Posts Tagged ‘hen’

2 Feb

March 12, 2011: Backyard Chicken Basics Workshop with Home to Roost

Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care, Events, Urban agriculture. Tagged: , , , , , , .


It’s that time again!

Come join Angelic Organics and Home to Roost for a class on raising chickens!

Basic Backyard Chicken Care

    March 12, 2011 10:00am – 1:00pm

    chicken

    Farm fresh eggs from your own back yard?

    YES!

    Please join us for a workshop on best practices for Basic Backyard Chicken Care in Chicago and surrounding communities.

    Raising chickens as pets and for eggs is LEGAL in Chicago – and part of our growing local food and urban agriculture scene.

    Keep yourself, your chickens, AND your neighbors happy – from daily needs and year-round care to relevant city regulations.

    Our instructor is the informative and engaging Jen Murtoff of Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consulting.

    You will leave the workshop with the knowledge, recommendations, and resources you need for your own home flock – and you’ll make connections with other chicken enthusiasts in Chicago.

    For more info, visit our Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Google site, moderated by Learning Center staff.

    For more information about the Learning Center’s registration & refund policies – click here. If the workshop fee presents a barrier to your participation, please inquire about limited work-exchange scholarships. For Chicago workshops, contact chicago@learngrowconnect.org.

    Actual costs of workshops are close to double our workshop fees. If you are able, please consider making an additional donation to help cover the full cost of your workshop.

    Price: $35.00
    Location:

    Angelic Organics Learning Center
    6400 S Kimbark Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60637 US
    First Presbyterian Church of Chicago

    Go to the Angelic Organics site page to register.

    1 Nov

    Home to Roost in Mindful Metropolis

    Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care, Media coverage, Urban agriculture. Tagged: , , , , , , , .


    Mindful Metropolis wrote a great article on the Chicago urban chicken movement. Check out the thoughtful coverage here or here, page 24 (for pictures!).

    16 Oct

    Hen-apalooza, Chicago, October 3, 2010

    Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care, Events, Media coverage, Urban agriculture. Tagged: , , , , , , , .


    Backyard hens had a chance to meet a number of two-legged mammal critters on October 3, during the Hen-apalooza Coop Tour in Chicago on October 3, 2010.

    Encompassing several neighborhoods that have been overtaken by barnyard fowl, the tour, organized by the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts and Martha Boyd of Angelic Organics Learning Center, offered chicken owners, would-be owners, and the curious public the opportunity to take a peek inside the city’s backyard poultry fad.

    Chicago’s chicken keepers and folks as far away as northern Indiana had a chance to swap tips, see new ideas in action, and connect with other chicken keepers. Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consulting presented a short six-point inspection–a quick chicken check-up to assess a bird’s health.

    The Chicago Sun-Times deemed the event worthy of coverage, and their scoop on the coop tour is here.

    Despite it being a crisp, fall day, the turn-out at the 15 featured coop locations was impressive considering the short time frame from inception to event. The Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts are working on a bigger and better Hen-apalooza for the future! Stay tuned!

    29 Sep

    Chickens now allowed to roost in Evanston!

    Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .


    Hats off to the Evanstoners who worked so hard for the right to the pursuit of avian happiness in their own backyards!

    On September 28, 2010,  Evanston city council voted 6 to 3 to allow residents to have chickens, overturning a 36-year ban on chicken keeping. Residents will keep hens for eggs, fertilizer, and as pets.

    There’s a catch, though: residents will have to pay a $50 licensing fee to keep hens.

    Concerns included noise, small, rodent infestation, and predators; however, chicken supporters surveyed officials in 20 locales where chicken keeping is legal, and officials reported satisfaction with the existing laws.

    A proud cock-a-doodle-doo for the Evanston Backyard Chickens group!

    To read the Tribune article, click here.

    28 Sep

    October 3, 2010: Hen-apalooza Chicagoland Chicken Coop Tour

    Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care, Events, Urban agriculture. Tagged: , , , , , , , , .


    Are you thinking about raising chickens but wonder what it’s like to do so in an urban or suburban area? Or are you already raising chickens and wonder how others are doing it? Or are you just interested in taking a fun tour through the Chicago area?

    On Sunday, October 3rd, 2010—rain or shine—the first annual Hen-apalooza Chicagoland Chicken Coop Tour will take place at 15 locations throughout the area. Hen-apalooza will be a self-guided tour, so visit as few or as many local chicken-keepers and their fowl friends as you like. A map of tour locations is available at http://tiny.cc/8630w.

    Home to Roost urban chicken consultant Jennifer Murtoff will be on hand at 2 PM at the Logan Square Co-op (1936 Sawyer Ave.) to talk about her experience and services. She’s also give some quick tips, a “six-point inspection” to assess the health of a chicken.

    For more information and a Hen-apalooza Passport to track your tour progress, please see http://tiny.cc/hen-apalooza or the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Google Group at  groups.google.com/group/chicago-chicken-enthusiasts.

    Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. No dogs or other pets please. Street parking available at each location. Please consider biking or using public transportation.

    Hen-apalooza Chicagoland Chicken Coop Tour is presented by the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts (groups.google.com/group/chicago-chicken-enthusiasts) and generously supported by Angelic Organics Learning Center (learngrowconnect.org), Backyard Chicken Run (backyardchickenrun.com) and DoubleTake Design (doubletakedesign.com).

    28 Sep

    Chicago’s Urban Chicken Movement Reaches Michigan Avenue

    Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care, Events, Urban agriculture. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .


    The urban chicken movement is really picking up speed here in Chicago, and this chic (chick?) new trend has reached trendy and cultured Michigan Avenue: the Chicago Cultural Center at 78 E. Randolph dedicated an exhibit to urban avian agriculture this summer.

    There were pictures of Chicago’s feathered residents, a full-size coop, information and resources on raising chickens, and educational displays about hens and eggs. Martha Boyd from Angelic Organics Learning Center was instrumental in creating the exhibit, and chicken owners from around town contributed pictures of their birds and coops.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    22 Jun

    Photos from Green Day at the Lycée Français

    Posted by chickenwoman in Events. Tagged: , , , , , , , .


    My friend Jane helped me out with Green Day at the Lycée Français. It was non-stop kids! The hens were kind of stressed, but Jo Schmoe did really well. I think we saw all grades in 2.5 hours.

    The older kids got to hold the hen; the younger kids got to touch. They were surprised by how soft she was. We had a few poop accidents, which caused quite a stir, too!

    One of the most memorable kids was the little guy who kept asking if we were going to eat the chickens. He said he wanted fried chicken. When he got a chance to hold one of the hens, however, he decided she was too cool to eat!

    The little ones were a little more timid, and generally they would hang back until one of their classmates was brave enough to touch the hen. Then everyone wanted to touch – all at the same time!

    Enjoy the photos!

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    4 Apr

    Soft-shelled egg removal

    Posted by chickenwoman in Emergency House Calls. Tagged: , , , , , .


    Today’s emergency call was a hen with white, watery liquid in her fluff and some odd stuff happening in and around the vent.

    The owner did a fabulous job of documenting the case in his initial email query to me: the other birds, symptoms, behavior changes, description of eggs. He even included pictures! My best guess without seeing her was  uterine prolapse.

    I asked the owner to isolate her from the flock to prevent spread of contagions and also keep the other hens from picking at any odd things at her back end (yes, chickens do this!).

    The owner did exactly as instructed, and I found the hen resting comfortably in a wire cage under the porch. Her crop was full, which I was pleased to find!

    Getting down to business involved gently removing the white urates on her vent and fluff. When they were cleared away, I found a tiny piece of eggshell and part of an egg membrane protruding from the cloaca. This was the major key to the solution. The hen had a soft-shelled egg broken inside of her.

    Cleaning the vent

    I gently cleaned Maisie's vent with soap and water.

    She fretted a bit when I gently pulled on the membrane, but it stimulated her to bear down, and the piece of shell membrane came out. I was hoping it would bring the rest of the egg with it, but no such luck.

    I was about to attempt a warm water bath when I discovered that I could stimulate her to bear down, and she passed the rest of the egg! Besides, the hen did not really want to sit in a pan of warm water and kept perching on the side of the tub!

    soft-shelled egg

    This is what was giving Maisie such a hard time!

    I cleaned her up a bit more, swabbed the area with alcohol, and by now the uterine tissues had receded inside the cloaca. We put some warm honey (anti-biotic/anti-inflammatory) mixed with KY Jelly in and on her vent.

    Home care suggestions include oyster shell, liquid calcium in the bird’s water, honey treatment for a few days or if red tissues appear again, and observation and isolation until better. I also told the owners to keep an eye on egg production, watch the poop for both light and dark waste, and look for the birdie  “I’m not feeling well!” symptoms:

    • eyes partly closed
    • fluffed
    • not eating (empty crop)
    • lack of vocalization.

    Egg issues can be a little dicey, but here’s to a full and complete recovery for Maisie the chicken!

    Newer Entries »