CHICKENS

It was hot and muggy yesterday afternoon but cool this Morning. I had to put on a long sleeved, heavy shirt and I am still chilly. It is supposed to be hot and humid again today.

I did get my glasses Monday and it turned out to be a fizzle. They were too strong. I have to hold a paper three inches from my nose, to read it through the bifocals. I checked the new prescription against the old and found they were stronger. The optometrist said that he changed the prescription slightly. This was more than slightly. Perhaps, it got written down wrong. Jamie is going to order me some on my old prescription.

And, we did get the chicks yesterday. That was a success. There is nothing more life reaffirming than baby chicks. {We have that experience with all babies, don't we} I was pleased to discover, that I had ordered, 2 Speckled Sussex, 2 Barred Rocks and 2 Buff Orpingtons for replacement hens. I was thinking that I ordered ten straight run Americaunas, hoping to get at least five hens. I had forgotten that I had changed my mind at the last minute. I wanted the Americaunas because I wanted another rooster, or two, and I wanted Americaunas because the colored egg trait is dominate and I may raise my own hens next year. I like those colored eggs.

I chose the Speckled Sussex because I they are so spectacular looking and I we don't have any right now; at least not pure bred. Many of our chickens are mixed breeds by now. I ordered the Barred Rocks, again, because we don't have any right now and they, also, provide some nostalgia as they were the chickens we had when I was a child. And the Buff Orpingtons; I love those big fluffy beings. They are the epitome of chicken Motherhood and femininity. They probably are not better setters, than several other breeds, but they sure look the part.

We ordered our chickens from Murray McMurray. They are from Iowa. Over the years we have purchased chickens from other hatcheries but Murray McMurray has become our favorite. They included three free chickens. One male Americauna, one red ranger and one exotic chick. It is always fun to see what the exotic chick will turn out to be.

Thirty-six of the chickens are Red Ranger broilers. We prefer them to the usual Rock/Cornish. The Red Rangers are real chickens. They range freely and search for bugs and scratch around. They are a little slower to put on weight; but they do and they make excellent roasters and they are delicious.

The Rock/Cornish have been over bred, to become little machines to convert feed to meat. They don't act like real chickens and spend most of their time waddling from the feed trough to the water. They are prone to having trouble with their legs, because they gain weight faster than their legs, can develop, to hold them up. It is the typical Super Market chicken. I don't feel right eating an animal that has been so exploited, for our use, that it cannot even behave like a chicken.

The Farmers Almanac is predicting an early Winter with lots of snow. I hope their wrong. These broilers won't be ready for the freezer until Thanksgiving time.

This is my Chicken Blog and I don't have much more to say.

I will leave you with a mathematical/psychological puzzle. How can a dog that weighs about five pounds ringing wet, hold down the bed covers, so successfully, that they can hardly be moved, then when they are pulled, she can communicate the message, that she is profoundly disturbed? She manages to send this message, although it is pitch black, and she makes no noise. But it is clear, you are a disturbing force in her life.

Have a Great Wednesday. Love your life. Hug the person next to you.

Love and Peace,  Gregg