Chicken Chat

Write about now...I'm calming my feathered friends down.

Seems I'm not the only one who loves chickens. Not only do I have to keep a watchful eye on my German Shepherd, who gobbled up the neighbor's baby chicks like he was at a popcorn chicken buffet, but I also have a hawk who seems to be checking out his next meal.

Six months ago I wouldn't have imagined I'd be in the beginning stages of chicken-izing my life. At the time I was doing good to tend to a husband, two kids, 2 dogs, several withered house plants, and an insect-infested organic garden. Why, oh why, would I even want to add more chaos to my overflowing plate of responsibilities? I blame my Dad, the rising cost of eggs from factory chickens, and the small spark of desire to learn how to live off of the land and not Monsanto-infected food.

The latter two reasons are self-explanatory. I'll just jump on my soap box for a smidge of a moment to say that I'm so tired of MSG, high fructose corn syrup, and hormones in food. The reason why girls under 10 are hitting puberty early is the hormones in our food. It's in milk, meat, and eggs, just to name a few. A gallon of good quality milk is over $5!! Fresh eggs from chickens that aren't caged and are allowed to roam is over $4!! Why are we settling for our government to feed us genetically modified (GMO) food when we can teach ourselves the basics and live healthier lives?

OK, I'm stepping down....for now.

As for Dad, push him closer to the cusp of retirement and he gets itchy with boredom. He hunts, fishes, gardens, and manages to work 3-4 days a week. He's a busy-body. And since he has a daughter who "doesn't work" and has "nothing to do" he graciously includes me in his endeavors to find something to get into. And since I have stalls in my barn that are "perfect for chickens" I am now the proud owner of one rooster (Colonel Sanders) and three of his lady friends (Henny, Penny, and Ginger). Just recently I learned that the Colonel has needs that surpass the company of his three girls. He needs a diverse selection of feathered females. So I'm in the process of hunting down some girls to meet his Marvin Gaye/Barry White needs. Jerk!

Meanwhile I have winterized their Plaza Hotel abode. I have stapled plastic over drafty areas, thrown down the finest selection of pine wood chips, and installed a little ambient light for these nights of early sunsets. boom chicka bow wow (The light also helps them lay more eggs for their caretaker) I have it bad for these guys I mean girls and one guy.

Now about this hawk. I could put the chihuahua in the coop to protect them and hope the hawk doesn't snag the dog. Would I be willing to sacrifice the dog for the birds?

The jury may be out for a while on this decision.