Hunkering Down

It's now mid-October and the girls have entered their annual 3 month period when they shed their feathers and take a break from laying eggs. The coop looks like a cross between a war zone and a craft project gone awry. Feathers, feathers, and more feathers. What a cruel twist of nature that just as the temperature starts to drop the girls lose their coats. Humans would never tolerate this!

The girls are actually good natured during this molting time and carry on as usual, though with a bit more scratching. They happily trot back into the coop a few minutes earlier each night as the sun dips down. No more waiting for the girls to go to bed so I can! We've had a few skunk sightings at dusk over the past month so I'm extra careful as I trudge across the yard making sure the white playground ball is not the almost completely white skunk. We've also not seen Butchie, our resident ground hog, for two weeks now. I miss him and had been working the past few months to get him used to the sound of my voice ("Hi Butchie, Hi Buthcie"). I was making real progress...even the girls adjusted to Butchie's presence and some days they all happily grazed under the bird feeders, waiting for seeds to drop. I can't even begin to think what the neighbors think as "Hi Butchie" echos from inside and outside the house on a regular basis. Maybe Butchie thought he was being stalked...

The loss of fresh eggs is the real tragedy during the fall - ok, that might be too strong. I can't fault the girls for needing a break and I always worry that they'll follow Delores's lead and give up altogether as she did 5 years ago. She must be pacing herself for a long life instead. We had to buy store eggs a week ago so no 'real' eggs would be wasted in cooking. I've got 3 eggs left, all from Hazel, bless her heart, and they'll be gone in a few days, but each bite will be treasured! If all goes well eggs should begin appearing around Christmas. What better present could I ask for!

Chicken Open House a Washout!

The coop was scrubbed from top (yes, even the roof) to bottom, the girls were given lessons in deportment, the yard was lush with green grass and purple phlox and the chicken cookies were made.  And then the rains came... From 6:00 Saturday morning through the rest of the day it poured. Between a couple of friends, the very loyal neighborhood kids from across the street and a mother and son from over the hill we still had a great day giving tours, explaining where those eggs really come from, and answering all manner of questions as we stood out in the rain. The hens, with their well documented lack of common sense, wanted to be part of everything and spent much of the day out in the rain. The tent tarp blew down so we abandoned any attempt at setting up our reference table and egg raffle (sorry, Beverly Bootstraps...). Needless to say, all visits from chicks, young and oldish, were cancelled. Too cold for the little ones anyway.

Naomi and I have learned that next year there will definitely be a rain date and I commit to better publicity and more organization. That will give us two chances to be rained out in one weekend! We'll also move the date back into May so folks will have more time to get their paperwork over to the Beverly Board of Health before their summer meeting break and while chicks are still coming in at the Danvers Agway.

It was still a very good day...Thanks, girls!

3rd Annual Chicken Open House - June 2, 2012

It’s now May 2012 and the Beverly Chickens blog is back from its year long sabbatical! It’s been a busy year with lots of changes and not a lot of time to keep the girls’ adventures updated. They (as do I) send their apologies!

But the girls are now back – not that they ever left – and getting ready for the 3^rd Annual Chicken Open House on Saturday, June 2, 11-2 at 10 Harrison Ave., Beverly. If you have any interest or curiosity about keeping chickens in Beverly, or in any urban setting, stop on by! We’ll have our 4 hens – Delores, Flora, Gertrude, and Hazel, plus some baby chicks who will be visiting. We’ll have information about the permitting process in Beverly and other chicken resource material. Come and see the girls, the chicks, the coop, and ask questions like these –

Are chickens noisy?

How do the neighbors really feel about the hens?

What’s all the poop about poop?

What do chickens eat?

Is it safe to let the chickens run around the yard?

Do they fly?

How long will they live?

Do I need a rooster to get eggs?

How do I get a permit in Beverly?

And lots more!

As always, if you can’t make the open house, private tours can be arranged.

We’ll also be raffling a dozen eggs to benefit Beverly Bootstraps and the winner can be guaranteed of getting the best tasting eggs they’ve ever have!

The girls have actually had a good year and done well in spite of all the changes to their owners. Since my job changed from a home based and local one to all out of state travel the girls have spent more time in their coop under the care of Naomi who has graciously become the week day chicken mama. Naomi has been a good sport through it all – this was never her thing – but she’s made those twice daily trips out to the coop in cold and rain and dark to change water, add food, pick up the eggs, and when able, let the girls out for some play time in the yard. They don’t get out as often as they used to but the expanded run still gives them plenty of play room, albeit without the yard bugs, scattered bird seed droppings, and freshly planted pansies they love to dig up.  I think even Butchie, our resident groundhog, misses the girls. Thank goodness chickens ‘go home to roost’ at night as they happily put themselves to bed at dusk when they’ve been let out to play at the end of the day.

Naomi gets the unsung hero award for all her work this year.

Since I’m not home during the week we have decided not to expand our flock to 6 as we are permitted for. It’s just too much when I’m not around – that first month when the chicks are in the kitchen is pretty easy compared to the work to integrate them with the rest of the crew. From past experience we know Flora and Gertrude can be bullies and they made poor Hazel’s life miserable when she first arrived. It took several months to make the transition after a bloody beating followed by a long period of recovey in the basement. It was pretty bad but as chickens do, they’ve forgotten those early years and they all get along just fine now. And it didn’t take any therapy to get them to this point!

Happy Birthday, Delores!

Delores turned 5 on May 1 and we attribute her long and healthy life to the fact that she hasn’t laid an egg in almost 4 years! She was the last to lay out of our original group and 6 months later she stopped and she’s been retired ever since. She’s healthy, eats well, doesn’t rush to get anywhere, especially into the coop when I need to get everyone in. That must be the key to her longevity – low stress, no pressure to produce that egg every day or so….it’s a good life for her.

Thankfully, the rest of the girls are good layers and only take a break in the late fall and early winter each year. Even hens need a break, but oh, how I miss my eggs during that time. No cage-free, organic type store egg is ever as good.

The girls continue their spring cleaning of removing all the grass in the yard, especially under the clothesline. Any small patch of dirt gets expanded and soon the new dirt bath is the place to be. And if it’s a sunny spot? It might as well have a sign on it saying ‘Chicken Wash’. I’ve given up reseeding as it’s a battle to keep the hens off any area I seed – even with a fence. This is a front yard wash where I don't mind the baths as much.

Just a reminder to stop by on June 2 if you find yourself in Beverly!

*** Chicken Open House CANCELLED ***

All this spring, as my hip replacement surgery date got closer, I told myself and everyone else that the 3rd Annual Chicken Open House would indeed take place on June 4, a mere 17 days post-op. I wanted that date as the Astyk-Woods family was coming for a visit and they've been an integral part of the event the past two years in part for the knowledge and experience they bring as farmers and also because the grand-kids have a great time.

But now, the reality of healing from surgery is here and I find that as well as I'm doing, there is just no way for me to be prepared in a week to host this event. It's more energy and physical capability than I have to prepare the coop, ready the yard, gather the materials, get new chicks, setup advertising, and then stand or even sit for 3 hours. It is also not fair to my partner, Naomi, to ask her to do even more than she is doing to help me.

I have overestimated my abilities and so with sadness the event is being canceled this year. I'm not even going to expand our flock from 4 to 6 until next spring as I won't be back to full activities until later this summer. Right now, I need to concentrate on getting better, with a larger dose of reality!

For those of you who planned on coming please send me an e-mail (sue.lupo@verizon.net) and let's try to coordinate a visit after mid-June. I should be feeling much better by then and navigating the lumpy backyard will be a lot easier!

I haven't told the girls yet that the Open House is canceled...right now they are being 'lovingly' cared for by Naomi; she is the surrogate parent who provides food and water and occasional yard access (as long as it's close to dark so they go to bed on their own!). But she's out there talking to them regularly, explaining the reality of care to them and so far there have been no revolts yet! (-:

Meanwhile, I hope some of you will be getting chicks this spring (Danvers Agway has the last shipment on June 1) and enjoy the pleasure and bounty these fine animals can provide!

Sue

Beverly Chickens Return....2011

I may have the best of intentions but life just gets in the way sometimes and I have been away from this blog for quite some time...and lots to catch up on!


I believe I left off with Miss Kitty's joining the family last spring. As with the other chicks, it was a struggle getting one introduced and accepted by the flock. Flora and Gertrude are alpha chickens and they showed no mercy to the new girl. Miss Kitty spent her nights in the dark of the coop and her days in a pen in the yard, for her protection. If I was outside everyone was allowed out together. And this went on for several months.



We thought it would take all summer to get her integrated, but amazingly, by July she was fully accepted (with only occasional pecking) by the others. And then one day...a noise, somewhat familiar, came out of her throat. I heard it and groaned, and figuring I was imagining things I let it go. But the next day, the sound returned - a somewhat throaty, broken cough at first, but then turning ever so slightly melodic, until there was no doubt in my mind. Miss Kitty was MR. KITTY!! A late bloomer by all means but the sound was unmistakable, though thankfully small, considering her, or his size. Now we had another rooster and even though a bantam with a sound that could not possibly offend anyone we knew she/he had to go.



So it was with great sadness that Miss Kitty moved to Gleanings Farm in Delanson, NY, to the home of our kids in August. All that work to make her part of the flock and she had to leave. I was very sad as I had become quite fond of Miss Kitty and she had been a great addition to the family. I can happily report that the new Mr. Kitty quickly made a home with the other chickens and is living his days out happily.



The other major event of the summer was that our beloved Beatrice died suddenly in June. I was out in California visiting my father and I got a frantic call from Naomi one morning that she had found Beatrice dead in the coop. Only 3 years old but a gentle soul with a wonderful personality and the strangest eggs we'd ever seen. Sometimes they were so long and pointy we couldn't close the egg carton. Beatrice had been healthy right up to the end but her death and my absence presented a small problem. Naomi wanted to put her in a carton in the basement until I got home 4 days from then but I had to gently point out that this was June and a deceased chicken in the basement for 4 days would not be pretty - on any level. It took some convincing but I finally got her to agree to put Beatrice in the freezer until I returned. This was way beyond her call of duty for taking care of the chickens while I was away and we both knew it.



When I returned we called the Schusters over and got out the Episcopal Prayer Book and Naomi led us all in the Burial Service, complete with personal testimonies. It was a fitting send off for such a lovely chicken. (I can't believe I am writing this.) She was a good bird and I would be happy with a whole flock of Buff Orpingtons as they have great personalities, they're gentle, and they lay very reliably.

We were down to 4 hens at this point but I was very happy that everyone got along as we had spent so much of the previous year getting everyone to play nicely together and not peck each other to death!

By October the girls began their more normal behavior of stopping laying. I don't know if it's the waning light but Hazel held out the longest and I look longingly at that last egg ,knowing it could be months before the spirit moved anyone to lay again. I savored every bit of that fried egg...

The girls settled in for the long winter and I prepared the coop for the bad weather ahead. I made multiple attempts to put plastic around the run only to have the wind whip it off time and again. I got stronger plastic, more staples, and heavier gloves, as it got colder and the snow began for real. This was the first winter with the coop expansion and I was grateful for the extra space for everyone. Finally, on an early January night, just as the first heavy snowfall was starting I went out with wood strips and got the plastic to stay in place. For the first time in 4 years the run was almost fully protected from snowfall. I kept the house facing side open so I could see everyone but otherwise, the run stayed snow free and the girls could roam all day. Not that they wanted to...the cold and snow kept them in the coop a lot and I kept the light on 24 hrs a day, unlike in previous winters when I turned the light on only for the really cold nights. I was cold, so they must be too!

It would be over 2 months before they left the coop and run to go out in the yard. That's how long it took for the path I shoveled to get down to some bare ground. It was so icy going out Naomi had to use ski poles to navigate the path. I slid down the hill more than once. I used a pick axe but even that wouldn't break up the ice.

The only good part to the winter is that by the end of December everyone was laying again, except for Delores. She's still retired from her brief 6 month period of laying 3 years ago. It's all about saving her strength, I guess, and since she is the only surviving member of the original flock of 4 I can't say too much. She may live forever...

It's now St. Patrick's Day and I have just removed the plastic from the coop. The girls are on day 2 in the yard (I was away again) and so so happy. Today they had their first dirt bath in the same part of the yard they use every year so no point in trying to get the grass to grow there. It's a sunny afternoon and they had no trouble digging in. The snow is completely gone from the yard though still in my neighbor's shady backyard. But it's 53 out, the bulbs are sprouting, the girls are clucking...life is good.

Miss Kitty Joins the Family!

Miss Kitty officially joined the Beverly flock during the May 1 Chicken Open House. She came from Sharon's Gleaning Farm, a 4 week old Black Silkie, small and nameless, with black feathers on her feet. We had a contest to name her, Kitty won, and 'Miss' in front of it seemed just right.

She's the first chick to win Naomi's heart and it didn't take much. As always, chicks start out living in our kitchen in the recycling bin under the heat lamp. After all the 'loaner' chicks went back after the Open House Miss Kitty was quite lonely. She did not like the bin and the chicken wire top was not much of a deterrent. On one of the first evenings she spent much of her time trying to escape and Naomi kept finding her walking around the kitchen after sneaking out of a loose corner of the wire. Naomi would put her back, Miss Kitty would jump out and so it went on. Finally Naomi gave up and went to sit on the couch.

A short while later she thought one of the cats was trying to jump up on the couch and Naomi didn't pay much attention to the scratching. But when she looked down she found it was a tiny Miss Kitty who was trying to jump. She'd followed her into the living room and was looking for a little company. Naomi finally gave in and wrapped Miss Kitty in a towel and held her until she settled. That's where I found them an hour later, one reading a book and the other cooing quietly. I had to take a picture or no one would have believed it! That became a nightly ritual, Miss Kitty in her towel getting some bonding time.

Miss Kitty has graduated to the cage in the basement where she sleeps but she's out during the day in her cage or if I'm out she can roam with the big girls. They've mostly ignored her but I know that if I put Miss Kitty in the run it will be a different matter. The goal is to start with sleepovers in the coop this weekend. I'll have to go back to closing the inside coop door so that the girls can't get up in the morning on their own where they might cause mischief with Miss Kitty. I don't mind getting up at 5 since it's light anyway and I do love to putter outside at that time of the morning. I'm hoping this integration goes better than it did with Hazel! I'll have more on this next week.

2nd Annual Chicken Open House a Great Success!

We had a great turnout on a beautiful day this past Saturday for the 2nd Annual Chicken Open House. For 4 hours we talked chickens, watched kids cozy up to 3 day old chicks, gave coop tours, and answered questions. We handed out chicken cookies and lemonade, sold raffle tickets for fresh eggs and let the girls sell themselves on the joys of raising chickens.

It was wonderful to meet so many folks - from families to empty nesters, those in apartments to bigger spreads, chicken owner wannabes and those just curious. We heard tales of chickens falling off a truck and being scooped up by running housewives during World War II and childhood memories of the family flock. Everyone had a story to share and it was great.

We raised about $70 in the egg raffle for Beverly Bootstraps and 6 lucky folks will soon get the pleasure of eating 'real' eggs. Many thanks to daughter Sharon and son-in-law Eric for their donation of eggs, reference books, our new black silky (now named Miss Kitty), and lots of chicken knowledge. And thanks to partner Naomi who started with "You're going to do another chicken open house?? You did one last year!" and ended up "What a great idea and what a great day!"

Also thanks to Danvers Agway for their lovely chicks that I really wanted to keep and being so gracious in taking them back to be placed in loving homes. It wouldn't be a chicken open house without baby chicks!

The movement for 'a chicken in every backyard' continues and all of you are part of it! Thanks again for a great event!

Sue