Like the skinny pants in the back of the closet…

My fellow poultry and life-lovers…I have been avoiding you. I am ashamed to say that, like the size 6 Anne Taylor pink skinny jeans that haunt the rear of my closet, I have been avoiding you. Like the unfortunate-looking facebook ”friend” from high school who keeps trying to “chat” with me, I have minimized the window, in turn, avoiding you. Like the student loan that a mere 11 years later is still only requiring the minimum payment, but offers the opportunity to be more proactive on payments, I am avoiding you.

But, that time is over.

Time to get back in the game. (hehehe, get it? game? poultry? animals? get it?)

So, as a brief recap of the last three months: My professional life took a very extreme turn and I have a new job that I ADORE. The whole “do what you love and you will never work a day in your life” is a reality for me. So, thanks to the God(s).

The holidays came and went and the Wee  One was enamoured with Santa Claus for the first time. Guess she likes older men with buckets full of toys. The Prince and I just hope this doesn’t lead to a Very Special Episode a’la Dudley in Diff’rent Strokes.

But ON TO THE CHICKENS. Big Frakkin’ News! Dorothy and Blanche are laying eggs…like, alot of eggs. Almost one per day, per chicken. That’s a nice amount of omelets. The first egg:

Sofia and Rose are gettin’ crazy big. Video to come.

And, cheers, my friends. I am embracing the blog love again.

Did you know that chickens understand human-speak?

This morning, the girls were awoken around 7am. The Prince opened the coop, letting the light shine in.

But, they didn’t emerge to the run until a few hours later when he actually ASKED them to come out. Then the sweet ladies graced the world.

I wonder if that is normal. 

My daughter selectively listens to me– happily ignoring the word “no”.  Our schizophrenic cat couldn’t follow a human direction if all the food in the world depended on it. Now it takes a couple of chickens to restore my faith in following directions.

Good Morning! The ladies’ first walk of shame.

This morning was lovely. Woke up around 7:30am with the family. We got on our sweatshirts over the jammies and set out to the backyard. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous, didn’t know what to expect from the ladies after their first sleepover in their new home.  Here  are some photos:

Woke up, fell out of bed and now we have chickens

So, today was the day that we became parents to 4 more critters. We went to meet Dan, Dan the Chicken Man (from a Polish farm outside of our fair city) at North Haven Gardens.  I have to say, the people from NHG are AMAZING! They have so much information about backyard chickening and some of their employees are fellow chicken-ers. So, they know from where they speak.

Anyway, we met Dan at 10am and he had, literally, a truck-load of chickens.  So, we picked the pretty ones.  (very scientific, I know)

We got a Barred Rock (Sofia, the sweetest one of the bunch. And the smallest),  an Ameracaunas (Rose, a ridiculous loud one with white feathers. Annoying already–but in a sweet way. She will lay blue and green eggs!), a Rhode Island Red (Blanche. She is very into her appearance and puffs up regularly. She also was the first one to try and make a break for it. She doesn’t know how cruel the outside world can be) and a Black Sex Link (Dorothy. She is large and in charge. The breed is a hybrid.)

Dan clipped a wing on each Dorothy and Blanche (so no “flying the coop” so to speak) and lovingly stuffed the ladies into boxes. Got some more supplies and headed back home.  We still had a wee bit of work to do on the chicken coop, so they wandered around for the day while we finished getting their living quarters safe from predators, and three-year-olds.  (I ducked out for a few hours to go to a composting seminar with the Dallas Backyard Chicken meet-up group and get a bit more hardware from the Depot).

Here is when they introduced themselves to their new home: (I am having a hard time embedding the video for tonight, but you can go to the below page.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/cameroncobb#p/a/u/1/7siU0FIuS0U

When I got back, we were full force until nightfall. The ladies spent all day exploring their new surroundings and get pretty comfortable…even making it up to the deck. I think they have already adjusted well. Quincy chased Rose.

http://www.youtube.com/user/cameroncobb#p/a/u/0/Dqr9KH1O90A

Twilight came and they all huddled together, ready to call it a night.  I didn’t know how to get them into the coop and apparently, they don’t understand ENGLISH!  ”Okay, time to get inside,” I said over and over. (Yes, I am afraid to handle them as of today). So, my Prince gingerly picked them each up, set them in the coop and locked those ladies in for the night. Not a peep out of a single one. Except Rose– who squaked like a crazy person, but what’s new? 

The ladies “hit the hay” at around 5:30pm and we are all gearing up for what should be an interesting morning.

So, now time for dinner and a glass of wine. Guess what we’re having? Chicken fajitas.

Tomorrow is the BIG DAY!

Picking up our feathered friends tomorrow at 10am from North Haven Gardens, a mere 4.2 miles from our castle.  Coop, check! Straw, check! Scarecrow dressed in the Prince’s old clothes, check! Water and feeder, check!

Now, we just need to get a roof on that baby and we are good to go.

On a bittersweet note, the construction of the coop did severely twist up the Prince’s back and neck. Chiro Kyle is gonna have a field day with this.  I

Bit by bit, putting it together.

Title is Broadway reference. Bold.

 

 

if you build it…they will come.

So, after a big NPR kick, we decided that chickens were sustainable. My Prince and I refuse to leave a carbon footprint. So, the Prince rescued wood from the garage storage (which is now a sound/music studio, but that is another story)  and built a chicken coop. Really?!!! Re-use and Recycle. Check out the infancy of our newest palace.

My city allows chickens but NOT rhinoceroses.

Thinking about becoming a chicken farmer??? Make sure to check your city’s municipal code. This is what my city’s code says:

(5) The act of keeping or causing to be kept any chickens, geese, ducks, guineas, pigeons, rabbits or dogs in pens or enclosed areas kept in such a manner as to become offensive, producing odors capable of annoying persons living in the vicinity or kept in an unclean condition.

Wild animal means any mammal, save and except the common domestic species (dogs, cats, horses, cattle, swine, sheep, and goats) and any amphibian, reptile, or fowl which is not naturally tame or gentle but is of a wild nature or disposition and which, because of its size, vicious nature, or other characteristics, would constitute a danger to human life or property including, but not limited to, lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, bears, wolves, alligators, crocodiles, bobcats, coyotes, elephants, rhinoceroses, and all forms of poisonous reptiles and other like animals.

So, there you have it. Now, my mom will stop bugging me.

Here is a really good link to some of the laws in the US and Canada, ay.

http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/chickenlaws.html

Garage sale…is it worth it? or Make Room for Chickens!

We can either move or find more room in our house. I am getting the itch. We have 1700 square feet and three humans, 6 fish and 1 cat. And soon, 4 chickens. But they will live outside. Anyway, I digress.

Garage sale is in order. I have never had a garage sale and quite frankly, didn’t ever think that I would have one. But, here we are with a bunch of crap and nowhere to put it. So, I gathered our trash (another man’s treasure, I am told) and priced it and made $240 bones before noon on a chilly saturday morning. The only thing missing were mimosas. In Waterford flutes–just for the irony.

Take a gander at the before and after pics. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! It’s like one of those Hidden Pictures in the Highlights for Children magazine.  If my current career doesn’t work out, I may become a professional organizer. Sarcasm is a gift.

Before:

After:

Save me from the illness!

We hit the big NYC last week. A composters dream:

We didn’t come back with an I Love NY t-shirt or a knock-off Chanel bag from Canal Street. But, I did come back with a mean case of the sniffles and non-hangover headache.

I went to the doctor yesterday. I am one of those people who thinks that I alone can combat illness without the intervention of modern medicine. I am not a tree-hugger or Scientologist, just lazy and cheap. So this was pretty big.

Without describing my symptoms here, I will tell you that I have an Upper Respiratory Infection. I am convinced this is a blanket diagnosis for a lot of things, but I will take it. I’ll tell you what I will also take– the Tylenol with codeine that I got for my acheness. WHEW-WEE.

I think I may go to the doctor more often. And set my DVR up for Intervention, cause this stuff is G-o-o-d.