Coop Cleaning Day and Other Doings.

Today is coop cleaning day and finally some great weather for it! I'm currently gathering my strength for a good shovel-out of the summer straw and getting the place winterized. Will be a good day out scratching around the yard for the flock and both of these things are badly needed.

I'm sure by now, I described the task in excruciating detail, so I won't go into it again, but it will be a messy job.

In other news, there is a new kid in town. If my ears are still as sharp as ever, I'd say that one street over is a young rooster who has just come into his maturity making his presence known. His crow is a little higher pitched, so either he has just started, or is possibly a bantam. Perhaps both.

Coq Au will crow through out the day, and much to my neighbors' "delight" will sometimes issue a crow or two at four A.M. for no particular reason, and this has the effect of causing the 'Johnny-come-lately' a block over to sound his replies. I am not sure which neighbor over there is keeping chickens, but I am sure the rest of the neighborhood is thoroughly thrilled with the additional sounds.

In other news, the egg embargo is in full swing. Zero eggs. They've shut down in the fall before for an extended time, but it is still always disconcerting and I may even have to buy some eggs. Oh the shame! The absolute shame!

As for individuals, I went into the run yesterday to change the water. We've had a lot of rain lately, so the run was a bit muddy. I spread the scratch around and the flock gathered to greedily pick at their favorite morsels except for Hortense. She kept close to me and wondered if I would let her slip through the gate for some 'me time' that she so loves, but I was disinclined to do so. I feared that she might even miss out on the treats that the others were enjoying, but with all of the rain, a great congregation of worms had collected underneath their water font, so when I lifted it to give it a cleaning and refill, Hortense was the sole benefactor of a private feast!

Not My Cat still comes by from time to time but always seems more interested in garnering a free meal rather than the quest to soil the reputation of our 'daughter' Osha.

Well, that's the exciting life of enjoying simplicity. No 'high drama' to report and that suits me fibe!

The Gathering Darkness.

The equinox is just around the corner. Temps are still summerlike, but the days are definitely shorter. I've noticed, but just in case I haven't, to flock sure has.

The sudden shift has caused several girls to molt and even Coq Au has lost some of his proud tailfeathers to the seasonal change. Egg production is low.

In a fit of compassion, I've taken off my beard. My 'molt' will end quickly, and it has had zero effect on *my* egg production!

The break from full swing production is good for their aging bodies and the timing is completely in the control of the layers' union with no input from myself, upper management, nor Coq Au is regarded in the least.

Well, the feathers will grow back just in time for the cold weather to set in and egg production will go back up a little, but will still be more limited through the winter.

At their age, some hens will stop laying altogether. I hope this is not the case yet, as they are still young enough to keep going and some hens will lay at least a little for most of their lives. No matter. Laying or not, my flock is my flock and unlike folks that need to earn a living on such ventures, my 'retired' layers will continue to live out their natural lives with as much peace and comfort as I can supply.

The cycle of the year is heavy upon us, the cycle of life takes its slower course.

Serving Size.

Last night I made a no carb dinner for herself and I. Ground turkey served in large tomatoes sliced open into "sixths". A little cheese, a lot of lettuce, blah blah blah, you get the idea.

The recipe called for four large tomatoes and a pound of chopped meat an noted that it "serves four". Well, diet or no, we're Americans, damn it, and we've never encountered a 'serving size' that is satisfying, so I made the four servings for the two of us.

Okay, one serving would not have satisfied us, but two servings each was well enough plus plenty left over.

So with us, nothing is wasted. The flock got the full benefit of a full serving's worth and maybe a half more. A lot of tomato, a little turkey, a little cheese, some nice lettuce and such. I wonder what the 'serving size' should be on a meal like this for chickens?

Also, as I've written about several times before, they get warm oatmeal with vegetables in the morning. Last several days I've been 'watering' the oatmeal with some leftover oxtail soup. No oxtail left in it, but plenty of broth with vegetables and a bit of meat fat. As the season gets cooler, a little extra fat is good to winterize them.

To be clear, the mainstay of their diet is their feed. These things are extra, sometimes, occasional treats. But nothing is wasted and it is to the benefit of the whole household.

Just watching the flock stumble over one another to pick at the treats to find the choicest bits is a simple pleasure that can not be described. To be able to create a home with all of the little elements of relaxation and pleasure goes a long way to make it a haven away from the stresses of the world.

Happy chickens, happy spouse happy household, makes happy me! I'm a simple man who adores my small place on this wide and wonderful world.  I love the life herself and I have built with one another.

The Harginger of Change

So this is Labor Day weekend in the states. Many folks take that as the end of summer and it is a big beach weekend for many to soak up the last summer rays. School is about to start again, folks going away for vacations draw down, and … of course … the ubiquitous "pumpkin-spice flavored everything" appears.

With temps next week threatening to be in the 90's, I tend to wait for the equinox as the 'end of summer'.

But yesterday morning, I went out to feed the flock their morning treats as usual and I heard the tell-tale "THWANK" of a falling acorn hitting my car.

Kinda early for these parts, I reckon. So, I went over to the spot and heard a few more of the softer "Shrasht" of another couple of acorn falling through the leaves and hitting the ground. I found one of the acorns. It was small and half eaten. They're not ripe yet, but some squirrel was tasting to the late summer fare, was displeased, and was contemptuously chucking away the remains.

Still, this is an early harbinger for me. Not even merely the acorns, but also the squirrels actively starting their quest to hoard and put in winter weight. This is a little early, so I fear it may also be a harbinger of hard winter.

Never the less, my thoughts turned to acorns! Been a couple of years since I had a decent harvest from my meagre two or three oaks, so while the rest of the east coast is dreaming of pumpkin spice everything, I am already thinking on acorn bread! If there is a decent harvest to be had, and if I can beat the squirrels to some choice nuts, I figure I can collect in earnest in about a week, or more likely two.

I think I've shared this recipe before, but just in case I haven't, here it is again:

Processing raw acorns is a task in itself … but an easy one. Perfect for those of us that fit into the "poor and bored" category of life. If anyone wants notes on how to do this, comment below.

Also, if you're wondering what acorn bread tastes like, it is similar to the texture of corn bread, but less 'sweet' and more of a mild nutty taste. Goes down great with a dab of butter and honey.

Additionally, acorns are one of the healthiest nuts there are. For the scientifically/nutritionally minded, here is a Wikipedia link to the specifics:

About acorns on Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn