Hi from Monterey, California (Central Coast). I am a new chicken owner - 9 days! We have 4 hens: 3 Americana and 1 White Crested Black Bantam. I found BYC by searching "chicken forums" on google. I just began organic gardening and made my first composter yesterday. I'm really enjoying a lot of time outside right now. I also love food and wine and am involved in Greyhound Rescue.
Kurt and I will celebrate our 9th anniversary next month. We have owned 3 rescued (retired racing dogs) greyhounds - at present, we have one (Del Ray Minka of Florida). We have one short haired, black cat - Mr. Jupiter and our chickens are named:
Lulu - After my grandmother Louise
Corky - After my grandmother Corinne who went by the name Corky
Gertrude (Gert) - It rhymes with my husband's name Kurt
Opal - for her pretty fluffy head.
I am a part-time consultant for Vemma Nutrition, discovered after learning I was gluten, dairy, soy intolerant and was not absorbing nutrients efficiently. I'm currently looking for a part-time role in Development at a non-profit or in human resources. I am trying to create a career offering me time with my chickens ;)
Our bantam, Opal, is getting pecked by the big hens (Americanas). I have talked to many and done a lot of research and have her inside tonight (in a box with holes) and treated her with Vemma (that's the liquid vitamins/minerals I represent - it has a lot of aloe vera - good for skin/hair/scalp - hope it works for chickens - it couldn't hurt for sure). Then, I dried her head and applied corn starch. Tomorrow, my plan is to do the same and also apply Cayenne Pepper on the healthy feathers around the wound/missing feather area.
I am open to suggestions - I have heard a zillion things and hope to not have to permanently separate because I like my chickens to enjoy free ranging all day when I am at home and I cannot imagine having her all alone. Also, it took some time to convince my husband to get chickens, so suggesting that he build another chicken coop is not in the plans right now. The house we purchased (pre-fab) is small and the pen was way too small for me to leave them in it. They just fit (how is that called a free-range pen?)
Anyway, We moved the house inside an area that will become a 9 foot by 16 foot fenced area with cover (hoops with cow panels). It's really exciting - but can you imagine my asking for more chickens - the giant pen won't be done until this Sunday coming up!
other suggestions? OR - just say hello, I am so happy about owning chickens, they are amazing creatures - so hilarious to watch. I would love ideas of fun things to put into their new pen. They were walking through open cow panels laying in a hoop today - all four of them in a row like little soldiers - it was great fun. ;)
OK - this is therapeutic writing all this. Did anyone make it this far? ;) Jette
Welcome from a former resident of the Monterey Peninsula! I spent most of my life there, from Pacific Grove to Monterey, back to Pacific Grove, to Marina, back to Monterey, then to Seaside and finally to Castroville, beginning at age 13 and ending in late 2007 when I was .... 53. 
