Schwarzenegger Stands Up for Chicken Rights

We're not throwing eggs at you this time, Mr. Govenator!

'Cause after all these years, you have finally backed an overworked, underserved segment of California's population - laying hens.

On Tuesday, Schwarzenegger signed A.B. 1437 which "requires all eggs sold in the state as of Jan. 1, 2015, to come from hens able to stand up, fully extend their limbs, lie down and fully extend their wings without touching each other or the sides of cages."

What a concept! It's mind boggling that most chickens get smooshed into teeny-weeny cages, never see the light of day and then somehow, miraculously, produce a delicious and nutritious egg.

Anyway, we're happy that California is blazing the trail for chicken rights. All of us at the Compound are squalking with joy.

Blue Egg Production Down in the Summer Quarter

Our blue egg producer, Blondie, has quit! It's been over a month since we've found a non-brown egg in the nest, and we don't know what's up with our bird.

Okay so, it's true the other hens do pick and peck on her a lot. Even though she's been around for forever, they still treat her like the "newbie". Maybe Blondie's depressed because she has no friends?

Online research gives the following reasons for lack of egg production:

Declining Day Length: Um, no. Today is like the longest day of the year.

Improper Nutrition: Also, no. Our girls get the most expensive chicken feed at the store plus a good sampling of organic vegetable scraps from our very own kitchen.

Broodiness: She never goes into the nest, so it can't be that.

Molting: Nope. She's not losing her feathers.

Age: Again, a big "No". Blondie's only a year old which makes her prime for laying.

Disease: She looks healthy, right?

Conclusion: Our original hypothesis of chicken depression must be accurate. Anyone know a chicken therapist?

The Never-Ending Egg Hunt

Easter was technically three months ago, but for the littlest Compound-mate, Lyla, the fun has never stopped. Every day after pre-school, she walks into our yard with her green basket to see if the girls left any "juevos" for her.

Either way, a seed storm ensues. She and the hens go nuts with the flying seeds. It's a great, new tradition. Thanks, Lyla!

The Littlest Egg that Ever Was

This morning, in the pile of regular-sized eggs, was this tiny wee egg! We think it was left by Ruthie, but one can never say for sure.

One thing I've learned from raising chickens is that home-produced eggs, unlike the store-bought ones, come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Remember a while back, one of our girls laid twins?

We decided to crack the wee egg to see what it held inside. I was hoping for a tweensy, weensy golden yolk.
No such luck, but it was still a fun find.

One Fierce Bird

We've got a fierce bird on our hands. Yesterday, I wrote about Blanca's squawk that drives Ted mad in the mornings.

Today, as I was quietly taking a break from my work to eat some pad thai, Blanca flys up to the window and starts pecking the pane trying to get at my noodles! At first, it was funny, and then I realized she might actually crack the window so I removed my noodle bowl from the scene.

Are we not feeding our birds enough? Or is there something else going on here? Please do advise.

Blanca vs. Ted

Things at the Compound were nice and tranquil for a long while (hence the lack of posts), but around the time of Day Light Savings, the goings-on have become quite heated. Let me introduce the players:

BLANCA

vs.

TED

As soon as the sun rises, Blanca begins her squwak. And, it's not just any ole chicken squwak. It's an ear-piercing, blood-curdiling, angry hollar. It's as if she's saying, "Get the Hell out of bed and give me some scraps, damn-it, right now, PLEEEASE!"

Ted looks out our bedroom window and the two make the above faces at each other.

He takes Blanca's hollar as a personal affront to his morning sleep-time and has begun punishing her by locking her, and only her, up in the coop and giving the other girls some sweet grass.

He claims he's going to fry her up one of these days.

I'll keep you posted.....

Thanksgiving Visitors

While the hens were most pleased we didn't take Big Daddy's suggestion to eat them for the Thanksgiving meal, they were also very happy to meet Momma Rebecca who gave them lots and lots of attention.

With Rebecca AND pastry-chef Alyce in the house, the girls got an extra helping of holiday scraps, I mean, treats!