Lumpy's Blog: Chickens

A few years ago on a whim, my daughter Kayla and I bought four Americauana chickens at the local feed store. We bought Americauanas because they lay eggs ranging in color from pink to green to blue. The chicks were about the size of a baseball when we got them and we kept them in a guinea pig cage in the basement. A heat lamp, bedding, water and starter feed got us into the chicken business.

Peep........Peep.........Peep

Before long these peeping little feathered baseballs grew to softball sized birds and it was time to convert the girls old play fort into a chicken coop and run. I was busily wrapping chicken wire around the 8' by 8' run, not a true run but a place to keep the chickens safe while still too young to free range. While constructing the run, I heard rustling in a tall cedar and noticed a large Red tailed Hawk checking out the chicks. Wow, I had never seen a hawk in our yard. Word must be getting out that free ranging dinner is available. Within few weeks I also noticed other types of hawks. Chickens make good hawk bait!

Chicken coop next to '51 Chevy

Soon it was late summer and the chicks started to earn their keep and produce eggs! Small at first but eventually the eggs reached the accepted large size. Finally all four chickens got the knack and started laying eggs. Soon we had more eggs than we could eat. A few colleagues heard about these free range eggs and wanted in.

Eggs!

With winter on the horizon, I didn't know what I'd do with the chickens. Too big too keep in the house, Kayla wouldn't let me hunt them down with a bow and still not enough eggs to make this whole project worth the time. Therefore, we decided to insulate the coop and hope for the best. With simple insulation, a dropped ceiling made of scrap Styrofoam and ground wood chips on the floor, we hoped for the best. A 250 watt heat lamp kept the coop above 10 degrees even when it was -20ºF. Chickens didn't seem too ticked and just hung out and read until April. Once they flew into the snow and decided it was too cold on their feet so back into the coop. The poop typically froze solid so it was easy to clean and didn't smell.

Brutisk and the girls in an igloo......Christmas Day!

Ahhh the spring of 2010 finally arrived and the chickens decided to venture from the coop. Soon enough they were out all day as the weather warmed. I would let them out of the coop in the morning before work and when it started to get dark they'd climb the coop's stairs and turn in for the night. The have a 3.5 ft long roost pole but love to huddle next to each other. Female thing?

Since the chickens are out all day, you'd think they'd eventually get picked off by a dog, hawk, kid, car or T-Rex, but it never happened (well never say never...more later). They'd wonder over to the neighbor's yard and temp their beagle, but nothing ever happened. The more I watch them I see how at least one of the birds are on a constant look out for predators. This allows the others to wander around, scratch up the ground in search of bugs, fertilize the yard with their N2 filled poop, dust themselves, wander off into the coop and pop out a few eggs, rest in the sun, rest in the shade and stay on the look out for danger. They must feel pretty safe since they wander into neighbor's yards and into the streets. The neighbors like the chickens...........that's a good thing!

Brutisk

Well, all good things must come to an end and one Sunday afternoon our best chicken named Brutisk didn't return to the coop. I left the run door open for the night but he never returned. Our neighbor John did some investigation but never found any sign of Brutisk. Hopefully whatever got her did it fast. Dog, owl, fox, yodel dog, coon or chicken rustlers. We may never know.

Now down to five chickens and the soon it will be winter. Quiver has lost many feathers due to molting and I'm not sure she will have enough protection from the cold weather. Soon, we will have to butcher Quiver and have a chicken dinner. Or most likely some type of soup as these 1.5 year old birds might be a little tough.

In the spring of 2010, we bought two more chickens. A Barred Plymouth Rock named Lester and a Rex Sex Link named Vern. Verno was named after Verno from the movie Stand by Me. Great movie which reminds me alot about our childhood. Not a recommended movie for families though as the language is a bit rough. Didn't notice the language until I watched it with the girls.

Lester and Vern

Anyway Vern is a real jumpy chicken just like the Verno mentioned above. Nice looking chicken but extremely jumpy. Lester is our best chicken now. She actually runs up to me when I come home from work and lets me pick her up. These chickens are brown egg layers.

A young Lester

Four of the original chickens are still with us. Once we butcher Quiver we'll still have Huey and Homer. Homer is a one eyed survivor. We were going to butcher Quiver and Homer, but since the loss of Brutisk, we'll hold on the Homer. I wonder if Homey had anything to do with the loss of Brutisk.

Next spring we might get two Polish chickens. Cool chickens with wild head feathers that make them look like the band Wayouts that used to play on the Flintstones cartoon. If you're not sure about chickens, I recommend you get two to start. Make sure your neighbors are ok with it and you don't mind some of your landscaping being torn up (these guys can really dig!). Enjoy!!!
Oh, one more thing, in both China and in Taiwan I have eated chicken feet. Guess the locals want to test the American's resolve and iron stomach. Best to eat them by throwing the whole mess in your mouth and spitting out the bones and toenails. Kinda like eating a pencil eraser. Well, whatever spins your beanie.