Chickens are stars of Sunset, April 2009

(Elizabeth Jardina with her chicken Ruby, Sunset Magazine April 2009, Photo: E. Spencer Toy)

Sunset Magazine published a short article about growing laying chickens - How to Raise Chickens.  It is short, sweet, and good for beginners.  I would warn though - you don't have to buy a coop, you can build one very easy and fast. There are many resources of building a chicken coop online.  Also, the article doesn't mention that they need a roost inside the coup, not just "... a secure hen-house with a roof to sleep in...". 

Chickens and gardening - massive misrepresentation!

(Sunset Magazine, April 2009, Photo: Jim Henkens)

Sunset Magazine, April 2009, had an article on growing veggies in your own yard - Digging into Veggies.  The first part of the article is about Willi Galloway from Seattle.  She gives tips on how to grow a garden.  I am not an expert on gardening, so I have no comments there.  

The part that really bothered me was a picture, which is not online, where Willi is feeding chickens in her garden.  It's really a shame that the magazine failed to mention the most important tip - keep the chickens out of your garden!  People, who do both, separate chickens and gardens.  Chickens destroy gardens and lawns - they eat everything, they scratch the ground, they will eat your veggies and tomatoes.  

I am sure Willi does keep them separate, otherwise there would be no garden to brag about.  Another explanation - those chickens are just models! 

Chicken-friendly dog

We are dog-sitting Baba (our friend's dog).  He is half lab and half pit bull.  But nobody told him that he is a pit, and he is not smart enough to figure it out on his own. He is a sweetest-sweetest dog; all he wants is to be petted and be played with.  He is very gentle.  He doesn't bark at all, he doesn't pay attention to other dogs, he doesn't bite, he doesn't even chase chickens.  Actually, he is terrified of chickens. In the picture he is whimpering, because the rooster is too close to him, even though there is a fence between them.  He is looking at Farmer Boy, begging for protection.  

When I get stressed out, I go to the yard and play with Baba.  He just wants attention.  He is not the brightest dog, but he has so much love for us.  If only I could clone him and keep him forever.  Did I say that he is good with chickens?  A chicken-friendly Baba.

Washington Feather Fanciers' 29th Annual Spring Show

(our show bird)

Washington Feather Fanciers' 29th Annual Spring Show

will be held on May 30th, Saturday, in Chehalis, WA. 

I am excited to finally see this event.  In 2007 it was scheduled for November/December, and then we had a major flooding of Chehalis area.  So the show was canceled.  

We plan to attend and just watch.  Farmer Boy thought of entering his birds.  However, showing a bird is time-consuming and stressful for the owner and, most importantly, for the show birds.  I really wanted us to enter, since our birds are rare.  Bird breeders get excited when they see our chickens.  But it would cut into Farmer Boy's work time. 

I will write about the show later.  If you are interested in attending, for details see http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/grd/1174733662.html.