Monthly Archives: January 2015

X is for Fox

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!)

x

 

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 premises (I had a serious problem with a fearless and aggressive raccoon) in most cases, good fencing and management is more effective than trying to eliminate the predators.

xpoem

W is for Wyandotte

The Wyandotte is a popular hen. She’s a heavy, beautiful bird that lays brown eggs. This card shows the white plumage, but you can find them in so many pretty coats, including silver laced, partridge, penciled and splash. The Wyandotte has a rose comb, which is a pebbly-looking, low to the head affair, which makes her winter  hardy. No risk of frostbite.

W

 

In my experience, personality ranges from placid, to lethally dominant over meeker hens. It all depends on the breeder’s line.

w poem

 

Some go broody, some don’t. Tell me about your Wyandottes!

V is for Vessel

Themed alphabets get a bit challenging at the end. I think that what they did here is so creative. V is for vessel.

V

 

vpoem

 

I know that I’ve gone through my fair share of vessels. A hanging feeder for their daily ration of pellets keeps everything a lot tidier than a ceramic bowl on the ground. But, whenever I have yogurt or something else that’s messy and wet, I use an old dog bowl. I also have a lovely, hand-thrown ceramic dispenser that I use for grit. Do you have an unusual feeder for your hens?

Schedule

Snow is coming down and the roads are already slick. Phoebe is the only one delighted with the recent change from a mild winter to one with severe weather. Here is a screen shot of her, delighting in the season.

hencam1 (1)

 

Due to snow, the Gardening for Chicken Keepers talk for the Fitchburg Garden Club has been rescheduled for Friday, January 16 at 10 am. Hopefully the roads will be clear that day! Here’s a sample of one of the slides that I’ll be showing – the Girls making used of garden disasters. (Are you in a garden club? Let’s schedule my talk for your group!)

garden cleanup

 

The Poultry Congress is happening on January 17. I won’t be able to make it this year, but it’s an event that is worth putting on your calendar. To see what that extravaganza is all about, read this post, and this one (in which I hold a dinosaur.)

Thinking about spring chicks? I’ll be talking about Chicks and Brooders at the Chelmsford, MA Agway on February 7 at 11 am. The talk is free.

orpington chick

 

In March, I’ll be doing a program for Dover Sherborn Community Education and on April 2 I’ll be at Drumlin Farm, in Lincoln, MA.

Keep an eye on my events page for more upcoming programs.

Happy Birthday, Scooter!

Today is Scooter’s eighth birthday.

Scooter (1)

This is Scooter’s expression when he is happy. Really.

He’s a funny little dog.

He is a dog of very little brain. Truly. I’ve had him since he was 10 weeks old. Before that he was in a loving home. He’s never been abused. Trained entirely with positive reinforcement. And yet…let me tell you about how he is with his leash.

Lily is a smart dog. A veritable dog genius. But, it doesn’t take a brilliant dog to recognize that a leash picked up by the person indicates that a walk is imminent. Lily hears me get the leash from the basket and she whines with enthusiasm. Scooter sees me walking towards him with his leash, and he curls up on the couch and squeezes his eyes shut. His thinking is, If I can’t see her, then she can’t see me. I continue to approach with his harness (soft cotton, custom-made for his odd body.) He shivers. He looks more pitiful than usual. I snap it on. Lily, Scooter and I walk out the door. As soon as the door closes behind us, Scooter wags his tail with surprise and happiness. A walk! Who knew?

Eight years, and he still hasn’t made the connection between the leash and the walk.

Brains aren’t everything.