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| Bobbie and Crosby in time-out as they did not live up to the contract this day. |
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Negotiations Are On-Going
The chickens and I are in the midst of negotiations. Pretty sure it was last week's lettuce-offering that brought them back to the table. So to speak. By Tuesday, Bobbie Oar had been elected Union Steward by her sisters and, I'll admit, has done a masterful job bargaining on behalf of the PA. She's tough. But fair. We've agreed to thrice-weekly treats of apples, lettuce or whatever poultry-loving goodies we have around and I'm to allow dust baths in the front garden between the hours of 11am and 4pm EST, Tuesday through Saturday. When they dig chicken-belly-size holes, I am to avert my gaze and allow it. Or join in. The choice is mine. In exchange, Bobbie is now giving us an egg every day. And just to show that she really is bargaining in good faith, she's made a nest out of some stray leaves and corn broom bristles and lays the egg right next to the front door. Crosby and Piggy continue to deliver while Phanny is losing more feathers everyday. I am to provide a scarf. At least, I think that's what the contract says. Chicken scratch, you know.
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14 comments:
And you call me mad. You don't see me negotiating with chickens.
I giggled all the way through reading this. And now I'm imagining you digging a Liz-belly-size hole, while the chickens strut around chanting:
"What do we want?
Long Johns!
When do we want them?
Now!"
At least you're back into eggs. However, don't be fooled. Just remember their treachery, and just when they've relaxed, I'd take one down!
Hee hee! Happy to hear about your successful negotiations.
You are mad, Philip.
~ Love, Liz
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Hee hee. You should've seen them tonight, Bub, marching in front of the porch...
"There ain't no power
Like the power of the poultry
And the power of the poultry
Won't stop!"
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Bobbie's reneging, IG; no egg today. Damn birds. Time to bring out the big guns...the stuffed great horned owl. (Don't ask)
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Hey Amber - I'm afraid successful is a relative word...
If the chickens knew what you were doing with their eggs, they wouldn't lay any.
Enjoying the play-by-play here. Mine aren't laying more than an egg or three a day right now either, of a flock of about 16. The shift was really abrupt. It happens this time of year.
Just found your blog through Resistant but Persistent (http://resistantbutpersistent.blogspot.com). I LOVE what you're doing here. I'll be back - often. :)
You've got good chickens: laying their eggs right by the front door. Now you need a cow who will leave a pint every day and you're set!
Dorito - don't tell them. 'Kay?
Leah - hee hee. Makes me realize that I need to get a life. (On a more serious note: Do you have a light to prolong daylight hours for yours? I'm trying to sort out in my head whether they should have a period of rest as mother nature would have provided or use a light. If we don't use a light then I'll be buying eggs from the store so the problem isn't solved; it's just moved to different chickens. I'm leaning towards deceit and trickery.)
Firespark - Welcome! I've taken a quick look over your way and will head back for more in a bit. Glad you came by.
Mara - If a cow didn't require such a commitment, I might entertain the idea. Can't imagine where she might leave the milk. In the car's gas tank?
Hi Liz
Love you sense of hee haw!!!
With, where my location is in this fine country of ours, my girls are out of bed at 9 am. and they retire early around 6 ish. With the days getting even shorter, this change. We still let the girls out of the hen house to 'wander' and scratch-up even in the snow. My egg production is about 6 eggs a day. But I do have over 2 dozen new girls waiting to start. But that won't be until(tapping fingers on the keyboard thinking) maybe Christmas. Because I am already getting down to -5 to -10, they get a heat lamp on for the night. Like you said, they are very demanding those fine feathered friends of ours.
Your girls are going thru their molting period which can last up to 2 months. Just be patient, and try to keep them out of the stew pot!
But feel free to keep on negotiating, because it is very entertaining to read. But I think the chickens will win.
About the light- I guess you could say I go half-way. I do like to give them a period of rest as nature would have it, but I put the heat lamp on when the temp drops to about -20 C, for the sake of the heat more than the light. Yeah, interesting point about just moving the problem to somewhere else. I've found having chickens is another one of those eye-opening lessons in seasonal/local eating. But you may find yourself in the same boat as we did- after having our own laying hens, those store eggs just can't measure up, so we just eat less eggs during the off season. ;)
p.s. I notice that your hens have good sized combs, which will be sensitive to frost bite, so you'll want to consider a source of heat for the colder days.
Cheryl and Leah - thanks for the input. (One of the things I love about this blogging world...I get to pick your brains) Interestingly, today there were four eggs, one from each hen, in one nest inside the coop. You're right Cheryl - they're winning. I don't know what they're gonna pull next.
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