Beverly Chickens

* Chicken Open House CANCELLED *

2011-05-27T16:46:00.003-04:00

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

2011-03-13T21:44:00.005-04:00

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!

2010-05-25T22:24:00.002-04:00

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!

2010-05-03T21:51:00.002-04:00

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

Reminder - Beverly Chicken Open House May 1

2010-04-29T22:08:00.009-04:00

Just a reminder that the Second Annual Chicken Open House will be this Saturday, May 1, from 10am-2pm. Grab your morning coffee, throw the kids in the car or stroller and head over to 10 Harrison Ave., Beverly, where 5 girls and their proud owner will be happy to guide you through the paperwork and process of getting city approval to keep chickens in Beverly. Meet the girls, tour the coop, and see how much pleasure you can have with your own hens.

You can also take a chance on a dozen fresh eggs with all proceeds going to Beverly Bootstraps. Each hen (except Delores who took early retirement) lays a different color and shaped egg, but they are all delicious and better than anything you'll ever find in the supermarket! Even the ones that say 'cage free'!

It's going to be a beautiful day and if you've ever considered raising hens (no roosters allowed in Beverly) now is the time to do it. Come on by!

The girls have been helping get the yard ready for company...every time I rake, dig, clean, they are right behind me! I'm not sure who is in charge of landscaping but I don't think it's me.

See you on Saturday!

Green Poop and Other Compost Thoughts...

2010-04-26T08:30:00.004-04:00

Now that there are just two of us to cook for we don't generate the amount of kitchen waste we did when all 3 girls (not chickens!) were at home. Sadly that makes for slim pickings for the hens. When there isn't much to offer them I cook up a batch of oatmeal and raisins with a little cat food thrown in or a pot of rice and it gets scarfed down by appreciative chickens.

I've always been a recycler with a compost bin and in recent years have kept worms, with only mixed success at not murdering them. I'm on my umpteenth batch of red worms and they are happily chomping away in the can-o-worms in the basement, so far alive for 2 months.

Lately it's been harder for me to watch food being wasted both at restaurants and in the supermarket. This drives Naomi crazy. It's bad enough I bring home the restaurant scraps from everyone's plate at the table, but now I want to go into the kitchen with a big bucket and scrape plates for an hour to give my hens the scraps. Of course I can't do that (though I'm not sure why - social isolation, divorce, etc?). I fantasize about a retirement business where I gather all this waste and generate wonderful compost, with or without the worms' help.

To solve this problem and give my girls a more balanced diet after laying pellets and yard treats I contacted the owner of a local restaurant in town, The Organic Cafe, and asked if I might get some scraps periodically. They could not have been nicer and I was give permission to go through their compost bin (yes, they separate out all compost!) and take what I want. So now, a couple of times a week, I trudge the few blocks from my house with my 5 gallon bucket and rubber gloves or barbecue tongs and go through the wonderfully fresh pickings.

It's been a field day lately - sprouts, avocados, lettuce, cukes, tomatoes, some kind of grain and more. And the girls are thrilled. But there's just one problem....green poop... When I saw it yesterday in the yard all flattened out I had no idea what I was looking at. But as I walked around the yard there they were...dark green blobs. Not to be too graphic but I do pay attention to chicken poop as it's a good way to monitor the girls' health. So what's with all the green stuff? I looked back in my compost bucket and yes, there's a fair amount of guacamole, but enough to cause this? I eat avocado but I never had a color problem!

Everyone seems fine so I'm not going to worry....the eggs looked normal yesterday though Hazel had some trauma when she was forced out of the nesting box by Gertrude, but that's another story... more later.

Second Annual Chicken Open House May 1

2010-04-19T21:11:00.005-04:00

The Second Annual Chicken Open House will be held Saturday, May 1 from 10 am to 2 pm at 10 Harrison Ave, Beverly, MA. The event was so successful last year that I want to do it again so that folks who are thinking about raising chickens in Beverly, or surrounding towns, can see what an urban setup looks like. There will be other chicken owning family members available to answer questions and you'll be able to meet the girls and tour the coop. I'll also have information on the application process that the City of Beverly requires plus handouts.

We had a lot of fun last year and there had to be over 100 folks who came by - some with chickens and some who wanted them. Since I am permitted for 6 hens and only have 5 currently, there may be at least one chick (and others if I can convince my kids to take some). I'm not sure, though, that I'm ready for another chicken integration as this last one has been so difficult...

The open house is a nice way for folks to meet each other and my long term hope is to get a Beverly group organized so we can share information and work on common issues like the city permitting process. And next year have a multi-coop tour in the city!

For more information contact me at sue.lupo@verizon.net or call 978-927-4642. I'll get calendar items into the local paper this week.

Spring Catch-up

2010-04-19T20:45:00.002-04:00

It looks like the Hen Saver coat for Hazel will get put away after all. Despite custom fitting a neck piece the coat never fit well and Hazel spent more time wiggling out of it then then using it for her own protection. Much of February and March was spent integrating Hazel with the rest of the hens but it seems to have worked despite a few setbacks. Will she ever be fully accepted? I doubt it but I am looking more for long term safety than anything. These hens can be tough on each other and the term 'pecking order' sure is based in fact.

Both Flora and especially Gertrude go after Hazel on a regular basis and Hazel is always the last one to eat, the last one to leave the safety of the coop, and the one is always on the outskirts of the group. It's 4 + 1 and not 5. I try to let them out in the yard as much as possible and that extra space gives Hazel room to do her own thing and not be bothered too much. She still can't join in the group dirt bath but she sits right on the roost with everyone else as long as Gertrude is busy laying an egg.

Up until last week I thought the truce was going to last but then there was an episode in the run with feathers flying and Hazel trying to escape. The next day I noticed some bare spots on her neck so I tried Vick's Vapor Rub as my friend Martha had recommended for a similar problem. It seems to have worked and we're back to the truce. I probably need to apply another dose.

The family problems prompted me to take care of some coop issues this spring that I couldn't ignore any longer. I've had a flooding problem in the back end of the run and half of it can be underwater during a heavy rain. So in late February, with the ground still frozen, I put in a French drain on two sides. I got it in just in time for the first big rain in March and there was only minimal flooding and it didn't last long.

So I began phase II...the coop expansion. Since I want to get back to 6 hens it was time to expand the coop beyond its 4x8' footprint. I had only one direction to expand in, towards the back, so I put together a plan for an 8x8' addition. Nothing is ever easy...that meant another retaining wall and another drain! All that took place during the second March rains and I have never seen so much water in my back yard. The girls did well though my new drain couldn't keep up with the water. I now have plans for a rain garden downstream from the coop where the water naturally flows. I might as well trap and use what I can as the water comes down the hill and around the coop.

This week I finished the addition and opened up the wall between the two sections. The girls haven't quite figured out this is their new indoor playground, despite the new roost and snacks I put over there but they'll get it. I am so relieved to have more space for them for those days when I'm not home to let them roam. And now Hazel can get some space if Gertrude is being a bully. The nice thing is that from the house you can't see the addition and I think it blends in well so the neighbors shouldn't mind.

Josephine, September 15-Februaray 5, 2010

2010-02-18T19:50:00.002-05:00

Every time I think I have some control over this chicken thing, that is, I can raise a chicken from a young age, bond with some little, or big thing about its personality, and feel confident that I am acting responsibly for another animal's well-being, I am brought back to the harsh reality that life is so fleeting for the smallest of beings and I am not in charge.

That's what happened two weeks ago when I let the girls out into the yard after I returned from an early morning run. I've done that dozens of times...the automatic letting them out to play and explore, search out tasty morsels (even in February!) and just be chickens. I went in to shower without giving them another thought and then did my usual visual search of the girls in the yard after. Since there are some blind spots in the yard I wasn't concerned that I couldn't see them and I went out to the kitchen back steps to check on everyone. Some bird flew out from under the steps and I thought at first it was a morning dove, just by the flutter of its wings. But as I looked at it up in the tree I realized this was a hawk and with absolute dread I ran out and looked under the porch steps where I found Josephine, already dead.

I'm the kind of person that says a silent prayer over road kill and I cannot stand to see another animal suffer in any manner. So finding Josephine like this was almost unbearable and I was consumed with grief. The hawk kept watch in that tree for 2 more hours and it then moved right into my driveway where it sat for another hour staring at the porch. I know the hawk was just doing what it needed to but it was awful.

The other 4 girls, being more 'street-wise' had scrambled for the back of the yard where they were hiding in the pile of Christmas trees I have gathered over the past few years. My guess is that Josephine got caught near the driveway and headed for the safe spot under the steps, or so she thought. (Am I giving too much credit to a small chicken?) I was surprised the hawk followed her there and I am just grateful it was not long that Josephine suffered.

Naomi, bless her heart, was there for me and together we buried Josephine on that cold winter morning. Naomi read from the Book of Common Prayer and I just cried a lot. Josephine joined Althea and Eunice in our backyard where we have set aside space for our beloved girls. She couldn't have been a sweeter chicken...she loved to climb on my back when she thought the big girls were picking on her. And she faithfully played with Hazel, whether it was in the basement or out in the tractor.

My next thought was how was Hazel ever going to blend in with the other hens now that she didn't have Josephine. I know I'm talking about these chickens like they were my children but that's sometimes how they feel. Since Josephine's death I've tried to get Hazel out to the tractor more and to let all the girls mingle with supervision. No one left the coop for 2 days after the hawk attack as I was a wreck about a return visit. Since then I've seen no sign of that hawk though another one visited this week and I scurried everyone back in the coop when it came by.

I've now received the 'Hen Saver', a heavy cotton apron that Hazel will wear to keep the others from pecking her. All I need to do is add a neck piece and I hope by this weekend to have Hazel try it out. If it works, I'll let her start spending nights in the coop over the next week.

We head out to Sharon's mid-week for a quick visit and Sharon has a little hen in mind for us to bring back. I'm not sure whether to take it...another hen, another name, another chance something will happen to it. But then again, it could be a little spark plug and a hen that will add personality to the group. I won't know until she (maybe K something?) comes back with us.

Certainly, raising chickens has had more drama, more heartache, and more pleasure than I ever would have expected and I have no regrets. I pick up those glorious eggs almost every day and I give thanks for the bounty I receive. I'll just have to continue on this journey, wherever it leads, and be grateful for all I been given. Thank you Josephine.

2010-02-10T23:08:00.003-05:00

It's been a very long time since I have posted anything here. Much has been going on in the backyard and once again there have been some changes.

Taking a few steps back...I spent much of the summer and fall wondering why my girls didn't lay eggs. For the second summer there were no eggs from the two girls who could have laid - Delores and Beatrice. To give Beatrice credit, she managed to lay about one egg a month but Delores just counted on her good looks to get her by. Flora and Gertrude were too young but I knew that from October on there could be eggs. Meanwhile, I just enjoyed their company and antics and continued to buy eggs, though I didn't have much interest in eating them.

My step-daughter, Sharon, suggested I add two more chicks so that eventually, there would be a more continuous supply of eggs as older girls stopped laying and younger girls began. It certainly made sense and I had sadly come to see this year that chickens don't live forever, or even that long. But I had other dilemmas...I was only permitted by the city to have 4 hens and I wasn't sure I was up for the task of blending in new girls. Flora and Gertrude were easily accepted but Eunice had had a tough time of it.

So Naomi and I discussed our options and in the fall we brought home two 'foster' chicks. Irene and Hazel, both Araucanas lived in the kitchen in the recycling bin and was it nice to have them with their little chirps. Hazel had a rough start at Sharon's as the 'runt' and she arrived with few feathers on her back. Irene towered over her but was gentle and the feathers grew back.

Unfortunately, Irene turned out to be Irving with the saddest adolescent crow you've ever heard and on Naomi's next trip out to see the grand-kids in NY she took 'Irene' and brought back Josephine, another Buff. It's so nice to have an endless supply of chicks in the family! Josephine was from the same group as the others so everyone knew each other...well, as far as chickens go.

Keep in mind that we were still working with 'foster' chicks and were still on the fence about keeping them but we started to give them some outside time in the tractor while the big girls hovered with curiosity. I had also gotten into the habit of letting the chicks sit in the kitchen on the edge of the recycling bin as they enjoyed roosting there and were generally well behaved....except for when they weren't and they tested their wings in the kitchen. I seemed to be the only one who found this endearing and after a few flights around the kitchen Naomi banned them to the wire covered bin and I knew we had to move them outdoors.

It was then that I contacted the Board of Health to request my permit be extended to 6 hens knowing I would abide by their decision and if necessary, two would return to NY. In hopeful anticipation of a new officially extended family I started moving the girls out to the coop at night. I still kept them separate during the day as Flora and Gertrude, now laying eggs (hallelujah!), seemed a bit feisty and I worried about them pecking the little ones.

The overnights worked out well but then the time in the run became a little chaotic for the little ones so I continued to keep them apart except for short periods. I worried especially for Hazel who seemed more vulnerable. One Saturday morning in December, when things seemed to be going well, I left them all in the run for two hours to mingle. It was a big mistake and when I returned poor Hazel had been attacked so badly that the back of her neck was completely exposed and bleeding. Oh, such guilt.... We brought her inside and cleaned and bandaged her neck. The wound was so serious I didn't think she was going to survive. She barely tolerated the dressings but with a topical antibiotic and some other antibiotic added to her water the wound healed and the feathers grew back. But now she lived in the basement...

On the warmer days I put Hazel in the tractor with Josephine and on other days I brought Josephine in for 'play dates'. I now had a good sized cage so at least there was room for them. I researched protective jackets for Hazel and fashioned one out of fleece, hoping that would discourage pecking. But the cold weather made it hard to be consistent about getting Hazel out.

Josephine was holding her own in the coop though she was more afraid of the girls than anything and she'd run away from them even when they were ignoring her. Sometimes she'd hide between my legs or jump on my back or head. She loved being held and was a real sweety. There was only occasional pecking at Josephine, nothing like what Hazel experienced.

During all of this drama I had my hearing in front of the Board of Health in late January and I found a much different board than three years ago during my initial permit application. They were open and receptive this time and seemed genuinely interested in what I wanted to do plus they commented on the increase in permit applications since last year's newspaper article. That was wonderful the hear!

I had my permit approved the next day for 6 hens!

2009-08-03T20:19:00.005-04:00

Farewell, Eunice

I have stalled for several weeks on writing this post as I’ve dealt with the loss of yet another of my beloved girls, Eunice, who died on June 26th. Now, 5 weeks later, I think I can finally face this.

I have great guilt over Eunice’s death – not that I caused it through some overt act of negligence or malice but that I contributed to it in some way that I am not aware. And then there’s the voice – “What does it say about me that I can’t keep my animals safe and healthy?” I might as well be saying “What kind of a mother am I?”

Eunice’s illness began with the same symptoms 6 weeks after Althea died - loose stools and a distinct change in behavior from her usual raucous self to a more subdued hen. I cried when I first saw her this way and was so afraid she would take the same path as Althea. I also worried that my not giving her the worm medicine in April because it was so hard to contain her was the cause of this illness. More guilt.

There’s no way for me to know if the medicine would have helped and I suspect not, as Althea did not respond to it either. But I gave Eunice the 5 day treatment and when it was clear she was not improving I consulted with a local poultry owner in town. He’s got a whole myriad of birds and keeps them in wonderful surroundings. Being from the old school (like my Italian grandfather), raising birds seems a natural way of life. He suggested a course of antibiotics which I immediately began by adding it to the girls’ water.

But Eunice continued to get weaker and then started falling to one side. She couldn’t hold her head up straight and every time I looked at her it just broke my heart. Every day I brought her out of the coop when she could no longer negotiate the ramp and every night I placed her back inside. As it was with Althea, the other girls seemed to take note of Eunice’s condition and they too were subdued.

During this entire period there should have been the joy of having Flora and Gertrude join the flock. They were still quite young, they ran everywhere, and their high pitched chirps were nonstop. But all I could see was Eunice and how hard everything was becoming for her. If anyone had told me a few years ago that I would get this upset over a sick chicken I wouldn’t have believed it. Well, that’s not exactly true….I have a huge soft spot for animals and seeing them suffer always makes my heart weep.

I just kept thinking there should be more I could do for Eunice. I searched the internet and consulted books, and finally posted a question at Backyard Chickens, a wonderful online resource. I got some advice though honestly, there were so many possibilities that it was hard to sort out a clear action plan. I think that is one of the things that I find so difficult in raising backyard chickens. Was my coop cleaning practice (or lack of) the problem? I thought once a month was sufficient but then I started raking it out every day in case I’d allowed something to fester in the run. Should I have been giving preventive additives to food or water? I bought organic apple vinegar and added that to the water. I considered adding cayenne pepper to their feed but didn’t do that (it helps prevent worms). And which antibiotic and for how long? It’s just not as clear as I wanted it to be…

And all during this time Eunice continued to weaken. I finally brought her into the basement when it was obvious she was not going to improve. She was so brave but it didn’t help. I realized something that had been troubling me about Eunice’s and previously, Althea’s illness. When we have a pet that becomes sick, we immediately take them to the vet where it is common practice to make a diagnosis and come up with a medical plan. And when that plan is not to intervene but to end the suffering then that often happens very quickly – in the interest of not letting the pet suffer. It’s not often that we accompany our pets on this journey towards the end of life.

Even the most caring vet could not help me fully with Althea and it didn’t seem to make sense to put Eunice through the same process. So there was no question that Eunice would be cared for at home until the end. And that is the difference. Naomi and I cared for Eunice for almost 2 weeks before she died and it was a heart wrenching process. She was too weak to take food or water that last week but she still hung on. We even took her to my sister’s house on the Cape when we had planned a few days visit. Poor Eunice made the trip in the back of our little car and every day I prayed she would let go and die but she had an amazing reserve. And all the time I did my soul searching wondering what I was doing wrong. Two chickens dying in two months…

I am grateful to my wonderful step-daughter, Sharon, who is wise in these matters. She kept telling me that chickens are fragile animals and that I was not doing anything wrong. I feed the girls well, give them fresh water, and plenty of yard time. I keep the coop clean. And I love and care for them and still it isn’t always enough. These things just happen and the animals we love get sick and sometimes they die, but it’s so hard.

Eunice was a spunky girl who had a good, though all too short, life. She was so different from the other hens but once she made that adjustment to the other girls she was forever a part of the family. She never liked being picked up and she was a squawker who would run in terror when you got too close. After all, she was a Silver Campine, an ‘ornamental bird from Belgium’ as I liked to say, and they are very particular. But she was a lot of fun and I miss her.

One Big Happy Family

2009-06-28T20:22:00.003-04:00

I must have fretted for two weeks about how to integrate Flora and Gertrude into the coop with the other girls. The recycling bin seemed to shrink as the new girls grew and grew and though they never complained I felt guilty as the days went on. The little girls enjoyed days in the yard in my makeshift portable pen where they were totally ignored by everyone else. But at night they returned to the safety of the kitchen while I figured out how to move them permanently to the coop. I had bad memories of Eunice joining the family and how terrorized she was by the others for that first month. There's real truth to that pecking order thing...

I finally came up with a way to divide the coop run with one of the fences I had made for the driveway when escape to that area had been such an allure. I gave the new girls a small area in the back of the coop and settled them in to meet their sisters. I nervously waited for the squawks and pecking, even through the fence, but they never happened. It took all of one day with a fence and one night altogether in the coop for everyone to come together. That was it...no fighting, no pecking, nothing... I was astounded and relieved. Had I known it would be so easy I wouldn't have waited so long to move the girls out. As it was, it was almost 7 weeks before they left the kitchen. What can I say...I'm a cautious parent.

After two weeks everyone seems to be getting along just fine though I don't think they've formed a community yet. It's still big girls roam the yard and little girls stay closer to the coop and that is fine with me for now though I hope at some point they all roam together (so I know where everyone is!). Flora and Gertrude still have their lovely chirping voices that seem to go non-stop and now I've noticed the big girls almost purring (in imitation?). Anyway, the new girls have discovered dirt baths and bugs, sleeping on the roost, and the joys of low flight to get across the yard in a hurry. It's fun to watch them all.

On a side note, the girls had a lovely visit to the Second Congregational Church in Beverly last weekend for their Strawberry Social. They were invited to highlight the work the Sunday School has done with the Heifer Fund. The kids (and the adults) were charmed by the hens and the chicks and I did some shameless plugging for raising chickens in Beverly. There was some definite interest from a few adults and practically every child! As always, the girls love visitors so contact me at sue.lupo@verizon.net to arrange a tour.

I'm going to figure out how to attach files to this blog so I can post the documents I mailed to folks during the May Open House including Beverly specific forms and general FAQ's and health information. More to follow...

New Chicks!

2009-06-01T20:39:00.003-04:00

Like any good parent I am using the time spent caring for my newest chicks as the excuse for not writing!

It was a very difficult choice as to which two of the six new chicks we were going to keep. I wanted them all to stay but we are not setup for such a large operation. Naomi had already picked the Rhode Island Red and after picking up each chick to see if there was that special bond (there wasn't - they're just chickens!) I chose one of the Bard Rocks who had the most lovely chirping sound. We presented the other four to our daughter and son-in-law in Middleton to add to their small flock. Their kids were very excited. The plastic bin seemed so empty without the entire gang though...

I want to thank everyone who suggested chicken names during the Open House. There were some wonderful names and we had a very hard time deciding. In keeping with our wish to use old fashioned names we settled on 'Flora' for the Bard Rock and 'Gertie' (short for Gertrude) for the RI Red. The names seem to fit.

It's been a fun few weeks with the chicks. They have grown so much that they are now in that awkward stage of all feathers that don't quite fit or something. Their feet are too large and they have the beginning signs of a comb, just like teenage boys with their peach fuzz. Somehow their voices haven't changed and they have the most genle pleasant chirp that is almost non-stop. I had forgotten how comforting that sound is and how much I will miss it when the chicks finally move out of the kitchen to the coop.

What I won't miss is the dust! It's pretty much just in the kitchen and there's no way to get around it. Last time we had chicks I put them right into the basement for that reason but that lasted all of two hours as I was worried it was too cold, too dark, too lonely, etc.. It was really me that had the issues, they were probably fine. The cats have shown no interest in the chicks and the chicken wire over the recycling bin is more to keep the girls in than the cats out. They are still enjoying the heat lamp as they're just little girls and still need to be warm. I think it will be a couple more weeks before we start thinking about the coop.

The chicks have had several trips to the backyard in their wire playpen on the warmer days. They figured out how to eat grass and bugs but they haven't started the scratching chcken dance yet. The chicks crouch at every noise or when a bird gets too close. They aren't fond of the sun and seem to prefer the shade. I don't have a cage so I made a corral of chicken wire and covered it with a piece of wire cloth to discourage jumping and keep any big birds out, like a hawk. We've had very few hawk sightings this spring but that's only because of good luck. I have a view of the chicks from my desk so they can't get into too much trouble.

I am a little concerned about the chick and hen integration. I still remember how hard it was when Eunice came as a pullet. I need to do some more research on the best approach so the chicks can be safe. I'll take suggestions from anyone who's done this before.

Lastly, one bit of unfinished business from the Open House. I emailed information packets to everyone who signed up but two e-mail addresses I had were bad and the mail came back. It's probably because I couldn't read the names correctly but if you signed up and didn't get anything, or you would like a packet, please contact me at sue.lupo@verizon.net and I will be happy to send the information out. I've already heard from one person who got her chicks after the Open House so the movement is really on - A Chicken in Every Yard! I can see it on bumper stickers now!

Chicken Open House a Great Success!

2009-05-05T20:49:00.003-04:00

My thanks to the many folks who came on Saturday for the first 'Chicken Open House!' There were too many people to count but we think there were over 100 visitors - from chicken owners to wanna-be chicken owners - families, individuals, young and old. It was amazing! We even had two folks in karate uniforms and a couple in revolutionary war gear. Nothing would have surprised me after that on Saturday!

What started as calendar items to the local papers turned into real publicity for which I am very grateful. If you missed the article here it is - http://www.salemnews.com/archivesearch/local_story_120220619.html
The Beverly Citizen also came out to put some video on their site to go with the calendar item. What a hoot!

The open house was really a huge success. I got to meet other folks in my town and surrounding towns who are successfully raising backyard flocks - from a few chickens to more modest numbers. I really had no idea how many people were already raising chickens and it was wonderful to have them come and share their knowledge.

What was really exciting was all the people who want to raise chickens. We had one fellow sketching the coop and others going through the coop design and beginner chicken raising books. Others checked out the hens and the coop and played with the chicks. And everyone had questions! I was very grateful our daughter Sharon, and son-in-law, Eric, were here visiting from NY as they have much more experience than Naomi and me so they were drafted into duty from the start. We even pulled another son-in-law, Billy, into service since he too has hens in Middleton. We had folks here before noon with the last leaving at 3:30 Saturday, plus 3 more came by on Sunday! I enjoyed talking with so many people but I know I missed a few for which I am sorry. And I'll never remember all the names so be forgiving if you see me on the street and I don't remember your name. (-:

We were able to get 6 new chicks from the Danvers Agway last week and they were a big hit on Saturday. They were also exhausted at the end of the afternoon from all the handling and slept once the event was over (as did I...). We had kids submit names for the two we are keeping - beginning with 'F' and 'G' and we got some great names. Once we decide on the new names I'll list them here. We're keeping the one Rhode Island Red (Naomi's choice) but the other is up for grabs. I'm trying to find the one other chick that I feel a bond with - you know, the one who isn't too squirmy when you pick it up. We have two each of the Comets and Barred Rocks and a single Black Sex Link. I'm leaning towards the Comet as it's easier to see a light colored hen in the backyard when they are roaming but that's what the hawks think too...

I had put together some resource material for folks, especially those living in Beverly, but we quickly ran out. To the others who left e-mail addresses, I have to scan some stuff and then I will send everything out later this week. There were almost 50 requests for information!

I think the open house was just a starting point and I am already fantasizing about a 'Beverly Tour de Coop' next year! There is clearly a lot of interest in chickens and I think this could be the beginning of a real movement in Beverly and surrounding towns. A chicken in every yard!

Thanks again to everyone who came!

Chicken Open House! May 2, 2009

2009-04-26T20:57:00.000-04:00

With the promise of spring in Beverly it's time to open the coop and let the neighbors in! So on Saturday, May 2, from noon to 3:00 there will be a Chicken Open House at 10 Harrison Ave. Stop in and meet the girls, tour the coop, and learn what it takes to raise hens in Beverly. Bring the family as the girls will be out in the yard and at least a couple of them like to be petted. But if you have a dog, please leave it at home -the hens scare easily.

If things work out as planned by Saturday there will be 2 more chicks in the family, still to be named. The local Agway is getting a shipment of chicks on Wednesday and I plan to be there to pick out 6, the smallest number they will sell. Fortunately, one of my kids lives close by and also has chickens so she will take 4 though all 6 will be here at least through the Open House. All I know is that the chicks will all be different (or at least 2 will be!) so I can tell them apart. We're still working on names and hope to have them by the time the chicks arrive.

So, if you are in Beverly on Saturday, please stop in and meet the chickens!

Althea, May 1, 2007 - April 16, 2009

2009-04-17T21:49:00.000-04:00

Althea died peacefully in her sleep Thursday afternoon. She had grown increasingly weak over the past few days, eating and drinking less, and sleeping more. It was so sad to watch but in the end it was a peaceful passing. Naomi kept watch over her Thursday while I was at work and made sure she was comfortable to the very end. I buried her this morning out behind the coop and read parts from the service for the dead from the Book of Common Prayer. As I told a friend, I wanted to give her a proper Anglican sendoff! I believe she is in a better place where she can run free and scratch for bugs to her heart's content. I think the other girls have sensed that Althea is missing and though they enjoyed the first really warm day of this spring by spending it roaming the yard there was a lack of energy in all of them. Or maybe I am projecting my sadness onto the girls.

But the cycle of life has come full circle and I have come to see that even a chicken can add to the quailty of my life, for which I am very grateful. Thank you Althea.

Althea's Illness....

2009-04-13T20:18:00.000-04:00

It's been a sad week for Althea....she has become ill from what initially appeared to be worms, a fairly common problem in chickens.

It began a few weeks ago when I noticed some droppings stuck to Althea's feathers around her vent but I didn't think too much of it at the time. But when my neighbor, Andrea, also noticed it I looked more closely at Althea's droppings and saw they were somewhat loose. I cleaned her up and kept an eye on her and overall she seemed healthy, though maybe a little less active.

As the week went on Althea seemed to hang back from the others when in the yard and was less verbal. She's always the one who squawks the loudest in the morning to be let out of the coop but she was quiet every morning. She stopped running in the yard though still picked at bugs and ate and drank normally. Over the next few days she really became less active and spent more time on her roost in the coop, coming down only occasionally to eat and drink.

I finally called a local vet who can handle birds and made an appointment for the following Monday.

Fortunately, my daughter Sharon, resident family chicken expert, was also coming for a visit and she immediately went out to Agway and picked up antibiotics and vitamin supplements. Apparently, there are any number of ailments chickens can get that are cured with these over the counter antibiotics. We brought Althea into the basement and fixed up a recycling bin with wood shavings. She took her medicine like a good chicken but there was no real change.

The following Monday we saw the vet, Dr. Bradt, at 'All Creatures' in Salem who was wonderful with Althea and found from her stool sample that she had capallaria worms, a fairly common ailment. The treatment was to 'worm' all the hens with medication for 5 days. Althea also had lost weight and seemed to have fluid in her belly. I used an eye dropper to give the medication which the hens tolerated quite well. Althea went back out to the coop during this time at the vet's suggestion.

The amazing thing to watch was how the other hens treated Althea. They seemed to know she was sick and stayed close to her. On that miserable rainy afternoon after seeing the vet, with a cold wind blowing, when all the hens would normally have been hunkered down inside the coop, they instead sat outside in their run, soaking wet but all close to Althea until I lifted her back into the coop. Only then did the other three go inside.

After the course of medication was complete Althea still did not bounce back but instead got weaker and began falling. It was so sad to watch. By then it was time to bring her back inside the house. The vet had already checked in but didn't have any suggestions but to keep her comfortable.

So now we have Althea in hospice...it sounds corny but I feel like Naomi and I are trying to keep Althea comfortable as she probably is close to the end of her life. I put the heat lamp on her bin and covered half with a towel so she can rest in the dark. I'm feeding her rice with asparagus which she seems to like but she's not drinking much and I have to hold the food and water right to her beak. She can't stand for long. This is very sad...

Belated Winter Update!

2009-03-24T22:10:00.001-04:00

I had no idea how much time had passed since updating this blog until I started searching for my winter photos of the girls and realized my camera had eaten them. In between the birth of two more granddaughters, a holiday picture of the grandsons, and too many pictures of the pellet stove being installed, there were no chicken pictures. Where the pictures should have been of the girls out on a snowy day there was nothing... where they were all rolling in a patch of thawed dirt in the late January afternoon sun was emptiness....and where they were hunkered down in the coop against the winter wind was just a memory. Even Naomi remembered me out on more than one cold day getting the girls to 'pose' for their blog shots. It's hopeless....the pictures are gone and I have once again lost faith in my digital camera...or me...or both. I even see the gap in the picture numbers where they once were!

Anyway, here it is late March and six months have gone by without an update on the Beverly hens. So here goes.... the girls are laying again! It took until January when the sun was still low and the days so short before the girls seemed to come out of their egglessness. But not everyone is participating though Eunice of the small white eggs and Beatrice of the jumbo browns are regular layers. It's a tossup as to who is laying the large brown egg, either Delores or Althea, but it's got to be just one as there are so few eggs. I am just pleased to have the eggs and a steady enough supply for two people.

The snow was difficult on the girls this winter and there were several weeks when they didn't leave their enclosure and barely came out of the coop to eat. I tried blocking some of the wind and snow with plastic but a lot of it blew off and I will need to work on my technique for next winter. The heat lamp got turned on quite a few times and every time we got into the low teens I wondered if I shouldn't bring the girls inside though they were real troopers and did just fine. We are all grateful for the warmer temperatures.

Now that there is some thawing of the ground the girls are pleased to be let out to scratch and eke out the first bugs and whatever else interests them. The tractor I built last spring has been great and I can easily get the girls in it where they are content for hours at a time and I don't have to worry about them jumping my pathetic little fence to get next door (the neighbors are great and don't seem to mind) or worry about the hawks. There is nothing worse than being on a conference call for work and having to excuse yourself to find your chickens.

I'm afraid Naomi and I are of different minds as to how much freedom the girls should have. She is definitely not of the 'out of sight, out of mind' view and she wants me to keep the girls in visual sight at all times. While I generally agree with that I don't mind if the girls go into the side yard and then out front. As we have a small front yard and it's well above the sidewalk the girls aren't going too far. Right now they are working on tilling the front for which I am grateful. Of course, now that I have planted spinach and kale in some containers out there I'm not really too interested in them digging up the seeds so there is a bit of a power struggle going on - between the hens and me, that is... We did get an elderly couple stop in front the other day and stare at the house. Naomi was quite puzzled when she looked out and saw them but it didn't take me too long to figure out the girls had wandered out front and were providing some entertainment. But Naomi wasn't too pleased with me... I have at least promised to address the back yard fence issue this spring and see if I can't reinforce the boundaries little better.

And back to hawks, the girls have not been bothered by them in recent months though this is the time last year that we had a number of visits. I still listen for the girls screeching and run like crazy when I hear anything but so far we've been very lucky. Though last week I peered out the window to see a skunk following them around the yard and then spent the next 10 minutes trying to herd the girls into their coop and keep the skunk at bay, neither of which I was very successful at. The skunk finally lost interest and wandered off. It was late afternoon but still very light and daytime skunk sightings are extremely rare where I live.

Now that we've all come out of hibernation I'm thinking again that I might have an open house one spring Saturday and let folks come by to learn about raising chickens. It will probably be too late for folks to get spring chicks since the application process in Beverly takes a bit of time and then there's that coop to build! but it's plenty of time to prepare for a late summer or fall batch of chicks. In order to get chicks by May I'd have to have an open house in February and that isn't going to happen! I am by no means an expert in this area and there are others right in Beverly with much more experience but I am very much interested in promoting the raising of hens and the ease at which it can happen.

Having chickens doesn't mean you can't go away on vacation, it doesn't mean you can't have other pets, and it doesn't have to mean you spend a fortune housing and feeding them. You'll certainly need others to care for them when you do go away but depending on your setup chickens can be fine for a bit as long as they have fresh water and food. As I've said before, every neighborhood is full of kids who would love to chicken-sit. I know that's true where I live. And the coop just has to be a safe and protected place (though it helps if it looks good too, since we all have neighbors). Organic feed can easily be supplemented with kitchen scraps and best of all, what's out in the yard. And I admit to making oatmeal for the girls several times this winter...

Chickens are just one more part of moving towards sustainability. They fit in with the vegetable garden, the rainbarrels, and the clothesline - even within the city limits of Beverly.

So, stay tuned as I ponder an open house in early May. This could be fun. And I promise to update this blog more often and respond to anyone who cares to write or comment! Thanks for your support!

September Update

2008-09-23T20:12:00.000-04:00

September's been a very quiet month with the girls...They have almost completely stopped laying and I do miss the eggs. Everyone has or is going through some stage of moulting and there are feathers everywhere. That alone may be the reason though stress, excessive heat, or a lack of light can also cause hens to stop laying.

I hardly think the girls are stressed...they get plenty of food and exercise and they still enjoy keeping some of my vegetable plants pruned. The last bit of cabbage I had has been bitten back quite nicely. I stopped feeding them corn on the cob, much to the neighborhood kids' dismay as they loved stopping by with the remnants from dinner.

There's not much I can do but wait things out and....gulp, gulp...buy eggs at the store...

Meanwhile, an article in the Boston Globe North section on 9/18 caught my attention. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/09/18/if_council_prevails_chickens_wont_come_home_to_roost/?page=2
It seems someone in Lynn was about to be fined by the health inspector for keeping chickens after the city received a notice from the CDC about avian flu in poultry. The chickens had to be given away and now the city is proposing additional restrictions severely limiting where chickens can be kept. I responded back to the Boston Globe that a sensible and fair policy, such as Beverly has protects everyone - the birds, the owners, the neighbors, and the community. Mr. Ahern should be applauded for his attempts to provide food for his family in a sustainable manner, though it's important that we work with our local municipalities and their existing regulations, or work to change those regulations to reflect a more appropriate policy of integrating poultry into an urban environment.

There are many communities - from Beverly to Madison, WI, and New York City, that have successfully regulated poultry keeping and Lynn should take a look at those regulations before deciding on a total ban. The threat of avian flu is no more a problem for the small poultry owner than for the large factory farm. If anything, I would think we would generally have healthier birds because of the conditions under which they are raised - plenty of fresh air and room to move, food scraps, bugs from the yard, and close monitoring.. just my opinion. Mother Earth News tested eggs from many small poultry owners and found the health benefits way beyond the factory egg. Anyone who has eaten a free range egg knows the difference.

As we enter a time where rising energy and food costs are forcing us to examine where our food comes from more of us should be doing what Mr. Ahern has done - raising vegetables and keeping a few hens. As someone who also does this I can tell you of the value in knowing that much of what I eat is pesticide free and organic. I hope others will be encouraged by Mr. Ahern to work in Lynn for an appropriate poultry policy. Our communities would do well to encourage sustainable living on many levels but that is another discussion.

Lastly, I have to mention that my step-daughter, Sharon Astyk, BHS Class of 1990, has just published her first book "Depletion and Abundance: Life on the New Home Front" (featured selection this month in Mother Earth News). She looks at the future of peak oil and climate change and turns this 'depletion' into 'abundance' as she provides a practical road map for putting back into our lives much more than we realize.. It's a great book and you can get more information on the book and her other writings at her website: http://sharonastyk.com/. I have Sharon to thank for my chickens...

A Skunk Visit

2008-08-13T21:09:00.000-04:00

Early August has been tough for the girls...they are hardly laying any eggs and at least Eunice and Delores are starting to moult and there are feathers everywhere. Moulting is the yearly ritual of shedding feathers and growing a new set. It normally happens in the fall but the girls are getting a jump start and Eunice is starting to look more scrawny than usual.

And now skunks... Two weeks ago Naomi sighted a couple of skunks in the yard one morning. Following the advice of one of our kids she called the police in case the skunks were rabid as they are not usually out during the day. The police weren't that concerned and after the initial visit the skunks disappeared.

But today we saw a very bushy skunk wandering up the sidewalk about 1 in the afternoon without a care in the world. As soon as it I saw it I ran for the back to put the girls back in the coop but they were already there and screaming away. They really are an early warning system for all kinds of prey but they normally don't head into the coop if I've left them out in the yard. They'll either scatter to the bushes or stand still and scream. Not much of a defense when the hawk is scouting out its next meal. I was very grateful for their protective instincts today.

A couple of neighbors had already called the Animal Control Officer to report the skunk and I did the same as we were all concerned about its behavior. I didn't want him to think this was related to my keeping chickens as the skunk was wandering in several yards and in the street. Basically, since the skunk didn't appear to be rabid (no wandering in circles or menacing behavior) there wasn't much the officer could do as the skunk was more nuisance than anything. Since a neighbor had earlier seen the skunk with its kids we certainly didn't want to separate them. The officer said it wasn't uncommon this time of year for raccoons and skunks to come out during the day to forage for food for their children.

My feeling is that we need to co-exist with this skunk as it's her neighborhood too though I'd prefer she return to her more nocturnal habits. I'll just have to be more careful about letting the girls outside the coop. I'm thankful they alert me to every potential danger in the yard, real or imagined.

Where Have all the Eggs Gone?

2008-08-05T21:46:00.000-04:00

It's now early August and we're experiencing a strange phenomena...very few eggs.. from a high of 4 a day in the spring we are now getting 1 every other day. I'm not sure if it's the weather, Eunice's broodiness, or something else.

I consulted my favorite web site, http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum, and it looks like the heat is a big factor. Stress can also be an issue and that probably explains Eunice's problems. Soon the girls will moult, when they lose most of their feathers, and egg production will be low as they use their resources to make new feathers and not eggs.

I'm looking forward to the cooler weather when the eggs come back..I miss them.

Eunice Goes Broody

2008-08-05T21:30:00.000-04:00

While on vacation in July we got a call of 'concern' from Andrea, our vacation chicken sitter supervisor (Lauren's mom) that Eunice wouldn't leave the nesting box inside the coop.... I knew right away she'd gone 'broody' - that maternal condition when a hen sets herself on the eggs for hatching. Unfortunately for Eunice, all the setting in the world wasn't going to hatch those eggs as there's no rooster in their lives. We thought about coming home early from vacation but a reassuring call to Sharon, Naomi's daughter, and mother to many chickens, convinced us that Eunice would be fine, she just needed access to food and water until we returned.

So, armed with the gloves and determination, and with the neighbors to watch, I faced off with Eunice in the coop, prepared for her maternal instincts to defend her nest. Instead, all I did was give her a little prod and she fluffed her feathers and squawked and then got up from the nest where 6 eggs (none of them were hers) sat, warm and unhatched. I sadly threw out all the eggs since they probably were no good to eat and closed the coop door to keep Eunice out. She was miserable, Delores was unhappy, and after a few hours I opened the door and they went back in to the nest.

For the next week Eunice was in and out of the nesting box, some days spending most of her time there, but eventually she lost interest and returned to her normal behavior. But she hasn't laid an egg in over two weeks...

The Girls Have Their Healthcheck

2008-08-05T20:43:00.000-04:00

One of the requirements of the Board of Health was that the girls be inspected by a representative from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources within the first year. I never did understand if that was the first year of life or the first year of living with me or of laying eggs but in early May I did contact the inspector and had someone come out to see the girls. There are pictures posted of the inspection here.

Basically, chickens need to be certified that they are free of several diseases in part so that they may be freely transported without fear of disease being spread. This especially applies to folks who want to show chickens (not me) and it ensures that a chicken that is sold is in good health. I found out that the hatchery 3 of the girls came from qualifies them for automatic passing and they did not need to be tested. But since Eunice came from the Topsfield Poultry Auction she needed her blood tested.

So, on a lovely May afternoon the woman from the inspection department came, dressed up in a protective suit and drew blood from the girls for testing. A week later I received their certificate of good health and no sign of Avian Influenza or Pullorum. Each hen has a leg band certifying her good health. The state takes poultry disease prevention very seriously and I am glad I followed through with the exam.

From what I have heard from other chicken owners in other towns Beverly is more strict about poultry testing and I am glad for it.

Eunice Arrives!

2008-05-26T21:20:00.001-04:00

After Cora left in August I wanted to get another hen to fill out our small family of four. By September both Althea and Beatrice were laying and the eggs were wonderful so I was anxious to contine this steady source of eggs. There was no way to know when Delores would begin laying and that meant only two hens and no more than two eggs a day. Getting another hen seemed a natural solution.

The Topsfield Fair holds a poultry auction the weekend after the fair closes and I'd decided to get a hen there. I had no idea what I was getting into... My daughter and her family wanted chicks so along with chicken sitter friend Martha we all headed to Topsfield. The Essex Aggie FFA sponsers this event and all manner of poultry are offered for sale. It's not like a furniture auction where you view the items before the sale - at the poultry auction each item is brought out and auctioned off so there's no way to know what's behind the barn door. Therefore, the first few single hens came and went before I realized I'd better start bidding if I wanted to be sure of getting one. I bid a couple of times but lost and then panic began to set in - what if there were no more single birds? There were plenty of pairs, dozens of chicks, ducks, and turkeys along with other assorted fowl. I decided to go after the next single hen and so I paid $15 for a Silver Campine - a breed I'd never heard of - but a pretty silver bird with a black tail. I later found out this is an ornamental breed from Belgium. Ornamental! What was I thinking? I needed a good sturdy hen with lots of feathers for the cold winter nights.

I now had a 'pullet' (young hen) to add to the family and I knew only the basics of integrating her with the others. We named our new girl 'Eunice' and in taking the advice of an old timer at the fair, placed her in the coop with the other hens after dark knowing that by morning they'd all be friends. Ha! It might have been quiet all night in the coop but when I opened the coop's sliding door in the morning all hell broke loose. It's like going to bed as a kid and waking up to find your parents have adopted another child! You're going to be mad!

Eunice was attacked by all the hens, especially Althea, who seemed most upset by her prescence. It was really very painful to watch the girls go after Eunice who had nowhere to escape. She flew to the top of the coop where she stayed for days. At least she was safe as the other hens wouldn't fly up there. I literally had to put Eunice inside the coop with the others every night just to have her fly out the next morning to her safe spot. Nights were quiet and the days were tense. I tried everything from letting them all out in the yard together (big mistake, Eunice ran off two houses away and had to be cornered in a soccer goal net where I grabbed her) to keeping them in the run for several days with no yard time (another mistake..they went stir crazy) to spraying them with lemon juice at night so they'd all smell the same. Nothing eased the fighting and the best I got was an uneasy truce. Meanwhile, I gave Eunice her own water and food in her perch and prayed a lot.

But this story does have a happy ending. About 3 weeks after Eunice arrived, just when I was considering giving her up, my son-in-law showed up one Sunday morning to start running electricity out to the coop (my birthday present). I came back from church to find Bill digging a trench and four happy hens playing in the yard. No fighting, no blood, just an occasional squawk from Eunice who now tagged along with the others. The fighting was over and Eunice was part of the group. She never went back to her perch above the coop and she went inside with the others every night. It was an amazing transformation. I won't pretend it was completely peaceful after that as Althea had to assert herself as boss and did so with the occasional nip but Eunice obliged by following her everywhere probably to Althea's annoyance.

Since this rather unpleasant period I have since learned there are better ways to introduce a new bird and many folks agree that new birds should be kept in separate cages for up to a month to prevent the introduction of disease to the existing flock - something I'd never even considered! That gives them time to adjust without getting too close so that when they're allowed to mix it isn't quite so scarey. I do know that mixing new and old can have serious consequences and sometimes the birds can be quite cruel with devestating affects. All in all, I was quite lucky in my ignorance....

We now have our full complement of four hens - everyone's laying, they're happy and healthy, and they've certainly enriched my life!

The Girls Spring Break - 2008

2008-05-02T23:54:00.000-04:00

Just to skip ahead a bit, this spring vacation Naomi and I went to South Carolina for 10 days. Our usual chicken sitter, Martha, was unavailable so we engaged some of the neighborhood kids to take care of the girls. As low maintenance as chickens are you just can't leave them without some basic care when you live it town.

Their normal routine is to be let out of the coop every morning. This means sliding the door that opens from the coop into the enclosed run. The water must be changed and food provided. Since I use a 3 gallon metal feeder for food I only have to fill it every couple of weeks. But water is another thing and chickens require access to fresh water, especially in the warm weather. At night it's just the opposite - shut them in the coop to ensure that predators don't break into the run. I don't know that every coop has to be closed but I always shut mine. I am very aware that the local racoons and skunks would love a chicken dinner so it's just part of the girls' normal care that the coop be closed tightly. Once it gets dark chickens will normally go back to their roost which makes the bedtime routine very easy.

I live in a great neighborhood with lots of kids and I've had many offers of help in the past year. It was nice to be able to have some of the older kids take care of the chickens while we were gone. Between Darcy, Jake, and Lauren we worked out a schedule for morning and evening coverage and the kids did a great job. Darcy has had previous sitting experience with the girls so she was able to let them out in the yard for some evening foraging before dark which they really love.

I think gathering the eggs was one of the high points for the kids. It really is wonderful getting fresh eggs every day and nothing in the supermarket compares to them for taste. I'm amazed by the daily miracle of the egg and since each girl has a distinctive style I can pretty much tell who is laying when. We get up to 4 eggs a day..

It was a big relief knowing the chickens were well cared for - we had a great vacation and I think they did too.

So if you're considering getting chickens and concerned about leaving them don't hesitate to involve the local kids. It's great for them and great for the chickens. It's not too much work and there are always parents to help out in an emergency, like a loose chicken! My girls see me coming and pace inside the run, hoping to be let out.

I really think that having chickens has been very positive for this neighborhood. If nothing else, heads turn when the girls are out front or in the driveway, and we're now a regular stop for some of the local moms pushing carriages. I would love to see a few more families start raising hens! It's a very manageable activity and something everyone in the family can participate in. The chickens are no more work than any other pet once the coop is built. Coops can be as elaborate or simple as you want - built from recycled materials, expanded dog houses, more complex buildings, or purchased ready made. Here's a great design that requires no building skills - the Eglu is already assembled - http://www.omlet.us/products_services/products_services.php?view=Chickens.

Haven't conviced you yet? How about fresh eggs higher in omega-3 and lower in cholesterol than typical storebrand eggs? How about getting rid of bugs in your yard? How about a free source of garden compost (once it's aged)? And best of all, chicken TV...they are just plain fun to watch! I also know that I'm raising hens in a humane way and that they have a very good life. I'm also a lot closer to my food source, just like when I grow my own vegetables. I am surprised how much I've enjoyed having chickens in the past year - it's really had a huge influence on my life. Just ask Naomi! But I promised her no goats! (-:

Cora grows up

2008-04-27T17:27:00.000-04:00

It didn't take too long before we realized Cora might not be Cora, but could actually be Carl or Corey... There was a suspicious red mass growing on her head and in late June, at about 6-7 weeks of age, I heard a stange sound coming from the backyard as I stumbled into the bathroom before the sun was up. It was actually very upsetting to think that one of my girls might not be... For one thing, roosters are definitely not allowed in Beverly and I certainly wanted to stay in my neighbors' good graces. But most of all, I'd grown attached to all my chickens and did not like the thought of parting with any one of them.

As the summer went on and the chickens grew, Cora became more assertive and clearly was the leader of the pack. My fears grew and by the time we went to northern Maine for a week's vacation in late July I was terrified that Cora would become the official alarm clock of Prospect Hill. I left our young chicken sitter, Darcy, with instructions on how to reach us if any problems arose and off we went. Two days later she left us a message on our cell phone....there was a definite crowing one morning when she went to open the coop sliding door as Cora announced herself to the world. I spent the rest of the vacation fretting about the animal control officer stopping by with a warrant for Cora's arrest and deportation. But alas, my fears were mostly unfounded, and we returned from vacation knowing we needed to deal with Cora's blossoming adolescence.

The wonderful thing about having our oldest daughter living on a farm is that she was only too happy to help us put Cora in the Chicken Witness Protection Program. After all, she got us into this predicament when she shared her chicks with us so it was up to her to now bail us out! (Or so I hoped...) In all fairness, I did try to find a home locally for Cora but it's just not that easy to place a rooster in a foster home and not worry about which Sunday she's going to show up on the menu. And let's face it, how many people do you know raise chickens and can accomodate a pet rooster? I figured that if I could find Cora a home then I couldn't be too fussy about her future and this might just be her, or his, mission in life...

I was very happy when Sharon offered to take Cora on their summer visit east in late August and I counted the days until she left, apologizing to our neighbors and hoping no one turned us in. When the actual day came for Cora to leave I felt both relief and sadness as she began her new life as head rooster of Gleanings Farm. I knew she'd have a good life and I'd get to see her, or now him, on my visits to the kids.

Cora's departure left one spot open in our coop...

The Girls Arrive

2008-04-13T17:28:00.000-04:00

First of all, let me say thanks to all of you who posted comments. I thought Sharon was waiting for me to set this site up a bit more before adding a link from her web site but I guess she couldn't wait! I will also apologize for not posting sooner..I'm 'very' new to this and have a hard enough time keeping up with e-mail but I promise to be more responsive!

Back to the Girls....when Sharon's chick order was shipped last spring I took a day off, packed a small box, and headed off the NY to pick out my chicks. It was pretty exciting, all those cute chicks to choose from. Sharon gave me 4 chicks, all different colors so I could identify them, and I headed home with Althea, Beatrice, Cora, and Delores. They spent the next month in the kitchen in a plastic bin under a lamp to keep the temperature at 95 degrees. As they grew, the temperature was reduced, but they needed the heat in those weeks. I was on the phone constantly with Sharon who coached through every step.

Even Naomi was enthralled by the chicks, their tiny chirps, constant movement, and soft fuzz..who wouldn't love them? Fortunately, our 2 cats were not interested though I put wire over the top of the bin to reduce temptation.

Since I wanted to wait for the chicks to arrive before building the coop (what was I thinking??) I was seriously behind as I really only had a month before the chicks would be big enough to move outdoors.

I need to stop here and remind folks that my purpose is to let you know how easy it is to raise urban chickens and that adding my chicken adventures should be to illustrate particular points. Having said that, if you are serious about chickens start building the coop well BEFORE the chicks arrive! May and June of 2007 were a blur for me as I spent all my time (and too much money!) building the exact coop I wanted. There are lots of ways to build a coop and a fine structure can be built from recycled materials, but since I didn't have access to any and I wanted a particular look for my urban setting I looked around for just the right design. The 'Playhouse Coop' met my needs perfectly. The plans are available on ebay at http://cgi.ebay.com/Chicken-Coop-Plans-Poultry-House-Playhouse-Coop_W0QQitemZ280215435054QQcmdZViewItem. There are other sources on the web and I have found http://backyardchickens.com/ to be a great resource - not just for plans, but for the entire chicken raising process.

It got to be early June and the girls were into their second Tupperware container, having outgrown their first and my guilt at having them indoors was growing. So on a rainy evening I made myself go out and put a temporary plastic roof on the coop (I was having trouble finding a source for the metal roof) and the next night the girls moved out....and did just fine, despite all my worries about predators, the chilly nights, etc...a typical mother.

The girls thrived in their new home and our kitchen returned to normal - no 'chick' smell and no dust...but no pleasant chirps either...a tradeoff. It took me another month to get the coop finished with its metal roof and trimming but I have to say it looks good out in the back and it really fits into my neighborhood. Forget that I could have started an addition on the house with what it cost!

Whatever coop design you ultimately choose just be sure it's something you like and something that fits your chicken's needs. To paraphrase from "Chickens in your Backyard" by Rick and Gail Luttmann, the size of the coop and run depend upon whether the chickens will be confined most of the time (therefore needing more space) or whether they will be allowed to roam. My original vision was that my chickens would only be allowed out of the coop with supervision and then confined to the yard (as per my permit restrictions). And now that I understand how the chicken poop process works - they do it all the time since they have no sphincter - I wouldn't want them in my neighbors' yards anyway! My coop run is 4x8' with a 4x2' coop inside. Sort of a raised ranch. I have a friend who has 4 chickens and they are kept in a 12x12' run/coop and not allowed out. It's a personal choice how you deal with the roaming issue and really depends on your yard, neighbors, and how you want your chickens to be raised. There's no one situation that's best for all.

I have to say, though, having spent a year now with the girls, I thoroughly enjoy having them run around the yard and as other folks say, it really is Chicken TV!

My Introduction

2008-03-29T17:26:00.000-04:00

Two years ago the Boston Globe published an article about raising chickens in an urban setting. There were pictures of mail-order coops, happy poultry owners and their chickens, and beautiful eggs. I was hooked.. but some background.

My oldest step-daughter, Sharon, raises chickens in upstate New York on a 27 acre farm where she has a huge vegetable garden, has run a successful CSA, and with her husband Eric, has 4 wonderful boys under 8. It's a busy life and they are working hard at sustainable living. Unlike Sharon, her mother, Naomi,and I live in Beverly, MA, a city of 35,000 20 miles north of Boston, where we raised Sharon and her sisters. We have a lovely 100 year old house in downtown Beverly, in the Prospect Hill section, where we can walk downtown or to the beach in a matter of minutes. Hardly a farm..

We raise vegetables at the local community garden (our yard is too shady) and enjoy the simple pleasures of watching the world go by on our front porch. Chickens were never in the picture...

But as time went on and I spent more time at Sharon's and sampled the delight of free range eggs I began to think it might be fun to have a few chickens of our own. Great eggs, animals that would eat the bugs in the yard, and all that free compost! A no-brainer! Except that Naomi was dead set against it. I showed her the Boston Globe article, http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/02/12/poultry_owners_find_an_urban_coop/ and the answer was a firm NO.

I'll spare you the details but let's say it took me a full year to convince her that getting chickens was a good idea. In the end, she agreed to give it a try, mostly because she wanted me to be happy... She hasn't regret her decision...

So how did we make this happen in a city where chickens aren't exactly running around in most yards? The first stop was to pick Sharon's brain and search the internet for what others were doing. I soon found out that some municipalities have no rules on poultry and some have definite regulations. I needed to see what regulations Beverly had so headed off to City Hall in January 2007. I was immediately sent to the Board of Health where they gave me an application and told me that with $25, a plot plan, and the blessing of the Animal Control Officer m application would be presented to the Board of Health who would make a final decision.

I was quite discouraged when I met with the Animal Control Officer, especially when he learned I lived 'downtown' and not in one of the more suburban neighborhoods. An 8000 sq. ft. lot is not that big and he was concerned there wouldn't be enough space for the coop. He told me that the abutters had to approve of me getting chickens and that would go a long way in getting me approved.

So, on Super Bowl Sunday, 2007, I visited al my abutters, and presented my case. I also gave them a letter outlilning my plan with some 'facts and figures' about home poultry raising. For the neighbors I knew really well I baked some chicken shaped cookies (hey, who said I had to play fair!) to make my case. Without an exception everybody was excited and encouraged my plan.

With this vote of approval and renewed hope, I had the Animal Control Officer, Jim Lindley, visit my house on a cold Februrary day. I presented my plan, showed him my plans for the coop, and told him all my neighbors supported the chickens. With that information he gave me the clearances for the coop placement, discussed waste disposal (I was composting), and told me that the Board would make the fnal decision at my March hearing. But having abutter approval was really key and that my application looked good.

And that is exactly what happened.. at the March hearing I presented my case and reviewed my plan. I was asked a few questions and a week later I received my certificate to keep 4 chickens. Six weeks later the chicks arrived and my life hasn't been the same since! Next time I'll talk about 'the girls'...