Utah!

[corvidae]

Zach (my 12 year old) now has 55 signatures on his petition to the Bountiful City Council to request they allow chickens hereabouts--and he is going out again this evening to knock on doors! Impressive kid! The council meeting is Tuesday night 7-9 if anyone wants to go support the cause. I can't go because I have to work

. Some friends of mine are taking Zach so he can present the petition to the city council. I'd love it if a few people showed up to cheer the 12 year old on!

It is amazing that, out of all the folks he has talked to, only about 6 have declined to sign the petition. He has probably knocked on 100 doors (lots of folks weren't home, of course). At least 8 of them said, "You mean I can't have chickens right now? But I have a bunch in the backyard!" They had no idea they were breaking an ordinance.

It has been interesting.

Donna

 

[jwoo]

Donna that is awesome! That's actually how the law got changed in Orem. A young girl (I think she was about the same age as your son) wanted to raise chickens and found out it was against city ordinances. She got the signatures, presented it to city council and now we can have chickens!

Oh here is an article I found on it: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700011651/Chickens-welcome-on-small-residential-lots-in-Orem.html She was eight. Your son should print it out and present it at the city council meeting!

 

[Cynthia12]

We have a Blue Andalusian as well. My Wifes favorite bird by far and the prettiest chicken I have ever seen. Her comb is epic in size as well. The only issue I have with her is that she can fly! Well she flies compared to what the other chickens I have can do. Last fall I watched her easily fly over our 6 foot fence in the backyard into my neighbors. I can no longer let her free range out of the pen because she just hops the fence like it isn't even there. I got her locally as well. There are a couple of people in Utah county that get them in. Watch KSL and you should start seeing them soon, but they go fast.

Mine is a splash. And yes, I've thought about clipping those wings before she is let out of the coop run area. She would be in our neighbors yard in a heartbeat..I can tell. Prettiest eyes. I compare that sweet look to the Australorp. This is her third day..no egg yet..she's last springs hatch. I hope she will lay in the nest box, and soon! She doesn't act real nervous..? Guess she needs more time. I keep looking under the coop and nursery hutch behind the coop. No egg yet. They are supposed to lay well, right?

 

[jwoo]

Mine is a splash. And yes, I've thought about clipping those wings before she is let out of the coop run area. She would be in our neighbors yard in a heartbeat..I can tell. Prettiest eyes. I compare that sweet look to the Australorp. This is her third day..no egg yet..she's last springs hatch. I hope she will lay in the nest box, and soon! She doesn't act real nervous..? Guess she needs more time. I keep looking under the coop and nursery hutch behind the coop. No egg yet. They are supposed to lay well, right?

Mine has been laying all winter long four days a week WITHOUT lights. We had an issue where I couldn't put lights in my coop this winter and she is the ONLY chicken that laid all winter long so far. She started in Oct. and was laying six days a week average until about Dec when it slowed to four.

One thing about them is that they are very flighty birds normally. Any disruption in their routine seems to off set egg laying. When I made new nest boxes she wouldn't lay for five days. When she fly over the fence and was lost for an hour (by the time my wife had caught up to her she was three houses down!) she stopped laying for four days. I think it may just take some time to get her back on track. So far I am very happy with this bird. She is very sweet to all the other birds (ducks and chickens) and she lets my daughter pick her up whenever she comes into the run. She is flighty around new people though. Of all our chickens she by far as the quirkiest personality.

I really should clip her wings . . . for some reason never though of it till you said that!

 

[RedIII]

corvidae - That's awesome! I hope you guys can get them to change the laws for you. I want something to be legalized here in West Valley, but I found out that it has already gone before the council twice in the last two years. So, maybe I should take some lessons from Zach?

jwoo - Thanks for the tip. I'll have to watch KSL, though I don't know if I'll be able to get an Andalusian, anyway. I guess we'll see?

Alright, so I was poking around in the yard today doing some chores, and guess what I found under the tack shed?


At some point, my Black Star hen has been hiding eggs from me, it seems. What's funny is that the spot she picked was literally right under where the nest box is set up. I'm guessing that she decided to start laying in the box after I put a golf ball in there. Anyway, I'm going to have to start checking the yard more thoroughly for eggs. She's slippery, that one.........

And please allow me a dorky moment here.


I love getting to play with these chicks. I only get to see them two or three times a week if I'm lucky, and my boyfriend's work schedule has him home for about six hours or less every day. So, the only time the chicks get handled is when I'm around. They're doing great, though. I can actually pick up both of my little pullets and gently stroke their backs now without them getting very worried. They will hop up on my legs on their own, too, and today they were dozing while I sat in front of the work light that's warming the shed. Still not sure on names for them, but I'm leaning toward Ellie for the white one - because she's about as loud as an elephant when she cries. The male chicks are doing great, as well, and they love it when I let them run around in the yard. Today they were jumping around and flapping their wings as soon as they got out, and later they were hanging out with the adult birds, which was awesome.

Thanks for tolerating my journal entry

Hope everyone's alright in this nutty weather.

 

[Cynthia12]

Red..nutty weather=Utah weather. You just never know what our March, April, or May weather is going to be like. Let's hope it isn't like last year. Let's go for, March, being the normal windy time..go fly a kite you guys and gals, April, brings May flowers, May, come on flowers! Oh, and blossoms on my Apple trees, just not the front apple tree, we don't bother much with eating them. This tree has never been trimmed, it's just beautiful though..love the shape. So small apples, and a mess when they start coming down. The back trees are great apples for eating.
That little white chck right there looks like a pullet, a leghorn pullet/mix..isn't that one of Hector's? So happy for those chicks, they went to a good home. Yes, leghorns can be noisy when they want your attention. My brown leghorn is real chatty when I am around the coop cleaning, or putting in new food and water. Then, she will make noise "before" she goes into the nest box, especially if someone else is in a nest box. She has to let them know, here she comes, because she usually likes to share.
My Andalusion is pretty quiet. I think when this snow leaves, which will probably not be until next week, I'll have my husband take pictures of how to clip wings. I remember being scared half to death of doing it, but it is so easy, and, I know she needs it before I let her range around the yard. She is always "up" somewhere, more on the roost's outside more often than the others. And, now I notice she is always the first in the coop to roost.
Hope everyone is enjoying the weather.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Red----cute pictures! That sneaky one hiding her eggs, too funny! Those eggs are nice size! This weather makes me crazy, the yard dries out, the kids go out finally on Friday, now it is all mushy again. We live on the swamp side of town so the ground water is ridiculously high, always muddy all spring. i thought this year with not much snow finally we could enjoy a little time outside but no way. It is still snowing here :/ Thanks for sharing your chicken stories, I think it is fun to read. LOVE the name Ellie, it is my grandaughter's name

Cynthia---please do the wing clipping pictures! I would love to learn how to do that. I know how to do our parakeets, have no clue on the chickens. My bantam, the few days she is not broody---flies right up and sits on the fence. With two big jumping black labs on the other side. One day she is going to be their dinner if I do not fix her. I usually leave her in the run because of this then I feel bad while she watches her buddies run around the yard. Like your egg picture too on your avatar.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Hey Sphinx! How is it going with your lavenders? Still looking boyish? I am still thinking one of each. And that big one is a mean one. I put my hand in there and it comes after me and pecks me. The little one is sweet. I think I am destined to have mean chickens lol

 

[the-bird-man]

so cute about the hiding eggs red! my girls rely on golf balls, one night i had changed the shavings in the nest and i guess i dropped a golf ball on the floor because the next day there were a bunch of eggs on the floor with it lol

 

[RedIII]

bird-man, that's pretty funny about the golf ball

Isn't it amazing how smart they are about those things? "Oh my, our marker has been moved. Well, don't argue with the boss, girls. I guess this is where he wants us to lay."

Lisa - I didn't know the water table where you live is that high. And you guys are still getting snow? It has been trying to snow here, but seeing as how we're right in the middle of the valley's warm pocket, we won't get much more than a smattering of snow or some rain. I really wish it would snow here while it's still winter.

Cynthia - Yep, the pullets are both from Hector, and I love them to pieces. Going by her markings, I really think that the white one has at least some Delaware in her, which has me pretty excited. No matter what she ends up being, though, I am going to enjoy having her around. I can't wait to see what she looks like as an adult!