Tag Archives: chickens

Dinnertime on the Homestead

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Dinnertime, 2019, Archival Digital Print

The flock is molting now so added protein is important. Yesterday it was warm scrambled eggs with herbs, salmon, and 8-grain wheat toast. They gathered together in the communal meal, making soft happy sounds.

Nicky, the feral cat I’m hoping to tame, got eggs too. They are so plentiful now and such a perfect protein that the hens actually give back more than they get consume.

I repeat myself, but the pleasure of  being part of the land in the way living here has given me is so pleasurable.  I am grateful.

 

Pecking Order

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TickTock and His Dominion, 2019, Archival Digital Photo

There he is surveying his protectorate always on duty.  TickTock is a perfect rooster and day in day out is vigilant about his hens’ safety.  Yes, his hens, male ownership, it wouldn’t fly in today’s awareness of gender equality.  He flew up to take a look at the goslings below, now almost grown and new tenants in the coop.   The hens, except for Clara Big Baby, don’t care about independence and seem to enjoy having a strong male to boss them around.

Apart from collecting eggs, feeding and cleaning duties, my visits to the flock are simply to enjoy and observe. These birds remind me of the basic pleasure of a day spent walking around and pecking to see what you can find.

 

 

Becoming Hens

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The girls are growing up, 2018, Archival Digital Print

In a matter of hours, from the morning feed until the evening one, the six Claras went from adolescent chicks with pale beige feathers and lots of down showing to young hens with russet feathers, real chicken tails and the beginnings of combs. Now I wish I had been in there all day and snapped a photo once an hour.  What a transformation as life does its thing.

 

Two Claras

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Two Claras, 2018, Archival Digital Print

This was taken over a week ago and already the girls are the size of Bantams and much more curious about the world. Clara Christina Columbus now jumps on top of the water jug to consider where she might go. To prevent her giant leap for Chickenkind I’ve added screening. The Columbus chick is the most curious of the six whereas Clara Voyant, named by my neighbor, Betty Grindrod, is dreamier and in her own world.  And Clara Madonna, the bottle blonde, is just taken with her own beauty.  Their markings and personalities are all different and I continue to marvel at the wonder of growth, DNA wiring and individuation.  My brilliant former TA John Gross is coming up from New York this weekend to help me prepare the shed and soon the outdoor pen will be replaced with a varmint proof construction.  Then we shall await the eggs.

 

New numbers on the Homestead

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Six New Chicks, 2018, Archival Digital Print

This morning, six Rhode Island Red chicks joined the Homestead. They are so pretty and innocent with the smallest of peeps. They will live under warming lights indoors for six weeks until they have healthy plumage. Then to the henhouse behind the studio. I’m growing Calendulas from non-GMO seeds for them as well as other nice greens. They will be free range during the day and protected at night from the hungry Others. All are named Clara.