Our Hens

Hi everybody,

Although it feels like just yesterday Carl, Jemel, Nell and I were packing unfamiliar chickens into plastic boxes, or that we really appreciated them for the first time as they shook off their wet feathers, or that we all sat in the fireside lounge excitedly claiming feeding-schedules, it has actually been well over a month now that we have had our feathered friends. The scent of jasmine at the farm reminds us that time and weather are changing, as do the ever-increasing vertical leaps of the chick-o's.

I think it's not a bad time to ask ourselves how we feel about the chickens, the coop, and the Order. We are not dealing with the same shy hens anymore, that's for sure. Since we've been free-ranging them, they crowd the door when you approach and try to scoot past the entering caretaker - and how they've gotten noisy! Nor are they shy in the nest-boxes; in one instance I saw four eggs in a box and once I saw five. Paula still acts like an outcast bitch-maverick.

The coop is looking and feeling more and more like a home. The tree inside is budding, the jasmine blossoming, and curious projects sprouting all around the run. A beautiful, eccentric and flattened hen welcomes visitors. The poopie-hay is a reminder, if not for everyone than to me at least, that I have no idea what the processing of composting actually involves.

And we are living with the chickens. Free-ranging them, naming them, listening to them; but also they are scurrying around us, learning us, clucking at us. I'm glad we have such an energy.

All in all we need to touch base. Since I've written this post (I'm editing it now) a chicken has disappeared. Maybe this was beyond our control, I don't know, but I want to be sure of it - we can't let it happen again!

Cleaning Day

Upcoming Meeting and Homemade Pasta

This Sunday at 12:30 pm we'll have our second weekly meeting. We're changing the time so that people can sleep more and so that Marky can come. Please attend or let us know that you can't attend (the only person I know who can't attend is Jason who has an OTL trip this weekend). I don't think there's a lot of poop to be cleaned. More importantly, we should talk about things! including:

1. who will be sucking off whom to get this fucking budget thing over with (optional)
2. more happily, things to be done like making a sign
3. or getting in touch with the farm crew

it will be a chance to see everyone's smiley faces.

Now here are other things to consider:

1. Lucy is in town. For those of you who don't know Lucy, she is my Mother. I have been saving eggs (in total: six!) so that my mother and I can make home-made pasta together. We will be cooking this Saturday evening at Nell's house. Nell, Lucy and I would like to invite you all to come! I think my mother is very nice and she grew up in Italy so if the pasta isn't good, then Frank dining hall has eaten your brain. I encourage anyone who wants to come to bring or cook something, but please do not feel required to do so.

She lives at 8936 Camulos Drive in Montclair. Directions: Take Claremont Avenue south until you hit Arrow Highway and take this road east (that means make a left). Camulos Drive is the first block on your right. Her house is on the right side and has a dilapidated camper in the driveway. This journey is walk-able and moreover bike-able. If you're coming just shoot me an e-mail so we know whom to expect; come at dinner time 6ish. If you're lost/confused/scared call me 551-427-3131.

feed quantity

yesterday morning at 8:00 a.m. jason and i filled the bowl 2/3 full and threw two extra cupfulls on the ground. i threw in a couple handfulls of green weeds. in the evening when i let them back in the coop, there was a thin layer of feed on the bottom of the bowl, so i think that is about the right quantity (though as I think we have discovered, there is no "too much" for chickens).

eggs

What was the egg production in the first week like?

I personally found 3. Carl got one, Derek got one, and I got one.

I also found 2-3 eggabalized eggs.

jason

Weekly Meeting

I think we are all indebted to Jemel for having started this blog; Jemel thank you. But can we change the color scheme/look of this blog out of puke green? Let's get some photos up.

OK so here's what we decided and did at the weekly meeting:

Chris, Jemel, Tia and James cleaned out the shit-smeared hay and left it in the wheelbarrow next to the chicken run. We'll have to find a spot where we can compost this hay weekly. Does anybody have any ideas? We would like for those people working in Farms and Gardens to work something out with Juan. Furthermore, I don't know anything about composting chicken shit, there might be some extra steps to be taken along the way. It would be great if the Farms and Gardens group could figure that out.

There was only four of us at the meeting. Some people were on field trips, some at religious services, and some people I can't account for. I was thinking that we should change the time of our weekly meeting. How does Sunday at 12:30 work for people? My reasoning is this: Marky has religious services in the morning so we shouldn't conflict with that; furthermore I'm guessing we would have higher weekly attendance if the regular time was a little later. Please comment on this message and tell us what you think about 12:30. If it doesn't work we'll just keep it at 10:15 - either way, we need everyone to attend who can. There's plenty to discuss about the chickens all the time!

Naming

I have found a pretty good way to differentiate chickens so we can start naming them. I will try to describe this later and we can start going for it. We have named 2-5 of them. Mt. Baldy, Hind, Floppy Cock, Gimpy and Paul (paullette) Ort are all out there. We should make sure that everyone is down though before these are codified.

Blog Up

The chicken blog is up.