my chickens spending their time on beautiful days in the coop or grouped up under the honeysuckle bushes. I know what the culprit is that has my chickens afraid to wonder about. 1. a coopers hawk that dive bombs...

Hard Frost – HenBlog – Wednesday, November 3, 2010

...of the woods and several different species of birds of prey that soar in the sky during the day. A little precaution is all that is needed. A secure coop for the night and a covered run during the day. My run is covered in deer netting that is inexpensive around $10 for a 7 foot by 100 foot roll. It's very light weight so it's easy to work with can be fastened to the fencing with zip ties. It's light weight also makes it almost invisible. Terry, I had a aunt (God rest her soul) that had orchard chickens,...

A Respite Between the Storms – HenBlog – Thursday, January 20, 2011

On Tuesday we had snow, rain and ice (all in one day!) Tomorrow more snow is expected, and then temperatures will drop into the single digits and stay there. But today is gorgeous! There’s no wind, so each branch is laced with brittle snow and the entire world is sparkling. Lily Dog has been going bonkers from inactivity, so I took her across the street, through the meadow and into the woods. I wish I’d brought my tracking field guide. Here is the view coming out of the woods and looking up towards my house. The short walk was a...

Chicken Planters and Chickens Planted – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 29, 2012

There’s been a lot of planting going on around here. I’ve splurged on new pottery, bags of good soil, and lush plants (no sagging, sorry, spindly ones from the bargain bin this year!) I always have a large selection of basil planted by the kitchen door. I’ve filled pots with flowers and placed them are all around the house. These are on the back steps: Perennials have gone into bare spaces in the flower bed near the meadow. The last remaining spots in the vegetable garden were filled today with peppers and an eggplant. Most of the digging has required...

Oh, Agatha! – HenBlog – Wednesday, December 19, 2012

...as eager as the young ones to get out, but then they don’t do much more than find a place in the sun and wait to go back into their pen. The 19 month old Gems, though, rush out and spread across the lawn to forage. All of them, except for Agatha. She sees me. She sees the camera. She wants to know what’s what. This is why I’ve included three Speckled Sussex in my spring chick order. There’s bound to be another inquisitive, friendly and slightly bonkers hen like Agatha in the bunch. Every flock should have one.  ...

Backyard Chickens Print Giveaway! – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 1, 2012

...the giveaway. Remudamom I like Farm Fresh Eggs in red. Fabulous! Ruthie Love her work! I'm partial to the Farm Fresh Eggs Green Print. Laura A Farm Fresh Eggs in Green! It's awesome! JoAnn I love the red and blue one~ all of the prints are lovely! Tony Dinelli I like the Farm Fresh Eggs green. fayAK barnyard chickens in blue is my favorite I watch the gems in the yard video everyday. It is so fun to watch the girls come running to you. Jen In the trees (with the woodpecker). Thanks! Meryl I love the "farm fresh" in...

Thursday’s Happy Photo – HenBlog – Thursday, March 1, 2012

Marie That's one very intelligent dog! Carol Caldwell Scooter you are so so cute! Dee Fox So Sweet! I wish I was right there beside her! Donna Scooter! You make me want to leave work and go curl up on the couch! Karla Terry - oh, what dogs seem to do best, rest! I am glad you are resting, too. I admire your bravery to get a second CI. Those of us with normal hearing have much to be grateful for, on a daily basis. Sound is therapy - and bilateral sound is something Divine. Can't wait to read more...

Friday’s Happy Photo – HenBlog – Friday, March 2, 2012

Marie Candy looks like Dirty Harry....Go ahead, make my day! Dee Fox OH MY! I want a bunny too when I get my chickens, have you had Candy since she was a baby? When did you put her and chickens together? Sunday candy makes me want a bunny again. she's so freaking adorable! plus compost worms love, love, love bunny poop, right? so many reasons to have a bunny :) Sara Adorable. As always, the queen of the coop, star of the show! Marcia Now I can't wait to see your Happy Photo of the day! This one makes me...

Compost IN the Chicken Run – HenBlog – Monday, March 12, 2012

Donna Very useful information. We have plans to tear down our old coop and build a new one....this will for sure be part of it. Hope you are doing good, Terry! Donna Terry! Is it really 56 degrees there today? Wow! I think you might be warmer than us in So. Ca.! Maureen When Pip and Caper's camera is showing their paddock,you can sometimes see one or two white heads bobbing I've the compost area. Dee Fox I like your idea, plan on doing that myself, thanks! carol kildow I love reading about all your ideas, Terry -and I don't...

Marge’s Postmortem – HenBlog – Tuesday, June 8, 2010

...had to palpate her. The hen who lived for a 1 1/2 years with the fluid build-up was almost 4 when she died (Caroline) and my other girl was 3 (Ruby) when she died. Caroline was a Rhode Island Red and Ruby was a Black Star. I would be curious about statistics of breeds that die this way to see if one breed is more likely than another.... After the fox attack, I took in a hen and my rooster to that vet because both had big gashes from being bitten and the rooster had nerve damage in his neck...

The Hen and the Rabbit – HenBlog – Sunday, April 8, 2012

Cresca Albright Love the tale and love your photos! Have a wonderful Sunday! Dee Fox Good Morning, Happy Easter! I so enjoy your hen blog, May 23,I get my first 15 chicks, can't wait! I love Candy, I want a Candy too. Jane Your blog has shown me that chickens and rabbits have personalities. I've never been around them before. Now I eagerly watch the hencam and especially to see Candy get released in the morning and penned up at night. She has her own routines that are so cute to watch. I wonder what she thought as she nestled...

The Garden Tour – HenBlog – Monday, June 4, 2012

Susan Knotts Lovely video! Ken Terry, What a beautiful home and "farmstead" you have. When was your home built? I'm jealous of the rain, it's been over a month since we have had a drop. Darn hawks, they've ruined more than one outing of my hens as well. Terry Golson Ken, the house is 9 years old. I designed it. When we bought the property a developer had scraped the entire backyard bare. It was gravel and poor dirt. What looks like natural plantings to the left of the small barn were all planted (for that I had professionals with...

Gail Damerow Visits The HenCam (and a giveaway!) – HenBlog – Thursday, March 15, 2012

...on mean kicks, and if so, how best to accomplish that feat? Does she know of some helpful techniques? Diane Burnham I would have asked...I am just starting out with 4 chickens and 1 frizzle rooster. I converted a portable horse stall into housing and the outside run is a 10' x 10' dog run. This seems to work well but now that spring is here I want to clean their pen. Is there anything that I should use to clean or sanitize the dirt area that they use? I want to keep them healthy but not sure what to...

Attention To Detail – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 27, 2012

...chicks to observe. I have a little wooden seat hanging in the dry area of the run and a table and two chairs outside the run, so am ready for watching. MePie My Buff Orpington "Pattie" is the alpha hen and is quite aggressive even towards the cats. If a cat sits in a lawn chair, Pattie will run it off so she can sit there! Quite a sight to see chickens sitting in lawn chairs on the front porch. She's also a "screamer". When she wants out to free range she "screams". It can be embarrassing when company comes...

Chicken Tote Giveaway! – The Vintage Hen – Sunday, July 8, 2012

...enter a THIRD time by forwarding the post to your FB friends. If you’re not a FaceBook friend, do become one! I post photos there that you don’t see at HenCam. I’ve got a busy week – it’s Brimfield again, and I’ll be looking for more finds to post on The Vintage Hen – so I’ll let this contest run through Friday, July 13. The contest will close at 9 PM EDT. I value my international friends, so, yes, I’ll ship this to anywhere in the world! Good-luck! Up-date- this contest is closed and was won by Stephanie in AZ....

Surgery Update – HenBlog – Wednesday, February 29, 2012

...dog:) Take care. More positive thoughts coming your way. Kathleen It is good to read that you are doing well and have plenty of help and love from your family and friends. I wish you a speedy recovery and that you will be hearing all that's around you soon. Kit-Ten Great that your surgery is over and went so well! Look forward to reading about your new hearing in stereo. Have a wonderful recovery. Love the happy pix! Celia A. I missed checking your site yesterday and checked in today to your news about your operation. So glad you had...

Chickens and Lawns – HenBlog – Monday, February 20, 2012

...The lawn areas they access is a battleground as well. Roll on Spring! Donna That was hilarious! Yes..my lawn looks the same too...Oh well..maybe in my next life as I come back as a very rich English woman who has that gorgeous garden you visited.... Roberta Love it!!! I cover my girls run with a plastic tarp. In these February days of above than average temps I love to watch my girls sun bathe!!!! The girls are digging holes in their pen to bathe!!! I love watching them and they look so content!! I love the way that they flip...

Unwelcome House Guests – HenBlog – Tuesday, August 16, 2011

...time job? Ken from MO. Karen don't forget chickens are birds too and fear birds of prey. Take it from someone who tried the owl thing without thinking...and then stood there for 5 minutes trying to figure out why my poor hens wouldn't come out of the coop...it truely was a Homer Simpson moment... Terry Golson My good dog Lily got another chipmunk today. Sorry, but she's needed here! Renee My tomatoes have just been ruined with nibbles and bites out of the bottoms of the most rippest ones! I have used all manner of tools to keep our chipmucks...

Scooter’s Birthday – HenBlog – Monday, January 9, 2012

...in the south. Thinner and leggier, but still small, but great ratters. Similar terrier personality, though. Then, there are ratties called "Giant Deckers" and Lily is a dead ringer for those. Basically, a rat terrier but big. Kim Happy birthday little Scooter! He is one cute dog, especially the 'Queen Anne' legs :o). Terry Golson "Queen Anne Legs" - love that description! Wendy ooh, now over here the Parson Jack Russel is the longer legged show-dog version of the Jack Russel, and was bred to run with horses (I think) and dig foxes. Can't trust either of 'em round hens...

Winter Settles In – HenBlog – Sunday, December 11, 2011

Karie I must tell you that I don't usually see you out and about on the web cam while im running around the house. But, this morning I was very excited when I happened to get a glimps of you walking around with your camera in hand! It told me that I was going to see another update of the daily lives of you girls and goats on the Henblog! I so look forward to seeing new photos of them and what you want to say! Terry Golson I should have waved :) Karla Terry, what I love about your...

Lulu’s Egg – HenBlog – Sunday, March 6, 2011

C. Bouzide Lulu is gorgeous! Anne Marie Moore Pretty hen. Wendy And her English counterpart Bibby laid her first egg of the year today too! She's only three years old, but I was still surprised... petoskystone lulu certainly has her eye on us! Bonnie Jo Lulu is a lovely gal. How is her temperament? She reminds me of my Belgian Bearded D'Uccle (except without the beard and muffs!). I'm impressed that she is still laying eggs at the ripe old age of 4! Kit Will she be a good mother though ? Terry Golson Thanks, all. Yes, Lulu is very...

Egg Holders – HenBlog – Tuesday, May 18, 2010

...can think of for the lock is untrustworthy hired hands. marissa maybe they were extra special and they only used those eggs for special guests! Ones they wanted to impress I think! Its beautiful! Wendy We see a lot of those little 'egg safe' cupboards over here. I always assumed it was light-fingered servants that people were worried about, in the same way as locking up your tea in a caddy! Terry Golson Maybe the egg cupboard was English! Deborah I love that cabinet! Did you buy it? I want one. I have a shaker pie cabinet and several other...

On The Road – HenBlog – Thursday, March 11, 2010

...bread with their 10-grain mix. Have just run out. And have just finished the last of their extra-bittersweet chocolate chips. Have you baked with those? My son loves the mint chips. I've also run out of the Italian bread flour. It's going to be a full car on the way home! But really, this is a work trip. I'm giving a terrific (if I do say so myself) presentation on backyard chicken keeping. And, I'm doing a children's program - which I've brought feathers from home for a craft project. Anyone out there ready to take a road trip to...

What a Crowd! – HenBlog – Monday, February 22, 2010

Sharon Great presentation Terry and the slides made it enjoyable. Maybe a couple showing your compost area in the run would be informative. I personally love that idea! I used to do vermicomposting and I plan to start up again because I read about how the redworms make good food for the hens! There was a lot of good information presented by the other groups represented as well. I was very impressed with the young 4H speaker. Having one around that age myself made me appreciate his ability to stand up and speak. I also thought that little bantam rooster...

Noisy Marge – HenBlog – Thursday, February 11, 2010

All winter Marge has been quiet. Nary a cluck or a chuckle or a cackle. This is a hen who has created a constant racket ever since I got her as a chick. I’ve worried about her. She hatched October 6, 2004, which makes her almost six years old. Today, though, I happened to be in the coop when Marge strutted through the pop door and announced her presence. Then, she continued to chuck-chuck as she checked out the nesting boxes. I am going to sit in one! she told me. She looked just like a hen that’s going to...

Chicken Breeds – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 1, 2009

...(I new in my heart the news wasn't going to be good). Before we set off I walked round my garden holding Victoria in my arms - I said 'please lay an egg today for my Mum - it will cheer her up so much'. The news was very bad - Mum had cancer and she had a major operation to face and months of treatment ahead. We arrived back to my house in silence and I said 'Mum, lets see if Victoria has laid an egg for you' - and she had! It was the best thing ever! -...

Fashion Tips For Animal Owners – HenBlog – Wednesday, November 18, 2009

...hanging on the rack, the material attracted lint. I could only imagine what it’d look like in a house with my world-class shedding dog, Lily. #4: Avoid purchasing apparel that attracts lint. Here are Lily and Scooter. They’ve just had a nice scratch. Notice the dog hair on the carpet. I selected that gorgeous plum rug before I owned Lily. It’s not as easy to match decor to one’s pets as it is to change clothes. #5: Keep a lint roller and vacuum cleaner on hand at all times. That’s all for now – I have to go do laundry....

Birthday Wishes – HenBlog – Thursday, November 12, 2009

...my most ardent fans are librarians! Terry Golson Tracy- never rule out a hedgehog in one's life :) Nancy Horgan addicted? can it be a secret that we ALL are?!?! This website is like an virtual oasis in a sand storm of constant sad/dreary news that bombards us every day. I became addicted the first time I looked at it---how many years ago? It's a wonderful daily reminder that it's not only good to have a nice family farm but it's good to write about it and then, share it! I have recruited many new viewers by asking them to...

Clueless Dog Owners – HenBlog – Sunday, July 11, 2010

...- still gives me a cheery wave when I see her! Many people I think have the view that chickens as pets = mad sentimental owner who needs to get a grip. Grrrrr.... Ken Terry I completely understand your frustration and fear. I lived in rural Illinois for several years and dumped dogs and people just letting their dogs run free was a HUGE problem. When I lived in Illinois my poultry (75 chickens, 20+ ducks, 6 different trios of geese, turkeys and peacocks) was a side job for me. I sold eggs, dressed poultry and extra birds. The dogs...

A Break From the Barn – HenBlog – Tuesday, December 14, 2010

On Thursday I’ll be giving the barns a good cleaning. I’ll muck out the goats’ stall, sweep cobwebs and scrub waterers. I’ll scrape chicken manure from a ledge under the big barn’s roost, and put down clean shavings. I’ll give the goats a good brushing and rub coconut oil into Candy’s dry ears. On Friday I’m having surgery and I won’t be allowed in the barns for a couple of weeks. I’m getting a cochlear implant. I’ve been slowly going deaf for years (no one knows why.) I’ve worn hearing aids since my twenties, but as my hearing has worsened,...

Steamed Eggs – HenBlog – Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Laura B I totally want that exact egg steamer! CUUUUTE! Ken Terry, Is that the male plug I see in the photo on the bottom? just like the old waffle irons. Scott THANK YOU! I have searched and searched the internet to the answer to this problem. I tested it today and it totally worked with one of today's eggs. Not that I didn't trust you Terry. I would maybe steam for 18 minutes instead and see how that is. I'm making potato salad for a party this weekend and was dreading boiling up the eggs. Not anymore. Now I'll...

Pearl Gets A Bath – HenBlog – Tuesday, November 29, 2011

...demeanor, Pearl is at the bottom of the pack. That isn’t a big deal in my flock, as it is a peaceful group of girls, but it does mean that Pearl sleeps on a lower rung of the roost. The roosts are ladders, propped up against the wall. Somehow, I installed them at just the wrong angle – the hens above poop onto the backs of the girls below. The other hens, with their tight feathering, were able to shake the messes off, but the manure sank into Pearl’s pillows of down. This past weekend, in the midst of making...

Funny Food – The Vintage Hen – Tuesday, October 22, 2013

...to have my oatmeal but for special mornings I love the fix ahead egg casseroles -- sometimes with bread, sometimes with hash-browns. Kit My favorite breakfast is a Feta Omlete with Cinnamon Sugar Toast, and ice tea. Tori Huevos Rancheros for holiday breakfasts. Gluten-free waffles made by my husband on a Saturday morning. Or cheesy grits with a few shakes of Tabasco or Frank's and a fried egg from one of my girls. And hot chocolate! Michelle Poached eggs with cheesy grits and fresh sliced tomato or a beautiful omelet with green chilies with a biscuit or crispy english muffin....

My Chick Order – HenBlog – Tuesday, March 29, 2011

...about my lawn - there's plenty of areas where if it gets scratched up you won't notice a difference :) Terry Golson It's my first time ordering from them so good to hear you've had success. Ken LOL, I have this "cartoonish" mental picture of Lulu running hither and yon trying to keep track of the chicks and trying to keep them out trouble and at the end of the day running to exhaustion, her feathers going in all directions and her little tongue hanging out!!!! Terry Golson That's what Lulu looks like without chicks! Ken I have the same...

Getting the Brooder Ready – HenBlog – Monday, April 25, 2011

...cams frequently caused my Safari browser to go non-responsive. This is great. Tracy WOO HOO!! I've been without the cam at home for months (had to sneak peeks at work :) )Thank you Steve and Terry!! My 8 chicks are 5 wks today, and the brood box is mighty crowded- so fortunately we FINALLY had a break in the rain and were able to get at least the new outdoor run finished. My DH is building me a new coop this spring and I am so excited! This will be the third coop in 20 years- chicken math and the...

Blackie’s New Home – HenBlog – Tuesday, April 26, 2011

...she can last like this, or what is going on inside of her, but, it’s become clear that the biggest threat to her are the other hens, especially the young and active Golden Comets. Those two have been going after all of the hens, asserting their dominance and being all-around trouble. The other hens get out of their way, but Blackie can’t. I don’t want Blackie to die by bullying, and so today I moved her into what was to be the broody coop. This is the first springtime that I haven’t had a broody hen. Of course, this is...

Preparing for Irene – HenBlog – Friday, August 26, 2011

...without power again for three weeks. Lots of putting up of lawn furtinure and shopping went on here today too. I am goind to read Stephen King as I always do during hurricanes. For something light hearted I would reccomend Janet Evanovich, her books are quite light and funny. Deborah There is a children's story about a girl lighthouse keeper who has to go out and rescue her hens in the storm. I have visions of you running back to the house, head down, clutching chickens to your chest. I am officially worried about you and yours. Stay safe, Deborah...

Feather Picking – HenBlog – Friday, October 21, 2011

...Ruby has a taste for feathers, but I’m sure that she’d prefer to eat other things. I’d like to let them out more – which will be possible soon. Today I’m having a fence installed to keep wandering dogs off the property. I’ll rest a lot easier when that is up. Meanwhile, I put a pumpkin in the pen. I’ll fill the compost area with weeds and leaves to keep Ruby and the Gems busy. It’s possible that I might have to switch Jasper into the HenCam flock. She’ll probably be on the bottom there, too, but at least she...