Chicken Newsletter #3

by Amri

Hi, everyone! Our trust in the chickies has grown to the point where we let them wander their big world with minimal Valencia supervision! Yes ladies and gentlemen, OUR CHICKENS FOLLOW US LIKE DOVOTED PETS!!! Exept Yikes that is. Hey, here she is now for her column! okay, Yikes, here`s your space!

YIKES SAYS

Well, sometimes people are and sometimes they aren`t. A hen can`t tell until it`s too late and she`s in an oven you know. Yes I would taste awful so don`t you go getting ideas, folks, I taste horrid, DO YOU HEAR ME? HORRID!!!!!!!

Really, Yikes, take a deeeeeep breath, no one is going to eat you. Maybe someone should reasure her for me. Okay?

Everyone is the most famous philosopher of all time. Everyone says chickens are scared of everything. Well Everyone should see our little piggies at mealtime-they are almost impossible to hold back!

FROM JANE

Yikes may not look much like dinner - after all, she was bred to be an egg-layer, and that is what she does - pretty well. But the others .. The black-and-white hens are from a breed called "Black Gourmet". We think that they are part Barred Plymouth Rock (a friendly egg-laying breed). Mr/Ms. Cheeseball may be part Buff Orpington. She is very lovely, and very ... big and delicious looking. In fact, they all are (except Yikes). When they run, I remember a Bugs Bunny cartoon, of a chicken running and transforming into a chicken on a platter in the dreaming predator's imagination .. These hens put me to mind of dinner on legs.

But they are oh so funny, so I don't think I'll be taking them out to the chicken cones in the woods anytime soon, or maybe ever.

TIME TO GO IN

The seven hens are about to go back to the coop. Our six come easily enough but Yikes (her again) likes the freedom. Amri and Gwynne drive her through the back yard, and, with much dress flapping and cutting off escape attempts Amri and Gwynne herd Yikes in the right direction. Once in, Yikes joins the others at the new wooden feeder which gives the chickies more space to eat. YOU should try it.

EASY ROAST CHICKEN

from Jane

Here's how to roast your chicken and have it be moist when it's cooked.

Take a whole chicken (minus head and guts, and feet of course). Coat with olive oil and rub with sea salt (you can also rub it with herbs like rosemary or thyme too if you want, or get creative in other ways). Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Lay your chicken on its side in the pan, roast it for 15 min. Then turn it to its other side, roast another 15 min. Now lay it on its stomach. Roast another 15 min., then lay it on its back and roast another 15 min. You can broil the chicken for a few minutes to get a crispy top.

Yum!

*

You live in a place with minimal yard space but don`t give up hope of having your own little flock! Some cities allow you to have several chickens and although their home must be cleaned to keep the poop smell at bay (chickens cannot be litterbox trained) they are fairly low-maintanance and rewarding as they offer both eggs and amusement. Since we may not be able to advise you on chick care, I will again advise you to read KEEP CHICKENS, which was written by someone who loves chickens as much as I do.

It`s funny. Four people (that I know of) on this block have had chickens. That includes us. Chickens are making a comeback!

QUESTION-OF-THE-WEEK -a mystery for you to ruminate on

Do chickens have belly buttons? Okay, that`s an odd question but if they don`t have belly buttons, how do they get the nutients in their eggs? Think about it. Research it if you want. Tell us maybe. You can submit a question too. AMRI

Someday you will probably get to read THE LEGEND OF NO-NECK COOP-EYE which I am still writing.

GARDEN MUSING by Jane

Chickens -
Spanish galleon in form
and elegance Magestic Motion
through ocean grasses

AND THE WINNER IS ....

Thank you for your submissions for the newsletter name. We have a winner:

Grannie Joyce, who submitted the name CHICKEN SCRATCHES

Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful ideas!

September 2, 2007


Return to Chicken Table Of Contents Return home