Midtown Chicks

Happy Holidays

2011-12-18T21:24:00.002-06:00

Productivity

2011-11-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

Egg-citing news!

2011-10-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

We are happy to report that the new chicks are finally contributing to the food supply. However, tiny chickens make tiny eggs so right now 1 Ollie egg + 1 Ellie egg = 1 Saffron egg. Mei is still molting, so no blue eggs just yet. We hope the newbies will inspire her to start laying again.

Yay eggs!

Molting Mei

2011-08-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

Our girl Mei hasn't been herself lately. We think she had sour crop a few weeks ago and with the introduction of the new chicks, she has been quite stressed out. She hasn't laid an egg in two weeks.

Thinking she might be egg bound, we bathed her in warm water and I did unspeakable things involving a latex glove and olive oil. We started to notice that she was losing some feathers. I began to panic.

Today, we came home to an entire backyard of feathers. We were relieved to discover that our girl is simply molting.

Thanks to Melissa B. and Backyard Farming for saving the day!

She looks a bit disheveled and has bare spots on her waddle and wings. Molting is stressful so we will need to supplement her food with some protein, like cottage cheese or yogurt.

The molting could last as long as 12 weeks and so could the lack of eggs. Good thing we have two other birds still producing.

Who knew chicken tending could be this exciting!

Making New Friends

2011-08-27T18:01:00.000-05:00

The Midtown Chicks made some new friends today. Andria, Abe and Meredith stopped by for some quality time with the ladies.

Abe gave Blackberry a little love. She is our most social chicken these days.

Meredith is a natural! She took to Blackberry immediately. We were so impressed.

Thanks to Farmer Shawn, Abe met our newest and littlest chicken, Ellie. She was on her best behavior.

And in the end, Andria was brave enough to pet Ellie too. It was a successful chicken adventure all the way around.

Complete Package

2011-08-17T18:06:00.000-05:00

Another special delivery arrived yesterday. The Midtown Chicks have their very own stamp!

Thanks to my thoughtful and creative hubby (and the fine folks at Simon's Stamps) sharing eggs with others will be even more fun. And official :)

Ain't she a beaut Clark?

Special Delivery

2011-08-12T19:13:00.000-05:00

Looky what came today! Shawn surprised me with an order of our VERY OWN egg cartons.

We have depended on the kindness of friends who have been donating their used cartons. Now we have our own fancy cartons. They accommodate a full dozen...

Or 1/2 dozen.

Now we need to make a cute stamp or stickers to go on top! Thank you Shawn and The Egg Carton Store :)

Great Success!

2011-08-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

The little ladies have successfully transitioned into backyard birds. After slowly integrating Ollie and Ellie through supervised visits, lots of free range outdoor activity and sneaking them into the coop in the dark of night... we have success! Mind you there were heated arguments over water and food, dramatic chases around the yard and lots of pecking.

They have been sleeping together peacefully thanks to our sneaky tactics, but turning in for the night on their own has been a challenge. So imagine our relief when we went out to herd the little ones into the coop past the pecking hen brigade to find them already nestled all snug in their beds. No visions of sugar-plums, but happy little chicks none the less.

Mei's Tips for Staying Cool This Summer

2011-07-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

Mei tells me that dirt baths are all the rage this summer. She is here to share a few tips on pulling off the perfect dusty dip.

Tip #1: Find a nice, shady spot in the yard.

Tip #2: Dig a chicken-sized hole in the dirt.

Tip #3: Nestle yourself into said dirt.

Tip #4: Cover yourself in the nice, cool earth.

Tip #5: Rinse and repeat.

Tip #6: Dirt baths are always more fun with friends.

Ellie

2011-06-30T18:23:00.000-05:00

They grow up so fast.

Ellie and Ollie

2011-06-05T20:34:00.000-05:00

Soooooo we brought home a new chick two weeks ago and for two weeks we called her Baby Cheep Cheep, Little Cheepers and on occasion, Beyonce. While we pondered names for the new little one, we noticed she was growing more and more quiet.

After a week of solitude and despite our best efforts to socialize her, she became despondent. She quit cheeping and just started staring at the walls of her brooder.

Soooooo back to Hollywood Feed we went. This time we brought home a bantam chick. They became fast friends. Bantam birds are much smaller and cannot be sexed until they are older. So with our fingers crossed, we picked out this little one.

Now with two new girls in the house, we definitely had to pick out names. I liked the name Ellie and Grayson came up with Ollie.

Meet Ollie, our sweet Speckled Sussex.

And Ellie, our bossy Bantam with fancy britches.

Matilda

2011-05-30T20:23:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Memorial Day with family and friends including a visiting guest, Matilda. Dad found Matilda struggling to fly on the side of the road in Arlington. How he spotted this little girl while going 50 miles an hour is still a mystery to me.

My parents fed her sugar water through a dropper and found the perfect rehab facility in Grayson's retired bug catcher. Today was day two of her visit. She was alert, eating well and even preening. We took this as a good sign.

We all took turns feeding her. How often will we have this kind of opportunity?

Through the power of Facebook, I connected with a friend at Lichterman Nature Center who connected us to the Wild Wings Rescue group. Thank goodness for animal loving volunteers.

Matilda will meet up with one of the Rescue volunteers in the morning. We hope she has a speedy recovery. Stay tuned for Matilda updates.

Thank you to my sweet parents for rescuing this little lady, to Andy Williams his love of birds and for knowing who to contact and to all of the volunteers of the Wild Wings Rescue Group.

Daddy's Girl

2011-05-24T18:56:00.000-05:00

Baby Girl Wolowicz

2011-05-22T20:03:00.000-05:00

Shawn says that "we always have room for one more." Whether that is a dinner guest or a chicken. And this was his response when I texted him a picture of a chick at the Memphis Animal Shelter.

It all started on my quest to help find Max. My friend Wendy has lost her baby pug, Max. He's two years old and was last seen off Winchester Rd. near Collierville, TN. We went to the Memphis Animal Shelter to look for him. Unfortunately, we didn't find Max. But we did find many sweet animals in need of homes, including a 3 mos. old chick. Luckily, the chick and many dogs and cats all found homes over the weekend. The next time you want a new pet, PLEASE visit your area shelter and PLEASE spay and neuter.

Since we started with four, we have often talked about adding another chick. Hollywood Feed on Broad Ave. added chicks to their inventory this spring and ran a $5 special this weekend. The chicks are all about 1-2 mos old. So we ventured to Hollywood "to pick up dog supplies" and came home with this little cutie, a Speckled Sussex.

She doesn't have a name yet and that's where you come in. Help us name the new chick. Here's what we know so far:

1. She is very independent.

2. She is very loud.
3. She likes you to put her on your lap or hand but doesn't want to be held too tightly.

4. She is cautious and curious.

So, there you have it. Let the naming of the chicken commence!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T09:46:00.000-05:00

Momma chicken nestled with babies (look for tiny feet). Happy Mother's Day! Love you Mom and Linda.

Photo by Margot McNeeley

Vieques, Puerto Rico

E-I-E-I-O

2011-04-07T21:15:00.000-05:00

And on this farm there was a chicken. E-I-E-I-O

And a brave little girl whose name is Lily. E-I-E-I-O

With a cluck, cluck here...

And a brave little girl there

Here a chicken. There a chicken.

Not sure about chickens

Success!

Spring Bounty

2011-04-03T12:49:00.000-05:00

Biddie has gone to settin'

2011-03-22T21:04:00.000-05:00

Biddie was my great-uncle's pet duck. And what a duck she was!

Eldon Roark went back for an update on Biddie about six months after the first story ran in January 1961. Here's what he learned.

I was I could have met ole Biddie. She was my kind of duck. The best part of her story is that her maternal instinct was so strong that she "took to settin'" on 12 adopted eggs. Better than that, my great-grandfather knew that is what she wanted and helped her achieve her dream. He was a neat fella.

Some days I can relate to Biddie. I just turned 35 and my son is 13. Yes, I was a youngin' when I had him. As I watch him turn into a young man (read: cologne, cell phone, Facebook, girls), my biological clock is screaming "You need a baby." But instead, we have chosen three chickens, two dogs and a cat. A menagerie of animals and a budding teenager gives me lots to nurture. But to quote my husband Shawn "There is always room for more!"

After reading this I fully expect him to give me a baby chick for Mother's Day.

What a difference a Mei makes

2011-03-10T20:08:00.000-06:00

Mei lays greenish/blue eggs. It like Easter everyday. We treat her eggs like golden eggs, always saving them for when we run out of the brown eggs. Most days her eggs look like the egg on the left, mostly green with a tinge of brown. This photo was taken two weeks ago when we had the week of gorgeous, highs in the 70s almost 80s, weather. Notice that the egg on the right is down right blue. I think that was Mei's way of celebrating the great weather.

I hope we see a lot more blue eggs soon!

Got Calcium?

2011-02-15T19:45:00.001-06:00

When reading up on chicken snacks, Shawn came across a suggestion that the girls might like a little cottage cheese from time to time. They need plenty of calcium to produce strong eggs and prevent them from becoming egg bound.

As you can see, Blackberry and the girls are big fans of the cottage cheese. They scarfed it all down before I could run and grab the camera.We also add ground oyster and egg shells to their food for the same reason.

For other fun chicken snack ideas, I turn to my friend Lauren, author of Scratch and Peck. Lauren has an uncanny ability to capture the essence of her girls through her drawings and witty stories. I look forward to every new blog post. Check her out and enjoy!

Happy Snow Day

2011-02-09T15:09:00.002-06:00

What a Duck!

2011-01-27T08:00:00.003-06:00

I recently learned that my late great-uncle, Don High, had a pet duck when he was a boy. Her name was Biddie. She laid a record-breaking number of eggs and made it into the Press-Scimitar on January 27, 1961. The Press-Scimitar was the afternoon paper. The Commercial Appeal was published as the morning paper.

Biddie actually made it into the paper three times: January 1961, June 1961 and June 1962. My grandmother saved two of the three original articles. With a quick refresher on microfiche, the article below (1st of 3) was found over the holidays. I felt like I had struck gold when Biddie strolled across my screen.

With our girls producing three eggs a day, this story gave me a whole new sense of appreciation for them and their hard work.

Stay tuned for more Biddie news!

The Contraption

2011-01-23T13:49:00.000-06:00

With lows in the 20's, we have kept a light on in the coop to keep the chicken's water from freezing. However, for his science fair project Grayson has chosen to study the effect artificial light has on egg production during which the first ten days involve no light. So we had to come up with a plan for keeping the water from freezing without exposing the chicks to light.

So to the internets we went. Thanks to the magic of YouTube we found this video which helped us create our own contraption.

We used this mat found in our basement as the base for the contraption. This will protect the light from the moist ground.

A work light from the hardware store + a 75 watt bulb is the main source of heat.

Pot (found on the side of the road that I knew would come in handy one day!) and three modified (lots of knots to make them shorter) bungee cords. This pot is just the right size because the girls can reach the water easily.

Place the light on the mat and the pot over the light. The clay pot will help retain the heat.

After a small mishap when trying to take photos of said contraption, we learned the hard way that you need to cover the whole in the bottom of the pot to protect the hot bulb. Note to self: Steaming hot bulb + cold water = busted bulb. Thank goodness the mat was underneath to capture the small bits of broken glass!

Don't try this at home!

Place the water container on top and secure with three bungees. Also, make sure the aluminum foil is cut to size and not hanging out from beneath the container.

Blackberry went straight for the foil which resulted in me taking it apart again and trimming the foil.

I am happy to say we tested this out last week when the temps got below freezing and it worked beautifully.

The Chicken Machine

2011-01-17T10:29:00.000-06:00

Remember the chicken machine? The automated chicken spun round, made a clucking sound and laid a plastic egg. The prizes were forgettable but the machine was not. Bwaaack, b...b...b...bwaaack b...b...b...bwaaack. I distinctly remember The Chicken Machine at Sears. Not to be confused with the Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show, of course.

One Saturday afternoon, we heard the familiar bwack-ing sound from the backyard. Turns out that our chicks sometimes make the "chicken machine sound" when one of them is laying an egg.

This time the prize is a little different.

Snow Birds

2011-01-10T18:06:00.000-06:00

While the chicks saw their first snowflakes on Christmas, they had no idea what to think of the BIG snow. Well, big for Memphis.

The girls were warm in their snow fort this morning and not real sure they wanted to venture out.

When I opened the door, they peered out hesitantly at the white abyss.

The ever curious Blackberry was the only brave bird in the bunch. Try that alliteration on for size.

While Blackberry explored, Madison taunted Mei and Saffron while she ran around like a wild woman. I think I heard her call them "chicken." She LOVED the snow.

Once the snow began to melt, the girls became a little more comfortable in the tundra. They roamed the yard for most of the afternoon. All that remains are a few giant chicken tracks.

The Year of the Chicken

2011-01-03T21:54:00.000-06:00

From babies

To Teenagers

To Fine Young Ladies

The ladies ended the year with their first white Christmas

Cheers from the Midtown Chicks!

Best present ever! The ladies are official thanks to this groovy sign designed by my hubby.

Happy Holidays from the Midtown Chicks

2010-12-23T16:26:00.001-06:00

We apologize for the long overdue post. Saffron, Mei and Blackberry have been busy laying eggs, scratching, pecking and snuggling to keep warm. We collect three eggs a day which has come in handy for all of our holiday baking.

With temperatures starting to dip, we prepped the coop for the long winter nights. The coop and yard are covered with a nice earth-toned tarp. This will help cut out the wind and keep the girls mostly dry in the freezing rain. Using the lamp from their brooder, we will keep the coop warm and water from freezing.

The giant egg mystery has been solved. Blackberry lays our giant brown eggs which is ironic because she is half the size of the other girls. What can you say? She is an overachiever!

Mei has settled down a bit. She will actually let us pick her up and she runs to greet us in the yard with the other birds. With feathers of gold and Martha Stewart green eggs, she is our little diva.

Saffron is our sweetest bird. Since the stuck egg fiasco, we have quite the bond. A statuesque beauty, she is my muse.

Keeping the birds happy is very simple: fresh water every 2 days, keep the feeder full & clean out the coop/replace the straw every 2 days. They need lots of exercise, so anytime we are home they are out in yard.

As we wind up 2010, we are thankful for our chicks and the joy they bring us each and everyday. May Santa be kind to you!

Chicken in a Biscuit

2010-10-18T20:21:00.000-05:00

Green Egg and Ham

2010-10-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

Mei finally laid an egg! We have had the girls since March and both Saffron and Blackberry have been laying since August. We were beginning to think that Mei wasn't going to produce. But as I have mentioned before, she is one strange bird. Pretty, but strange.

Grayson called me on Wednesday, all excited about finding a green egg. We have had a few false alarms, but he assured me that is was very green.

Yep, its green alright! It might as well have been gold. We knew she would lay Martha Stewart-y colored eggs so we have been waiting with baited breath.

So what do you do with a green egg? You make green egg and ham, of course! Shawn whipped up a fantastic quiche with some crisped prosciutto. It was yummy.

We thanked Mei with a tomato.

Profile of a Chicken

2010-10-02T21:48:00.001-05:00

Name: Saffron

Age: 7 months

Sex: Female

Description: Stunning redhead, tallest in the coop, impressive comb and waddle, pretty yellow legs, big feet

Namesake: Our Mrs. Reynolds aka Joannie aka Christina Hendricks

Hobbies: Laying eggs, staring at dogs, chasing bugs, scratching and pecking

Favorite Food: Watermelon

Accomplishments: Survived the farm supply store and won a battle with a stuck egg and lived to tell the tale (ouch)

Long overdue, like Mei's eggs

2010-09-19T19:06:00.000-05:00

Long time, no blog. We have been on the run for weeks. Here are the highlights.

Saffron made an emergency trip to the vet. She was egg bound. This all happened a few hours before we left town, so she ended up spending the weekend at the Collierville Animal Clinic. They were fantastic and will be my go to chicken docs from now on. However, should this happen again I think we will be better prepared to handle it ourselves.

The girls did not welcome Saffron home with open wings as I had hoped. Instead they chased her around, bloodied her comb and bullied her until she ran to me for help. After a few days of slowly reintroducing her to the flock, they are one small, happy family again.

After all of the stress, Saffron didn't lay for a few weeks. However, she and Blackberry are back on schedule. We collect 2 eggs a day, on average.

Mei still hasn't started laying. She is still our little nervous Nettie, running to and fro, always in a big hurry. I hope she'll settle down and start laying soon.

They all have a new favorite hobby.

Watching Madison through the window. They all sit, for long periods of time, just watching each other. Please excuse the dirty window. Shawn hopes to introduce Maddie soon, on a leash. I'll be the one holding my breath and taking pictures.

Even chickens need job security

2010-08-31T22:42:00.000-05:00

RIP Satsuki

2010-08-25T22:48:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Grayson and I ran into Van Cheeseman at the Trolley Stop Market and inquired about Satsuki. We were sad to learn that he died recently from heat exhaustion and possibly crop binding. We are mourning the loss of Satsuki and want to share this photo montage in his memory. RIP Satsuki.

Overachiever Lays GIANT Egg

2010-08-15T13:51:00.001-05:00

Breaking News! Saffron is now contributing to the weekly egg quota. We came home to find this BIG egg last week. We now collect an average of 2 eggs per day.

Poor thing, her first egg and it probably took hours to lay it. I think Blackberry was a little jealous.

Saffron's egg clearly overshadows the others.

It's a head above the rest.

I mean its REALLY big.

And to top it off, a double-yolker! Well played Saffron, well played.

Blackberry's Feast!

2010-08-11T21:27:00.015-05:00

Our girls, well, Blackberry really, decided to start laying eggs. Once she started, those puppies were popping out once each 25 hours. Her sleep cycle delayed the 3rd egg, but man, it's amazing how you can calculate when she'll lay. It's really an amazing thing. Our pets, our girls, are providing food, good quality protein, for us.

As the primary cook (and primary egg lover) in the hizzy, I was so pleased that I was able to cook Sunday brunch a la Blackberry. Gray had his buddy Alex B. spend the night so, when we found the fourth egg on Sunday, all was right with the world.

I really wanted each of us to have an egg cooked to order and so we did.

Mel had I had our respective eggs scrambled, Gray wanted an omelet and Alejando B. wanted his over-medium. So with great relish, I heated up the pan and went to work.

First up was Gray's omelet. A pat of butter, a little cheese, a little Morning Star sausage and some patience made for a tasty omelet, IMHO. It's taken years to perfect, but patience is the real key to a great omelet.

After flipping out a quality one-egg omelet, Alex's over-easy was next. More butter and a gentle hand turned out the second tasty brunch entree.

Finally, some simple scrambled eggs for Mel and I. More butter, some sea salt, a bit of fresh cracked black pepper and "ba-dow!"brunch for four, all coutesey of daddy's lil' chicken, Blackberry. Isn't she talented?
Ahhh, fresh eggs!

Egg-cellent News!

2010-07-27T18:41:00.000-05:00

Biding our time

2010-07-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

Since the departure of Satsuki, the girls have been quite content and laid back. Still no eggs. As we bide our time (and open the egg door daily), I will share with you a series of haiku poems by my dear husband and his friend John. They exchange haiku on a regular basis. Chickens make for an excellent source of creative material :) Here is a snapshot of their recent exchange. Enjoy.

Backyard (old) McDonald by Shawn

Well, we’re farmers now,

Of the sort that raise chickens.

We have three, for eggs.

Urban Wildlife by John

Whoa! Raising chickens?!

I did NOT see that coming!

No neighbor complaints?

The DLC (daddy’s lil chickens) by Shawn

Raised from week-old chicks,

Blackberry, Mei, and Saffron

Make us smile and laugh.

Carbon Chicken Footprint by John

Now that’s going green!

Lots of guys talk the talk, but,

you...well, raise chickens!

How do chickens run? by Shawn

Like women with hiked

Petticoats ruffled and high

Always cackling.

Far Less Surprising by John

We got a new dog.

Adopted on my birthday,

We named him...Haiku :o)

Hot Chicks

2010-07-01T23:41:00.000-05:00

The heat has been brutal lately. The chicks have found little relief in the shade. We have made sure that they have plenty of water and even put ice cubes in their dish from time to time.

What does a hot chick look like?

They literally pant. Poor girls.

So to beat the heat, we chilled a watermelon in the fridge, gutted it and gave the girls the leftovers. Blackberry wasn't sure what to think.

Saffron however caught on right away. She loves watermelon, especially the juice.

Slowly, Mei and Blackberry caught on. Soon the girls were frantically running from one piece to another. It was a watermelon frenzy!

Once they caught on to the yummy watermelon goodness, we tried a little tomato. Blackberry was skeptical.

By the next afternoon, the watermelon rinds were picked clean and there were no signs of tomato bits.

So now, the question that everyone wants to know the answer to- have they started laying eggs yet?

Stay tuned!

A Boy Named (Sat)Su(ki)

2010-06-26T00:24:00.000-05:00

For weeks we were suspicious. Satsuki is just a little bit larger than the other girls and her face and comb had been red for weeks. Last week Grayson and his friend Alex figured it out.

That's right, Satsuki is a rooster.

We brought home 4 chicks in March for fresh eggs and to experience chicken tending. Little did we know, we also brought home a rooster. My friend Melissa also recently discovered that her little Petunia is a rooster. We have formed a support group.

Thanks to the power of Facebook and a few helpful friends, we had a new home identified in just a few days. Because we live in the city and our house is very close to our neighbor's, we are not able to keep a rooster. Not to mention, I don't know what we would do with lots of baby chicks.

On Wednesday, Satsuki went to live with Van Cheeseman at Flora at Bluebird Farms!

He left us in the same blue box that he grew up in and it was a bittersweet moment. But our friends Melissa Bridgman and Keith and Jill Forrester think very highly of Van and know that he will be the perfect rooster daddy. He was excited to get an aracauna so it worked out perfectly.

My Granny says that whistling girls and crowing hens always come to some bad end. But not so for ole Satsuk. He is livin it up in Mississippi.

Live long and prosper Satsuki.

Where are they now?

2010-06-15T21:21:00.000-05:00

Satsuki then

and now

Satsuki is slightly larger than the other girls and has been showing off her red comb for weeks now. She reminds me of a sassy old lady, always bossing around the other girls. She walks with her wings just slightly splayed. Shawn thinks she looks like a southern belle curtsying. She is very noisy and is the hardest to catch. We love on her anyway.

Blackberry then

and now

Blackberry is like a little puppy dog. She is the first the greet us and will even come when called, sort of. She'll hop right up on your lap. She likes to see what's going on and doesn't want to miss out on anything. She always tries to eat my clothes.

Mei then

and now

Mei was our little dumplin. Now she is a hawk-like lady with puffy cheeks. She loves to run around the yard and I mean run. She runs here and there and everywhere. She is never quiet sure what she is looking for but its very important.

Saffron then

and now

Saffron started out as our little ring leader and is now the quiet one. She wants to be close to us, but isn't as outgoing as Blackberry. Saffron makes a little noise when picked up but is soothed with an ear rub. Yes, chickens have ears. See the the little fuzzy flaps behind her eyes? Ears. She doesn't like escargot, but loves a good cold cucumber.

Chickens eat bugs, so did we!

2010-06-09T22:32:00.002-05:00

We took a short family vacation to the City of New Orleans. Thank you Sarah, Patrick, Tiffany and Mark for watching the girls while we were gone.

One of the highlights of the trip was the Audobon Insectarium. For $35 per adult and $20 per child, we were able to visit the Aquarium, Insectarium, IMAX and Zoo. We made it everywhere but the Zoo.

The Insectarium is a great place to spend the afternoon, especially when its 90 degrees or pouring down rain! From educational displays to live bugs to the bug cafe, we had a blast.

We petted hissing cockroaches, learned about tarantulas and walked among the butterflies.

Unfortunately we came late in the afternoon so the cafe was already closing up. The nice lady let us try the chocolate covered wax worms which tasted like a Nestle Crunch bar.

Harry the Chinese Praying Mantis (from Memphis!) was on display. They have great installations on dung beetles, diving beetles, cockroaches, termites, butterflies and even critters from the South.

Harry

If you plan to go:
1. They close at 5pm and the bug cafe closes even earlier, so plan accordingly.
2. The Insectarium is in a Federal building so be prepared to go through a metal detector.
3. There is a short movie which was great but there are "surprises" so for little ones prepare them for chairs moving, water spraying, etc.
4. The last exhibit is the Asian Butterfly Garden which opens into the gift shop. Be prepared to move quickly or spend some money.
5. Do not buy the sour cream and onion crickets. According to Grayson, disgusting.

We saw too many bugs to list, so I will leave you with a bug montage.

Petticoat Junction

2010-05-29T23:16:00.034-05:00

We had some friends over this week for "chicken drinks" which I think should become a regular ritual. Great company, good wine and chicken watching. It's very relaxing to watch the girls wonder around the yard. My friend Paige received an unexpected visit from Blackberry, jumped right on her lap. That's Blackberry for you.

The fun part of chicken watching is when the girls, suddenly and without reason, take off running. Wings flapping, feathers flying, squeals of excitement. As quickly as it starts, it stops. They all go back to grazing, bent over with petticoats in the air. Fluffy rumps and ruffles shining in the sun.

So when my blog buddy Stephy sent this poem, I had to share it.

A Glossary of Chickens
by Gary Whitehead

There should be a word for the way
they look with just one eye, neck bent,
for beetle or worm or strewn grain.

“Gleaning,” maybe, between “gizzard”
and “grit.” And for the way they run
toward someone they trust, their skirts
hiked, their plump bodies wobbling:
“bobbling,” let’s call it, inserted
after “blowout” and before “bloom.”

There should be terms, too, for things
they do not do—like urinate or chew—
but perhaps there already are.

I’d want a word for the way they drink,
head thrown back, throat wriggling,
like an old woman swallowing
a pill; a word beginning with “S,”
coming after “sex feather” and before “shank.”

And one for the sweetness of hens
but not roosters. We think
that by naming we can understand,
as if the tongue were more than muscle.

Rosy Cheeks

2010-05-23T00:32:00.000-05:00

Satsuki has been sporting her red features for about two weeks. Her comb, cheeks and the area around her eyes get more red each day. Meanwhile, the other girls are just now starting to show their rosy cheeks. Each one looks like they have just applied a bit of blush.

I too had rosy cheeks today as the outside temp reached 85 degrees. The girls all walked around with their mouths open. They looked much like panting dogs. We made sure they had plenty of water and their coop is in the shade.

Between panting and dust baths, the girls spent much of their time grazing on the wild strawberries. They were also treated to some lettuce and the last piece of bread. Finally someone in this family that enjoys the heel!

Meanwhile, I followed the girls around like paparazzi with my new camera. Saffron constantly poses for me and has become my muse. I love all of her pretty colors and features, especially those big, beautiful, yellow feet.

Lazy Weekend

2010-05-16T22:40:00.002-05:00

Last weekend involved Mother's Day brunch, lots of cleaning, cooking and running around. It was, however, the best Mother's Day ever. My fantastic in-laws gave me a Canon Rebel XSi. The brunch menu highlighted goods from many of our local farmers and was de-lish! Shawn is a fantastic culinary artist. Fantastic food and fantastic company.

This weekend, we took things easy. We saw Iron Man 2, went to a book sale, ate dinner with friends and experimented with our csa veggies.

I also spent a lot of time with my new camera in hand. The chicks like to pose for me, especially Saffron.

Saffron

Mei

Satsuki

Blackberry

The girls roosted, preened, napped and ate.

We have added crushed oyster shells to their coop. They will eat this as needed. The ground shells (or grit) help break down the food they eat. We have teeth, they have grit.

While the other girls did their thing, Mei decided to relax in a nice, cool dust bath. What a ham?!

We have a lot of folks asking, so when will the girls start laying eggs? Our best guess is July or August. We can't wait, but until then we are purchasing our eggs from Evergreen Dairy Farm at the downtown Memphis Farmers Market.

We'll keep you posted!

The Details

2010-05-09T19:32:00.001-05:00

High and Dry

2010-05-02T22:48:00.002-05:00

We are happy to report that the girls made it through two days of storms and four tornado warnings just fine. The ground was mostly dry today, so the ladies came out for a stroll.

Blackberry was excited that the new Anthropologie catalog arrived.

As was Saffron.

She really loves the new Ylang Ylang sandals.

Then Blackberry got an idea.

She stretched and strained.

Sneak attack. Hopped right onto my back as I was bent over taking photos.

Quickly made her way to my shoulder.

Tried to eat my earring.

Tried to eat my sweater.

Rode around for a bit.

Then retired to the coop to tell the other girls of her adventure.

Chick Time

2010-04-28T21:09:00.001-05:00

We like to spend quality time, "chick time", with the girls. Today we let them free range and hang out with us in the yard. They quickly made their way out of the coop and made a bee line for the weeds. Lucky for us!

Shawn and Saffron talked about chick stuff. However, Blackberry is sweet on Shawn and comes to him every time. Very sweet.

Saffron has new feathers coming in on her head. She is the biggest girl in the bunch.

Blackberry has pretty brownish-red feathers around her head. Her comb is coming in nicely.

Mei is the prettiest chick, in my humble opinion. She has a lovely blend of red, brown and black feathers with different designs and textures. Her comb is just now coming in and looks a little rough.

Satsuki is mostly black and looks more like Blackberry than Mei. Her head feathers are coming in slowly. She let me cuddle her for a bit today.

We handle the girls as much as possible so that they will remain friendly and they really like it. They are very social animals, just like us.

Yard Birds

2010-04-24T23:17:00.002-05:00

It's official, the Midtown Chicks are yard birds. They moved into the coop today. We have only checked on them 10 times in last two hours and have been out tonight twice with a flashlight. They are happy and roosting.

We wrestled with attaching the last of the chicken wire and put down some fresh hay. We need to get them large size food and water containers but other than that, they are all set.

The girls immediately started running around and flapping their wings, like they knew. It's official! No more blasted blue box.

Well, I need to go. Gotta go get my flashlight.

Dirty Birds

2010-04-21T23:25:00.001-05:00

So the girls have discovered dust baths. According to our new eggcellent resource, Keeping Chickens by Ashley English, dust baths are essential. The baths clog the pores of parasites that prey on chickens, serving as a natural insecticide.

I managed to capture Saffron bathing. If you don't know what they are doing, it can look like they are having a fit or something.

Grayson spent some quality time with the girls this afternoon.

Like the birds, he is growing like a weed! And we are very glad that he is interested in chicken tending. Urban farmer in the making.

P.S. You can check out more from Ashley English here.

Birds of a Feather

2010-04-16T00:19:00.001-05:00

The Midtown Chicks had a nice afternoon together in the yard. While I planted potatoes, the girls explored, always staying close to the coop.

Saffron is really starting to plump up. Satsuki is slowly losing her baby fuzz. Mei is going to be a red head and her feathers are starting to come in on her head and neck. Blackberry is still lean and has strips of naked skin where the feathers haven't come in yet, she looks funny.

From left to right: Saffron, Satsuki, Mei and Blackberry.

Gray placed them on the perch for some pretty pics. They were quite content, even dosing off now and then. Chickens really are social animals.

Growing Like Weeds

2010-04-11T21:12:00.001-05:00

I left town for two days to hang out with my Granny in Paris. Don't get too excited- Paris, TN. We shopped, saw the sites and ate really unhealthy food. But we had a blast and I am back, detoxing after my fried food/sweat tea overload.

The girls look like Shawn slipped them some Miracle Grow while I was gone. I barely recognized Saffron. It seems like only yesterday that she was just a little peep. Oh wait, it was just three weeks ago. Wow, chicks grow really fast!

Blackberry and Saffron are getting their combs. Blackberry was too busy scratching and pecking to pose for a pretty picture. But its easy to see, she is a big girl now.

As always, Satsuki and Mei stuck together to explore, chirp and peck. They are still my lil dumplins, but not for long.

They are all developing into beautiful young ladies and are ready to escape the big blue box that is their temporary home.

Vintage Chicks

2010-04-06T20:58:00.006-05:00

The spring edition of Edible Memphis just arrived. There is an excellent article on victory gardens, a grassroots gardening movement during WWII.

Ironically, Shawn and I recently ordered two prints from the Victory Gardens of Tomorrow. We love the vintage style and themes.

I contacted the author of the Edible Memphis article, Stephy Momper. She blogs about all things gardening and plants. We chatted about her blog, the artwork and chickens.

She was kind enough to send me this letter that she found in the Shelby County Library archives while during her research.

What a cool piece of history! Thanks Stephy.

Christening the Coop

2010-04-05T21:53:00.002-05:00

Today while I cleaned out the brooder, I let the girls stretch their legs and check out their new coop. We will put the chicken wire on this week, but until then its a great place to let the girls explore. They loved it!

While Saffron, Satsuki and Blackberry explored the second floor, Mei was very content scratching and pecking below. They are new to scratching and its pretty cute to watch.

They also liked checking out their fancy new perch and practiced their flying/flapping skills to get on the ground. They also left a few gifts behind to christen the new place!

Everyone's primary feathers are really starting to come in, along with their tail feathers. Most of their baby fuzz is gone. They change before our eyes everyday, its amazing.

Saffron's changes are the most noticeable and she is very proud of her new feathers. She was showing off for Shawn. Her colors are much darker now, just beautiful.

Top three questions we get asked about our new adventure:
1. Do you have to have a rooster to have eggs? No, not unless you want little chicks in those eggs. Roosters are only needed to fertilize the eggs. Each hen is different, but most lay one egg every one to two days.
2. Is it legal in Memphis to have chickens? Yes, Part I, Ch. 5, Art. I, Sec. 5-3 of the City Code states"No prohibition on keeping chickens in the city; chickens can't roam at large." The key is making sure that your neighbors support your egg-venture.
3. When will they start laying eggs? Most hens will start to lay at 5 to 6 months of age. We hope we will have eggs in July/August.

Day in the Sun

2010-04-02T21:55:00.002-05:00

While I finished painting their new digs, the chicks were treated to some time in the sun. The final step will be re-attaching the chicken wire.

Shawn and Grayson tended the flock, who enjoyed scratching and pecking, flapping their wings and exploring the back yard.

We have had the girls for a little over a week and its amazing how much they change day to day. Their feathers are really starting to come in and they are much taller. Saffron's ears are very visible. Blackberry's feet are huge. Satsuki and Mei are catching up in the tail feather department.

They will enjoy being outside full time in a few weeks. We have to wait until we have 80 degree weather consistently.

Until then, they are still our little chicks and still enjoy being near us.

And telling us little chickie secrets.

$10 Coop

2010-04-01T21:37:00.014-05:00

A very gracious family, the Cowans, gave us a coop they were no longer using. My sweet dad helped us haul it home from Millington in the back of his truck, which was way too short but he rigged it up and we made it to midtown! My dad is an eggcellent carpenter and an even better scavenger, fixer-upper.

This coop was the PERFECT father-daughter project.

We stripped it down, tore it apart and built it back up stronger, straighter and sturdier. We reinforced, nailed, sawed, leveled, squared, cut, re-cut and plumbed.

The only pieces we actually spent money on were the 10 foot 2 by 4's for the bottom of the frame. So one hand-me-down coop, 2 days of hard work and $10 dollars later, we are very happy with the new and improved coop.

We added two doors on the back for egg gathering and coop cleaning. Using found shingles from the basement, we covered the roof.We enclosed the top shelf and installed 4 laying boxes. Reusing wood from the original structure, dad make slats for the bottom shelf where the girls can hang out and two ramps for them to enter from the ground and from the second floor to the top.

Tomorrow, Shawn and I will get it all painted and recover it with chicken wire. Pretty soon, the girls will be ready for their new home!

I can't forget to thank our fearless companion and assistant, Madison. Without her, well, without her things would have turned out exactly the same way. But she provided some comic relief.

Thank you dad for taking two days of vacation to make all of this possible, for your endless knowledge of carpentry, for your undying patience, for teaching me new skills and for having all the right tools. I am so glad you are my dad. Love you, Wiss.

Field Trip

2010-03-30T23:21:00.010-05:00

While re-potting some seedlings, I thought I would bring the girls out for their first back yard experience. I had a wheelbarrow full of rich earth, full of worms. I put some garden fencing around and put Satsuki and Mei in first.

They were too excited about being out in the open to notice the worms and bugs. They started chirping a new song I haven't heard before, nervous and excited.

Satsuki caught on briefly but they both started to look for a way out of the wheelbarrow. I quickly scooped them up and put them back in the brooder. They must have communicated all of this to the other girls because Saffron immediately made a run for it. So, no cute pictures. But everyone had a worm treat.

Tomorrow, we start on the coop!

Tail of Two Roosters

2010-03-28T19:05:00.004-05:00

Based on recommendations from others, we installed a dowel rod for the girls to practice their roosting skills. We have been helping them balance for a few seconds at a time. Saffron seemed to be catching on. Then to our surprise...

Blackberry was the first to give it a go on her own. As you can see Saffron is competitive and wants to be in charge.

So it was not too surprising that she would quickly follow suit.

Our in-laws were visiting and were lucky enough to witness this monumentail moment with us! And then in true chick form

they took a little chickie nap.

Shake Ya Tail Feather

2010-03-27T20:53:00.004-05:00

Today we noticed our little chicks have tail feathers. We are so excited! Tail feathers are the equivalent of a baby's first tooth or babbling "dada" for the first time. Their wings are developing quickly. They are all practice flapping them and sometimes get a little air. We are also watching out for pasting or as my friend calls it, poopy butt. You have to watch for their little bottoms getting pasted over with poop. This can be fatal for little chicks.

We have also selected the little dumplin's names.

Meet Blackberry. She is very curious, likes to try to fly and has HUGE feet.

Saffron is learning to balance on the practice roost, also tries to fly and has pretty wings.

Satsuki and Mei like to huddle together, have pretty singing voices and are little round plumps. Very cute.

We treated them to a worm found in the garden. They went crazy fighting over it. Next time I will give them four pieces instead of one. They are a joy to watch.

Precious Cargo

2010-03-24T20:19:00.015-05:00

Bringing our girls home today reminded me of when we brought home Grayson from the hospital. The other cars drove too fast. Didn't those crazy drivers know that we had baby chicks on board!

This is baby #1 and she is a black star. This is Grayson's favorite and he will choose her name. In the running, Blackberry and Isabella.

This is baby #2, a Rhode Island Red. She is my favorite and I am leaning towards Joanie or Saffron inspired by two of my favorite strong-willed, red-headed, bossy tv characters. She is bigger than the other chicks and likes to boss the others around.

Chicks #3 and #4 are Araucanas. These are Shawn's favorites and he will name them. They are very laid back and fall asleep when you hold them. Their eggs will be blue and green.

They are inseparable, which is too cute. Temporarily called the Twins.

We even introduced the girls to Madison. Chicks are friends, not food!

DIY Brooder

2010-03-23T22:10:00.011-05:00

To house our little chicks, we made a brooder based on some ideas and recommendations from other folks. Using a rubbermaid container and plastic screening, we made a top that will provide good air flow.

We also installed a small dowel rod so the little chickies can practice roosting. Won't that be too cute?!

A work lamp will provide heat and a handy thermometer will make sure they do not get too warm.

We hope to pick up our babies tomorrow.

Where it all started

2010-03-20T19:08:00.001-05:00

Over the last year we have been buying food from local farmers. We joined Whitton Farms CSA. We buy more organic foods, especially eggs and milk. We are doing our best to eat well, support local farmers and overall know where our food comes from.

After reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and "Eating Animals" and watching Food, Inc., we became more informed. What we learned was shocking.

-Average product travels 1500 miles to your grocery store
-Transporting food accounts for 30,800 tons of greenhouse emissions every year
-Cancers, autism and neurological disorders are associated with the use of pesticides
-Chickens no longer peck, cows no longer graze, pigs can't root around

99% of the animals raised in the US are from factory farms. These animals are kept in cages, pumped full of hormones and antibiotics and never see the light of day.

Given that the chicken industry is one of the biggest culprits, we purchase regional eggs and the occasional chicken breast from Whole Foods or West Wind Farms. Other than that, we have drastically reduced our chicken consumption. No more Chick-Fil-A for me. That was a hard decision given their new location in Midtown.

So backyard chickens it is!

Shawn has been talking about wanting chickens for years. Until recently I didn't think it was possible in the city. For Christmas, I gave Shawn a copy of "Keep Chickens!" by Barbara Kilarski. It's an excellent overview of chicken tending. All 3 of us have now read it.

When I started talking with friends about our interest in keeping chickens (for eggs, not meat), I was surprised to learn the number of chickens living in Midtown. And yes, it is legal. There is a group of folks working on an updated code for keeping chickens and urban farming in general. If and when that is approved, keeping chickens will be even easier.

We have our neighbors blessing and will keep them happy with eggs. Now we need to build them a nice little home. Next up, the coop!