Day 10 - Refuge for Chicken "Princess"

Guest chicken "princess"

Is it coincidence that last night a chicken came to our house? And this morning she came back? Tom trapped her in our fenced area, which is the future area for chickens (if we should get any). He walked heroically in the bedroom this morning and announced: "Well you wanted chickens, I got you a chicken." We gave her peaches from a can and some water. She ate the peaches, but didn't care for them much. You should have seen her when I gave her some grains. Holy Moly! She almost had a smile on her face. Now I build her a temporarily coop, with the old lattice from our porch railing (which is to be sold any day), an old laundry basket filled with grass. I am hoping she will reward us with some delicious eggs. I don't know who's chicken it is, but Tom mentioned that there is a family in the neighborhood who has some chickens. I will check with them this afternoon.But watching this cute chicken, eating, walking around and just being a chicken...makes me really think that we can give chickens a good life. And I am going to build a coop soon and maybe all that has some effects on Tom and he will change his mind after all. While watching her (a.k.a Princess - I named her Princess) I am realizing that it can't be so hard, plus grains are not so expensive either. She loves the grains I gave her, they are organic and meant for bread but hey...I don't mind sharing...how about some eggs Princess?

Last night I picked up some books from the library and one of them is called The Homesteading Handbook - Back to Basic Guide and the other book was on raising chickens called Chick Days. I can't believe the coincidence, now I can start reading the books while I am having a chicken running around in the backyard. 

Today I am at home sick, I woke up this morning with a bad headache, congested, aching neck. I will use the time wisely and read up on all the great new things I generally don't have time for. I am planning to visit my first organic restaurant this weekend and get some serious baking done. I also want to learn how to make soups. I got some great soup books from the library at home and I will make tons of them and possibly freeze them (if they turn out to be good). I also want to bake some cookies for my schatzies and bread for the family. My friend Diana, baked the most delicious bread last week, which gives me hope that baking can't be this hard. I hope that I will feel better tomorrow and able to enjoy the weekend since the weather is going to be so gorgeous. I am going to update today's blog a little later in the day with WISDOM OF THE DAY and more other interesting stuff....stay tuned!


Part II -
It is just about 6 p.m. and I am feeling so much better. I actually felt better much earlier and built a chicken coop. Princess hung out with me in the unfenced yard and watched me building it and fell asleep. I am surprised that she doesn't want to run away she just hangs out with me. I built her a temp coop and hope that one day we will get chicken and I can make this coop a little bit better. She even went inside couple of times but I think a coop is supposed to be a little higher. Most of the wood I used, was left over from our new porch - no need to buy anything.

Here is the unfinished coop

And here is Princess and her temp coop.

WISDOM OF THE DAY

 Since we are a host family to a chicken I thought to provide some interesting chicken facts:

A hen can live up to 20 years. She will lay eggs her entire life, with the number decreasing every year from year one. Chickens lay different colored eggs, from white, to brown, to green, to pink, to blue. The color of a hen's first egg is the color she will lay for life. It takes a hen 24-26 hours to lay an egg.

A chicken finds it very important to have a private nest. She builds her nest by first scratching a hole in the ground.  She will then pick up twigs and leaves, which she will drop on her back. Back in the hole she will let the material slide off her back around the rim.

 

Chickens are very social animals. They will fight to protect their family and will mourn when a loved one is lost. There are more chicken than people in the world.