Backyard Chickens — Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara

Chicken Field Trip

August 30, 2010 By Judy

The garden is history.

There’s one jalapeno pepper plant left and it’s loaded. On the average, I use one pepper a day when cooking so I doubt I use all the peppers on this one plant before a frost gets it. That’s my optimistic view of hoping winter gets here soon! Seriously, that little plant probably has close to 100 peppers on it.

In the evenings, we let the chickens in the old garden spot and they have a ball. They find tomatoes and weeds. The ground is soft and they can scratch and dig.

Here’s Ruby asking me if they can camp out in the garden spot tonight! No way girl! Do you know how many critters would love a fresh chicken dinner? All chickens get safely locked inside the coop at night!

They do love going in the garden but they’re always happy to go back to their run. That’s home to them and as we all know, it’s fun to visit exciting places but there’s no place like home!

Tagged Backyard Chickens Filed Under Home & Garden 17 Comments

A Man and a Chicken

August 20, 2010 By Judy

Chad likes the chickens ok. He doesn’t love them like I do. He’s very nice and kind to them . . he’s kind to most everything and everyone. He’s been noticing that our Easter Eggers are so shy. We have three of those and six Red Stars. The Red Stars are so outgoing and friendly, it’s really easy for the Easter Eggers to sit in the background and be left alone.

Chad decided he was going to get one of the Easter Eggers out and hold her. The only reason they’re hard to catch is because there’s the one door where we can reach in and get them and there’s always six Red Stars waiting to be held and the Easter Eggers are way in the back . . only so many front row seats in the coop.

Chad tried opening the egg door but the Red Stars kept jumping out so that trick didn’t work. He finally got the Red Stars distracted enough that one of the Easter Eggers got to the front door and Chad grabbed her.

I’d told him he’d never catch one. This looks is . . I told you I’d do it!

She wasn’t difficult to deal with but she’s not as comfortable being held as the Red Stars are.

Chad took her to see where the bees had been. She wasn’t impressed.

He took her to see Vince, who was dressed in his usual attire while out watering the fruit trees. She wasn’t real impressed with that either.

Then he took her back to her home, where she’s comfortable. Look at her feet! She was ready to get down!

Then he stopped to inspect our milo crop. Bugs! Maybe aphids! I knew we should’ve gotten crop insurance! We have 4 milo plants growing. That’s what we give the chickens for treats and anything that doesn’t get eaten . . sprouts and grows. Or . . maybe it was eaten and came out . . oh, let’s not even think about that!

Tagged Backyard Chickens, Chad, milo Filed Under Home & Garden 7 Comments

Egg Recall

August 19, 2010 By Judy

Everyone checking their eggs to be sure they’re safe? The only reason I even know about the big egg recall is because . . well, I heard it from a noisy chicken who was telling me how happy I should be with the huge, fresh eggs that are left for me each day. Thank you, Ruby and your sisters.

Tagged Backyard Chickens Filed Under Home & Garden 8 Comments

A Big One and a Little One

July 16, 2010 By Judy

Here’s my egg basket. Those chickens fill it up faster than I can use or give away the eggs.

Notice there’s a giant egg and a tiny little egg right next to each other? Here the are by themselves.

The big egg weighed almost 4 ounces. That’s huge for an egg. Large eggs usually weight about 2.7 or 2.8 ounces. I didn’t weigh the little egg but it’s tiny! I know what they’re called .. don’t say it!

Here they are cracked in a bowl . .

Big difference, huh? The little egg just wasn’t right. The yolk wasn’t formed very well. I dumped it .. all that work for nothing. Sorry whichever chicken laid that egg.