Chicken pen number 7

About two or three months ago, we put 20 chicks in the new pen number 6 with Tonto and two hens. Four that we adopted with their mom (one of the hens), three that we hatched from eggs our neighbor gave us to hatch, one exotic that arrived with a batch of meat birds, and 12 that we hatched from our laying flock. Those chicks are now getting huge! They also eat like crazy. The little ones keep digging out under the fence, but they usually walk right back in the door at feeding time! We figure that it won't be too long before that pen won't hold them all comfortably. Also,we can't tell if there are any roosters yet. That would be awesome-good if they were all hens! The exotic will likely be a rooster, but, we'll see.... Anyway, we also have to get two of the roosters out of the transition pen (Sammy's pen). Turns out that Coco's a roo, and the pretty black and white one, too.  That pen currently has 3 Roos and 3 hens. Good for humans, bad for chickens. Sammy has them under control for now, but only because they are young. Thus Pat and Jeff started building Pen #7. We will probably put the two young Roos and half of the young hens in it. In three or four months, we should be getting lots of eggs!

The frame:

It needs a little straightening up. Hehe.

A new papaya source!

Our hard, messy labor finally paid off! We used to bring 4 - 5 5-gallon buckets to the market and ask the vendors individually if they had any culls for our chickens (fruit that they would otherwise throw away). Then our favorite vendor suggested we put a big garbage can in a spot by their stall and they would put all their culls in it and we could pick it up whenever we wanted. So we chained two big garbage cans to a pole, and picked up fruit twice a week. The up side: we got lots of fruit. The down side: people put other things in our buckets, also. Like avocados, citrus, and onions (that chickens don't eat) and garbage (that no one eats). AND it sits for a few days, getting very, ah, ripe. So when we picked it up, we had to sort it. Pile 1: edible chicken food, Pile 2: edible pig food to go in the pig farmer's bin, Pile 3: garbage to go in the garbage bin, and Pile 4: recycle bottles and cans to go in the recycle bin. Then we cleaned out our cans and picked up the area. Dirty, nasty business. But it had to be done, and we persevered. Sometimes, in the late afternoons, we'd run into "Uncle Rudy," who had a big truck, full of papaya, and he'd say, "You want these?" They were always greener, solid papayas, so we'd say, "Yes, please!"and make room in the truck. Last week, we were picking up our mushy papaya, and Uncle Billy asked us to take our cans home and wash them. Okay, time for a clean up. Uncle Rudy was there also, and he said, "Here, fill 'em up with papaya!" Then he suggested we just come at 4 in the afternoon and get our papaya from him and don't bother with the cans. Yes! The papaya is fresher, the job is cleaner, and Rudy gets a good deal on our meat chicken. We all win! The papaya looked so good, I just ate a half! Life keeps getting better. I love Hawai'i!

We tried another WWOOFER....

Yes, we have another WWOOFER. He's been here a week, and it's a totally different experience. The key is open and clear communication. He is an artist. Paints, mostly. Quite good, actually. He is currently on a painting excursion to the east side of the island. Probably be back tomorrow. In addition to learning about and helping to feed the chickens, he has cleaned up the living space downstairs, dug up and replanted one raised bed, and built another. He also just jumps up and does the dishes without being asked! I'm glad I'm having a good experience right after the bad. Restores my faith in humanity.

Don't tell me chickens aren't smart!

Yesterday I went into the coops to dig out some manure for our new raised bed. I dressed for the occasion, in the same boots and gloves that I wear when I catch and butcher roosters. After I'd been in the first coop a few minutes, working, I guess one of the chickens noticed my attire, because they started getting all agitated. It went from pen to pen, and I didn't know why at first; I thought there was a predator, like a dog, stalking the property. They settled down when they realized I wasn't chasing them, but the hens broke two eggs in the nests in the process! Guess I should wear my gear more often!

Organic.....

Organic. It used to be a common word that could be used in everyday language. But it has been stolen by the USDA.
From ams.usda.gov:
"Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods that integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used."
Therefore, you should not use it as a generic term without qualification! It has been usurped into a labeling term! Nonetheless, I think it is a good thing that there is someone regulating food production. And that we can buy chemical-free, hormone-free, non-GMO food that has been produced responsibly. And, like any rule-making body, they are not perfect. They also sometimes are influenced by lobbyists, contributors, the scale of "national", and inefficiency.
When we looked at for info on "organic", we first found a website, published by the USDA, that gave only partial information. Ok, so we believe one thing. But it did lead us to a link to the full regulations. In the full regulations, there was a reg about ruminants needing organic pastureland. Well, hmmm.... Chickens aren't ruminants, but even if they were, the ground they peck around on is organic. They should not be fed any slaughter waste. We don't. The only meat they get is table scraps. Couldn't find the reg about organic feed and grain. BUT a friend sent me link to a brochure, also published by the USDA, that says that you DO have to feed your livestock organic grain. Now I know why they need such a large workforce to help farmers understand and implement the regs.
Then I thought to myself, why do I even want to claim my chickens and eggs are organic? My chickens are happy and healthy. The eggs are delicious. The people that buy them from me don't care whether they are organic, and currently I am always sold out. I only raise enough meat chickens for friends and family, and we all love them. They are delicious also.
I just have to remember not to use the Word.

How knowledge develops in civilization.

I am a scientist. I do, and have done, research. What is research? The first time someone tries something. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. And that applies to the growth of the body of knowledge in all fields common to civilization. These days, with the Internet, and mobile devices, and the easy-to-use tools developed on them, deccemination of new knowledge and discoveries is rapid, nearly instantaneous. But it occurs the same way. I try something, it works, I share it with others, they improve upon it, etc.

Thus I am lead to discuss the dilemma of dog poop. My thought was always that it was too high in nitrates and potential parasites to use anywhere in a garden, or as compost. And that is one of our major waste products that grieves us, disposing in plastic bags for landfills the poop from 4 large dogs!

And then a colleague told me that her daughter composted dog poop with yard cuttings and used it on shrubs. Hmmm. So I looked it up on the Compost Expert's website and found that, no, you cannot really compost dog poop in the normal way, but you can safely use worms to compost it! Really!?! Earthworms or red wriggles! Of which I have millions! With one caveat. Worms who eat dog poop won't eat anything else, so you have to have separate dog poop worm bins. (Glad someone else figured that one out for me!) I'm going to try it! As soon as I find a few eligible bins.

Our chickens and eggs ARE organic, according to the published USDA guidelines!

I'm so smart! Why didn't I think to actually read the USDA guidelines on organic poultry and eggs before I got all defensive? Well, here it is, folks, directly from the USDA Consumer Brochure: Organic Food Standards and Labels: The Facts: 

"Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones."

Period. That's it. On to the next topic. No mention of feed. So, according to the guidelines, my poultry and my eggs are organic! And, as our small farm makes less than $5,000/yr, we do not need to have a certification to claim organic.

So, all you organic geeks who think you know what, who claim that we have to feed our chickens organic food to say they are organic, you should know that what you buy in the store is only required to adhere to the above guideline to receive their USDA organic certification.

That's all I am saying about that.

I produce, eat, and sell organic chickens and eggs. Period.

More social engineering on The Four Daughters' Farm

It really is time to butcher some roosters. Some of our juveniles have grown to be obnoxious boys, and the boss Roos aren't putting up with it. Our only problems are in the main pen (Racer's domain), and Sammy's pen.

Two of the young birds in Sammy's pen are roosters. Both should probably go. Just because there are too few hens in there for more than one roo. But one of them is old enough to give Sammy problems, and they have been fighting. It got so bad today, that the other rooster ended up hiding under the ramp in the pen. We decided we had to get him out of there. One problem...the nuggets were still using the hospital pen. Well, they were all healthy now, and could go to the other pen, but still much smaller than the dinners, who are not quite ready to butcher. They still look a little small, even though they are 8 weeks old. So my handy wife, Pat, threw up a chicken wire divider to make the meat bird pen an instant duplex! We moved the nuggets in with some food, water, and a little box for shelter, and they were all set! Then, we moved the troublesome roo into the hospital pen, until Friday, when we plan to take care of them (euphemism for butcher). And none too soon, either. The poor guy already had one eye shut and some blood marks! It will be a mercy killing.

Meanwhile, in Racer's pen, we had picked out a little red roo to keep, and were going to butcher the other three or four. Well, I think Racer agrees. Today, the little red one was on top of one of the hens, doing his thing, very politely, and she was letting him, not even squawking. Then one of the other renegade roosters came over, kicked him off, and tried to jump on. The hen shrieked, Racer attacked that rooster and chased him away! Like I said, hens and Racer are okay with little Red, but those big spotted ones gotta go! They will make good dog food. Lately our dogs have been spoiled with meat birds! We cook one, grab enough meat for two meals for us, and make two batches of dog food with the rest. Then skin, gristle, and marrow to the chickens. That's how far a 5-lb. chicken can go!

Our first WWOOFERs!

We had our first WWOOFER experience! They came, and they left. 3 days. We have a few things to work on.  I expect the next one will be longer.....