Dedicated to art and literature celebrating Gallus gallus domesticus.
We love giving our chickens toys to play with and are always curious as to which ones will ultimately be their favorite. We came across this article, 15 Awesome Chicken Toys to Help Entertain Flock, recommending fun toys and wanted to share it with our readers.
We keep a constant supply of the Hanging Loofah and Shredded Paper Toys in stock. It’s our chickens absolute favorite toy! It is a hoot to watch them shred these toys and the cleanup is super easy, as well as safe for them to destroy.
We recently met a delightful couple who adopted young chicks. They had mentioned that they had regretted not adopting them soon after they had hatched because were having difficulty bonding with them. Here are some helpful tips to bond with your brood no matter what stage of their lives you get them..
Keep A Good Routine – Get your chickens used to seeing you and have a good routine for feeding. They’ll look forward to seeing you!
Use A Special Sound To Call Them For Food Or A Treat – They will come running as soon as they hear it.
Talk To Your Chickens – They react and interact as you talk to them or make sounds.
Spend Time Around Your Chickens – To get to know their behaviour and they can get to know you.
Get On The Ground Next To Them – Sitting next to them can encourage them to come close to you on their terms.
Don’t Make Any Sudden Movements Around Them – Chickens by nature are skittish.
Don’t Try To Pick Them Up Too Soon Unless You Need To – Take your time because until they get to know you properly.
Begin By Stroking Your Chickens On The Back – They will get used to you touching them in a soothing manner.
We hope that today’s post provides the knowledge to have a healthy, happy and meaningful relationship with them.
It’s drinks, it’s chickens: It’s the cocktail book you didn’t know you needed!
To add some extra happy to your happy hour , invite a chicken and pour yourself a drink. Author Kate Richards serves up cocktails made for Instagram with the spoils of her Southern California garden, chicken friends by her side.
Cocktails are arranged seasonally, and are 100% accessible for those of us without perpetually sunny backyard gardens at our disposal. Drinking with Chickens will quickly become a boozy favorite, perfect for gifting or for hoarding all for yourself. You don’t need chickens to enjoy these drinks or the colorful photos, but be careful, because you may even find yourself aspiring to be, as Kate is, a home chixologistoverrun by gorgeous, loud, early-rising egg-laying ladies, and in need of a very strong drink.
As it has become very popular to have chickens in your backyard as of late, I highly recommend that you choose to adopt before buying. Many people have romantic notions about having chickens in your backyard, but truth be told, there is work involved, as well as a true commitment to your feathery friends’ well-being.
Here is a an article by the Humane Society that is worth the read. Now go love some chickens and give them a proper home if you are willing!
We found a company that creates personalized egg stamps. And let me tell you… our sweet chickens can’t lay eggs fast enough so we may gleefully stamp their eggs with joy. We often gift eggs to our friends. Now, our gift of giving is so much more meaningful when the eggs are personalized. We made stamps for each of our lovely hens so that our lovely egg cartons (yes, we personalized those, too) are filled with a variety of names.
To order some of these lovely stamps for yourself and flock, please visit Southern Paper and Ink.
Wow, is it hot outside! With excessive heatwaves hitting most of the country this year, it is so important to maintain a cool environment for our feathered friends. Although chickens are very adaptable to weather changes, they usually perform at their best around 75°F and below. Consistently high summer temperatures can cause your chickens to suffer from heat stress and overheating, or even halt their egg-laying process. Among heavier breeds, extreme heat can even cause death.
Here are some things you can do to help combat the crazy apocalyptic heat.
Hope these friendly tips keep your flock healthy and happy this summer.
We recently discovered Smitty Regula’s chicken car. He built the car so his chickens could escape any predators by driving away in the vehicle. Sadly, the chickens never learned how to drive. They do keep a watchful eye on the car and cause quite the stir whenever Regula takes the car for a spin.
The car was eventually impounded one day by the police because it wasn’t properly registered, let alone have a VIN. Hen-O-Tron sat in the police lot amongst stolen cars for some time. Happily, it was eventually rescued and all the “proper” paperwork filed. Now Hen-O-Tron is STREET LEGAL.
Love Regula’s imagination! Gotta get myself a chicken art car… STAT.
Viva Hen-O-Tron!
We just got back from a fantastic vacation visiting the islands of Hawaii and were completely blown away by how many wild chickens roam free… EVERYWHERE.
According to National Geographic, genetic tests, and at least one biologist, Kauai’s wild chicken population has grown as a result of domesticated birds inadvertently let loose, and thereby breeding with each other as well as wild fowl. Today – with no natural predators – the wild chicken population continue to grow.
Local lore suggests that the hurricanes of 1982 (Iwa) and 1992 (Iniki) destroyed domestic coops and released the chickens into the jungles. These domesticated birds then mated with the wild red junglefowl (brought to the islands by the Polynesian) resulting in the feral chickens we see today.
Subsequently, question is, why are there so many chickens in Maui? Wild chickens aren’t plump like the ones found in the grocery store so they’re not good tasting to eat. That island experienced an increase in its wild chicken population when many chickens in coops and cages escaped following destruction by Hurricane Iniki in 1992.
Kauai’s wild jungle fowl is protected. Under state law like all birds of Hawaii, the moa is protected as an important part of nature. Although it is seldom spoken of and the law and repercussions for breaking the law is hard to pin down, harming the wild moa is a crime in the state of Hawaii.
Needless to say, seeing all these chickens added to the best vacation EVER!
Katharina Fritsch’s Hahn/Cock has been given to National Gallery of Art by Glenstone Museum as a symbol of hope and renewal.
A beloved addition to the East Building’s Roof Terrace since it opened in 2016, Katharina Fritsch’s Hahn/Cock (2013) will now call the National Gallery of Art, Washington, its permanent roost. The 14-foot-tall sculpture of a blue rooster, an animal often associated with regeneration, awakening, and strength, has been donated to the nation’s art museum on its 80th anniversary by Glenstone Museum in honor of the resilience of the American people during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the West and East Buildings of the National Gallery remain closed, the work will be illuminated nightly beginning March 17, so Washingtonians can view the sculpture from a distance.
“Hahn/Cock has brought smiles to millions of faces since it first arrived as a loan to the National Gallery’s new sculpture terrace. We are grateful to Mitch and Emily Rales for their generous birthday gift, which will allow visitors to enjoy Katharina Fritsch’s work for years to come,” said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art. “We look forward to the moment when our visitors and staff can once again commune with their favorite, uplifting blue rooster.” > Read More
Cannot wait to visit this glorious sculpture on my next trip to D.C.!
We recently took a much needed daytrip to wonder aimlessly in our car. Well, it wasn’t that aimless. We chose to drive to certain destinations and wanted to take as many backroads possible so we could discover new, fun and quirky towns along the way.
It was so lovely to enjoy so much green and vegetation in bloom. To my surprise, I noticed that many people had chicken sculptures in their front yards. I share this because I believe that a revolution is upon us. Yes, folks, it is true! Chicken art is trending. Praise be, more art!
I took so many pictures on this journey. I will certainly post my favorites, but for now, here is one that captured my heart. I actually knocked on the persons door to garner more information about this beauty, but alas, no one was home.
I hope to journey to this little town again so that I may visit this delightful home and inquire about this piece of art for my very own. Until then, I will continue researching online and will savor this sweet picture.