Archive for April, 2012
21
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Weird chicken stuff. Tagged: ancient, archaeology, Israel, toy. Leave a comment
Ah, the ubiquitous chicken. Found on nearly every continent, except for the largely inhospitable landmasses, which are more prone to housing penguins.
In addition to being a big fan of chickens, I’m also an avid traveler. I love the art and culture of other countries. So when I or my friends travel, one of the missions is to locate a chicken, shadowbox size, done by a local artisan, in a style that is particular to that region.
Here is an unusual find of that nature that combines three of my interests: chickens, local artisans, and archaeology. It’s a chicken pull-toy from an archaeological site in Israel.
18
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care. Tagged: chicks, class, eggs, embryology, incubate, project. Leave a comment
For those teachers out there who are weighing the pros and cons of an embryology unit, here is a thoughtful post on incubation.
Also check out my post about how I got started with chickens. An embryology project kicked off my love of chickens, and we did the “window on a chick” thing – cutting an opening in the eggshell to see it develop. This chick died, which made me very sad. If you choose to go the hatching route, you can see the blood vessel networking forming, the heart beating, and the chick developing with effective candling! No need for egg windows!
17
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Coops. Tagged: automate, automatic, chicken, coop, door, open, timer. Leave a comment
Here is an automated coop door design from a family in the UK that rescue battery-cage hens.
Enjoy!
17
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Laws, Urban agriculture. Tagged: chicken, city, hen, issue, keep, problem, United States. 2 comments
In February of 2010, students of Dr. Hugh Bartling at DePaul University conducted a survey of more than 20 U.S. municipalities that allow chickens. The survey focused on how the laws were implemented and the issues that arose. Read the original report here.
17
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Laws, Urban agriculture. Tagged: backyard, chicken, city, code, hen, Iowa, law, legal, ordinance. Leave a comment
I got a call yesterday from the University of Iowa and spoke to a reporter who documented the Iowa City chicken-keeping efforts in this article, published online today (4/17/2012).
This movement was seeded by a former chicken keeper from Albuquerque who wanted backyard hens at her new home.
“Everyone comes to the table with different reasons [for urban chicken keeping],” said LaBadie, who organized several chicken-keeping groups in Albuquerque. “… But it’s not like it’s a brand-new thing. They’re allowed in New York City, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and larger urban areas. I feel like they could work in Iowa City.”
Go, Iowa!
16
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Weird chicken stuff. Tagged: eggs, nest, oologize, steal. Leave a comment
† oologize, v.
Forms: 18 oologize, 18 oölogize.
Etymology: <
oology n. +
-ize suffix.
N.E.D. (1903) gives the pronunciation as (oˌǫ·lŏdʒəiz) /əʊˈɒlədʒaɪz/.
Obs. rare.
1. trans.To take the eggs from (a bird’s nest).
1870 J. R. Lowell My Study Windows I. 21 The children of a man employed about the place oologized the nest.
2. intr.To collect birds’ eggs.
1870 J. R. Lowell My Study Windows I. 22 The red squirrel, I think‥oölogizes, I know he eats cherries.
14
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Weird chicken stuff. Leave a comment
Ethan Brown makes chicken. Not chicken dishes. Chicken meat. From soy.
This country goes through a lot of chickens: We raise and kill nearly eight billion a year — about 40 percent of our meat
consumption, compared with roughly 30 percent beef and 25 percent pork. Chickens are grown so quickly that The Veterinary Record has said that most have bone disease, and many live in chronic pain. (The University of Arkansas reports that if humans grew as fast as chickens, we’d weigh 349 pounds by our second birthday.)
So are McNuggets really all chicken? Debatable. The USDA allows meat to be supplemented by soy protein. How about a soy-based product that imitates the look and feel of chicken? Check out this article and the accompanying video about Ethan’s chicken-making endeavors.
13
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken stuff to buy, Urban agriculture. Tagged: chicken, design, friendly, garden, hen, plan. 1 comment
If you’re looking for a resource to help you design a garden that will work well with your hens, Free-Range Chicken Gardens may be a good resource. From the book’s website:
In Free-Range Chicken Gardens, award-winning garden designer Jessi Bloom covers everything a gardener needs to know, including chicken-keeping basics, simple garden plans to get you started, tips on attractive fencing options, the best plants and plants to avoid, and step-by-step instructions for getting your chicken garden up and running. For anyone who wants a fabulous garden where colorful chickens happily roam, this essential handbook is the guide that will bring the dream home to roost.
Enjoy, and happy gardening!
12
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Laws, Local food. Tagged: backyard, chickens, hens, law, legal, palatine. Leave a comment
A Palatine couple seeks the right to keep chickens. For more information and a link to their Facebook page, read this article.
“Consider being a part of this group to support green living in the Palatine area by allowing backyard hens!” the Facebook page states.
12
Apr
Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken stuff to buy. Tagged: baby, buy, Chicago, chick. 1 comment
We currently have in stock one-week-old sexed chicks:
Araucana/Americana chicks,
Golden Laced Wyandottes
Gray California Leghorns.
3 Araucana/Americana 6 week old pullets & 2 Black Austrolorps that are
now 9 weeks old.
Our next shipment, due to arrive April 24th, will include all sexed:
Barred Rocks
Black Austrolorps
Buff Orpingtons
Isa Browns/Red Stars
Black Sex Links
Rhode Island Red
Silver Laced Wyandottes
Black Jersey Giants (per customer request)
Our BEE KEEPING supplies, including the Bees, keep on streaming in.
Stop in for a look around or to place a special order.
Contact:
(773) 588-1144
3036 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
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