The Stone Egg Experiment - Part 1

This is a stone egg. It really is a rock. If you get it wet it looks like it glows. It used to be one of those things you buy as a kid because it's cool. Now it's in the hen house.

Why is it in the hen house?

Let me put my teeth in and I'll tell you a story from my childhood....

*insert sloppy denture insertion noises*

Back when I was knee high to a grasshopper and bread was... probably less than a dollar. I wasn't the one buying the bread so I have no idea how much it was. It was just always on the counter and I was aloud to eat it.

Anyway. We had chickens. And I remember someone, who was taller than me which means they were older, said to put a round drawer knob in the nesting box to stimulate their laying instincts. Well I don't have anything with a round knob, but I found this stone egg in a random place. So I put in the nesting box. We will see how it goes.

Piles of Hay!

There isn't a whole lot to say about this one. In the picture you can see my "hay" pile, composter, and chicken hut. I can even spot a chicken. I say "hay" because it's really just long grass that M bush-hogged for me because my little electric lawn mower couldn't make it through it. But isn't hay really just cut grass anyway?

I started using the "hay" right around the chicken hut because it was handy and I hadn't found what I thought was supposed to go in the hut and laying boxes and didn't think Henrietta would appreciate a bare floor. Then I realized the cut grass = hay thing and tada! hay pile!

Now to hope the grass grows a bit taller before it dies for the season, hope M fixes his tractor or get Dad to bring his over, and collect the grass. It doesn't get much better than that!

Roosters, Hens, and Eggs!

 

Henrietta is finally comfortable and relaxed and has started laying! Her eggs are large in size and a lovely sea green color. 

The two hens that have just recently joined my little flock lay small-medium sized brown eggs. 

All in all everyone is getting along and I haven't needed to buy eggs in almost 2 weeks!

Bug Patrol - Meet the Flock

As of last Sunday I had a flock of 4 chickens. As of yesterday I have a flock of 2 chickens. My two mix breed pullets (to big to be a chick to small to be a chicken. It's the actual term.) Tom and Dick, have disappeared. I am unclear as to whether they got taken by something as we have alot of hawks, or if they found a hole they could get through and ran away to be eaten by something. Either way until the third Sunday of September, the date of the next Swap Meet and my next opportunity to get more chickens, I have just two.

Without further ado meet Henrietta and her boyfriend Steve.
Henrietta ^
Steve ^

Henrietta and Steve are Ameraucana chickens. When Henrietta settles in and begins laying her eggs should be a blue/green color.

The Ameraucana was developed in the 70's by a few people who were trying to standardize the Araucana breed. The Ameraucana is easier to breed as there are no complications due to lethal genes. *Quoted from backyardchickens.com

This is my little chicken coop. Big enough for 4 chickens and I painted it green.

Busy hunting bugs. I'm not sure if it's normal for chickens to go to bed at 630 pm and wake at 0430 but that seems to be their pattern. Steve is very prompt about waking the entire state up at 0430. But he doesn't stop there. He pays tribute to the sun for as long as the sun is in the sky.