I apologize whole-heartedly to those who use this blog as their primary source of Keeping Up With CLUCK Red Deer. The primary platform for contact is the Facebook page and I know some of you aren't on Facebook, but it's handy for many of us and getting stuff blogged (clearly) hasn't been a priority. Life happens! Anyhoo, things are winding down for me, personally, I will make an effort (no guarantees, though).
First of all, after a few months trying to wrangle a source for organic feed for those of us in Red Deer who prefer it, we were able to get a delivery from a producer near Calgary. It was, unfortunately, not able to keep up with our needs (though we were very grateful while it lasted), so I started hunting again. This time I was able to secure not only organic, but soy-free feed and to have it stocked in a feed store so we didn't have to try to arrange meet-ups and payments! I am so pleased to announce that Alberta Feed now keeps organic and soy-free layer kibble in stock -and organic scratch, as well. Not only is it handy (they are just west of the city of Red Deer, on HWY 11A, across from Dentoom's Greenhouse), it's bagged in 20kg quantities and very well priced (off the top of my head, it's ~$25, scratch is ~$20, I want to get this post done so I'm not looking up my notes on exact prices). YAY!
Second of all (?) and so very exciting to me: I am pleased to announce that we will have a Second Urban Hen Party!! Here's what I posted on Facebook:
Did you go to last year's Urban Hen Party? Do you even know what I'm talking about? WELL YOU CAN!! We are honored to be included in Canadian Heritage Breeds' 2013 Peavey Mart Urban Farm Show and have a second Urban Hen Party!
What does this mean? It means that we can enter our very own urban girls into a very informal and very fun show! I will draft up some lovely certificates for the various awards, last year's included such titles as Fluffiest Butt, Best Scratching Technique, Most Soothing Crooner.. and more! Just the other day I saw that Todd has his Adele's certificate for Prettiest Overall framed & hung in his dining room!
DETAILS:
It will cost you a mere $2 for each hen you wish to enter and they will be well taken care of in separate cages (no worries about fighting), indoors, fed and watered.
Drop off is on Friday evening (entry fee must be paid at that time, please have correct change) and pick up is Sunday at the end of the show (exact times will be updated once I know for sure).
THE BIG QUESTION: Why should you bother? There are many reasons:
1. I wasn't sure it was worth the time & effort last year, but I met several other Urban Hen Wranglers here in Red Deer that I'd only seen named on this page. It was wonderful to put faces to names and share some of the experiences we'd had keeping our own girls here in Red Deer. Some CLUCKers have become truly great friends.
2. We (CLUCK Red Deer) were able to answer questions that many people (urban and rural folk, alike) had about Red Deer's pilot project, the benefits of raising our own small flocks, debunking the worries of noise, smell, nuisance in the city and surprising some folk with how much we had learned from our own research & experience (city bumpkins, indeed!)
3. Did I mention the awesome certificates I designed? They are awesome.
4. It breaks up our potentially bored hens' routines a bit. One of mine was broody and putting her in a completely new space snapped her out of it and broke up the doldrums of wintery stuck-in-the-coop/run days.
5. It helps the cause of Urban Hen-Keeping by displaying how healthy and happy our girls truly are in their urban environment.
6. If you stick around for the show, it's a great, great chance to tackle one of the local breeders and ask questions about their birds or help solve mystery maladies.
7. If nothing else, it's an excuse to bathe your chickens. (Oh yes.)
Take a look at CHB's page & the Urban Farm Show page for more info (links embedded above). I had such a hard time leaving last year, it was truly a lot of fun -way more than I anticipated hanging out in a huge room full of livestock!
If you scroll down this post, you can see some photos from last year's UHP.
SO, if you're interested, please send me an e-mail at cluck.reddeer@gmail.com and I'll get you the entry form. (You can enter more than one bird!)
Monday, November 4, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Keeping Ourselves Busy!
Spring has sprung and all around us the snow is melting! Yay! My birds have been enjoying a little freedom in my back yard (with a lot of supervision) and I'm already sooo happy to see them scratching up the exposed garden beds, getting all of the early weedy leaves taken care of! I could leap for joy in anticipation of seeing my slugs turn into eggs!!
With the attention Urban Hens is getting in Central Alberta (thanks to the media sharing some of the details of our most excellent City Council's decision to extend the pilot project), there are events popping up everywhere that CLUCK Red Deer is happy and excited to be a part of!!
Here's some info:
Saturday April 6, 10am-5:30pm at the Red Deer College: -Red Deer EcoLiving Fair & Workshops (link down as of writing this, but Rene says it should be up very soon with the workshop schedule). Deborah will be hosting a brief workshop on Urban Hen-Keeping! We'll also have a table/booth/nook set up to answer questions and show off a couple of our beautiful urban hens.
Sunday April 21, 12-4pm (at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre): ReThink Red Deer, Waskasoo Environmental Education Society & City of Red Deer Earth Day Event (for more information, visit ReThink Red Deer). From the e-mail message I received:
With the attention Urban Hens is getting in Central Alberta (thanks to the media sharing some of the details of our most excellent City Council's decision to extend the pilot project), there are events popping up everywhere that CLUCK Red Deer is happy and excited to be a part of!!
Here's some info:
Saturday April 6, 10am-5:30pm at the Red Deer College: -Red Deer EcoLiving Fair & Workshops (link down as of writing this, but Rene says it should be up very soon with the workshop schedule). Deborah will be hosting a brief workshop on Urban Hen-Keeping! We'll also have a table/booth/nook set up to answer questions and show off a couple of our beautiful urban hens.
Sunday April 21, 12-4pm (at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre): ReThink Red Deer, Waskasoo Environmental Education Society & City of Red Deer Earth Day Event (for more information, visit ReThink Red Deer). From the e-mail message I received:
From noon to 4:00 p.m. we will be celebrating Earth Day at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre with:
· Tree planting
· Nature walks & geo-caching
· Rain barrel sale
· Eco-crafts
· Green building tours
· And more!
This will be a
free family event.
*UPDATED*
Sunday, May 5, 1-3pm (at All In One Pet Care Facility -4831 53 St, Red Deer): Urban Chickens 101 Workshop. CLUCK Red Deer will host a 2-hour session covering some of the basics of keeping chickens in an urban environment. We plan to speak for 90 minutes (with demonstration) and take questions for 30 minutes.
*NOTE* This event is being held in a pet-grooming facility, there may be potential allergens (including, but not limted to, demonstration hens), attendees are responsible for any possible reactions.
Space is limited, please e-mail cluck.reddeer@gmail.com for tickets.
Saturday May 25, 11am-3pm (at the Westerner Agri-Centre West): Peavey Mart Urban Farm Sale (link to event page on Facebook), hosted by Canadian Heritage Breeds. This will be a great opportunity to find locally raised hens to add to your urban flock, meet breeders and check out some great crafts, arts and just have fun! CLUCK Red Deer will have a table there with some of our birds, ready to answer questions and show you how to check your girls for signs of mites or lice. (Guess what... CHICKEN BUTT!!)
Friday July 26, 8:30am-12pm (at Olds College): Intro to Urban Chicken-Keeping at Olds College's Hort Week (find the course description under the Food Production Lectures & Workshops link on the left hand side). Deborah and I will be teaching this half-day course and cover as much as we possibly can (with pictures and demonstrations) to help you feel comfortable starting your own small flock of Urban Hens.
KEEP IN MIND: One of the conditions of the Red Deer City Council's decision to extend the pilot project for another 12 months was that they be able to more accurately gather information from existing coops. The information they gather will then allow the city's Inspections & Licensing department to draft a bylaw that will ensure the safety, health and happiness of Red Deer's urban hens, hen owners and neighbourhoods -AND THIS REQUIRES YOUR HELP. You *MUST* register your coop with the City.
You can pick up the registration form (and fill it out) at the I&L office on the 2nd floor of City Hall*. There is no charge to register and they do ask that you submit a photo (which can be e-mailed in separately if that's easier for you -it's what I did). Council has clearly indicated that they do not want to take our hens away from us. They are not going to use this information to hunt down our hens and punish us (remember: it's not illegal to keep hens in the city). This is our chance to work with the City to keep Urban Hen-Keeping the fantastic, positive experience it already is. Registration deadline is June 17th. If you do not register by this time, you may not be counted as a part of the Pilot Project and it's unsure if/how the City will treat such cases. If you do not have hens by this time, we suggest you wait until the spring of 2014 when the final bylaw will be drafted. (Note that this is only a pilot project, NOT a full-out open call to urban hen keeping.)
*If you are unable to come in to City Hall during business hours, please contact me. I have a stack of forms at my house and you can pick one up from me: e-mail cluck.reddeer@gmail.com to get in touch.
ANNND as I keep promising.. but keep getting distracted... and STILL haven't done.. here are some of my favorite photos from the winter's Peavey Mart Urban Farm Show and the very, very fun Urban Hen Party:
 |
| We had over 20 girls show up for the Urban Hen Party! |
 |
| Some beat up city construction signs helped show off our urban roots. |
 |
| Frenchie is Arlee's Lavender Bantam D'Uccle. Isn't she gorgeous? |
 |
| Adele is Todd's Bantam Mille Fleurs hen. She won the award for Prettiest Overall. |
 |
| My Blue Cochin, Feezie, got a lot of attention, people love fluffy butts! |
 |
| Todd gives Adele a pep-talk before the judging begins. |
 |
| The CLUCK banner and a few of the items we had for sale. |
 |
| City Councillor Lynn Mulder was our Honorary Judge! |
 |
| Councillor Mulder had a hard time deciding... (and a lot of fun)! |
 |
| Picking winners... it's not easy with so many pretty girls! |
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Flurry of Feathers!!
Wow. SOOO much going on, my head is spinning!
As I'd mentioned in the last post, Red Deer City Council met yesterday afternoon to discuss the Urban Hens Pilot Project -what happened over the last year, what kind of feedback they'd had and where to go from here.
After a brief presentation by Joyce in Inspections & Licensing (I&L) and some questions from several of the Councillors, I started to get excited: the overall impression was that they all (but one) realized that it.is.working.
But Council feels that it still needs work, and I do agree. The initial 12 month pilot was just too open-ended, "Let's have a pilot project!" and just leaving it at that wasn't enough for the City to be able to draft clearly defined rules. While CLUCK has had a pretty good idea of what works (based on our experiences and those of other municipalities who already allow & monitor Urban Hen operations), we just did not have enough people sign up to say for sure that Red Deer can do it, too.
I am, myself, guilty of being one of the hesitant, under-the-radar chicken wranglers, but that's going to change. I understand the underlying fear of registration, the questions: What happens if it falls through? What is going to happen to my pets? How am I going to tell my children? These are good, valid questions and by no means are we at CLUCK lining everyone up to be targets for chicken-removal. I feel very confident not only that it's the right thing to do (in the best interest of the entire community) but also that my hens will be safe, and I'll happily tell you why.
Listening to each of the Councillors ask questions and then take a moment to express their concerns and opinions, I knew that they had our backs. That they do see that it's working and that, in the best interest of ensuring it continues to work, we just need to help them gather more data. Councilor Lynne Mulder (who was our Honorary Judge at the Urban Hens Party in December*) brought up the fear issue herself, suggesting that perhaps those who are registered and have proven that they are responsible coop-managers be able to keep their coops in the event that Urban Hens get banned. Mayor Morris Flewwelling agreed that it's an idea that can be discussed when the issue is re-addressed in 2014 and a final decision is made regarding the bylaw. (But I don't think that it's going to be a problem.)
I cannot tell you how happy and relieved it made me to hear Councilor Mulder bring it up. Besides the fact that she's clearly in support of Urban Hens, she's acknowledging that we have each of us made investments into our coops and hens -money, time, energy, attention and love. Yes, love. These are our pets. I am no less attached to them as I am to my cat, or my beautiful dog that we had to let go just over a year ago.
Anyway, back to Urban Hens...
I&L also want to do coop visits. Joyce said that they would be done with notification (at a time determined agreeable to both City staff and the home owner -they will not be surprise visits!) and, again, Lynne Mulder addressed this, suggesting that perhaps a member of the CLUCK crew could also be present to ensure that someone with experience and knowledge about Urban Hen is there. I think this is a fantastic idea, it will enable those who work in I&L to learn what to look for (since they will not yet have had experience checking out coops) and give us the opportunity to answer any specific questions you may have.
I had to leave early to pick my son up from school so I wasn't present for the final voting, but Kristina texted me that they voted in favour of continuing the Pilot Project and registration. They also voted against initiating an Ipsos survey.
After I got home with my son, the media started calling! I had a photographer from the Advocate come within a few minutes (read the article here) and this morning I had an e-mail from Adrienne asking if I wanted to talk to a reporter from CTV Edmonton (I did, the segment is set to air tonight on CFRN). I had a phone call from the Calgary Herald, Kristina spoke to someone from the Advocate and tomorrow morning I am hosting a Shaw Red Deer crew. It's all a bit tummy-lurching for me, I'm an introvert, but I am also grateful for the opportunity to express the CLUCK point of view and how happy we are with Council's decision. (I'm also one of the few who are at home, so it's convenient for me to meet with the media during regular hours.)
I'm proud of Red Deer. I'm proud to be a citizen of Red Deer. I'm relieved that, at this point, it seems to be less a matter of Can We Allow Urban Hens and more a matter of Let's Make Sure We Do It Right.
SO. What's next? Register your hens, please! We will never give out your information ourselves, that is your business and decision to make, but I am confident that we do not need to be afraid. I&L indicated that they would have the registration forms ready today!
If you have ANY questions at all, PLEASE do not hesitate to leave a comment here or e-mail us cluckreddeer@gmail.com.
*In writing this, I realize I haven't yet posted all of the photos from the Urban Hen Party! Yikes!! I will make a point of finding the time within the next few days, promise!!
As I'd mentioned in the last post, Red Deer City Council met yesterday afternoon to discuss the Urban Hens Pilot Project -what happened over the last year, what kind of feedback they'd had and where to go from here.
After a brief presentation by Joyce in Inspections & Licensing (I&L) and some questions from several of the Councillors, I started to get excited: the overall impression was that they all (but one) realized that it.is.working.
But Council feels that it still needs work, and I do agree. The initial 12 month pilot was just too open-ended, "Let's have a pilot project!" and just leaving it at that wasn't enough for the City to be able to draft clearly defined rules. While CLUCK has had a pretty good idea of what works (based on our experiences and those of other municipalities who already allow & monitor Urban Hen operations), we just did not have enough people sign up to say for sure that Red Deer can do it, too.
I am, myself, guilty of being one of the hesitant, under-the-radar chicken wranglers, but that's going to change. I understand the underlying fear of registration, the questions: What happens if it falls through? What is going to happen to my pets? How am I going to tell my children? These are good, valid questions and by no means are we at CLUCK lining everyone up to be targets for chicken-removal. I feel very confident not only that it's the right thing to do (in the best interest of the entire community) but also that my hens will be safe, and I'll happily tell you why.
Listening to each of the Councillors ask questions and then take a moment to express their concerns and opinions, I knew that they had our backs. That they do see that it's working and that, in the best interest of ensuring it continues to work, we just need to help them gather more data. Councilor Lynne Mulder (who was our Honorary Judge at the Urban Hens Party in December*) brought up the fear issue herself, suggesting that perhaps those who are registered and have proven that they are responsible coop-managers be able to keep their coops in the event that Urban Hens get banned. Mayor Morris Flewwelling agreed that it's an idea that can be discussed when the issue is re-addressed in 2014 and a final decision is made regarding the bylaw. (But I don't think that it's going to be a problem.)
I cannot tell you how happy and relieved it made me to hear Councilor Mulder bring it up. Besides the fact that she's clearly in support of Urban Hens, she's acknowledging that we have each of us made investments into our coops and hens -money, time, energy, attention and love. Yes, love. These are our pets. I am no less attached to them as I am to my cat, or my beautiful dog that we had to let go just over a year ago.
Anyway, back to Urban Hens...
I&L also want to do coop visits. Joyce said that they would be done with notification (at a time determined agreeable to both City staff and the home owner -they will not be surprise visits!) and, again, Lynne Mulder addressed this, suggesting that perhaps a member of the CLUCK crew could also be present to ensure that someone with experience and knowledge about Urban Hen is there. I think this is a fantastic idea, it will enable those who work in I&L to learn what to look for (since they will not yet have had experience checking out coops) and give us the opportunity to answer any specific questions you may have.
I had to leave early to pick my son up from school so I wasn't present for the final voting, but Kristina texted me that they voted in favour of continuing the Pilot Project and registration. They also voted against initiating an Ipsos survey.
After I got home with my son, the media started calling! I had a photographer from the Advocate come within a few minutes (read the article here) and this morning I had an e-mail from Adrienne asking if I wanted to talk to a reporter from CTV Edmonton (I did, the segment is set to air tonight on CFRN). I had a phone call from the Calgary Herald, Kristina spoke to someone from the Advocate and tomorrow morning I am hosting a Shaw Red Deer crew. It's all a bit tummy-lurching for me, I'm an introvert, but I am also grateful for the opportunity to express the CLUCK point of view and how happy we are with Council's decision. (I'm also one of the few who are at home, so it's convenient for me to meet with the media during regular hours.)
I'm proud of Red Deer. I'm proud to be a citizen of Red Deer. I'm relieved that, at this point, it seems to be less a matter of Can We Allow Urban Hens and more a matter of Let's Make Sure We Do It Right.
SO. What's next? Register your hens, please! We will never give out your information ourselves, that is your business and decision to make, but I am confident that we do not need to be afraid. I&L indicated that they would have the registration forms ready today!
If you have ANY questions at all, PLEASE do not hesitate to leave a comment here or e-mail us cluckreddeer@gmail.com.
*In writing this, I realize I haven't yet posted all of the photos from the Urban Hen Party! Yikes!! I will make a point of finding the time within the next few days, promise!!
Friday, February 15, 2013
CLUCKing in the Media
Since my last post, we've had a bit of media attention. Adrienne was contacted by the Red Deer Advocate to see if a couple of us could meet with a reporter to answer some questions and get some photos. I was available, so on Saturday Adrienne popped over and shortly after, Murray Crawford came over. We sat in my living room, chatted a bit, then went out for some photos.
I admit, I was expecting some tougher questions. It appeared that Murray hadn't read up on all of the past media CLUCK Red Deer had received -particularly the concerns after Kristina's initial open-coop and the decision by Council to initiate the pilot project. That said, he did ask us the questions that mattered -how many ways are we finding it a positive experience to be chicken-keepers.
You can read the on-line article here.
I'm not sure why the comments on the on-line version keep disappearing, but I want to be sure some assumptions are cleared up: I have only had my hens since October. My information has not been submitted to the City as a formal participant of the pilot program (for a few reasons, if it comes to a need for registration and/or licensing, my name will be way at the top of that list). Clearly, my involvement at this point indicates that I am not trying to be sneaky, hehe.
But most of all: I DO NOT HAVE A FARM. I know that the term 'Urban Farming' is a hot one right now, but a farm is a business. This is not a business for me. I am keeping hens (just as I am gardening) for my own family's use ONLY.
Anyhoo, Tuesday morning I received a call from CBC Radio in Calgary and was asked some great questions, then offered the opportunity to be interviewed live, on-air about the Urban Hens shenanigans!
You can hear the podcast here.
Council is scheduled to address the issue on Tuesday, session begins at 2pm. Inspections & Licensing is recommending that the pilot project be extended with greater enforcement of registration. Does the city need to do that? Do they need to spend the money on something that we can all see is already working? Can they not agree to accept it and go right to drafting up the bylaw with limits and rules so we can get our birds licensed and keep on CLUCKing along?
**Just for the sake of ensuring that readers know what it is that we recommend as parameters for maintaining safe, healthy, quiet, non-smelly flocks in an urban environment, it bears listing here:
1. NO ROOSTERS -not only are roosters noisy but they are smellier than hens
2. Quiet hens -while hens are typically quiet, crooning or clucking in excitement when they see the snack-pail coming, some are just louder than others. Buying your hens from a reliable, small-scale heritage breeder ensures that the personality of each bird can be gauged and determined whether she's fit for urban life (or not).
3. Ensure that hens are older than 4 months old at time of purchase -prior to this age, it is often difficult to determine whether a chicken is a pullet (female, young hen) or a cockerel (male, young rooster). Chicks are super cute, but they have high mortality rates, it'd be terrible for your children to get attached to a fuzzball only to have it die.
4. No more than 6 hens per yard. Keeping things low-key requires some moderation.
5. Well-constructed coops -our winters can be HARSH. Hens are very good at keeping themselves warm under all those feathers but they can only do so if they are given a well-insulated, well-ventilated home (and have other hens to cozy up to). Coop size is also important -hens require 4 square feet of coop space EACH plus 10 square feet of run space. Any less than that can lead to overcrowding, which, in turn, leads to unwanted behaviour (excessive pecking, preening, fighting, &c).
6. Well-enclosed runs -while chickens are not the best flyers, they can fly well enough to save their own lives and will do so, if they see fit (or are bored). A well-secured and enclosed run will not only keep your hens contained, it will keep potential predators out. If you intend to let your hens range in your back yard, their wings MUST be clipped, your fence must be adequate to keep them enclosed and they must be supervised.
7. Well-monitored flocks -regular (monthly, at least) check-ups by you to watch for parasites (see my previous post on parasites here), to gauge body weight (weight loss is a sign of illness), and ensure overall hen health.
8. Regular coop-cleaning -even in our sometimes harsh winters, we get a warm spell every few weeks that enables us to get out and give the coop a cleaning. Removing soiled bedding ensures not only that your girls will be cleaner, it also reduces moisture build-up inside the coop. Moist air combined with cold temperatures can easily lead to respiratory infections in chickens. It also causes the much-feared Chicken Stink -which nobody wants. Bales of wood chips can be found at local stores (including Peavey Mart) for a very good price.
9. Speak to your neighbours -communication is the key to keeping everyone (including you and your birds) happy.
I admit, I was expecting some tougher questions. It appeared that Murray hadn't read up on all of the past media CLUCK Red Deer had received -particularly the concerns after Kristina's initial open-coop and the decision by Council to initiate the pilot project. That said, he did ask us the questions that mattered -how many ways are we finding it a positive experience to be chicken-keepers.
You can read the on-line article here.
I'm not sure why the comments on the on-line version keep disappearing, but I want to be sure some assumptions are cleared up: I have only had my hens since October. My information has not been submitted to the City as a formal participant of the pilot program (for a few reasons, if it comes to a need for registration and/or licensing, my name will be way at the top of that list). Clearly, my involvement at this point indicates that I am not trying to be sneaky, hehe.
But most of all: I DO NOT HAVE A FARM. I know that the term 'Urban Farming' is a hot one right now, but a farm is a business. This is not a business for me. I am keeping hens (just as I am gardening) for my own family's use ONLY.
Anyhoo, Tuesday morning I received a call from CBC Radio in Calgary and was asked some great questions, then offered the opportunity to be interviewed live, on-air about the Urban Hens shenanigans!
You can hear the podcast here.
Council is scheduled to address the issue on Tuesday, session begins at 2pm. Inspections & Licensing is recommending that the pilot project be extended with greater enforcement of registration. Does the city need to do that? Do they need to spend the money on something that we can all see is already working? Can they not agree to accept it and go right to drafting up the bylaw with limits and rules so we can get our birds licensed and keep on CLUCKing along?
**Just for the sake of ensuring that readers know what it is that we recommend as parameters for maintaining safe, healthy, quiet, non-smelly flocks in an urban environment, it bears listing here:
1. NO ROOSTERS -not only are roosters noisy but they are smellier than hens
2. Quiet hens -while hens are typically quiet, crooning or clucking in excitement when they see the snack-pail coming, some are just louder than others. Buying your hens from a reliable, small-scale heritage breeder ensures that the personality of each bird can be gauged and determined whether she's fit for urban life (or not).
3. Ensure that hens are older than 4 months old at time of purchase -prior to this age, it is often difficult to determine whether a chicken is a pullet (female, young hen) or a cockerel (male, young rooster). Chicks are super cute, but they have high mortality rates, it'd be terrible for your children to get attached to a fuzzball only to have it die.
4. No more than 6 hens per yard. Keeping things low-key requires some moderation.
5. Well-constructed coops -our winters can be HARSH. Hens are very good at keeping themselves warm under all those feathers but they can only do so if they are given a well-insulated, well-ventilated home (and have other hens to cozy up to). Coop size is also important -hens require 4 square feet of coop space EACH plus 10 square feet of run space. Any less than that can lead to overcrowding, which, in turn, leads to unwanted behaviour (excessive pecking, preening, fighting, &c).
6. Well-enclosed runs -while chickens are not the best flyers, they can fly well enough to save their own lives and will do so, if they see fit (or are bored). A well-secured and enclosed run will not only keep your hens contained, it will keep potential predators out. If you intend to let your hens range in your back yard, their wings MUST be clipped, your fence must be adequate to keep them enclosed and they must be supervised.
7. Well-monitored flocks -regular (monthly, at least) check-ups by you to watch for parasites (see my previous post on parasites here), to gauge body weight (weight loss is a sign of illness), and ensure overall hen health.
8. Regular coop-cleaning -even in our sometimes harsh winters, we get a warm spell every few weeks that enables us to get out and give the coop a cleaning. Removing soiled bedding ensures not only that your girls will be cleaner, it also reduces moisture build-up inside the coop. Moist air combined with cold temperatures can easily lead to respiratory infections in chickens. It also causes the much-feared Chicken Stink -which nobody wants. Bales of wood chips can be found at local stores (including Peavey Mart) for a very good price.
9. Speak to your neighbours -communication is the key to keeping everyone (including you and your birds) happy.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Catching Up With CLUCK Red Deer
Hello again! Unfortunately blogging hasn't been much of a priority here (clearly) but that doesn't mean things aren't CLUCKing along merrily around us.
February 2013 marks one year from the initial decision by Red Deer City Council to instigate a 12-month pilot project for allowing Urban Hens. We weren't really sure what was planned by the City, if anything -we hadn't heard anything.. which we figured must be GOOD. We figured that if there were any problems, we certainly would have heard about them.
Just to touch base with each other, we had a bit of a meeting, anyway. Only a few of us were able to attend and we discussed a few items but it all boiled down to: no news is good news, just sit tight.
A couple of days later, Adrienne received an e-mail from the Inspections & Licensing Dept (I&LD) letting us know that they were submitting a report to City Council and that if we wanted to do the same we could -but we had to do so by noon the next day. It was quite a surprise and a bit of a scramble but we managed to share some ideas and I was able to put them into a reasonable format and get it in the next morning.
I&LD advised us that they have received 'minimal' complaints about Urban Hens in Red Deer. While 'minimal' is somewhat vague, we know of no direct complaints about CLUCK members. Off the tops of our heads, we tried to count the number of families that we knew had coops and hens IN Red Deer right now. We came up with 16. Adding to that the certainty that there are others who may or may not be members of the Facebook community, we estimate 20-30 coops. THIRTY. MINIMAL complaints.
Know what that means? IT MEANS THAT IT WORKS. That it is truly, clearly possible to keep chickens in the city without bothering people. *Insert happy dance.* That small flocks (6 hens or under), in well-managed (clean) coops, without roosters (quiet) can be good neighbours.
I mentioned this in the report (but without the bold & italics and happy dance) and mentioned (with references) current RD City initiatives with which Urban Hens can play a significant role:
Waste Management Master Plan -Urban Hens happily turn kitchen scraps (with balanced layer rations) into eggs, reducing household waste! **From the Winnipeg Urban Chicken Association’s Report for Council (Dec 2012); “(1 hen) (7 pounds food waste/month) (12 months) = approx. 84 pounds Big deal, you think. That’s not so much. But what if Winnipeg had 2,000 homes with 6 hens? (6 hens) (84 pounds of food waste/hen/year) (2,000 homes) = 1,008,000 pounds (504 tonnes) of biomass diverted from the Brady Road Landfill, and a savings of $21,924 in tipping fees ($43.50/ tonne) per year. The tax savings in not having to handle, transport and store all that biomass waste by reusing them onsite is staggering, especially since no operating costs exist.” (You can read the whole report here, it is many, many kinds of awesome.)
Composting -(This is the one I am personally VERY excited about) chickens are the.best.composters! Who needs aerating tools when hens get such joy in scratching, turning your piles, snacking, fertilizing, and keeping pests at bay?
Environmental Master Plan -Yes, Urban Hens are environmentalists. Fewer emergency trips to the grocery store for eggs=reduced vehicle emissions. Snacking on slugs, ants, mosquitoes, cutworms, dandelions, creeping bell flower (*I shake my fist at bell flower*) means less desire for pesticides.
So.. we will now have to just have to wait to see what Council decides to do at this point. Update: the reports will be addressed by Council on Tuesday, February 19th. In the meantime, we'll keep on CLUCKing, enjoying our super fresh eggs, and eagerly rub hands to watch slugs turn into eggs this spring.
I would also like to take a moment here to mention that in the Fall of 2012, CLUCK Red Deer was specifically asked by Olds College if we could teach a course there as a part of their 2013 Hort Week! How awesome is that?! (Very!) We determined that Deborah and I would be available this summer so we will be co-teaching a half-day course on, you guessed it, Keeping Urban Hens! They don't have the courses listed yet on their site and we're not sure what the cost will be, but once we have more information we'll be sure to post it up on the Facebook page and here. (I promise!)
February 2013 marks one year from the initial decision by Red Deer City Council to instigate a 12-month pilot project for allowing Urban Hens. We weren't really sure what was planned by the City, if anything -we hadn't heard anything.. which we figured must be GOOD. We figured that if there were any problems, we certainly would have heard about them.
Just to touch base with each other, we had a bit of a meeting, anyway. Only a few of us were able to attend and we discussed a few items but it all boiled down to: no news is good news, just sit tight.
A couple of days later, Adrienne received an e-mail from the Inspections & Licensing Dept (I&LD) letting us know that they were submitting a report to City Council and that if we wanted to do the same we could -but we had to do so by noon the next day. It was quite a surprise and a bit of a scramble but we managed to share some ideas and I was able to put them into a reasonable format and get it in the next morning.
I&LD advised us that they have received 'minimal' complaints about Urban Hens in Red Deer. While 'minimal' is somewhat vague, we know of no direct complaints about CLUCK members. Off the tops of our heads, we tried to count the number of families that we knew had coops and hens IN Red Deer right now. We came up with 16. Adding to that the certainty that there are others who may or may not be members of the Facebook community, we estimate 20-30 coops. THIRTY. MINIMAL complaints.
Know what that means? IT MEANS THAT IT WORKS. That it is truly, clearly possible to keep chickens in the city without bothering people. *Insert happy dance.* That small flocks (6 hens or under), in well-managed (clean) coops, without roosters (quiet) can be good neighbours.
I mentioned this in the report (but without the bold & italics and happy dance) and mentioned (with references) current RD City initiatives with which Urban Hens can play a significant role:
Waste Management Master Plan -Urban Hens happily turn kitchen scraps (with balanced layer rations) into eggs, reducing household waste! **From the Winnipeg Urban Chicken Association’s Report for Council (Dec 2012); “(1 hen) (7 pounds food waste/month) (12 months) = approx. 84 pounds Big deal, you think. That’s not so much. But what if Winnipeg had 2,000 homes with 6 hens? (6 hens) (84 pounds of food waste/hen/year) (2,000 homes) = 1,008,000 pounds (504 tonnes) of biomass diverted from the Brady Road Landfill, and a savings of $21,924 in tipping fees ($43.50/ tonne) per year. The tax savings in not having to handle, transport and store all that biomass waste by reusing them onsite is staggering, especially since no operating costs exist.” (You can read the whole report here, it is many, many kinds of awesome.)
Composting -(This is the one I am personally VERY excited about) chickens are the.best.composters! Who needs aerating tools when hens get such joy in scratching, turning your piles, snacking, fertilizing, and keeping pests at bay?
Environmental Master Plan -Yes, Urban Hens are environmentalists. Fewer emergency trips to the grocery store for eggs=reduced vehicle emissions. Snacking on slugs, ants, mosquitoes, cutworms, dandelions, creeping bell flower (*I shake my fist at bell flower*) means less desire for pesticides.
So.. we will now have to just have to wait to see what Council decides to do at this point. Update: the reports will be addressed by Council on Tuesday, February 19th. In the meantime, we'll keep on CLUCKing, enjoying our super fresh eggs, and eagerly rub hands to watch slugs turn into eggs this spring.
I would also like to take a moment here to mention that in the Fall of 2012, CLUCK Red Deer was specifically asked by Olds College if we could teach a course there as a part of their 2013 Hort Week! How awesome is that?! (Very!) We determined that Deborah and I would be available this summer so we will be co-teaching a half-day course on, you guessed it, Keeping Urban Hens! They don't have the courses listed yet on their site and we're not sure what the cost will be, but once we have more information we'll be sure to post it up on the Facebook page and here. (I promise!)
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Keeping Small Flocks Healthy -Parasites
A day or two after my last post about keeping small flocks healthy, one of CLUCK Red Deer's most experienced urban chicken-keepers, Kristina, announced on Facebook that one of her favorite hens was lost due to a mite infestation.
Kristina wrote:
Kristina wrote:
I've seen Kristina's coop, it's far from being under-maintained. As Kristina said, it was an unfortunate case of not keeping on top of her treatments.
It's easy to think, "Oh, they're just mites, they're tiny, how much damage can they really do?" Yes, mites are tiny, but they consume a LOT for their size and when left to their own devices, they can reproduce quickly and they feed directly on blood. Chickens may look pretty robust but they're almost all feathers -it doesn't take much loss of blood before their health begins to be affected, especially their immune systems.
Even if the mites themselves are not be a problem (due to blood loss), infections can set in just that much more quickly in hen already running a bit low on energy -just as they can and do in our other pets and even in ourselves.
It's easy to think, "Oh, they're just mites, they're tiny, how much damage can they really do?" Yes, mites are tiny, but they consume a LOT for their size and when left to their own devices, they can reproduce quickly and they feed directly on blood. Chickens may look pretty robust but they're almost all feathers -it doesn't take much loss of blood before their health begins to be affected, especially their immune systems.
Even if the mites themselves are not be a problem (due to blood loss), infections can set in just that much more quickly in hen already running a bit low on energy -just as they can and do in our other pets and even in ourselves.
The bottom line is: do your best to keep your birds healthy and know when problems arise. A healthy chicken that comes in contact with a small dose of a potential viral or bacterial pathogen has a very good chance of being able to fight it off just fine on their own.
As has been suggested by Liz and Kyle on our Facebook page, in response to Kristina's post, doing a thorough butt-check regularly will help you notice infestations fast enough to take care of it before it becomes a problem. Once per month at least, though weekly would be even better (pick a certain day of the week and make it a habit to check every time that day comes around).
Liz wrote on the Facebook thread: "Northern Fowl Mite feed on blood. Around the vent the blood vessels are very close to the surface of the skin. This is typically their favourite spot BUT I have been surprised to see them concentrated in other areas on the chicken. If you handle them weekly you can also notice a weight loss or pelvic and keel bone sticking out." It's not just about checking for bugs, it's also about getting familiar with your chicken's build so you can notice when there's a change. (It will also help them become more friendly if they get used to being held regularly, especially if they get treats after each examination!)
So, what else can we look for -other than a change in body weight? Well, we should keep our eyes out for bugs!
This blog post is a great resource, though I must warn you, it contains some pretty grotey images (which, as a chicken owner, we must be willing to contend with!!)
How can we prevent infestations? I'll get into that and what to do if/when infestation strikes in the next post!
This blog post is a great resource, though I must warn you, it contains some pretty grotey images (which, as a chicken owner, we must be willing to contend with!!)
How can we prevent infestations? I'll get into that and what to do if/when infestation strikes in the next post!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)