BCChickens1
Photo credit: Tracy Halladay
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Chicken Behavior
I love sitting in the backyard watching my hens go around, doing what they do. A storm came in this afternoon and the girls went to their favorite spot under the lilacs to keep out of the rain. They go to this spot for shade and for protection when something menacing is flying around overhead.
My wife got me a nice Adirondack chair for Christmas a while back. I find watching the hens in the backyard quite relaxing. Usually when I sit in that chair, they expect treats and are quick to come visit me and see what I have for them, usually an old piece of bread or handful of scratch.
Shortly after we got hens, I found them in my wife's flower garden doing something that surprised me. They were digging holes and rolling around in them...I thought they were insane. I seriously thought something was wrong with them. Well, I found out this is completely normal. Maybe it is part of why some people consider them 'dirty'. the interesting thing is, as they roll around in dirt, it is called a dust bath and actually cleans them and keeps mites and bugs from living on them.
Another interesting thing to observe with chickens is the pecking order. My oldest hen is quite the mother although none of them are her young. If she gets something particularly yummy to eat, she'll pick it up, set it down, cluck a few times, pick it up, put it down and cluck a few times and will keep doing that until the others come over to check it out. She'll usually at that point leave it for one of the other hens to eat.
In the pecking order, someone has to be on bottom, it has been whatever hen I added last. Now I know adding one hen to an existing flock is difficult and sometimes dangerous as you upset that order. There are some ways to minimize the effects of that. I'm happy to say, just this week, the hen that was added last is now accepted on the roost with all the other girls. This is a good thing!
I learned something about their behavior when they lay eggs as well. Often when they are done laying eggs you will hear clucking. I always wondered what that was all about. I thought perhaps it was that they were happy that they laid or perhaps it was painful (an egg is large in proportion to body size)! I read somewhere that it is a way for a hen who spent the last hour on a nest to reassociate with the flock. Think of it this way, out in nature, the flock wanders around together eating and one of the hens sits down under a bush to lay an egg. The flock just doesn't sit and wait for her, they keep moving around. But they are social creatures and travel for the most part together. When the laying hen is done, she needs to communicate (sometimes loudly) to the rest of the flock so they can get back together.
As you just sit and watch them, you'll be surprised at the social nature of these birds and their characteristics. I have a mixed flock of 2 Rhode Island Reds, 1 Leghorn, 1 black orpington, 1 Ameracauna and 1 Polish. I like the variety. I find the characteristics and personalities of each breed fascinating as well.
My wife got me a nice Adirondack chair for Christmas a while back. I find watching the hens in the backyard quite relaxing. Usually when I sit in that chair, they expect treats and are quick to come visit me and see what I have for them, usually an old piece of bread or handful of scratch.
Shortly after we got hens, I found them in my wife's flower garden doing something that surprised me. They were digging holes and rolling around in them...I thought they were insane. I seriously thought something was wrong with them. Well, I found out this is completely normal. Maybe it is part of why some people consider them 'dirty'. the interesting thing is, as they roll around in dirt, it is called a dust bath and actually cleans them and keeps mites and bugs from living on them.
Another interesting thing to observe with chickens is the pecking order. My oldest hen is quite the mother although none of them are her young. If she gets something particularly yummy to eat, she'll pick it up, set it down, cluck a few times, pick it up, put it down and cluck a few times and will keep doing that until the others come over to check it out. She'll usually at that point leave it for one of the other hens to eat.
In the pecking order, someone has to be on bottom, it has been whatever hen I added last. Now I know adding one hen to an existing flock is difficult and sometimes dangerous as you upset that order. There are some ways to minimize the effects of that. I'm happy to say, just this week, the hen that was added last is now accepted on the roost with all the other girls. This is a good thing!
I learned something about their behavior when they lay eggs as well. Often when they are done laying eggs you will hear clucking. I always wondered what that was all about. I thought perhaps it was that they were happy that they laid or perhaps it was painful (an egg is large in proportion to body size)! I read somewhere that it is a way for a hen who spent the last hour on a nest to reassociate with the flock. Think of it this way, out in nature, the flock wanders around together eating and one of the hens sits down under a bush to lay an egg. The flock just doesn't sit and wait for her, they keep moving around. But they are social creatures and travel for the most part together. When the laying hen is done, she needs to communicate (sometimes loudly) to the rest of the flock so they can get back together.
As you just sit and watch them, you'll be surprised at the social nature of these birds and their characteristics. I have a mixed flock of 2 Rhode Island Reds, 1 Leghorn, 1 black orpington, 1 Ameracauna and 1 Polish. I like the variety. I find the characteristics and personalities of each breed fascinating as well.
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| Sam-I-Am (green egg laying Ameracauna) |
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| Henrietta (Leghorn) |
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| Rosie (Rhode Island Red/Mother hen of the flock) |
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Fly Tying
My son likes to fly fish, he has tied his own flies for several years. There is a growing trend among beauty shops of weaving feathers in to hair... This has taken a dramatic hit on the feather industry which has traditionally supplied fly tying supply shops. As the feathers are selling to the beauty shops for more money, fly tyers are finding their shops are short on feathers. This has ruffled some feathers by sportsmen (pun intended).
Anyway, I thought I would share this with you just for fun...
http://www.moldychum.com/home-old/2011/5/25/this-hair-fly-feather-thing-has-officially-gone-too-far.html
Anyway, I thought I would share this with you just for fun...
http://www.moldychum.com/home-old/2011/5/25/this-hair-fly-feather-thing-has-officially-gone-too-far.html
Just so you know that I'm not making this up:
It looks like the newly approved ordinance made front page of the Box Elder News Journal!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Put On Your Party Hats!
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| http://www.nataliedee.com/062907/ |
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| http://www.bierboothaus.com/product/60217/Plush-Oktoberfest-Chicken-Hat.html |
Its official! Brigham City now allows residential chickens! City Planner, Mark Bradley says, "The Council approved the ordinance to allow chickens. We have prepared the application for the permit. It has not been posted on the web site yet. A copy can be picked up here at the office." Check the city's website in the future for the official code so you know what is required!
Mr. Bradley has supplied me with a PDF document that contains the permit application, the city ordinance and various articles giving helpful information for the chicken owner. Click here to download the packet.
Mr. Bradley has supplied me with a PDF document that contains the permit application, the city ordinance and various articles giving helpful information for the chicken owner. Click here to download the packet.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
City Council Meeting Thursday 5/19/2011
Mark Bradley, Brigham City Planner will go before the commission to discuss amendments to the city code allowing residential chickens Thursday night 5/19. The agenda is available for viewing/download here. The meeting starts at 7pm, per the agenda, the chicken ordinance will be discussed approximately 7:55...keep in mind that is just a guide and it can be earlier or later. Below is the specific items as listed in the agenda:
7:55 1. Amendment to the following Titles and Chapters in the City Code to Allow "Keeping of Residential Chickens:"
• Title 29 Zoning, Chapter 29.12 Residential and Multiple Residential Districts to Include "Keeping of Residential Chickens"
• Title 29 Zoning, Chapter 29.05 Supplementary and Qualifying Regulations to Include Regulations Governing the Keeping of Residential Chickens, and Title 4 Animals and Fowl, Chapter 4.03 Licensure and Regulatory Permits to Reference "Keeping of Residential Chickens -Mark Bradley
I'm hoping when the items are presented and discussed it can go for a final vote and become official.
7:55 1. Amendment to the following Titles and Chapters in the City Code to Allow "Keeping of Residential Chickens:"
• Title 29 Zoning, Chapter 29.12 Residential and Multiple Residential Districts to Include "Keeping of Residential Chickens"
• Title 29 Zoning, Chapter 29.05 Supplementary and Qualifying Regulations to Include Regulations Governing the Keeping of Residential Chickens, and Title 4 Animals and Fowl, Chapter 4.03 Licensure and Regulatory Permits to Reference "Keeping of Residential Chickens -Mark Bradley
I'm hoping when the items are presented and discussed it can go for a final vote and become official.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Salt Lake Screening of "Mad City Chickens"
As part of Chicken Week at Wasatch Community Gardens, "Mad City Chickens" will be shown in Salt Lake City at the Tower Theater (876 East 900 South) at 7pm on June 20. I would like to see a screening here in Brigham city after the ordinance passes successfully as well...maybe at the theater at the Bear River Bird Refuge...I haven't discussed it with them but it would be a great venue!
Below is an article from the most recent issue of Hobby Farms 'Chickens!' Magazine, here is a link as well:
http://blog.tarazod.com/2011/05/articlereview-of-our-film-in-hobby.html
Below is an article from the most recent issue of Hobby Farms 'Chickens!' Magazine, here is a link as well:
http://blog.tarazod.com/2011/05/articlereview-of-our-film-in-hobby.html
(Click on image of article to view original size)
Here are some youtube links of trailers for the film:
Clarification on Ordinance Approval
My appologies about my last post. I spoke with Mark Bradley the Brigham City Planner about the minutes from that city council meeting. He clarified what happened. The 3-1 approval was to proceed with finishing the ordinance and have him come back for city council approval. This will probably happen later this month (May). Mr. Bradley will need to put the finishing touches on the ordinance and develop the registration form. He felt it should pass with majority commission approval.
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