Traverse City Urban Chickens

Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference

2012-01-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

Last year I had the honor of being chosen as a speaker for the NMSFC in the category of Urban Chickens. I took two of my most well behaved girls to the event along with my #1 Hen Amy (the wife) and held a 2 hour discussion on raising Urban Chickens, food, housing, city ordinances, and the like.

Unfortunately scheduling conflicts will keep me from being able to attend as a speaker once again this year. I am gracious that I was asked back however and I think the entire NMSFC is a wonderful event all would enjoy.

If you're interested please take a moment to head over to their site and check out what they have to offer. The event is on the 28th so it's not that far off.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

8:00am to 5:00pm

$50/person, $35/additional person from same family or farm

located at the Grayling High School, in Grayling, MI

Local lunch provided by Mike Everts

http://smallfarmconference.com

Mid-Atlantic Small Flock Poultry Expo

2012-01-09T13:09:00.003-05:00

The University of Maryland Extension will host the Mid-Atlantic Small Flock Poultry Expo on Saturday, February 4, 2012 from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the University of Maryland Extension-Carroll County Office & Carroll County Agriculture Center, 700 Agriculture Center Drive, Westminster, Maryland, 21157.

The expo will feature educational seminars on poultry nutrition, disease prevention and control, chicken breeds, egg and meat production basics, housing, pasturing, feeding and watering systems, regulations and ordinances, organic production, litter and mortality composting, breeding and egg incubation, turkey production, brooding chicks, poultry in diversified livestock operations, exotics, egg grading and handling, marketing and economics, urban poultry, and protecting your flock. Vendors will be available with live poultry and poultry related items. A poultry processing demonstration will be conducted. Producers and Extension specialists will be available for technical questions about production practices. 4-H will conduct activities and competitions. Door prizes will be awarded. Lunch and snacks will be available for purchase.

For more information visit:
http://carroll.umd.edu/ag/poultry.cfm

Little Hen Lost - An Illustrated Short-Story

2011-12-14T13:30:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share a great gift idea for all chicken lovers. A new illustrated short-story book about Tango, my "foster hen" who was found in the Meijer parking lot last December. The story book was created and illustrated by my Mother-in-law and Grandmother-in-law. Thank you for your support!

http://www.blurb.com/books/2771694

Chickens Molt... Even When You Think They Shouldn't

2011-11-29T14:44:00.001-05:00

Just a reminder that even though winter is upon us there's no need to get frightened about your girls deciding to molt right now. Common sense would tell us that if they're shedding their feathers they'll be colder right. Well technically yes.

However the end result is new feather growth. Think of it like shedding their summer feathers for a heavier winter coat. Right now I have 2 girls in the process of a hearty molt. One around their head and neck and the other in a near full body molt. Both of them don't look right and they're especially moody. They don't like to be touched and they don't produce any eggs.

Guess what... this is perfectly normal though and exactly what you can expect. Last year a few of my girls did the same thing right before winter set in and this past summer most of them had some minor form of molting. All just typical chicken behavior here folks.

Granted, if you have an extreme case of molting to the point where there are large patches of bare skin on the back and chest then you might consider looking into a "chicken saddle" or "chicken coat" to help them through the colder temps until they feather out again. Again, we're talking about large patches of bare skin though.

A few treat suggestions for the winter.

Get yourself some cracked corn and some black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS). The BOSS is higher in fat and the result of this is helping your girls produce heat. The cracked corn is a year around treat but other than being a favorite around my coop it also helps the girls produce heat. Not on the same level as BOSS but still very tasty.
Warmed oatmeal. Last year during the super cold and especially windy mornings we would make one bowl of instant oatmeal warmed up that we'd give to the girls on our way out the door and past the coop. Big big hit with the girls and healthy to boot.
Scrambled eggs. Yes, I know. But seriously it's a high protein food that chickens love and you can make without buying anything. Keep in mind that they go cold quickly so cook and serve quickly. They wont last long.

Good luck to you in your winter coop preparations. If you need some tips search around through my previous articles. I've written some great one to help out just about anyone.

Chickens For Sale

2011-10-26T14:14:00.000-04:00

Approximately 50 laying hens ranging in age from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years old. Assorted breeds.
$5 each
Contact: Katy Bean-Larson
(231) 342-0461
katy@tc-homes.com

Hello All!

2011-10-21T13:04:00.000-04:00

Hello All!

Just a quick post to say we're still here and the girls are doing great aside from some partial molting and one who's gone broody. Nothing we cant handle. Soon we'll be prepping the coop for winter and I'll have a new update with some great winter tips.

Hope your summer was awesome and we'll see you back here again soon!

Dandy the Rooster

2011-07-26T09:57:00.000-04:00

Posted for a local resident, Tricia, in need of help due to an unexpected rooster problem.

Dandy, our 8 week old Buff Orpington rooster, is free to a good home. He managed the flock from the get go, and will be a good protector for another lucky group of hens. He let out his first official crow last week when an unfamiliar dog entered the yard. We are sad to let him go, but are unable to keep him due to the city ordinance.

If you are interested in adopting Dandy, please call or email Tricia at 231.932.9897 or tricia.moore@charter.net.

Over 90 Degrees Today!

2011-07-20T14:27:00.000-04:00

Temps over 90, heat index over 100, this is NOT Northern Michigan weather for sure! Please remember to keep your girls very hydrated today!

Chickens Love Water

Chickens Love Water

2011-06-14T14:11:00.003-04:00

Yes They Do!
(click for larger version)

I often times get asked a lot of great questions about how to "treat" your girls during the warm summer or just in general. A lot of people get confused about what type of treats you should or shouldn't be giving chickens and thankfully I have a long list of great ideas about the do's and don'ts of passing out num-nums.

Do's

Yogurt! Chickens love yogurt. Give it to them in a hard bowl, something that can be thrown away or washed in the dishwasher. You can also freeze it in little ice cubes and give it to them this way. They'll peck away at it and have a great icy treat.
Frozen strawberries or fruit in general. My girls really love these. They're great to drop in a bowl of water on the really hot days to help chill the water and then eventually break down and become a little mushier so that the girls can eat them up.
Fresh fruit; banana, watermelon, strawberries, apple, etc. Almost any type of fresh fruit is a big hit. Try to stay away from the super sweet sugar loaded fruits though. Sure your girls will be on a sugar high but it's not exactly something you want their little bodies exposed to repeatedly due to potential health problems.
Kefir milk. See one of my previous blog posts about this stuff. Healthier than yogurt and has a ton of great applications for you and your girls. Hint... you'll probably hate the taste of the stuff but it's worth a try.
Fresh water. Plain old water. My girls love to huddle around a bowl of fresh water and drink it until all their heads collectively look like they've been through a dunking contest. Even though they have plenty of the stuff in their coop there's just something about it that they go nuts for. I just learned yesterday that they've now associated one of my outside bowls, typically used by our dog Tia, as being a water bowl and after picking it up they followed me all around the yard until it was filled. Funny stuff.
Iced water. Just about the most basic thing you can do on those hot days. Don't go crazy on the ice. You're just trying to chill the water. Stay simple.

Dont's

Citrus. Try to stay away from really acidic citrus type fruits if possible. Your girls will still eat it like there's no tomorrow but all that citrus can cause potential health problems. Best to avoid if you can.
Avocados. This is a big big poultry no-no! Exposure to avocado flesh and rind can cause serious digestion related issues and other health related problems likely resulting in death. This is one of those universal things I've read about time and time again in the general world of birds. Why I'm sure there are those out there who've never had a problem there is an overwhelming number of people who have. Best to avoid at all costs so your girls don't become a statistic.

Summer is here even if our weather changes from week to week. So give your girls a treat!

2nd Annual TC Coop Loop

2011-05-20T13:52:00.001-04:00

When: Saturday, May 21st from 11am till 2pm
Where: Downtown TC Area (check website and official map for details)
Website: http://www.tccooploop.com/

Come join the 2nd Annual Traverse City Coop Loop for a few hours of fun, education, and lively discussion about Urban Chickens in the downtown TC area as we welcome all into our backyards. Participate in this unique event held once a year to promote community fellowship and share our love for our little friends, chickens.

An End To Rumors

2011-05-09T16:48:00.000-04:00

"Have you heard... TC is going to reverse it's decision to allow Urban Chickens."

"I heard you can no longer have Urban Chickens in TC."

"You guys better enjoy your chickens now because you wont be able to have them for much longer."

These are just some of the rumors I've been hearing over the past month regarding our little slice of life here in Traverse City. Let me say this clearly and proudly for all to hear.

THESE RUMORS ARE FALSE

Every time someone has approached me with one of these rumors they have been unable to substantiate where their news originally came from, what basis for the reversal of a 2009 ruling that passed with 100% acceptance would be, and what made them think it might be true. This has done only what rumors can do best... increase the rate of their spread. It's like those Facebook posts or Emails you get about how you should post this on your wall or forward this onto all your friends. Pure self-perpetuating.

One of the greatest "gotchas" to Spam is the fact that a large portion of it is sent by the very people who are complaining about it the most. All of the "send this email onto X number of people" and all of the others that fit the same bill. You are creating your own type of Spam that you are then inflicting on others. And that's what rumors like this one do. They self-perpetuate simply because they have no facts to be based on.

But in the interest of getting to the bottom of things and finding out the truth, my own little Snopes adventure if you will, I've searched through the TC Commissioner meeting notes and agendas for the past 3 months looking for clues. There are none. I then decided to take things a step further and I contacted one of our TC Commissioners to get the skinny on things.

I don't want to quote them without their express consent but they mentioned that they had not heard of this, it has not been brought up to the Commission, and it was his understanding that the ordinance has been a success and that people are happy with it all around. They also mentioned that they'd heard nothing negative and that they continue to support the ordinance. It doesn't get more crystal clear than that.

So where in the world did this thing even start? I have a theory my friends and it comes from one of our neighboring cities and the general misunderstanding that a lot of the general public may have when they read the local news for a different town other than their own.

You see very recently Petoskey, Michigan decided against urban chickens and for some reason that area has a large number of opposition to it. Even though it's been extremely successful here and in Ann Arbor as well as countless other cities across the US, they still decided against it. I won't do those small minded people the honor of listing some of their reasons but I believe the fact that Petoskey voted against it and there was so much opposition AND this all happened very recently leads me to believe this is the original source of the rumor. Or rather, the seed that started the rumor.

Add on the fact that our 2nd Annual TC Coop Loop tour is less that 2 weeks away and you have something else that people are talking about here locally that is bringing urban chickens up in conversation more and more. Oh and didn't you hear about Petoskey. Oh and didn't you hear they were doing that in TC also. So on, so on, so on.

So there you have it my friends. The truth and the possible reasons for the hullabaloo in the first place. Remember, the TC Coop Loop is on May 21st from 11am till 2pm and TC Urban Chickens rock!

Updates Around The Coop

2011-05-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

Lets see...

Deep layer bedding change completed. > Check
Winter extension cord for the water heater put away. > Check
Over 80 gallons of "compost" removed from the hen house as a result of the bedding change. > Check

Next up...
Coop modifications and fixes as a result of the 1st winter. We'll be looking at you soon!

5 Crazy Things That Occur When You Raise Backyard Chickens

2011-04-28T15:00:00.000-04:00

A must read short and fun article for all chicken lovers.
http://www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com/5-crazy-things-that-occur-when-you-raise-backyard-chickens/

Full credit to Leah Zerbe, an online editor at Rodale.com for the wonderful article.

Goose Eggs

2011-04-28T14:30:00.001-04:00

Here's one sitting on top of a compact disc. That's no small yolk!

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What's Tickin, Chicken?

2011-04-18T09:47:00.044-04:00

Been so busy lately with all the updates for the 2nd Annual TC Coop Loop and with work/personal things that I haven't had time to post for a while. All the girls are doing well though and even though we've taken yet another dive in the weather around here the girls are just fine of course. They are as plump as ever and have no worries with these random bouts of snow.

The rain on the weekends has put me at a disadvantage to coop maintenance however. I'm a little overdue to change my bedding and do a spring cleaning on the hen house and run. My deep layer bedding method gives me many months of use at a time without the need to change but I'm working on a batch from October and it had a lot of pine shavings mixed in. Those pine shavings are creating tons of dust and it's just time to go. I'll be using only hay/straw with a mix of Sweet PDZ on occasion to help ensure moisture is kept in check.

I also need to do a few modifications to the coop after our first winter. A few sags in the wood and a few things that need to be shaved down so they fit better. I need to upgrade the quality of hinges I'm using on the hen house door as well because one has broken already and the door doesn't fit like it should. But all in all I'm still very happy with the way things turned out on the coop and I think we'll get many more years to come.

So, here's to hoping that Spring will actually arrive and stay!

Amy with one of the Australorps, Tink I believe.

Kefir, A Love Story

2011-03-14T10:21:00.000-04:00

So we're on a new kick for ourselves, our girls, our corgi, and so on. I recently found out about something that's been around for quite a long time but unknown to many, an item called kefir, an amazing probiotic.

I'm currenly using it to make kefir milk which I then give to our corgi, Tia, every day with her meals in place of yogurt. Something we've been doing for a couple of years now as she gets older and it helps hide her daily medicine nicely. Plus, she goes nuts over the stuff. I'm also using it to make homemade cheese which is a completely new adventure. I also plan to turn the kefir milk into gelatin squares to give to our chickens during the summer as a nice cooling treat or just plain in a bowl. Let's break this down a bit.

About Kefir
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

Kefir is a fermented milk drink that originated with shepherds of the North Caucasus region, who discovered that fresh milk carried in leather pouches would occasionally ferment into an effervescent beverage.

Kefir grains are a combination of bacteria and yeasts in a matrix of proteins, lipids, and sugars. This symbiotic matrix forms "grains" that resemble cauliflower. Many different bacteria and yeasts are found in the kefir grains, which are a complex and highly variable community of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts. Traditional kefir is fermented at ambient temperatures, generally overnight and yields a mildly sour yogurt type liquid.

How I Make Kefir Milk

Here I started from scratch with a very health batch of kefir grains that I purchased and was shipped priority. I found my resource from our friends over at BackYardChickens.com while discussing probiotics for you and your animals.
Marilyn Kefirlady
http://kefirlady.com/
I highly suggest you check out her website and details on kefir if you're interested.

You can see they are plump and have a cauliflower type look to them. They are squishy and it's highly recommended to not press on them because you'll break the matrix formed by proteins, lipids, and sugars. Just place them into your 1qt. mason jar to begin.

Here I have approximately 1/4 cup of kefir grains that I'll begin with. Not much to look at considering what they actually do which is inoculate the milk, thus turning it into kefir milk, a very impressive probiotic. I'll detail more on that below.

Here is my starting "kit" so to speak that I put together. Since these kefir grains were raised on raw goats milk (something I do not have access to) I decided to go with whole organic milk instead. Typically we only use organic skim milk but skim and 1% milk doesn't create quite the thickness of kefir milk that I was looking for. To each his own, almost any milk will work as long as it's not ultra-pasteurized. That is essentially "dead" milk in terms of kefir inoculation. Just pour in the milk with some room at the top and that's it. I'm using a lid that doesn't seal, it is perforated to allow for air flow. If you seal the container you will pressurize the inoculated milk batch which completely changes the taste and texture. Some do this on purpose to create a more "carbonated" type kefir milk drink.

The final product pre-inoculation. This will go and sit on a dark shelf for 18 - 24 hours. The inoculated kefir milk will be thicker in texture like a slightly runny yogurt. You now have kefir milk that you will strain to retrieve your kefir gains once again. The grains can be moved to a new clean jar and the process starts over again. Once you have kefir milk you can use it as is or create many other very cool items. As I mentioned before, I'm using the kefir milk to give to our corgi, Tia, on a daily basis. I'm also making cheese with it and plan on making chicken treats with it this summer. I'm still developing a taste for it myself.

Kefir vs. Yogurt
http://www.kefir.net/kefiryogurt.htm

Both kefir and yogurt are cultured milk products…

…but they contain different types of beneficial bacteria. Yogurt contains transient beneficial bacteria that keep the digestive system clean and provide food for the friendly bacteria that reside there. But kefir can actually colonize the intestinal tract, a feat that yogurt cannot match.

Kefir contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.

Kefir’s active yeast and bacteria provide more nutritive value than yogurt by helping digest the foods that you eat and by keeping the colon environment clean and healthy. Because the curd size of kefir is smaller than yogurt, it is also easier to digest, which makes it a particularly excellent, nutritious food for babies, the elderly and people experiencing chronic fatigue and digestive disorders.

So wow! Quite an amazing difference. I hope this information sparks your interest in kefir. Do some Google searching for some of the recipes and info related to all the things you can make with kefir milk. Keep this in mind, if it calls for milk... then you can use it.

Enjoy!

Hens A Laying

2011-03-01T09:11:00.029-05:00

As the weather slowly begins to change our girls are spending their days completely outside more and more. The increased activity and sunlight is starting to yield more eggs now as at least 2 of our other girls have started laying once again.

Right now that puts the number of laying hens at either 3 or 4. I know my Easter Egger isn't laying because we have no blue/green eggs. Soon I hope, soon. Our foster hen, Tango, remains a constant daily layer who's eggs are very plump and squat. Her eggs don't fit in an egg crate so they make up the majority of what you see here in this pic. The thinner more pink eggs are coming from our Australorps I'm pretty sure.

Looks like it's time to break out that egg cookbook. I'm going to have a surplus soon. =)

2nd Annual TC Coop Loop - 1st Planning Meeting

2011-02-28T10:59:00.002-05:00

The time has come once again! It's time to start planning and coordinating our 2nd Annual TC Coop Loop Tour! We'd like to extend an invitation to all fellow Traverse City Urban Chicken Farmers who might be interested in joining us on our tour-of-coops this year and sharing your experiences with all.

We also welcome any new sponsors or other local businesses who might be interested in helping for this years tour. Whether it be something as simple as letting us hang a flier, helping spread the word by email or Facebook, to even making donations to the coop tour to help cover some of our minor costs. All are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

So, if you would like to join us please feel free to attend our first meeting. Afterwords, we'll have plenty of more information to share and most importantly... the date of the Coop Tour this year!
When: Wednesday, March 9th @ 7pm
Where: Right Brain Brewery

Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference

2011-01-18T10:53:00.003-05:00

Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference
http://smallfarmconference.com/

This Saturday I'll be speaking at the conference holding a session on, guess what... Raising the Urban Chicken. I'll also be speaking about the TC Coop Loop as well. Last year our friends over at ISLAND asked if I'd be interested in sharing my experiences and connected me with one of the conference organizers.

I'm very excited to be a part of a well known local conference and to tell you more about what the conference is all about... let me pull a quote from their site.
The Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference serves as a vehicle to promote and build a local vibrant agriculture community, to equip the small farm community with the tools to be successful, and to be a forum for the open exchange of ideas within the small farm community.

Couldn't have said that any better myself.

Another great thing about the session I'll be holding is that I'll be bringing along some of "the girls" as well. Nothing better than discussing chickens with actual chickens present! For all our sakes I hope their potty habits are at a minimum that day. All part of the experience though.

So, as winter presses on, so shall we.
Cheers!

A Hen Named Tango

2010-12-30T12:40:00.003-05:00

Meet Tango!
Apologies for the atrocious photograph.

We have a new addition to the coop! We're fostering a hen over the winter for some friends due to a combination of some horrible circumstances. Tango is a Rhode Island Red hen who came our way through local Urban Chicken'ite and friend, Sarah Payette. Sarah as you know was the head organizer and brain-child behind our very successful Coop Loop tour we organized earlier this summer. 2011 TC Coop Loop Tour watch out!

Unfortunately Sarah's personal coop experienced devastation on Christmas morning when all of her hens were taken by a raccoon, except one... Tango. In an interesting back story, Tango was being fostered by Sarah for another friend. You see Tango was found very recently in the local Meijer's parking lot over close to the garden center. Let me repeat that because it bears repeating... she was found in the Meijer's parking lot. She seems to be otherwise perfectly healthy except for a small case of frostbite on her comb which we're treating and monitoring.
/sigh

This could mean only a few things.

She was purposefully dumped and left to fend on her own. IN THE WINTER!
She ran off on her own from poor coop design or other unknown factors.
She spontaneously materialized as a result of scientific means yet unknown by humans but well established in the chicken world.

So because Sarah's friend, Kathleen, is a caring person and also interested in chickens she rescued little Tango here from a very uncertain and most likely short future. So Sarah has been fostering her with her other hens, until Christmas that is.

After Sarah's coop/raccoon disaster Tango was left alone once again. Chickens don't fair very well alone. All sorts of odd things can happen from health related issues to more social/mental related ones. Imaging being all alone, all day, all night, with no one that speaks your language and no one like you around. Kinda sad, even if it is "just" a chicken.

Sarah reached out to a few of us in our little Urban Chicken world and I was pleased to be able to help. We have plenty of room in our coop since I built it for far more hens than we have. So now Tango has 5 other new friends, a steady diet of reliable and healthy food and treats, fresh clean unfrozen water, a predator free area to roam all day, warmth and protection at night, and daily love from her new foster parents.

When Kathleen, Tango's owner, get's her own coop going we'll have some more new stuff to chat about and maybe a new coop for the 2011 tour. Pretty neat huh!

Life As Chickens Know It

2010-12-27T11:50:00.003-05:00

This short film was created by a local student, Adin Harmon, who was working on a film project involving various local land uses. It features myself and also Sarah Payette, original organizer and brainchild of the TC Coop Loop.

Thanks Adin for a wonder short film!

Christmas

2010-12-25T18:30:00.001-05:00

A very merry clucky Christmas to you all!

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High Quality Chicken Products For You

2010-12-22T11:19:00.003-05:00

Grandpa says: "If ya got dry lips, put chicken poop on 'em so you won't lick 'em!"

Truer words have not been spoken. And to think... I was only using our girls poop for compost when I could be creating high quality products such as this.

Doh! Chalk another great idea out the window! Back to the drawing board.

Frozen Water? Problem Solved!

2010-12-17T10:40:00.004-05:00

You may recall that I do not use a traditional watering system for my girls.

Traditional

While these types of watering systems are tried-and-true they have some downsides, namely water contamination. Chickens love to scratch around and in the process they knock all kinds of unsavory items directly into the water making it filthy. I like the idea of being able to give my girls fresh clean uncontaminated water and also using a system that requires less daily maintenance.

That's where the nipple watering system comes in that I've spoken about in the past.

Not one of my girls but a cutie none the less.

There is minimal training to get your hens converted over to this system and the benefits have made it one of the best coop additions I've made.

Installed easily into the bucket size of your choice. I use a 2 gallon standard Ace Hardware bucket with snap on sealing lid.
Constant supply of fresh water for your hens.
No contamination from coop related surroundings or habits of your flock.
Extremely durable and long lasting.
No unnecessary water loss.

Now, more to the subject of this post... Frozen Water!
Obviously we're already getting deeper into winter here in Northern Michigan and that means keeping a close eye on your girl's water supply. With the traditional style watering system you have a large amount of surface area water directly exposed so the chances of freezing greatly increase. But even with the watering system that I have freezing temperatures can still take toll.

For about 2 weeks we had a daily routine of taking out the partially frozen water bucket and replacing it each morning with a new fresh batch of hot water. This would take the girls through the majority of the day. With less and less daylight they're getting up later and going to bed earlier. I needed a new watering solution and fast!

Let me introduce you to the following jewel.
Marina Submersible Mini Aquarium Heater
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4134008

Here are some of the specs which made it a perfect fit me me and my girls.

Fully submersible.
Made for using in 3 gallons of water or less. (10 watt version)
LED running lamp: The red pilot light is illuminated when the heater is in operation.
Shatterproof: Tough unbreakable polymer casing.
Easy and secure installation.
Designed to reach and maintain the set temperature of 78°F (26°C).
Will automatically shut off when the water temperature is reached or if out of water.
Safe for plastic.

So with the addition of this little aquarium heater to my 2 gallon water bucket the issue of frozen water no longer exists. My girls have continual access once again to nice clean unfrozen water. Now, if I could convince them to go outside the hen house more often... I think they're snow shy.

Local Hen Adoption Opportunity

2010-12-14T15:53:00.003-05:00

I have some developing news right now...

It's come to my attention that a local coop friend of mine may be thinning their flock soon. I'm in the process of speaking with them to see if they'd be interested in donating the hens to new homes rather than sending them off for butchering.

It's my understanding that the hens are 2 years old (average) and that they are not reliable day-to-day layers. For some of you this may be important, for others, it may not be a factor at all. At this point I do not even have the breeds.

If you think you might have some room at your coop to adopt a new hen or two then shoot me an email to let me know. Please keep in mind that this is all just starting and I don't yet have all the details about how many hens there are and even if I can get the hens at all.

But I'd rather be as prepared as possible than let the opportunity slip by. If you're interested then email me and let me know. Please keep in mind that there are no promises.

Thanks!

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Michigan Winter Begins

2010-12-02T09:58:00.003-05:00

The view outside this morning.

So far the girls are taking the new weather adjustments well. We have noticed some change to their feathering as they are bulking up their winter coats. Overall they just seem to be more puffy.

Egg production continues but is definetely slowing. Our little blue/green egg layer, Buttercup, has unfortunetely been on an egg production strike for a little over a month now. Not completely unexpected but a little bit of a bummer to not get anything on occasion even. Oh well... that's just how some hens fair through colder temperatures. Our other girls are still producing just at a much lower rate.

I have increased the hay bedding inside the coop about 2 week ago prior to the much colder temps we're seeing now. Currently my deep litter bedding is somewhere around 10 inches give or take in spots.

My pop door leading out from the hen house to the enclosed run area now boasts a new burlap curtain. This is more for a wind break to help the hen house from being drafty. There are different ways people accomplish this task with manual doors they must open and shut each day, automatic timed doors, plastic doggie style doors, burlap, etc.

Right now I'm going with the burlap option because it's low cost, durable, and easy to take down or repair if I have the need. As winter presses on I'm sure I'll be learning what things to modify on the coop to better suit our needs. I can already see a need for further improvements on my main entry door which persists on being difficult to open. A quick cut of the saw and some refashioning of angle brackets will fix that! I think I'd also like to rebuild my pop door a little bit to raise it up. The bedding in that area is a little lower because I made my pop door too low to the base of the hen house. By raising it up I can keep the deep litter in that area matching the rest of the coop and perhaps build a better pop door at the same time.

Decorations, we need some "on the coop" decorations. We'd talking about painting or hanging various things but just never seemed to get the time this year. So many ideas... so much snow with more to come...

Friday, October 29, 2010 - 7 Months Past

2010-10-28T14:36:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow marks the 7 month age mark for my little flock of hens. It's hard to believe it's already been that long. What a very cool journey it's been.

Why post about 7 month old hens? No reason in particular. It's been a very busy summer of course and going into fall and winter hasn't slacked up. It's been a pretty basic day-to-day schedule for my girls and they have their own little routines. The do happen to get up much earlier than I'd imagined though.

We've been lucky to have no real problems to speak of since building the coop and moving the girls out into it back in June. We were having skunk problem in the neighborhood and even in my back yard. I'd found several "dig" sites around the coop and also my compost bin where they'd managed to figure out how to sneak some samples. This went on for a few weeks but one of our neighbors did several live traps and caught at least 2 that we know of. Haven't seen or smelt them since. I'm glad too! Definitely don't want them in my yard.

About a month ago we did have a little scare with one of the Wyandotte's, Lacey. If you remember from reading the blog or if you go back to my previous articles she's the first one of my girls that got sick right as we were leaving for Astoria. Well she's been long since recovered of course but after getting home from work one day I noticed her beak looked odd. As it turns out there was a large crack half-way across the top of her beak (right by her face) and it had bled slightly as well.

No indication of a fight in the coop or any drama so we figure she must have somehow gotten it wedged and twisted to cause the crack. But I mean, who in the world knows. All we knew was there was a problem, and potentially a big one. If she lost her top beak then the problems get even worse. But she was eating and drinking perfectly fine so we knew we just needed to treat as best as we could and monitor.

We administered some antiseptic to the area around the crack as well as doing an alcohol and iodine rub to clean the area as best as we could. The next day after treatment was greeted with another surprise. The outer layer of her beak where the crack was had completely came off. Not just the side with the crack but the entire outer layer of her top beak. It's very hard to describe but you know how onions have multiple layers. You can peel off a layer and the rest of the onion remains. Well, that's what happened. The outer layer came off and the rest remained. Now her top beak and bottom beak did not align correctly. She has a little bit of an under-bite if you know what I mean.

But... she's eating fine and drinking fine and none worse for wear. We've treated her again for good measure and kept a close eye on her. She's totally fine. I imagine the bottom beak will grind itself enough to eventually match her top beak again. Poor little girl, I think she had more trauma from us holding and cleaning her face and beak that the actual incident that caused the problem in the first place.

Don't worry any at all though. She's perfectly fine.

Now we're looking at our winter preparations for the girls and the coop. So far I've got a large 5lb. bag of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds which chickens love but have a hard time seeing on the ground. Not in the winter however. They stick right out on snow covered ground! I'm also looking at doing a new layer of bedding in preparation for winter.

For those who may have seen my coop during the TC Coop Loop Tour this past summer you'll know that I used a lot of recycled materials in building. I also chose not to insulate which is a topic that some get "heated" about - pun intended. But after my extensive research I chose to not go this route which I assure you... very many do. I'll continue to use what I have from the beginning which is the deep litter method of bedding.

I've literally used the same bedding, with no changes - only addition, since the coop was finished in June. The deep litter method is really wonderful and worthy of a long post of it's own, which I'll do another day. So in my preparations for winter I'll be doing a new bedding change and making it even deeper. I'll also prepare my red heat lamp kit and extension cables for any possible weather emergencies. And that's about it... everything else will be touch and go. Shovel where needed to keep the girls a nice open area in the coop and make sure they have fresh food and unfrozen water.

I imagine I'll set them up with nice hot oatmeal in the mornings as well as a nice healthy treat. Then they can chat with me like they do each morning about that day's gossip!

Today Is An Important Day - Anniversaries, Birthdays & Blue Eggs

2010-09-08T13:09:00.005-04:00

Today, Sept. 8th, 2010 many things are a-foot.

My #1 Hen (Amy) celebrates her 33rd birthday.
We celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary.
All of us celebrate finding BLUE EGGS today!

I've been rooting for our one and only Easter Egger, Buttercup, to give us blue eggs from the very start. Blue has always been my favorite color. Today, I'm proud to say, we have blue eggs. Actually we have (2) blue eggs which means she started laying yesterday and hid them under the bedding.

Today while at lunch just moments ago the #1 Hen was checking on the girls like she always does when she comes home at lunch-time. Whalla! She found one, then she found another, then other eggs that had been hidden under the bedding.

Some of the girls really like to get into the nest box and scratch around down to the base-board before they lay. It's resulted in a few broken eggs and some very minor fractures in the shell as they fall and hit bare wood but all in good time. Soon they'll be getting a bedding change and I have some ideas about how to soften up that flooring while also adding something they wont scratch up.

Why do Easter Eggers lay colored eggs?
It all comes down to genetics and the (2) main breeds of chickens that make up the Easter Egger variety of chickens, the Araucana and the Ameraucana. You see Easter Eggers are not an officially recognized breed of chickens by the APA, they are a hybrid. However, they are one of the single most popular and abundant types of chickens that people own across America today.

The traits and differences between Araucana and Ameraucana's are pretty clear but not something I want to go into at the moment. The unique thing about Easter Eggers is that they can have a trait from one of the (2) primary breeds or the other. This often leads confused breeders to mis-label a hen as a Araucana or Ameraucana when in fact they are not. Here's one little hint though... one breed has a rump-less butt without those prominent tail feathers sticking up because a vertebrate is missing. It has literally been bread out. Therefore it has a curved rump for a butt and not a prominent tail feather that sticks up like most hens. But I digress.

The simple fact is that the chances you have a true Araucana or Ameraucana are generally slim unless you have bought them from a genuine breeder. You more than likely have an Easter Egger. The cool thing about that is you also have the possibility for a variety of colored eggs. Granted you wont know what color you'll be getting until your hen lays but once you find out you'll have yourself a treat like what we've gotten here today.

Blue Eggs I tell ya! So very cool!

The Triple-YOLKER Egg Surprise!

2010-08-29T10:42:00.002-04:00

So I'm cooking breakfast this morning and find this beauty. We also had about four more that were double-yolkers. Yurm!

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Jeffrey Starts The Learning Curve

2010-08-18T12:36:00.004-04:00

So we're now officially into our second week of laying and one of our hens, Jeffrey, seems to be leading the flock in production at this point. We don't have "egg a day" hens because that's not the breed(s) I wanted.

5 hens ='s 5 eggs a day v/s 2 people to eat them ='s way more eggs than we need.

So I mentioned a long time ago that I selected breeds that aren't guaranteed one a day. Ours are medium production hens which "should" net you around maybe 3 to 5 a week. I'm certain that one of our other hens is also laying now but I can not be sure who.

Anywho, this morning while checking on the girls we were VERY pleased to see that it would appear Jeffrey has taken to using our nest box now to do her laying. I actually found her inside the nest box and startled her a little. Over the past week we would search the hen house daily for nests, retrieve any eggs, cover the nest, and then place the eggs in the nest box. Around Friday of last week we found 2 smaller nests made inside of the nest box area which is a-ok by me. I just want them trained to use the nest box for easy egg retrieval obviously.

So I'm anxiously waiting to see who we discover our new egg layers will be this week. The girls are 20 weeks old now which is an average time to begin egg production. Each breed is different though. Hopefully soon I can capture some video/audio of their "egg song". It's definitely different.

A few eggs in the nest to help train.

Jeffrey checking things out before settling back in. This was after I opened the lid to the nest box and startled her a little.

Enjoy!

Hi There Cherry Bowl Drive-In

2010-08-17T10:54:00.001-04:00

Sure many of you are familiar with this big fella. Thought It'd snap a pic. =)

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More Eggs, More Nests

2010-08-11T16:28:00.002-04:00

So the girls have given us 4 eggs now since Monday and today there was another new developement... more nests. These girls are going to drive me nuts because they are going into the bedding and creating these little circular nests all they way down through the bedding to the floor board which is why our first egg was broken open. Eggs dropping on wooden floor boards instead of cushiony bedding will tend to do that.

At any rate today we discovered 3 little nest holes and I'm hoping that one of those is from our Easter Egger, Buttercup. Cant wait to see what color egg she lays. Should be blue, green, or pink. Granted, some of those shades on these eggs can be a little "off" but until she starts laying who knows what will happen.

So the egg production is now in near full effect so it's time to switch foods as well. The girls have been on Purina brand Medicated Starter feed which is perfectly fine to feed them all way way up until they start laying. At that point you'll want to switch them over to a higher protein and higher calcium blended food. Purina being a quality company makes a product for laying hens aptly named "Layena" which covers all their nutritional needs. Since my girls are not certified "organic" which totally changes the way you raise chickens I'm happy to purchase Purina brand products and have always been satisfied by what they offer.

I'll also need to switch their baby "chick" grit out for actual crushed oyster shells. This will serve a dual purpose grit/calcium combo to help make their egg shells nice and strong. Especially if they insist on digging nest holes INSTEAD OF USING MY PERFECT NEST BOX I BUILT!

Sorry... one of those habits we really need them to pickup on. All in due time I'm sure. So this afternoon I'm going to pickup their new feed and oyster shells. Cant wait to see what treasure might be waiting at the house for us. Maybe a nice colored Easter Egger egg.

Our First Egg(s)

2010-08-10T09:35:00.004-04:00

That day finally arrived and it was Monday, August 9th. We found our first egg! Actually, eggs!

The #1 Hen was at home for lunch yesterday and checked on the girls. We have been noticing our most developed hen, Jeffrey, acting a little differently lately. She's been showing signs of laying behavior and making a little nest inside the coop. While Amy was at home she looked in and saw the top of an egg in the far back of our coop where Jeffrey had made her a little nest.

Yea!

Well unfortunately Jeffrey had scratched her little nest all the way down to the base board so when she laid her egg it fell and busted. =( Boo! I came home that evening to inspect the egg remains to see how thick the shell was and etc. I also wanted to use my little mini-rake to close up her nest because I want them to associate laying eggs in the perfectly constructed nest box on the other side of the coop which is accessible from outside. A little training should cover this.

Well we actually had 2 little nests that had been made in the back of the coop and I assumed at first that it was Jeffrey making different spots. I assumed wrong! It was one of the other girls! While using the rake to close that nest hole up I heard a small "clank" of the rake hitting something and low and behold it was another egg.

I cracked it a little but not completely open. So that's 2 girls who started laying on the same day. We know Jeffrey was one of them because we've been observing her odd behavior and I now think the other hen may have been one of our Silver Laced Wyandottes.

We're very happy to have now crossed over into the egg producing stages of Urban Farming and cant wait for the other girls to follow suit!

Remember, you can click on any of these images for much larger versions.

The unbroken egg from the 2nd nest.

On the left you have a high quality cage free store bought egg.
On the right you have one of our first home grown Urban Flock eggs.
(Yes! They do get bigger once they start laying regularly.)

Great coloration of the yolk! I poured this onto a plate and this thing just pop'd right up off of it like a yolk-sunrise. High quality, home grown, well appreciated.

Thanks for stopping by!

New Pics Of "The Girls" And Other Things

2010-08-09T10:54:00.014-04:00

Summer keeps dolling on and our humidity keeps hanging around more than it ever has before that I recall. I have to put a little thought into what I'm doing outside, for how long, and what I'm wearing to determine many things. We had a chance yesterday to pull the girls out and take some new pics and other coop stuff.

I built a small platform for their food to sit on inside the hen house this past weekend because the girls keep scratching straw into their food bowl or knocking it over. This way it is nicely off the ground and secured in place. Yea for clean food.

We've also had some new behavior brewing from one of our girls, Jeffrey. Yes, yes... I know... a hen named Jeffrey. It's a funny story for another time. But anyway, Jeffrey seems to be our most developed hen. As an Australorp her wattle and comb development skyrocketed and for a long time we were very skeptical that "she" was actually a roo. Since we have another Australorp you'd figure they'd be developing at roughly the same pace but not so with our girls. If you recall, Tink was girl who suffered through Wry Neck and we believe that stunted her development a little. When you compare Tink and Jeffrey you're looking at 2 different hens essentially.

Well this past week Jeffrey has also taken it upon herself to start building a little nest in the back corner of the hen house essentially making a perfect circular nest in the back corner. Our challenge will be if she decides to lay and do it in that back nest rather than our nice nest box which is accessible from outside the hen house. Well, one step at a time I guess. We're excited to think that she may actually give us our first egg very soon.

At any rate... here are some new pics of the girls. Remember, you can click on any of these images to get a much larger version.

Tia outside the coop making sure things are in order.

The SL Wyandotte Duo - Penny and Lacey

Buttercup - The Easter Egger

Nice shot of Buttercup's fluffy beard which she manages to keep dirty all the time.

Jeffrey the Australorp. Look at those wattles and that comb. Very happy to know she's not a roo!

Another pic of Jeffrey.

A bit of a closeup of Jeffrey.

The girls greeting us at the door. Lots of cackles and hen calls. Funny stuff. Notice how different Tink is from Jeffrey in development.

Lacey the SL Wyandotte. Her comb is starting to split like you see here. These are quite unique if they continue to develop like this you get quite a different looking hen.

Another pic of Lacey.

That's all for now. More to come...

Summer Watering Tips & Cooling Tips

2010-08-02T09:03:00.004-04:00

Summer is here!
But of course here in TC it's BEEN here for a little while now. I remember first starting on the big coop build at the 1st of May. I was wearing a jacket and it was raining cold and a little slushy. Shortly after that however, may a week or so, I was out of the jacket and putting on sunscreen.

Needless to say our summer here in TC this year has been a little longer than most. That also means the heat has been in full effect longer for our pets and other animals. And August is now here, typically our hottest month, so it's time to prepare for your flock if you haven't already.

Electrolytes
We all need em and guess what... so does your flock. Especially with the hot and humid climate we've had for a little while now. Your chickens pant when they're hot just like dogs. When they're panting they lose moisture. The combination of high temps and normal behavior means that they are losing valuable water for their bodies. Here's where the electrolytes step in to make up the difference.

Just like athletes use sports drinks that are known for replacing lost electrolytes as you sweat you too can provide this benefit to your flock during the summer.

Durvet Vitamins & Electrolytes
This company is well known in the farming business and happens to sell this wonderful product at a very reasonable and low cost. The mixing directions are typically in the mass-gallon amounts for larger farm animals but Durvet happily provides the mixing portions for smaller animals. Typically 3/4 TSP (Not TBSP) per gallon is the recommended amount to mix. It is a flaky substance which resembles yellow kosher salt. It's very easy to mix and tends to make the water look like Mountain Dew. Here in TC you can pick yours up at the Tractor Supply Store.

As for other cooling treat tips...
Cold Lettuce, Yogurt, Cold Scrambled Eggs, Cold Watermelon, Cold Strawberries
You get the idea. You can change up your treats a little bit and your girls will love it. I guarantee it!

Something else to consider is laying off on giving your girls any chicken scratch or hard cracked corn as treats. Corn makes chickens give off more heat than normal and when combined with hot summer temps you see another combination you want to avoid. After all, it's not like your girls wont enjoy the other treats you're giving them.

I hope your flock is fairing well and remember to always provide fresh clean water, a place for them to have shade and hopefully a breeze as well, and keep an eye out for any distress or heat exhaustion. Also, chickens love cold dirt baths in the summer so don't worry if you see them digging into the dirt a little more than normal. It's pretty funny to watch!

Small Milestones

2010-07-02T14:17:00.002-04:00

With a hearty cheer I'm glad to say we've reached another small milestone in our urban farming experience. The girls are now putting themselves to bed.

Wait... what... who tha...

You see, just because you have a coop doesn't mean the chicks will automatically know what is going on and what serves a specific function for them. Just like I had to train them (although mildly since it was easy) to use the new watering system I have had to also train them to not sleep on the floor of the coop and actually go up into the nice warm and cozy hen house.

So for weeks now every night either myself or the #1 Hen would go out to the coop, open the front door, pickup each one of the girls one-by-one, and then place them in the little coop entry door up the ladder into the hen house. They have no problem immediately figuring out that can come down the ladder each morning to play outside all day. This was never the problem. But getting them to go back in at night... whew... tricky.

So finally after 2 straight weeks of doing this one night BINGO! They did it on their own. We had grand aspirations and hopes of a newly developed trend. But unfortunately this was a one-off and they didn't do it again for almost a whole week. But we diligently kept at it and then finally this week BINGO AGAIN. The girls went inside on their own not one, or two, but three nights in a row. This is a clear indication of a pattern developing which is exactly what you want to happen. And tonite I figure they'll do it again.

Now they still all come inside and huddle up together in a massive feather ball but they are perfectly protected and comfy. I believe after a couple of weeks of solid success I will then move onto the next hurdle... training them to use the roost.

That one is one that "should" come more naturally for them because as birds they do want to be off the ground and up high to "watch" for predators. But like a lot of chicken owners some of their flock simply don't roost. I would prefer them to roost because it's a good habit to have and a natural one. But again, some owners tell me that their girls just never really got it so they all sleep clumped up together in a feather ball like mine do now.

So I plan to have some new pics up very soon so show how things have come along. Till then... enjoy the 4th of July and National Cherry Festival! I will!

How To Comment On My Blog

2010-06-22T16:23:00.002-04:00

I've had a few people email me from time to time that they have problems understanding how to comment on my blog. I could never find out why most people would have issues but then again... I am a Computer Analyst and don't see things the way most people do.

At any rate I came up with the short "how to" in order to demonstrate how you can comment on my blog. I hope it helps!

First go to the end of any blog post I've made and look for the words Clucks (Click Here To Comment). Click here to get started.
Type your comment in the comment box of course.
Next select how you'll be identified in the comment. Here you can select from a range of pre-determined online blogging sources or you have the option of being anonymous.
Sources where you may already have an account:
Google Account
LiveJournal
WordPress
TypePad
AIM
OpenID

* Anonymous options:
Name/URL
Anonymous
* If you select either of the anonymous options you'll have one additional step which is a word verification. This is where a random word is generated that you have to type in. This protects my site from automated bots and automated spammers.
If you picked one of the two anonymous options here you will have to input the randomly generated word you see on the screen.
The final step is a button labeled Post Comment. After you click here you are done and your post will be instantly shown on my site without further verification needed.

I hope this helps everyone figure out the quirks and lets you comment to your hearts desire!

New Chicken Watering System Installed

2010-06-21T15:46:00.002-04:00

A while back I purchased a new kit to create my own unique watering system called the Avian Aqua Miser. I had read about people using a "nipple" watering system that allowed for many different types of setups and the benefit of clean water.

* Stock Photo *

It is unique in that it can be installed in all sorts of water containment devices. Some people create mini-pvp watering systems that have large bucket containers housing enough water for weeks at a time. While I wasn't looking for something quite on that scale I was interested in 2 aspects that were offered.
Clean Water
Larger Containers For Water

This would allow the assurance that those weekend getaways wouldn't leave the girls without hydration and from anyone who's had to clean out dirty chicken water... yeah... it's just what you'd imagine.

Using this system I installed 2 new watering buckets. One bucket is in the hen house and the other is out in the run. I installed them into 2 gallon Ace Hardware buckets with locking lids. The buckets with the lids totaled around $12 if I recall. They stick vertically out of the bottom of the buckets which hang from the ceiling at a comfortable height for the girls to reach up to get to the water.

Now, the trick here is that since I didn't start my flock out using this system I had the additional chore of training them how to use the system. This can often times be difficult because chickens get used to routines and items being a certain way. You go and change something and they sometimes don't "get" it. I knew this would be challenging considering they have only been in the coop for a little over a week now.

So, without delay I built the buckets and sealed in the Auqa Miser's to ensure no leaking. I hung the buckets in the hen house and out in the run. Then I removed their traditional open faced water bucket. This is the one just about all chicken owners have and the type that is constantly being fowled up unless you hang it off the ground. I didn't get the one that you hang so mine was constantly getting fouled up by scratch, poo, you name it.

So now the girls are outside on a hot day with no regular source of water... let the training begin! I started by holding a handful of their normal food and giving my standard "Here chick chick chick" call which they've grown to know means FOOD! I held my hand immediately under the new water pale and let them start feasting while using my other hand to constantly tap the metal end of the watering system to let water drip down. I just kept tapping, tapping, tapping, tapping.

After they decimated my palm-full of food I just kept tapping for more water to come out. I got a few glance looks but nothing to make me believe they had a clue what I was doing or trying to show them. I figured I'd start working on some other minor coop modifications and repeat this process after about a half hour. Eventually they will get very thirsty and notice that water is coming from the area you are tapping at. Another cool thing is that this watering system is designed to grab their interest and is colored red/orange which is something most hens find interesting anyway.

So probably a half-hour or so passed and low and behold what do I see... Buttercup the Easter Egger is over there at the water bucket pecking away and getting water. The others see this and all flock together at this new thing making noise and giving out water and all follow suite.

Mission Accomplished!

The great thing is that it was virtually no effort at all. I think I got lucky personally because I know first hand of stories where people have to work at this for days before their hens catch on. Now the next big thing... training them to go back into the hen house at night.

Another story for another day.

Photos Of The Coop Construction Process

2010-06-16T10:34:00.005-04:00

Our coop is finished of course but I've kept everyone in the dark, at least until the coop tour, of the process and what it looks like. Mostly because it's been a grueling month long process of construction and hardships along the way.

Construction officially began on May 7th and wrapped up with the girls moving in June 11th. During this time the #1 Hen and I had a never-ending chore of coming home from work to work until dark on the coop. Each and every day and every weekend sacrificed to the coop. We had the coop tour lingering as the firm deadline and many things to overcome.

Some of those challenges we had along the way were experience. I am a Computer Analyst, not a wood worker. I had literally 0 tools and very little experience and know how. Of course I've picked up a few minor things over the years and learned how to use several tools but they weren't my own tools and my experience on them were short lived. But here I now had this increasingly large project of my own undertaking to accomplish.

Part of me wishes I would have gone with my initial plans to save and pay for someone with the tools and knowledge to build our coop using various plans I have come across and some other ideas that I've learned about. The other half is very pleased at the "product" we did end up creating even though the cost was considerably higher than expected.

Doing a lot of reading on that very subject has led me to comfortably see that many people have these same experiences and many also spend more than anticipated. The running joke is to take the proposed cost of your coop then double it. But if you want to be safe about it you better triple it so you can fool yourself into not being disappointed.

Of course there are many ways you can reduce cost. Do the labor yourself. Use recycled wood. Borrow tools instead of buying them. Freecycle. Craigslist. etc. etc. etc. In the end however the decision to buy some of these tools needed to get the job done left me thinking and knowing that I now had the ability to take on some other tasks given the opportunity because I now possessed the tools to do so.

In the end I did recycle quite a bit to construct the coop. For the majority of the frame I used a children's a-frame swing set. This swing set also had a play-tower attached so I used that also to extend the a-frame into an entry way. I also used the wood sub-flooring and supports from a boat trailer to add to the frame as well as floor structure under the coop and in the doorway. I used pallets for the shingles as well as a ton of freecycled wood screws.

There were many items I had to purchase that I could not find free but I still believed that I saved quite a bit of money in wood costs at least. The end product is a unique one with tons of quirks as a result of recycled wood (not a straight board in the place), a builder who's never done anything like this before, and some amazing help and patience from the #1 Hen, Amy.

So, without further delay here is a slide show of the coop in construction.

TC Coop Loop Photos Posted

2010-06-15T12:55:00.002-04:00

Please enjoy some of the many photos now posted of the Coop Loop tour.
http://tccooploop.blogspot.com/p/photos.html

TC Coop Loop Was A Huge Hit!

2010-06-14T10:39:00.001-04:00

http://tccooploop.blogspot.com/2010/06/thank-you-all.html
Here is the link to the blog post on the official TC Coop Loop site I just posted about the success of our tour this past Saturday.

Rather than retype the whole article or re-post it here I thought I'd just let you go see it for yourself. I can't believe how successful this year's tour was and everything we've learned along the way.

TC truly rocks!

TC Coop Loop Reminder

2010-06-11T14:39:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow from 11am till 2pm.
www.tccooploop.com

Come rain or shine!

106.7 YOU-FM Interview Recording

2010-06-10T10:01:00.000-04:00

A little while back I was given the opportunity to do an interview on one of the morning talk shows here in TC. 106.7 YOU-FM's Mary in the Morning Show. Mary was a great host and a funny girl. The interview was primarily about the TC Coop Loop Tour which I'm a part of this Saturday, June 12th.

Check us out at tccooploop.com if you haven't already!

I think you'll find things comical.

106.7 Interview - Part 1

106.7 Interview - Part 2

Wry Neck - Day 16 Conclusion

2010-06-01T15:48:00.002-04:00

It's all over folks!

Actually we believe it's been over for many days now but after another final inspection late last evening I can firmly state that Tink is acting and carrying on as her other coop mates are in every way you'd expect her to.

She doesn't carry her head in any particular odd way or reserved way close to her breast as she was doing towards the end. She struts, flies, jumps, etc. all perfectly normal. Man are we happy about it too!

With so many summer activities starting and the final push to finish our coop and do it quickly before the big Coop Tour on June 12th we've been running ragged for a while now. It's so nice to know that one of our girls isn't having problems to compound those other pressing things we have going on.

Speaking of the coop...
Why haven't I said much about it or put up any pics of it? We'll tons of reasons but mostly because I want it to be a surprise. I will ultimately show you how I've taken some ideas from plans I've read and from other coop owners to to create what a coop from scratch. A pretty major feat considering I'm not a DIY wood-worker kinda guy.

It has been a major learning process and my wallet is forever dented. There is a famous quote about how expensive the first egg is and you can only laugh about it and agree. Even though part of my coop contains recycled wood the end result is something far exceeding what I'd ever have hoped to do. I can't wait to stand back and say "Yeah... We made that!"

My own personal deadline is to be completed by this Sunday evening. Every night, as virtually all other nights for a while have been, is dedicated to the completion of the new coop so dubbed "Seely's Lounge Gizzards".

That story and pics to come. Also, thank you all for your kind words of support while Tink was down on her luck. We were pretty worried there for a while and I hope none of you fellow urban farmers ever have to go through it yourself. The good news is that it is highly treatable and just takes some patience and hard work.

Wry Neck - Day 8

2010-05-24T13:35:00.002-04:00

After a VERY busy weekend working (at work) and also working every spare minute on the new coop (at home) I thought I'd share an update about Tink today. Again, we have progress to the point where she behaving completely like normal and we aren't seeing any seizures happening anymore. That's not to say they aren't happening, we just aren't seeing them.

She has extended her neck more and more now and doesn't hold her neck and head so close to her breast like she has been this past week. She still seems a little smaller than the rest of the flock but by no means is she skipping out on any meals or treats. She's clucking like the rest of the girls are too so we're confident that things have almost passed with our little "spell".

There is one thing to take away from this whole experience and that is acting fast and acting with the right measure of prevention and treatment. Daily treatment and daily monitoring is needed or you could lose one of your flock, quickly. For those mass-producing egg product line factories this little girl would have been a goner after Day 1 but thankfully she's not there... she's at home with us!

As I mentioned in my 1st post on this subject... Lesson Learned.

Wry Neck - Day 4

2010-05-20T16:26:00.002-04:00

Tink's getting better and better each day. Still having some problems but overall doing much better. She's eating and drinking on her own and doesn't seem to mind the B12. Guess it tastes better than the Poly-Vi-Sol and after having some of each I'm inclined to agree.

Yea for progression!

Wry Neck - Day 3

2010-05-19T10:15:00.002-04:00

Great News!

Tink is now walking and eating on her own. She's still getting no less than 3 daily sessions of vitamins and B12 as well as some hand feeding just in case. She is still having some minor seizures but those have gotten even less and less. When they happen they are quick and seem to pass quickly as well.

She tends to keep her head somewhat tucked back and doesn't stretch it out much but considering the situation I'm sure her neck and chest muscles are completely stressed and over-taxed. But she's finally eating like a normal 7 week old chicken and doesn't fuss much at all about being picked up and then fed and watered by hand and dropper.

On a separate note the rest of the girls are getting more and more rambunctious and you can really see that it's time to get out of their large brooder and into the coop. Thing is... the coop is still being constructed. We've been working on it daily now and once you see the final product I think you'll be impressed.

Coming from someone who is not a woodworker by any stretch of the imagination I've learned a lot along the way and have spent a lot on tools that I've never had before. But, those things will last and I can look forward to having them on any future DIY projects. Once I'm ready I'll have a nice long post up about the coop and it's construction process.

The Coop Loop Tour is on June 12th so I have a firm deadline right there!

Wry Neck - Day 2 Update

2010-05-18T14:54:00.002-04:00

I'm happy to say that just a couple of hours ago Amy found Tink up and active in the brooder with the rest of the girls. She was eating on her own for the first time which is a major improvement. She still continues to have seizures but from the sounds of it they were fewer and farther between. After her 2nd dose of vitamins and B12 today we're hopeful for more improvement this evening.

I think some yummy egg treats are in order for the girls this evening.

Wry Neck - Day 2

2010-05-18T08:52:00.002-04:00

Well Tink has shown some signs of improvement but we still have a long way to go. One unfortunate side-effect of this problem is that she gets little mini-seizures that make her lock up and contort. You can see in the poor girls eyes that she's fighting with all she has and is just exhausted.

Imagine near full body muscle cramps happening repeatedly throughout the entire day, with very little breaks in between them.

Thankfully the other girls aren't picking on her that we can see at all. That would require us to separate her and we want to avoid that if possible. We are hand feeding her because she doesn't have the ability to eat on her own. She cant even stand for more than a few seconds at a time. She's also taking in a good amount of water, vitamins, and additional B12 which is supposed to help these things out considerably.

This morning was a little tough. Not much of an appetite. Last night was very good however because she straightened up her neck for a while and took in a good bit of food along with all the liquids we're giving her.

Further research has shown me a lot about this issue. There is no "standard" amount of time for how long this can go on and many people have success stories which is a pretty good sign. So... Tink will continue to get at least 3 daily hand watering and hand feeding sessions. We'll make a new lap chicken out of her yet!

Trials and Tribulations of the Seely's Lounge Gizzard's

2010-05-17T10:08:00.003-04:00

Wry Neck = Bad

I'm pretty sure that our personal experience with our girls is going to bring me near "poultry vethood" level knowledge considering all the aspects of poultry health-care that I'm learning, AND HAVE TO LEARN, due to little problems that have come up along our journey.

As you may remember our journey started off a little bumpy when Hope, our only Golden Laced Wyandotte, died at only 3 days old due to impacted crop and my "then" inabilities to find/diagnose/treat the issue right away. I was too late and as a result Hope went the way that some baby chicks do. Lesson learned.

Flashforward roughly 3 weeks and Lacey, one of our Silver Laced Wyandottes, was somehow injured pretty severely on her right hand side. Both her wing and foot were non-functional. To compound this issue was the fact that on the day this happened and within an hour of our discovery we were leaving the state on vacation for a whole week! Thankfully Amy's sister was babysitting "the girls" while we were gone and a day-by-day course of vitamins and electrolytes seems to have resolved that problem. Lacey barely, and I mean barely, has a limp and it's now been 3 to 4 weeks later. The upshot is that Lacey not only is out #1 favorite hen she's also a total lap chicken now as a result. Very docile and likes to roost on you. Sweet girl.

Now... Present Day
Since we've been working all weekend long on building the coop yesterday was the end of an exhausting weekend. Needless to say we didn't make it downstairs to the brooder to check on the girls. We did play with them on Saturday so I knew they had enough food and water. Well needless to say first thing this morning we checked on them to find that Tink, one of our Australorps, was fully hunkered down into the bedding like she was sleeping except her head was bent all backwards and twisted. Think of the way that ducks will bend their head back and tuck it under a wing when they sleep, except she was not sleeping.

Her head was not tucked under a wing but rather twisted like a corkscrew down towards her breast. She was not moving very well and we do not know how long she'd been this way because of our lack of checking on them yesterday. Lesson learned.

I immediately thought that this is a case of something called "wry neck" which can happen with many poultry and there's no indication of when/why it happens. It's quite deadly in baby chicks but since our girls are 7 weeks old today things become considerably more treatable. The unfortunate side of things is that she has to be force-fed if she will not eat on her own because her neck muscles are all contracted and contorted in such a manor that it will not allow her to normally eat. Holding and carefully straightening her neck out will allow her to try to eat and drink.

This morning I started her immediately on Poly-Vi-Sol drops and will be adding B12 to the mix tonite after I get my hands on some from the pharmacy. I'll have to settle for non-injectable B12 because apparently the stuff is impossible to get here in TC unless you go to a vet and our 2 farm stores don't carry it. A shame really. I could feel her swallowing this morning after giving her the Poly drops as well as some fresh water so that's a good sign. The poor girl could stay this way for up to a week though so it may be a rough one and hard to tell if she's improving. Just gotta stick with it ya know.

It's my hope that we got it quickly and that she wasn't like this all day yesterday. I'd feel pretty bad about that if that was the case. Again, lesson learned.

And oh yeah... did I mention the girls are 7 weeks old today. Hopefully their coop will be completed within the next 2 weeks and they can be in their new home shortly. I know they're ready for it!

The Girl's 1st Day Outside

2010-05-14T08:54:00.008-04:00

So this week was the 1st big week for the girls as they got their very 1st trip outside. This was definitely the best time we've had with them so far and it was a great evening before our rains set in this week. Please excuse the mess of wood in the yard. That fence in the background was just built and their coop construction is under way. As a result my backyard has a woodland wasteland look to it right now. At any rate... the girls hit the ground!

Remember you can click on any of these images for a much larger version. =)

At first there was a lot of just standing around. What is grass? What is all this color? What do I do?

Here we see more contemplation about what is going on and what to do. The first time they heard some birds playing in the trees around the house they literally stopped dead in their tracks and made no noise what so ever. They just listened and tried to figure out what this other bird-sounding creature was. You know, taking in the sights and sounds.Here is Buttercup still contemplating. She's typically one of the first to figure things out.Still having a little meeting to adjust to the new environment. So what do you girls think of all this?Ahhhhhhh... NOW we get it!Here you can see Jeffrey and Tink along with Buttercup getting the hang of things.Nice shot of Jeffrey... or is it Tink? They're kinda hard to tell apart right now.Our favorite hen, Lacey, giving us a nice pose for the camera. Complete and total lap chicken like you wouldn't believe. She spent more time on Amy's lap than out in the yard.Hey guess what... chicken butt!As we started to wrap up the evening after an hour or so and they all started congregating back to Amy to roost. I guess our daily work on holding them and playing with them has payed off with imprinting on them that we are the "safe zone" and also the "bringers of treats". It's good to know though because you want a tame flock, not one that goes nuts every time you get near.My arms are getting tired!All 5 girls hunkered down for the evening. They're so smooshed together on one leg that you can't even spot them all in this pic. Of course that's Lacey on the left there, doing her lap chicken thing and being spoiled.

Needless to say this was the best experience with "the girls" so far. They've really come a long way so far and their personalities keep developing. Have I mentioned they eat a TON of food nowadays. They just keep growing into little plump feather-balls. Works for us!

106.7 YOU-FM Interview Notes

2010-05-13T22:20:00.002-04:00

Welcome to everyone who listened in this morning to 106.7 YOU-FM's Mary in the Morning show. There was a lot to discuss in the interview and much more to cover than what time would allow. To help everyone out I've put together a list of links to the various information I mentioned on the show as well as a few items that will help those just starting out or those thinking of starting your own flock.

TC ordinance regarding the keeping of chickens.
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0Bw9Mvlm_rSokODUwYjcyM2EtZTAyZS00OTU5LThkNDgtOTJlMDJmODFiMzUw&hl=en

Find out what breed is right for you and our climate.
http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/which-breed-is-right-for-me.aspx

Checklist to starting your own flock.
http://tcbokbok.blogspot.com/2010/03/checklist-to-start-your-flock.html

SweetPDZ 100% natural mineral used in management of odor and coop bedding.
http://www.sweetpdz.com

Online community BackyardChickens.
http://www.backyardchickens.com

Local Radio Interview 106.7 YOU-FM

2010-05-07T12:41:00.002-04:00

I was contacted today by Heather Daniels over at 106.7 YOU-FM here in Traverse City to see if I'd be interested in doing an interview for “Step-by-Step Instructions for Raising Chickens in the City”... something I feel well versed in. I've gladly accepted.

You can tune in to "Mary in the Morning" on Friday, May 14th between around 7:30am till around 8am for the interview. We'll also be talking about the 1st ever Traverse City Coop Loop. A tour of Urban Chicken Coops in the city.
http://www.tccooploop.com

I hope you listen in and thanks for the support!

The #1 Hen Becomes The #1 Place To Roost

2010-05-05T00:59:00.008-04:00

So we had a little adventure tonite with the girls. Since they are getting so much bigger and bigger we switched from our little travel box to bring them up from the basement brooder to the kitchen each night. Our new box is a pretty tight fit as well but it's taller and it's getting the job done for now. Very soon they'll be out in the coop (soon to be built) and there will be no more "house chickens". The point is that tonite we decided to take them out of their travel box all together rather than a couple at a time to pet and what not.

Well needless to say they can fly pretty good for short distances right now so Amy, the #1 Hen, suddenly became THE PLACE TO PERCH. For a short while they were flying out of the box to perch on her because... well... someone else did it so why shouldn't I.

So we got another GREAT round of pics to flood you with as well as a new video. You'll hear the tell-tell bok bok sound as well coming from one of our girls who is quickly starting to make all the normal sounds you associate with hens. It's pretty damn comical.

Remember, you can click on any of these pics for a much larger version.
Enjoy!

Little apple treat time! The rest they got out of our hands because it helps tame them.

Lacey. Still recovering but doing well. She's a full blown "lap hen" now by the way. Because of her injury and getting held so much over the course of 2 weeks she'll just stay put and perches right on you. She was already starting to do this prior to her injury anyway. She's the #1 chicken out of the group.

Chicken feet. Because they're different colors and look pretty strange.

Random group shot with Buttercup ever observant to where the camera is.

Little nap time after a lot of treats for Lacey here. You can see Penny right behind her.

Buttercup getting some more perch time on Amy.

Buttercup just making circles before perching.

Nice closeup of Lacey. Can't wait to see those feathers in full development!

Let the perch fest begin. It only got worse from here as more joined in. No reason why, just something to do.

TC Coop Loop Website Is Live

2010-05-02T04:23:00.002-04:00

http://www.tccooploop.com

I'm proud to announce that TC Coop Loop is now live! Be weary though because it's got a fresh coat of paint on it and may still be a little tacky in spots. In other words... there are still some things to be completed.

But the "core" of the site is active now so future development and updates should go smoothly.

Also, a new article about Urban Chicken Farming goes live today in the local Record Eagle. A big thanks to Vanessa McCray for writing the article and helping to raise awareness about our little slice of life.

Here's the intro snippet.
http://record-eagle.com/local/x1369565014/In-Northern-Living-Popular-chicks-in-demand

And here's the full article.
http://record-eagle.com/northernliving/x1369564830/Urban-farmers-love-their-hens-eggs

1 Month Old Girls

2010-04-30T01:01:00.007-04:00

So I promised a post about the girls being 1 month old now. Actually they're a little older at the time of this post but for the sake of comparisons things have changed!

I wasn't able to get as many new pics as I wanted for a couple of reasons...
1) Batteries went dead.
2) One of my girls is injured so we were focusing on that rather than pictures.
3) They're a little more "flighty" now than before and we need to keep an even closer eye on them.

So without further delay... some pics of my girls at 1 month old.

** Remember you can click on these images for a much larger version. **

My little consistent percher. She's always the first to roost. I think she'll be named Tink.
Australorp

Lacey, our #1 hen. Unfortunately she's injured right now and recovering.
Silver Laced Wyandotte

Buttercup. She's the odd girl out color-wise.
Easter Egger

A side view of Buttercup. She's gone from solid yellow to having brown highlights.
Easter Egger

Another one of our perchers from the same breed.
Australorp

Penny, still showing some baby fluff. You can get a nice view of the feather though on this breed.
Silver Laced Wyandotte

Group shot. Tough to get in their new travel box.

Yogurt Time!

Thanks again for stopping by!

Oh yes I'm back... From outta space...

2010-04-28T14:26:00.003-04:00

Actually Astoria, Oregon but I'm back none the less.

A few things going on.

Reminder about the Chickens, Ducks, and Rabbits Skill Swap hosted by ISLAND on June 6th.
http://www.artmeetsearth.org/events.html#chicken
Reminder about the 1st Traverse City Coop Loop. (website in development)
http://www.tccooploop.com/
Incoming chick update this week with pictures. The girls are now a little over 1 month old and holy crap are they bigger and better looking... oh yeah... they can fly.
Incoming update regarding a new Record Eagle article on Urban Chickens set to print Sunday the 2nd. Thanks again to Vanessa McCray!

So lots to do and lots to cover considering other non-chicken related things going on this week as well. More to come so stay tuned!

3 Weeks Old Today

2010-04-19T00:38:00.004-04:00

So the girls turned 3 weeks old today. They have definitely grown out of their little travel box that we bring them up from the brooder with. Time for a bigger travel box! Thankfully they're tolerable of the box considering they are only in it for a very short amount of time each day and have a very large brooder to be in all day long.

We caught them right as they were sleeping so we had to pep them up with some very finely diced/smooshed apple. It's one of their new occasional treats since they're getting a little grit mixed in with their food right now. I"m prepping them for baby crickets and meal worms next. But all in all, between the egg treats, yogurt treats, and apple treats they seem pretty content.

We are starting to see some personality traits form as well in 2 of our 5 girls. One of the Silver Laced Wyandotte's, Lacey, is very calm and doesn't fuss much at all about being picked up. Once picked up though she's a little percher and loves to hunker down on your hand or nuzzled up on you if you hold her close. The other girl, to my extreme surprise considering the first 2 weeks, is one of our Australorps. At first they were both pretty vocal about being picked up and hard to hold for very long but one of the girls has taken to also perching on you and nuzzling. She also might be a contender for "Top of the Pecking Order" because she seems like she's the one teaching the others right now. I believe she was our first girl to start roosting and has taught the others to do so. We do see a lot of "follow the leader" or "follow by example" things happening. One will try something and the others just follow suit.

So, enjoy some of our pics of our 3 week old girls and how scraggly they are right now with a combination of baby chick fluff and growing feathers. Remember, you can click on any of these images for a much larger version and more detail. =)

This is Lacey, one of our Silver Laced Wyandotte's. She's the sweetie out of the group so far.

Good camera timing while she looks and I ham it up.

Lacey giving us a little shot of the undercarriage. Those laced feathers are starting to come in nicely.

Potential #1 in the Pecking Order. Once she started to roost tonite the others followed suit.

Buttercup our Easter Egger and one of our Australorps listening to me momentarily.

Good shot showing the combo of baby chick fluff and feathers growing in. Aren't they so cute... anyone... Bueller?

A back shot showing more feather development. This feels really weird to pet.

Look into my eye Apone! (Movie buff quote)

New Blog Format - Part 2

2010-04-18T18:15:00.000-04:00

Ok... now the new format is LIVE! I hope you like it. The old format was about 7 months old here at TC Urban Chickens and it was time for something a bit more lively.

The girls turn 3 weeks old tomorrow and man do they keep changing. They're at the point now where they look and feel odd. They look odd because they have tufts of baby fuzz and the beginning of their feathers all at the same time. Where the feathers are coming in feels very very odd. About the only thing I can imagine off the top of my head is that petting them in spots feels sorta like holding a warm pin cushion who has all the pins inserted at an angle so they're laying on top of each other and flat. Yeah, it's a little weird.

So, hopefully get in a 3 week update tomorrow with pics and a video or two. Hope you like the new look. =)

New Blog Format

2010-04-15T10:21:00.002-04:00

I'm in the process of updating the layout/format of the blog so if things get a little "wonky" please be patient. You'll like the new look.

04/15 Update
Yeah... the new template isn't ready for prime time. Bummer... more testing.

The 2 Week Old Girls

2010-04-12T20:49:00.011-04:00

So it's been 2 weeks now and the girls are ready to come out for a little celebration. Yeah... um... MUCH bigger now. Not quite the little fluff balls, little more chatty when it comes to being picked up and calmed down, little more pecky with the yogurt, and starting to get more and more feathers.

Some are doing quite well in the feather department while my 2 little Wyandotte's are just now starting to get hints of tail feathers. The other girls have full blown beginner tail feathers and often times look like little fluff roadrunners.

No real pecking order that we can see as of yet and a few, namely the Australorps, need a little more handling before they calm down. They're also getting jumpy and flighty so our little daily excursions from the basement brooder up the stairs to the kitchen in their porta-box is gonna get more and more interesting until I get a bigger porta-box.

So, without further delay... by the way... you can click on these pics for way big versions.
The 11th St. Chicks

Australorp
This girl grows up to be a solid black chicken who's feathers tint green in the sunlight.

Chick feet because you know you're interested.

Wing on our Easter Egger "Buttercup".

Me and one of the Wyandotte's.

Again for size reference with an Australorp.

One of our Silver Laced Wyandotte's.

The #1 Hen holding "Buttercup" our Easter Egger.

My turn to ham it up with "Buttercup".

I'd like to call this meeting to order.

Our 1st chick cameo.

I didn't get a harumph outta that guy. Give the governor a harumph!

Come on shake a tail feather!

So what do you girls think about this season's Lost? Is this really the dichotomy breakdown of the quintessential good versus evil in the form of Jacob as the god figure and The Man in Black as the devil figure. Personally, I think Desmond will perform an act that changes time itself.
Girls... girls... peep?

TC Coop Loop Logo Unleashed

2010-04-09T10:52:00.003-04:00

Logo By:
Chelsea Bay Wills
chelsbay@gmail.com
"design and strategy for good"

Websites with Designs, etc:
http://thechangecreation.com/
http://chelsbaydesign.wordpress.com/

Chelsea is our little in-house Coop Loop design guru'ess. Take a look at some of her other work. Chances are if you're from the TC area you'll already recognize it. She's done a pretty bad ass job wouldn't you say!

Soliciting Blog Responses

2010-04-06T10:50:00.001-04:00

One of the downsides to blogging and having those who follow your blog is that often I, the creator of this blog, don't actually get to see what YOUR blog is. I'd love to find out more about your blog and follow you along as well.

Please take a moment to shoot me an email, tcbokbok_roo@live.com, or comment right here and link your blog, send me an IM about your blog, anything really. I love to see what you've got.

And... on a chicken related note... our girls are getting their tail feathers and wing feathers quite nicely now. What a difference 1 week makes. Pics soon, promise.

Chicks Love Yogurt

2010-04-04T12:43:00.003-04:00

Whether it's off your finger or dabbed in a little dot on the side of their travel box... the chicks love yogurt!

Our Little Golden Laced Wyandotte

2010-04-02T13:39:00.006-04:00

This morning we experienced our first loss, our little GL Wyandotte. She was the little runt of the flock and our little songbird. While we're accustomed to the peeping that comes with having chicks this little girl was one of the songbirds in the group. Literally, she sang instead of peeping almost all the time. It was very pretty.

Unfortunately she developed a condition called Impacted Crop where her food became lodged and she was no longer able to eat, drink, and take nutrition. Compound this with the fact that she was less than a week old and you have the recipe for disaster.

We noticed Wednesday that she was standing out and more lethargic than your standard baby chick should be. I'll spare you from all the details but needless to say, after 48 hours of supervision and all our best efforts we were unable to save her. She died early this morning in my hands while trying to give her some vitamins and water. Poor little girl. She's now resting out in the yard where the coop will be built so that she can remain a part of our flock and always a part of our lives.

Her name was Hope.

Tia & The Chicks

2010-03-31T11:20:00.005-04:00

Ta... Ta... Ta... Tia and The Chicks.

They had their official introductions first thing yesterday morning after bringing the babies home but we re-introduced her last night for about 10 minutes. Overall I'm happy with her behavior. VERY excited because um, hello, here's a box of moving and peeping toys that Mom and Dad got. Well, to keep her from treating the babies like her toys and making them squeak in a way we want to avoid we made sure that only one baby was out at a time and that Tia was being watched.
She got in a few licks on some but they didn't seem to mind at all. Thankfully there were no barks or growls, just some frustrated whines. I'll chalk that up to just plain old puppy excitement. We'll keep re-introducing them every day but you can see from the video she's pacing around and pretty focused. We just have to keep that focus in a good light. =)

I think we'll be fine.

Going in for a closeup look.

Say Hello To My Baby Chickens

2010-03-30T16:09:00.002-04:00

I got my batch of baby chicks from the Post Office at about 7:15am today. Out of the 10 from my order I unfortunetely only received 9. But those 9 little girls are very health, energetic, and fun! Angela (site listed on the right) took her 3 girls since she went in on the order with me and that leaves me with 6 little peepers left... for now.

Here are some pics of the girls. Enjoy!

Get your fresh chicks right here!

One very interested Easter Egger and one sly look from a Silver Laced Wyandotte.

My only yellow chickie. Pretty sure she's and Easter Egger too. Very sweet girl.

Our little runt on the far right. Tons of energy and loves to chase wiggling fingers in the brooder.

The #1 Hen holding the brown Easter Egger you see above. Biggest girl out of the batch but very sweet. This little girl went to Angela.

Nap time for a few of the girls. They switch between play time and nap time every few minutes.

My little yellow chickie once again.

Little nap time for the Australorp.

Time to go back and check the temps and play some more.

Baby Chicks Born Today

2010-03-29T10:34:00.000-04:00

All my new babies are born today. If all goes well I will receive them tomorrow. I'm still organizing my brooder pictures and will have another large post here soon full of pics.

Checklist To Start Your Flock

2010-03-23T11:23:00.014-04:00

** Updated 04/14/10 **
There are tons of resources out there available for those looking to get started with a new flock. Since I've spent a large amount of time scouring these resources already and learning from my own experience, as well as the experience of others, I thought I'd put together a simple and easy checklist of things that you need and what these things are for to get started with your own flock. I will update this list to include future information that would be beneficial and to keep it accurate should I find that I've posted something that needs revision.

For Their Home:
Brooder
Pine Shavings
Natural Wood Branch / Something Similar (Small)
Heat Lamp(s) (Red Bulb Style)
Basic Thermometer
Paper Towels (Optional)

For Their Nutrition:
Starter Feed (Medicated)
Small Feeder
Small Waterer (With Marbles/Rocks)
Chick Grit (Not Oyster Shell/Layer Grit)
Hard Boiled Egg (Chopped Very Small)
Yogurt (Plain Non-Fat)

For Their Enjoyment:
Small Mirror
Parakeet Toys
Small Bucket With A Hole

For Their Health:
Poly-Vi-Sol (Without Iron)
Durvet Electrolytes & Vitamins (Water Soluble)
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (With The Sediment)

For Their Home:
Brooder
This is their home for the first few weeks, longer if you have the space and necessity. A good rule of thumb here is 1sq. foot/chick. They grow fast so give them the proper space to do it. Speaking of spaces, don't leave the brooder open on top. If you do you'll soon find that your growing flock will see the edges as an obstacle to overcome and get out of. This could be very bad. Get yourself a wire product called "hardware cloth" to remedy this potential issue. It's cheap and found locally. As for what materials to use you are only limited to your imagination. Boxes, plastic bins, fish tanks, kiddie pools... you name it and you can probably build a brooder out of it. Just remember the size you need per chick and how easy it will be to keep clean. You also want to make sure you have room for chicks to cool off if it's getting too hot because of the heat light. They will need hot and cold zones, not a brooder doused with heat at all times in all areas. Also, take into consideration what you'll do with it when they're no longer "chicks". A lot of people choose to keep their brooders around to turn into future isolation pens in case you have a sick bird that needs to be separated from the rest of the flock.

Pine Shavings
You need a good bedding material to absorb waste as well as provide traction and compost material. Pine is largely regarded as the #1 bedding of choice for chickens throughout their entire life. Avoid Cedar at all costs! It contains chemicals that give your chickens respiratory problems. Layer your shavings on thick and plentiful. With a thick bedding of 4 inches or more you can start dipping into what they call the "deep litter" method which allows you to turn the bedding instead of completely removing it and building it back up when you need to address smell or waste. When it does come time to remove the bedding you can take these shavings and put them into your composting pile for further use. Win-Win situation.

Natural Wood Branch (Small)
Chickens like to roost. Even baby chickens. While they wont do this at first before you know it a natural instinct to jump up off the ground and sit will kick in. Since they're babies just a small diameter stick raised off the ground a few inches will do. Avoid limbs with the bark falling off because that will become something to peck at and eat. We don't want baby chicks eating bark. We also don't want it to break so don't pick out something that will snap under a little weight. Dowel rods also work well but most of us have some branches out in the yard we could use with a little trimming. Just get it a couple of inches off the bedding and you're good to go.

Heat Lamps (Red Bulb)
There is some debate on what wattage to go with and what color but the general standard is a 250w red bulb heat light. This provides heat as well as a light source that simulates darkness allowing them to sleep while still in the light. If you go with a basic white light bulb then this could cause stress and keep them up for extended amounts of time when they'd otherwise be sleeping. The red bulb also helps with their temperament in a way that promotes a good community bond in your flock such that ones aren't being singled out and pecked on. Of course they will establish a pecking order but this doesn't have to involve physical and repetitive harm to the chicken. Since we have some pretty harsh winter climates these can extend their use beyond the brooding weeks all through their adult life out in your coop. Please take caution to double-secure your heat lamps wherever you place them. Brooder fires are bad for many obvious reasons, especially if your brooder is in your house.

Basic Thermometer
You need to ensure the temperature of the brooder is consistent and predicable. Uncle Bob's "hand under the light" method of telling how hot and cold it is wont cut it for your baby chicks who are VERY sensitive to temperature changes at this stage of the game. Once they're feathered out it's a whole different story, but for now we're just dealing with baby chicks. For the first week you want to monitor the temp of the brooder to be a pretty consistent 95 degrees. The second week you can drop that to 90 degrees. The third week you can drop it again to 85 degrees. Steadily dropping the temp 5 degrees each week over the course of 5 to 6 weeks. Something to keep in mind however is that your chicks will tell you how hot/cold it is. If they're always under the heat light and never exploring then it's generally too cold and you should slightly raise the temp. If they are always scattered away from the light and never stay under it then it's probably too hot for them. Just keep and eye on the chicks and an eye on the temp and you can regulate between the two.

Paper Towels
Paper towels are used for the first week in your brooder laid directly over the top of your pine shavings. Never use newspaper during this time because it can become too slippery to new baby chick feet and can cause leg deformations, toe deformations, and accidents. Paper towels completely solves this issue and has the added benefit of being extremely easy to lay out and to clean up. What's to hate about that! Make sure you buy in bulk to save, get the cheapest on sale, and layer. Clean and re-layer every day the first week or as you think your brooder needs for cleanliness. While using paper towels is not a must, and I myself did not, many do like it for the simplicity and ease of use.

For Their Nutrition:
Starter Feed (Medicated)
Chicks need food and "starter" foods are what they need. There are many different types and brands. I suggest checking with your local feed stores or pet stores before going online. Here in Traverse City we have local resources for this so your needs should be met unless you have a specialty starter food you want to provide your flock. As for medicated or non-medicated further debate continues. Some say if you have your chicks vaccinated that you want to avoid medicated, others say that the medicated feed covers more than your initial vaccination. Some prefer to go the true organic route which deems no medicated food. In the end you have to make your own choice but I do see more comments from success stories that involved medicated feed as apposed to non-medicated feed. Again, this will come down to your own choice and research so good luck!

Small Feeder
Provide food in the brooder at all times. Ok so you've decided on what type of starter feed to give your chicks so now you need something to put it in. I highly suggest the small feeders for a little while because some of the larger feeders are too open which could allow for the chicks to fall in, become dehydrated while trapped inside, etc. You'll also want to look at elevating these off the floor of the brooder by a couple of inches to help keep bedding and poop out. Laying a 2x4 down flat should do the trick. As they get older you'll want to keep the level of the feeder at about the height of their back while standing.

Small Waterer (With Marbles/Rocks)
Provide water in the brooder at all times. You want to provide a small watering container, preferably the plastic ones although others are ok, so that you can easily replenish their water daily or as needed. Something you also want to ensure is that you have some marbles or small rocks lined around inside the container where they drink from during their first week of life. As cute as little baby chicks are they are babies after all and they do sleep a lot. This also means they fall asleep anywhere... anytime... even while eating and drinking. Awww! There are only so many sad stories you want to read about how people lose their baby chicks due to accidental drowning because they fell asleep while drinking or even fell into the water and couldn't get out. Want to avoid that sad story, put small marbles or rocks in their water dish. Problem solved! As they get older you'll want to keep the level of the feeder at about the height of their back while standing.

Chick Grit (Not Oyster Shell/Layer Grit)
Chick grit and layer "oyster shell" grit are not the same. Chick grit is much smaller and doesn't contain the calcium that oyster shell grit does because that helps with laying chickens. We're just dealing with babies here so they only need the tiny stuff. You can get this for a very low cost at your local feed stores or pet stores. Parakeet grit works as long as it's not infused with calcium. Some are also known to use good old clean sand. Ultimately you'll offer your grit in its own container for the chickens to take at will but while they are babies you'll want to offer it in very small quantities only with food that may require it. All chicken starter feeds are made such that grit is not necessary but you'll want to give your babies treats and depending on the treat you'll need grit to accompany it. Think of it like this... chicken don't have teeth so they cant chew. They use grit to do the digestive grinding for them. So if you're providing treats that do not require chewing like yogurt and eggs, then they don't require grit. They have an instinctual way of knowing so provide it in small amounts when their food deems it necessary and they'll take what they need. If you are only providing your flock starter food and no treats that require chick grit then you can avoid buying it altogether, but pretty much everyone will give their flock treats so pick a little up.

Hard Boiled Egg (Chopped Very Small)
Speaking of treats this is one, if not the first, treat that you should give your babies. As odd as it may sound the protein they can get from this treat is unparalleled. Plus, no grit is required! You boil the eggs hard, chop them as small as you can or smash them, and feed in moderation after it's completely cooled off. All treats shouldn't make up more than 10% of their daily intake so don't go all crazy giving them eggs all day long. This is a treat and I highly advise you give it from your hand for a little while. Those babies are going to FREAK OUT each and every time you put your hand into the brooder and this will let them start associating goodie-num-nums with you, the large beast that insists on holding them and thrusting your giant maws at them on a daily basis. I know it may sound odd giving eggs to a chicken for food but when you look at it from a practical and nutrition standpoint, there is no argument.

Yogurt (Plain Non-Fat)
Good old plain jane non-fat yogurt with nothing added here people. Chickens tend to go nuts for this stuff. It also acts as a great pro-biotic to setup the correct intestinal/bacterial balance you want in your flock. I suggest you mix a little with your hard boiled eggs when you're giving treats. But remember to watch your quantity, after all this is considered a treat just like the eggs are even though it's high beneficial to their health. If I could only say the same thing about my treats. An added bonus is that you'll get to see what beak cleaning looks like as they remove excess yogurt from their mouths. Aside from one pecking it off the others beak they'll take their head, lay it on the bedding, and wipe it from left and right. It's rather hilarious to watch. Something else you can do if needed is mix in vitamin Poly-Vi-Sol drops with their yogurt. Sometimes this is much easier than giving it to them manually.

For Their Enjoyment:
Small Mirror
For some reason chickens just love mirrors. I suggest you get one that is easy to clean, props up at an angle or can be made to prop up and stay that way. Sit back and watch the fun on this one. They may not understand at first what it is, they may never understand it, but they will become highly interested at the other chickens that seem to stare back. I have a parakeet mirror that hangs down into the brooder with a little bell on the bottom. I tend to find that the chicks gather there quite often to see the "other" chicks and to peck at the little bell. I've seen many pics and stories where they sleep next to the mirror to stay close to the "other" chickens in the brooder. Social creatures for sure.

Parakeet Toys
A lot of people have success with entertaining their peeps using parakeet toys. Tiny bells and thing to climb on. I like this idea and have a parakeet mirror hanging in our brooder. It has seemed to work quite well for entertainment.

Small Bucket With A Hole
Think around the size of an ice cream tub. Not those huge ones they use to scoop out of at the stores, the kind you buy if you're buying to put in your fridge. Just cut an opening big enough on both sides and place it in your brooder. If it's sturdy enough to not get knocked over all the time the chicks will play little "chase me" games all around the bucket and will run through it and hide. Some will figure out that they can jump up on top and be all "queen chick up on high" for the moment. It may take some training to get them to play with the bucket but they'll figure things out too just from their natural instinct to explore.

For Their Health:
Poly-Vi-Sol (Without Iron)
This is a multivitamin medication for infants in liquid dropper form. It just so happens to be one of the #1 things to give chickens, especially baby chickens, if they seem to be having some problems that aren't a result of accidents and seem to be struggling to live. You're mainly looking for behavior that is out of the norm for what your other chicks are doing. You will know this when you spot it and this is your time to take action. The generally accepted course of treatment is 2-3 drops in their beak once a day. Continue this course of treatment for about a week or until you see immediate results. If you are seeing results in under a week, and we all hope we would anyway, you can start reducing the treatment and then stop altogether. This is not a long term treatment but it will help ensure that they are getting an influx of vitamins and energy in spite of whatever circumstances has led up to this point. Ensure they are getting it in their mouths and that it's not just sitting there. This stuff tastes horrible and they'll probably let you know it so be persistent, after all it's their life on the line.

Durvet Electrolytes & Vitamins (Water Soluble)
Having baby chicks shipped to you is very stressful on them. This is where a combination of electrolytes and vitamins in their water will make the difference. The generally accepted practice is that anytime your flock has been stressed due to shipping, predator attack, etc. infusing their water supply with electrolytes and vitamins is what is needed to restore order to their bodies/systems once again. Electrolytes specifically. Durvet happens to make this very product in a water soluble form and it can be found at your local feed store or online. The Durvet brand comes in powdered form with instructions for mixing quantities in large amounts. Much larger than what we use. Much much larger than what we use. Thankfully some research should yield the ratio/gallon that we need for our smaller uses. And there is a new rumor that Durvet has listened to some repeated suggestions at lower dosage amounts and has now started to include this info on their product. A nice side effect of this downsizing in the amount that we need versus the amount you get when you buy is that you'll have plenty for a long time to come. Can't get a hold of any Durvet brand electrolytes and vitamins? Use some plain old Pedialyte. If you use Pedialyte then be careful due to the salt content as well when it comes to your mixing ratios. You can mix Pedialyte at about 1/2 and 1/2 with your regular water. And finally there are plenty of people out there that just say "to hell" with all of this and give their chicks a very mild mix of sugar water. Very mild. Be cautious here not to give them sugar water for extended periods however because it causes other health problems. It will work in a pinch however. One final solution is to go the homemade method for electrolytes or buying a product like Glaceau Smartwater which is infused with electrolytes but no flavoring or sugars you would want to avoid. Again, about 1/2 and 1/2 mix ratios.

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (With The Sediment)
Here's one of those "old wives tale" that just happens to be very true when it comes to treating and maintaining your flocks for a symptom called "pasty vent" or "pasty butt". There are other nicknames but the basics are that the business end of the chicken where poop normally exits becomes pasted up. This has to be treated immediately anytime it is found by removing the pasted up waste with a small damp towel, a damp q-tip wipe, or in other cases a small chicken butt bath by dunking their rear end in mildly warm water and working away the buildup. Now that you've cleaned up the mess and dried them off using a paper towel you need to treat them to help ensure it doesn't become a consistent problem. Organic apple cider vinegar mixed in their water will do this for you. You'll want to mix this at about 1tbsp. per gallon of water. As they grow older this issue should remedy itself. This is good for their overall health and can be given for extended periods of time. It also helps with the absorption of vitamins and minerals, an anti-bacterial for their watering container, and all around good product to have on hand. Please avoid using apple cider vinegar of any type however if you are using anything other than a plastic watering container. It will react badly with metal with continued use.

Important Notes About Health Additives
There are many products you can use to aid in your chickens health when they're first starting out but a key thing to remember is observation, patience, and learning when it is time to treat. While most say that vitamins in their water are beneficial, and I certainly think they are, chickens have been doing just fine on plain old tap water for a long time. Plus, depending on what type of chicken starter feed you provide it may already contain the important vitamins they need. But if your water has a high iron concentration then I would strongly advise bottled or filtered water. Iron + Chickens = Bad. Poli-Vi-Sol (without iron) can outright save a chicken that is having problem but it should be used in moderation and with consideration towards over medicating. A lot of people insist on providing electrolytes mixed in with their water for the first few weeks to help with growth and health but this may not be something you want to continue providing. Do your research on this because there are a lot of trains of thought including those who insist anything more than quality starter food and quality water are all that you need for healthy chickens. I can certainly see how this has been done, and will continue to be done, for who knows how long but the decision to have these other health related products is entirely up to you. Once your flock becomes adults the medications you'll want to have on hand change but that is another post for another day.

For Their Future With You
Some Basic Rules To Live By
Nurture your baby chicks every day! Pick them up, pet them gently, hold them gently, and let them know you represent something good in their life. For a while they are going to scream their little heads off anytime you try to make contact but you must be persistent. For ones that are taking longer to "understand" that you are safe you should hold them a little longer. Keep it up! Be persistent and play with them daily! Nothing will make them become the future urban flock you want more than taking these steps while they are babies. Keep in mind what environment you're raising them in as well. Do you have dogs, cats, kids, other animals and etc. that could potentially cause harm were they able to get access to your baby chicks unguided or unsupervised. I've read quite a lot about loss due to accidents with family pets and from children who don't quite grasp what it means to be delicate and safe with something so tiny. Keep this in mind depending on your household. Be open minded and prepare to learn as you go. You may have losses so try to think about that. You may have to figure out a babysitter for the chicks so you can go to an event overnight. Things like this. Prepare as much as you mentally and physically can, find your online resources or neighborhood resources for help, and buckle up for a ride!

** Special Note **
If you find information that you feel directly conflicts the advice given here then please contact me to let me know. I value the time and effort put into this advice and want to ensure it is accurate and helpful to others.

Traverse City Coop Loop

2010-03-22T09:51:00.000-04:00

Ahem... that's TC Coop Loop for us ultra-modern locals.

So the 1st meeting was a great success for the founding members of Traverse City's own Urban Chicken Coop Tour happening this summer. Soon you'll see me jabbering on about the new website specific to our coop tour but we're still tinkering with that.

Here's the skinny...
There will be a general time at each coop owners home to introduce their flock, check out the coop, ask the Urban Farmer your questions, and etc. Currently we're looking at about a 3 hour tour time but this is flexible. Each coop location will be mapped out for a self-guided tour and everyone is encouraged to bike from location to location. After all, we are all in town basically. But this tour is not exclusive to bike owners. All foot traffic and drivers are more than welcome. All are invited!

Since we're at the beginning stages of planning we're looking to get more urban coop owners involved as well as various local resources to support our cause. This is a great opportunity to see what others are doing, gather ideas for yourself, and start your own urban flock!

Traverse City has graciously given us some very comfortable and relaxed ordinances to operate our urban flocks under and there's no better time to get involved! Stay tuned for more info soon and the announcement of our new website specifically for the coop tour.

Chickens, Ducks and Rabbits Skill Swap

2010-03-15T12:44:00.001-04:00

Where:
Williamsburg Collective
8325 Hawley Rd.
Williamsburg, MI

When:
Sunday, June 6th from 1pm - 5pm

Online:
http://www.artmeetsearth.org/events.html#chicken

Hosted by ISLAND. The Institute for Sustainable Living, Art & Natural Design, an arts and ecology non-profit that hosts a lot of Skill Swaps and other workshops and events.

The workshops include chicken housing, fencing, home made feed, dealing with predators, choosing a variety, and yes... processing your bird into Sunday dinner. All the workshops are choices, with 2-3 workshops during any given time slot.

ISLAND will have more information posted on their site regarding this workshop as we get closer to the date. If you would like to contact ISLAND regarding this event or anything else please check out their friendly website.

My New Stickers

2010-03-09T15:00:00.001-05:00

This first one I came up with a couple of years ago for a completely unrelated purpose to chickens. However now I find it even more appropriate. If you like it I could easily change the street name but I may be opening up myself to a slew of "Can you make me one? Can you make me one? Can you make me one?" I see a potential here...

The second one here is one that the #1 Hen came up with herself. It's a dual-meaning one that's pretty obvious. I like it!

Adorable huh. Ha ha ha!

TC's 1st Tour de Coup Meeting

2010-03-09T13:42:00.000-05:00

Where:
Higher Grounds Trading Company
806 Red Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684

When:
Saturday, March 20, 2010 @ 10am

Come with your creative ideas for our little adventure into Urban Chicken Farming here in Downtown TC! A big thanks to Sarah for heading up the organization, research, and time spent into getting this great idea under way.

TC's Own Tour De Coup

2010-03-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

Calling all fellow TC Urban Chickenites... yeah, that seems like a good word.

Traverse City's own Tour De Coup is being organized and we could use your help! We're looking for any local TC people who've made the venture into urban chicken farming to join in on the tour this summer for what should be a simple, humorous, and educational time.

Have a fancy coup? Building a fancy coup? Have a coop period?

Want to show off the girls? Got a colorful basket of eggs?

Food, good times, humor and chicken talk?

If any of this interests you then join in on the tour. I'm sure that once we have a good game plan of coops that will be on the tour we can interest others in joining along. We're at the initial beginning stages of planning so if you're interested and have some good ideas you can get in on the ground floor. I'm sure we're guaranteed to make the local news/print as well. I mean come on... who doesn't think this is a great idea!

Shoot me an IM or Email. You'll find my contact address over on the right.

A funny thing happened...

2010-02-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

You know that Chicken Busters story I posted a little earlier. Well it must have been providence because low and behold I'm watching Dirty Jobs (Hey Mike!) the other night and what are they profiling on the show, The Miami Chicken Busters!

Wow, talk about coincidence.

I don't want to link the videos directly here but you can browse on over to the Dirty Jobs website and see some of the good stuff they had going on during the show. The part with the baby chicks was hilarious.
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/dirty-jobs-chicken-buster/

Joules Wellington Boots

2010-02-15T09:57:00.000-05:00

So we're downtown this past weekend during the TC Winter Fest (http://www.winterwonderfest.org) enjoying some of the awesome food in the Soup 'r Bowl competition and having some fun with friends when we happen to pass an equestrian clothing store.

I didn't even know we had such a thing downtown and was a little surprised at the fact that there was enough of a need or desire for one and that it would be sustainable in what I'm sure is a difficult time for downtown businesses to stay afoot. Regardless, we're looking in through the windows because my #1 Hen has spotted her some wellies that she's going nuts about. She has a thing for the fashion oriented ones.

For those not in the "know" wellies, or welly, gumboots, rainboots and wellingtons are basically muck boots. Rubber boots, mud boots, etc. They all have some different nick names that are derivatives of where you live. But "true" wellies are from England and are called such because they were popularized by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. That's the history behind the nick name. Of course other boots of this nature with different nick names have their own story to tell.

Well our little downtown shop happens to carry Joules brand wellies which happen to be the stylistic ones with many, many prints. Low and behold what do we see... the Joules wellie chicken print boot.
* insert ray of light and choir music here *

Needless to say not only did they have the right size but they also had them on sale. The #1 Hen was thoroughly pleased with her gift.

Sometimes you see a story...

2010-02-11T15:18:00.000-05:00

From ABC News
By Jeffrey Kofman
Aug. 20, 2007
Primary Link:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3478593&page=1
Alternate Link:
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3478593

Pictures:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/popup?id=3463821

Chasing Chickens in Miami
Immigrant Population's Animals Are Illegally Clucking Throughout Florida Community

Aug. 20, 2007 —

You've got to have a sense of humor if you're going to join Miami's squad of chicken catchers. It may be a serious mission they're on, but inevitably it is filled with comic moments.

Which explains the shirts emblazoned with the words "CHICKEN BUSTERS" that Ozzie Iglesias, Bill Borges and Lester George wear when then are in pursuit of prohibited poultry. Remember the movie "Ghost Busters?" You know& who you gonna call when you see chickens running through the yard? Chicken busters.

Miami likes to, uh, crow that it is the only city in the country with a team of chicken busters. It is a uniquely Miami problem: So many of the people here come from the Caribbean and Latin America where free-ranging chickens are just part of the landscape. It may seem quaint if you are passing through the neighborhood; it's not so charming when the roosters crow incessantly outside your bedroom window every day at sunrise.

"Slow down! Slow down!" said Ozzie to his fellow busters as they prepare for a stealth assault on a dozen roaming chickens outside a Miami seniors' complex. All three are clutching big green fish nets.

"Alright go& in the corner!!"

Suddenly the birds take flight. Who knew that chickens and roosters could fly so high so fast?

"Not a one!" said Ozzie with a dejected look on his face.

'Think Like a Chicken'

At least once a month you'll find Ozzie, a Miami firefighter, and Lester and Bill of code enforcement prowling the boulevards and backyards of Miami in search of roaming chickens.

It is a violation of city bylaws to have chickens in residential areas. "Mostly because of the noise they make," said Bill, "the cackling, pretty much all day long."

Borges asked the Animal Welfare Department -- they oversee the dog catchers -- to help deal with the plague of poultry. But he was told, "We don't do chickens." So he created his own squad borrowing a couple of adventuresome firefighters.

The trio reposition behind some parked cars for a second assault on the unsuspecting chickens.

"Bill get in the middle of the cars, quick!" said Ozzie.

This time the roosters run, heading straight for a small hole in the chain link fence. At times it looks like a Keystone Cops film or one of those cartoons we used to watch as kids when that infamous rabbit eludes his persistent pursuer.

But this time the rooster has nothing to crow about. Lester dashes around the fence and with a deft right hook snags the cackling creature in his net. Lester has him by the feet in one hand as he pursues yet another chicken with the net in his other hand.

"To be a good chicken catcher," said Ozzie, "you've got to think like a chicken. They develop a pattern and they always do the same thing. Once you've been here a few times, you know exactly which way they're going."

On a good day they'll apprehend 60 or 70 chickens. Their quarry is sold to a farm, the proceeds go to local charities. Since they began in April 2003 the chicken busters have captured about 8,000 chickens and raised more than $15,000.

Ozzie turns a corner and motions to his fellow busters. "There's the future right there," he said with a smile as he watches more than a dozen little chicks waddle through the grass as the mother hen tries to lead them to safety.

But their little feet can't propel them fast enough. Amid a cacophony of chirping, Bill, Ozzie and Lester delicately collect 13 chicks and the mother hen.

In the distance another chicken is racing across for the street.

All of which may finally answer that enduring question: Why did the chicken cross the road?

To get away from the chicken busters.

Copyright © 2010 ABC News Internet Ventures

A Little Piece Of Mind

2010-02-02T15:42:00.000-05:00

So, after some recent changes to my previously mentioned plans on ordering my chicks along with a co-worker a fellow Urban Chicken'ite had a situation of her own that took 3 of her flock away. Her hens started crowing, 3 of 'em. Since we only get to have 4 hens total this is a pretty big toll on the flock.

Well we both went in on an order together today and I'm proud to say that this is one part of the journey now taken care of. Our order was as follows:
2 Silver Laced Wyandotte
2 Golden Laced Wyandotte
3 Easter Egger
1 Dominique
2 Australorp

For those of you who amongst the Einstein ranks of mathematicians you'll notice that doesn't add up to 4, that adds up to 10. My fellow enthusiast only needs 3 hens for her flock and I am allowed only 4. Now that leaves 3 who aren't spoken for. Well... that's all part of my way to secure the order of such a small number of baby chicks to my part of the state as well as anything unfortunate that might happen on their journey. I have all aspirations however to have 7 fully healthy baby chicks to raise and when it comes time for the big move from the brooder to the coop I'll find a new home for the 3 who'll be loitering.

Unfortunetely I wasnt able to get my Brahma's with their feathered feet because of their hatch dates being much later in April. That was going to push the hatch and delivery dates too far off for my liking. Bummer. I really wanted those feathered feet!

Right now the plan is for the girls to be hatched on March 29th, 2010!
They'll be shipped immediately and should hit my door within the next 2 or 3 days. Plenty of time left to get that brooder ready and waiting. Pics of that will follow soon. =)

On a side note...
Some of my readers have contacted me recently about local events going on that they're planning. I have returned email to you all if you provided me your address so check your spam filters if you haven't seen a response from me. Feel free to post your comments and thanks!

Alert! Incoming Chickens!

2010-01-26T09:49:00.006-05:00

So the time has finally come... time to order the baby chicks.

Since I'm limited to 4 hens, something that I'm perfectly fine with, I needed a few things out of my new flock. I need them to be hearty in the winter, I need them to be reliable layers but not powerhouse layers, I need them to be docile and with good personalities towards people, and I need them to be somewhat unique.

Thankfully there is a plethora of chickens that fit those personal guidelines perfectly. Nothing wrong with selection and I've certainly had my opportunity to browse though what's available. I have settled on 2 that I keep coming back to that I'm pretty pleased about.

Unfortunately for me I wasn't able to order my new flock online because I only need 4 and the distance to Traverse City from Grand Rapids, apparently where most of the main postal system runs through, was too far and creates a danger in shipping a small quantity. If my order was perhaps 8 chicks or more then that alleviates the issue since they'll have more heat and a considerably higher chance at survival. I can understand this, after all, shipping only 4 tiny live baby chicks can be pretty risky. Even the larger suppliers will let you know that they quite often put a couple of extra baby chicks in with your order because the chance at losing one or more during the process is... well... just something that happens.

Well it just so happens that one of people that works for the same company as me has a rather large chicken farm, well over 100, and that they place their orders each year around this time. She let me know that I could just throw in my tiny little 4 chicken order in with hers and there would be no problem. So that's just what I've done! Woot for us!

My choices are the Golden Laced or Silver Laced Wyandotte and the Buff Brahma Bantam that you see pictured.

I have a few alternative choices in case I'm unable to get either of these two but I don't think it will be a problem at all really. They aren't extremely rare birds and my research shows that they should be readily available.

So the next step is waiting to see when the baby chicks will arrive. It could be a month or so from what I understand and I'm really just riding on the coat tails of my co-worker's order so they'll place it when it's right for them and I'll just ride the wave that they start. Honestly that's perfectly fine by me. We have so much to do. Mentally I'm overly prepared, physically is something that we've got to work on.

My immediate plans are chick housing, food, heat, etc. Because of the weather I still have some time before we can get that coop built. And that's another thing... the coop. I have the plans for my "Playhouse Coop" from Dennis over in Wisconsin which is what I see as my ideal setup but I'm not sure if I'm going to get that in reality. I'm looking at the overall project and wondering what I can take from his absolutely wonderful plans and incorporate it into more of my own DIY project. The problem there is that I'm not a handy-man by any way/shape/form and don't have anything resembling the tools needed for this job.

I'm looking at what I can find, get at lower costs, or remake to build this out and the ideas are still swirling around. I know ultimately with all my research I'll come up with something that fits the bill just nicely but it's just getting there is the tough part. I need to work on this more!

But anywho, once I know more about when the baby chicks arrive, and once I actually get the baby chicks, things will finally start to liven up around here.

Keep scratching around from time to time and you'll find something. =)

Chicken Scratch - The Year In Review

2009-12-22T13:12:00.002-05:00

It's this time of year that everyone likes to create lists of what happened throughout the year. We get the added bonus this year of even more lists to reflect the past decade. What's being referred to as "The Aughts". So where you naughty in the aughties? Grrr, at least Generation X, Y, etc. and the Baby Boomers sounds a hell of a lot cooler than Generation Aught. Maybe... just maybe... the "aught" to do something about that. /facepalm

So, lists, back on track here.
I'll keep things on topic here regarding Urban Chickens and what has happened in brief to Traverse City this past year. At least what is reflected in the public documents that I've been able to collect. Now remember, there are other news sources out there that I've been in contact with and they have done articles also but I'll keep this a little local because there are only so many articles you can read with pun after pun about urban chickens before you loose all the feathers on your head. See what I did there...

06/05/09
http://www.record-eagle.com/archivesearch/local_story_156225644.html
Local Traverse City newspaper, Record Eagle, posts its first article regarding urban chickens and the cities potential of joining Ann Arbor as another leading community to adopt ordinances to allow city residents to keep hens. An estimated 1/2 dozen residents have spoken out publicly in favor of this and Kimberly Dante, a 12th St. neighbor of mine, becomes publicly known through the article as one of the major advocates.
Now, at this point in the game I unfortunately knew nothing about Kimberly and the other residents who had spoken up in favor of this. I truly wish I had. I've been saying for a while how I loved the concept and thought that if done properly, not over regulated and complicated by city politics, this could be quite a nice thing. If I had known I could have helped tip that initial interest group much higher because I would have came out, in force, with friends and local residents, and ready to squish any opposition. Wow, that came off too harshly but you get the idea. I am strongly in favor of this!

08/05/09
http://www.record-eagle.com/archivesearch/local_story_217070636.html
The Record Eagle publishes it's second follow-up article regarding previous public meetings that have been held and 0 negative comments that have been received. Through the article we learn that the city has been investigating what Ann Arbor has done as well as any potential problems that might arise from allowing the keeping of hens within the city. Through the language used in the article you can see that they've done their homework and thanks to the efforts of people like Kimberly they've received additional input to help make the informed decisions needed. The tone you pickup through this one article suggested to me right then that this thing was actually going to happen.

09/03/09
*File Available On Request*
The City of Traverse City publishes an Ordinance Amendment for their upcoming 09/08/09 meeting to allow for the keeping of urban chickens starting 09/18/09. In this amendment we get a little further insight into some of what has happened and learn that back on 08/05/09 they voted 8-0 to approve. That's awesome! We also see that going back earlier into the summer on 06/02/09 our City Attorney was investigating this subject and any legalities involved.

09/18/09
*File Available On Request*
The 1st day Traverse City residents are allowed to keep Urban Chickens!
The cities ordinances allow for 4 hens, no roosters. No permits required and no neighbor consent needed. No outdoor slaughter and their shelter must be at least 25 foot from your neighbors dwelling. Needless to say our rules are pretty relaxed which is a nice thing to see for a change and will only lead to more interest.

11/23/09
*File Available On Request*
Another local paper, The Northern Express, publishes a great article including some of the local players involved and their personal stories. You'll find some quotes from me in there as well. I think this publication got the word out more than the initial 2 Record Eagle articles. The Northern Express is readily available for free all over Northern Michigan and maintains a highly interested and unique reader base. But besides all those good things this article help put a "why" and a face on what is going on if only briefly.

12/22/09
http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_356074239.html
The Record Eagle publishes a "Newsmakers of 2009" article where you know what is listed. This article features Kimberly again and helps continue to put a face onto what we're doing and trying to accomplish.

Looking forward...
Well for me, unlike some people I know (Angela), I have to wait until next Spring to get my chicks. I have decided to go the chick route because not only will they be bonding with me but also with my #1 Hen, Amy, and our little Corgi, Tia. Another reason why I'm going this route is because I don't have my coop built yet! Ahhhh! That's ok though. I've got all the plans and all the ideas and once we have the opportunity next year we'll be all over it.

So, that's my list of reviews on our favorite subject here from this past year. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Learn How to Have a Clean-Smelling Chicken Coop

2009-11-30T15:29:00.004-05:00

This is a great article on one method many are adopting to make your small coop more hospitable regarding the smell while also creating Grade-A compost at the same time. What I hear many say is that you can virtually eliminate any odor using this method but the simple fact that I can only have 4 hens greatly reduces any potential odor anyway. I have had one person flat out tell me that I could come over and shove my head as far into their coop as I wanted with my sniffer wide open and they'd pay me if I smelt anything at all!

Now that's a serious statement!

I give full credit to the writer of the article and it's home.
Lauren Ware
http://smallfarm.about.com/od/farmanimals/a/deeplitter.htm

Chicken Litter Management - Deep Litter Method
Learn How to Have a Clean-Smelling Chicken Coop
By Lauren Ware, About.com Guide

You're ready for your new flock of hens: you have the coop, feeder and waterer and the chicks are on order. But what do you use for litter on the floor of the chicken coop? Pine shavings, hay, straw, or what? How often do you have to clean it out? And, for urban and suburban homesteaders especially, is it going to smell?

The deep litter method is one sustainable method of managing chicken litter in the chicken coop that many small farmers use. In the deep litter method, you're basically forming a compost pile of your chicken's poop right on the floor of the coop. Like a compost pile, you begin with a layer of pine shavings or other organic matter in the "browns" category. The high-nitrogen chicken poop is the "green."

You simply add enough shavings to keep the floor composting nicely, and the chickens do the aeration for you with their scratching behavior. Scattering corn on the coop floor encourages them. The litter has beneficial microbes - think of it as probiotics for your hens.

Once or twice a year or less, you clean the coop out. The resulting material can mostly be used directly as compost, though if you notice a few spots that are fresher than others, you might throw it into the compost bin for a while.

The benefits of the deep litter method are:

It doesn't take a lot of time to manage.
You end up with compost.
The birds get to scratch through the microbes and beneficial culture of the living compost litter material, which is good for them.
It doesn't smell.
It's safe and the birds stay healthy.

Litter Materials

For the deep litter method, pine shavings seem to work well and are inexpensively purchased at your local feed store in bales. If you have a very small coop and limited storage, you can buy smaller bags at pet stores. Be sure not to get cedar shavings, which can be toxic to chickens.

Some small farmers prefer using hay or straw in the coop for litter. I like using hay or straw in the nest boxes, but on the floor it seems to attract and hold too much moisture. Others agree that depending on your individual conditions, hay or straw can be too moist in the coop.

Who Shouldn't Use the Deep Litter Method?

The deep litter method is a sustainable, easy-to-maintain system that works well for flocks with an earthen floor. If you have a wood or other floor, you can still do a variation of the deep litter method, but you'll have to compost the litter when you clean it out before using it, because the earth supplies the moisture and culture to start the composting process.

If you live in an urban or suburban area or have a very small area for your chickens and a small flock, you may want to simply clean the litter down to the floor and do it frequently (anywhere from weekly to monthly depending on your personal situation). This way you won't have to contend with a large amount of litter to dispose of at one time. You can add the litter and poop to your compost bin.

Happy Turkey Day!

2009-11-25T10:04:00.002-05:00

On a completely unrelated turkey note... Here is a video of our little baby girl Tia having some fun with a particular Guinea Fowl that is simply having nothing of it. Obviously we can see who is in charge here and hint... it's not the one scratching the ground afterwords.

Now here's some print to scratch on!

2009-11-23T08:27:00.005-05:00

Today Northern Michigan readers get the joy of looking at our very own Norther Express article on Urban Chickens. Woot!
http://www.northernexpress.com/
Go to Page 12.

I love the pic on the front and it's a pretty good read! Yeah to Angela for the great pic! Go check out her blog!
http://hippieingeeksclothing.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/traverse-city-urban-chickens-finally-get-some-press/
She's one of those fancy get it done people who already have things up and running unlike "yours truly" here who's so picky on a coop that I had to put things off. Ahhhhh.... being compulsive.

For everyone looking for resources and answers I suggest checking out my initial posts back in Sept. regarding the Traverse City rules surrounding Urban Chickens. My links over to the right in "The Scratch" are some extremely resourceful sites as well.

So welcome everyone!

Northern Express Interview

2009-11-17T14:37:00.003-05:00

http://www.northernexpress.com/

So I got a message recently on the blog that one of the writers from the Northern Express wanted to touch base with me about... wait for it... no! you'll never guess. This was a great surprise because the most recent things published in media and print that I can find about Traverse City's Urban Chicken changes were from September. Of course I'm not everywhere at all times so I could have missed an outlet our two but I've sure been scouring hard and cant find anything. I've also been spreading the word online where I can. Can I get a cluck!

So this is great news! Thank you Northern Express for publishing (at some point soon I hope) what I'm sure will be a great article on all of the various reasons those of us have chosen to strut a slightly different path. Strut... see what I did there.

Thankfully I get copies of the Northern Express weekly where I work and already read it as one of my favorite publications on print. I don't know when the article will come out but I hope it will be soon. I'll certainly grab a number of copies for myself and look forward to retaining the leftover pages for cage dropping for my little chicks. Possibly a nice section on state politics.

But all kidding aside this is a great publication that everyone in the area should already be familiar with. I want to thank Noah for contacting me and I know already that his article will be great because he's spoken with many of the others in our community and between everything that we've all filled his ear with you know it's got to be an interesting read.

On a side note, I found it funny to find out that there are at least 3 other people around me that he spoke with for his article. Way to go 11th and 12th Street residents!

Shhh... Shhh... It's oh so quiet

2009-11-10T15:49:00.002-05:00

Things have been pretty dormant in my own little "chicken" related world lately. The #1 Hen has a builder that I'm trying to touch base with to go over my playhouse coop plans and make some modifications for us. I'm hoping that he'll take a look at the plans and give us the "no brainer" sort of response. Since I'm not the DIY Woodworking Guy I'm at his disposal.

Thankfully he's already done work for us in the past which is quite amazing so I have no doubt he'll be able to pull a big win for us again. For now I must remain jealous of my other fellow Traverse City neighbors who've been able to make the jump into Urban Chicken farming already. You can see the blog of one such fellow farmer by following "Notes From a Country Girl Living in the City" in The Run over on the right hand side of the blog.

You can also IM me now at tcbokbok_roo@live.com. Look forward to chatting with you!

The "Soon to be" Coop

2009-10-12T16:05:00.002-04:00

Well here it is! My coop!
Actually not really... at least not yet.

This is the coop design I've decided on going with. It's called the "Playhouse Coop" and is designed by Mr. Dennis Harrison-Noonan.
http://playhousecoop.blogspot.com/
and also
http://www.isthmushandyman.com/

What you're looking at is a 4x8 sleek and trimmed design of a coop that I've had bits and pieces of rolling around in my head for some time. Dennis just happened to have the building skills to put them all together and come up with this rather lovely design. Now thankfully all those bits and pieces in my head can rest because someone else came up with a solution!

These coops also come in a larger 8x8 and smaller 4x6 variety but I felt the 4x8 was the right fit for us and our "soon to be" 4 hens. We're going to use Dennis' designs for the coop and have a builder friend of ours construct it as soon as possible next year when the snow starts to leave and the ground is workable enough. Granted, with this particular design you could have the entire thing built indoor and moved to the site relatively easy and that's what our builder buddy might just do.

There are a few videos out on YouTube as well that Dennis has posted giving you a nice overview of the outside and inside of this particular coop design. Search for "Playhouse Coop". The great thing is that its simplicity gives you all the options in the world if you want to modify it to suit your needs a little more.

There are many in the Urban Chicken communities who like this style coop as well and some have gone as far as duplicating it by eyesight alone based on the pics and the videos. I myself appreciate the time he's put into this project and happily paid the $35 he asks for the design package. He is very pleasant to work with and immediately gives me that "great neighbor you wish you had" kind of vibe.

So, that's the gist of what the coop will be. Of course I'm cursed by having to wait till next year to actually have it built but who knows... maybe my building buddy needs a winter project in his vast storage and building spaces he has.

Definitely more to come on this one...

The Big Roo and his #1 Hen

2009-10-06T10:15:00.011-04:00

Here we are just about 1 month ago at the GarLyn Zoo in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Not a long drive from our home town of Traverse City at all. I have to tell you that this is by far one of the most amazing zoo's I'd ever been to. There was more of a farm like feel to GarLyn than your standard zoo. There were lots of small animals like chickens, guinea fowl, ducks, etc. that were free to roam around.

http://www.garlynzoo.com/

The environment for all the animals was very friendly and very rustic like. The fees were cheap and you could revisit many of the areas over and over because of the ongoing activity that the animals would create. You just had the sense of being at a big farm with a wider variety of animals than you'd ever expect. True surprising and truly a hidden treasure! I highly suggest it!

On a more "chicken oriented" side to things we saw many different types of chickens while there and got a ton of greats pics. Here are a couple of our favorites. Gotta love those feathered feet!

Attention News Outlets

2009-09-30T15:22:00.002-04:00

I'd like to extend an open invitation to all news media outlets that follow urban chicken rulings around the country to review the information I have posted for followup news stories or to update your own sites.

I can find quite a lot of websites and news organization sites that have articles regarding Traverse City, MI but my efforts to contact those organizations are often met with a lack of a good contact source. Thankfully some have found me and some I've been able to reach for followup stories to let everyone know TC is Urban Chicken Approved!

Please feel free to pass the word, blog about it, contact me, whatever. Thanks for scratching around. =)

OMG at the chicks!

2009-09-23T15:33:00.005-04:00

So I've found some new chick friends today and added some new links to "The Run". Also found another fellow Traverse City Chicken Farmer. What do we call ourselves anyway?

I highly suggest checking out "Three Chicks A Day" which is very addictive and gives you a full day by day look at 3 chickens from little fluffy balls of dander up through 2 whole months of growth. Very cute!
http://3chixaday.blogspot.com/ will take you to the full blog.

http://3chixaday.blogspot.com/2009/04/just-arrived.html will take you to day 1.

This weekend we take our first serious look at transforming a portion of our spare garage into the coop and checking out materials. Since the coup will be inside an existing structure I get the benefit of not have quite as much to build but I'm not exactly Mr. Handyman when it comes to this stuff. My wife Amy is a Kitchen Designer and I believe her expertise will go quite a long way. I just have to find a happy OCD way to get the ideas in my head put into an actual structure.

Found out a local lumber yard gives away free pallets so I'm thinking I can get a chunk of wood that I'll need for free! All the materials for the outside run will have to be bought though because I want it done right and want it properly treated and etc.

I wonder how my Corgi, Tia, is going to react to all of this when we get into full swing? I'm also a bit curious what time of the year I should get my baby chicks considering our long winters and the fact that they'd still be babies (in a sense) going into the winter. I'd love to have em right now since I have about a 2 month window from chick pen to coop house but I don't know. Suggestions?

I'm going to pop over to our friends at Back Yard Chickens and see what their very friendly ideas are on the subject. You can find me there under TC_BokBok also.

And so it begins...

2009-09-18T14:46:00.001-04:00

TRAVERSE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES
ORDINANCE AMENDMENT NO. 845
Effective date: September 18, 2009

http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/code/amendments/845.pdf

Tomorrow is the day for Traverse City!

2009-09-17T12:04:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, Sept. the 18th, is the first day Traverse City residents are allowed to own and raise chickens!

Yes!

Look at those feet. Don't ya love it!

A brief history...

2009-09-10T12:00:00.003-04:00

June 05, 2009
http://www.record-eagle.com/archivesearch/local_story_156225644.html
Article: Chickens coming home to roost in TC?

July 01, 2009
City Attourney, Karrie A. Zeits, references a June 02, 2009 memo to Russ Soyring, City Planner, regarding the law on this subject and provides some insight from a District Court Judge as well as what has happened in another Michigan District Court on the subject. The Right to Farm Act is referenced.

August 05, 2009
http://www.record-eagle.com/archivesearch/local_story_217070636.html
Article: Commission to consider chicken amendment.

August 07, 2009
City Planner, Russ Soyring, sends a memorandum to City Manager R. Ben Bifoss recommending on an 8-0 approval vote for an amendment to allow the keeping of chickens within the city under certain regulations.

September 08, 2009
City of Traverse City Commision Agendas
http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/agendas/packet20090908.pdf
Pages 80-84 Re: Ordinance Amendment - To Allow The Keeping Of Chickens
The City of Traverse City officially approves the keeping of chickens within the city after four separate public meetings and notice of solicitation for public comment. All public comment received was in favor of the amendment.

September 18, 2009
First day residents are allowed to keep urban chickens with Traverse City, MI!