Welcome to this weeks edition of the Gazette.
While perusing the news this morning I ran across an article in the WP discussing Silicone Valley’s new status symbol, the humble Chicken! I was befuddled by the headline, it seems of all things chickens have become a status symbol for the elite high techies. It appears owning a Chicken is on par with owning a Tesla.
Some of the breeds owned by techies are Alexas, Silkies, Jersey Giants, silver laced Wyandottes, Easter Eggers (for their pale blue eggs), and the golden laced bearded Polish chicken.
Silver Laced Wyandottes
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The owners of these high bred chickens provide them with the finest accoutrements money can buy. While us backyard chicken enthusiasts spend 15 to 25 dollars on a chicken, the techies spend 350 dollars on a rare heritage breeds. These birds are picked based upon their breed, calmness, beauty, and the coveted color of their eggs.
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Colorful eggs from Heritage Hens
Their chickens are housed in sophisticated coops (some costing 20,000 dollars) and are feed organic salmon, watermelon and steak in addition to pricey organic feeds. They eat better then we do!
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Their cozy coops often have solar panels for opening doors, lighting and video cameras so their owners can check on them from wherever they may be, some even have water plumbed into the coops. Adding a nice run complete with consultant it can cost upwards of 4 to 5,000 dollars.
Don’t believe me check out Coop Tender You can also have WiFi installed.
Napa Valley wine used to be gift of the techie elites when attending dinner parties, now the status gift is a six pack of colored eggs laid by their pampered poultry.
The question is why and what is the fascination in the valley for heritage breed chickens? Apparently it’s not just the eggs or the “bawk bawk”, they enjoy the activities of petting, feeding, and watching them.
Who knew here @mother2chicks that we were ahead of the curve in offering our fresh colored eggs to friends from our not completely organic regular old chickens! We didn’t even need to be invited to dinner. However, our chickens do free range on grass. I’ve been told by numerous people they’ve never tasted eggs that were so delicious. I always have requests lined up for the girls colorful treasures.
Eggs collected from my hens this morning, not bad at all
Now moving on to an update on the girls of “Fuss and Feathers” homestead.
The girls are laying well with the exceptions of Sweet Pea and the episodic Brownie, even Henny Penny is a good layer. I’ve been getting as many as 6 sometimes 7 per day.
Shelly and the Leghorn triplets molted so quickly, they were nearly bald then within a short time all her feathers grew back. Dot, Brownie,and Blue molted so slowly, it took well over a month. Not sure Sweet Pea molted at all, she’s a runt.
Dot and Blue both had slow molts, but their new feathers are beautiful
What I’ve come to learn is chickens who molt quickly and regrow feathers seemingly all at once are the best layers. There appears to be a lot of truth in that statement.
I was aggravated this past week when discovering Dot, Blue and The Professor had been laying under the shed, right smack in the middle where it was impossible to reach. There was a ladder shoved up under the shed and they decided to nest between the rungs. I heard Dot carrying on, lo and behold (while laying flat on the ground) I spotted her sitting there laying.
They thought about going under the shed, but thought better of it
Pulling the ladder out I broke 3 eggs and could see there was a pile. I got a very long pole and gently rolled 6 more to the edge where I could get them. It probably looked as if a game of pool was being played as I prodded around trying to push the eggs out.
They stay in the coop longer now, until they lay! Live and learn...
Henny Penny is still not a member of the flock, she gets harassed constantly if placed in the coop with the others. Don’t want her to get hurt. It’s better if they are all in the run where she can get away. Otherwise the others free range while she gets the run and coop to herself. I let her out yesterday for a short to free range, she did fine, although she stayed to herself. I’m not giving up on uniting her into the flock, patience is required.
Henny Penny out enjoying the weather and her feed
Purchased 50lbs of layer feed, and some mealworms, grabbed some hay for the nest boxes. Got a feeder for HP that is harder to turn over. It’s all good.
See you again for the next edition of the Chicken Gazette Issue 29...
Hello :) a wonderful read and update!
Perhaps you should introduce HP to one chicken at a time, which often helps with dogs. Choose the friendliest/ most docile / most I don't give a shit chicken and put her or him with HP. Not sure if you've tried it like that. I often did it that way with the dogs. It also helped the other dogs see that the newbie was nice and that it might be fun to hang out with her. Love from your friend in South Africa 🐾
Hi @lynb, we are doing exactly that. We watch them like hawks to make sure all goes well. They are getting better at being together. Just not in tight spaces yet. She has no interest in roosting like the rest of them do and she just lays her golden egg sometime in the late afternoon. She is a little off schedule still but will get there. She finally got her time to free range and was very happy. I Love hearing from you and your knowledge of animals is much more than mine.
Always glad to get a good tip on these silly little chickens. Much love ❤️🐓🐓
So glad it is getting better!! 😘🎉🎉
Happy Sunday! This comment is to inform you that your article has been linked and featured in the most recent Weekly Homesteading Newsletter! Thank you and have a great day!
Thank you so much...Happy Sunday to You!❤️🐓🐓
This is Redman the Rooster.
I love this segment and it's the first time i have seen your post. As a family we have always had chickens and love their characters and personalitys. The eggs are so much better.
But we have had some sad losses to foxes, large snakes and large goanna lizards.
Its so devastating to see this happend to our little family.
This is a great personal article thanks.
I try to write a post about the girls every week. They are a hoot. We have enjoyed their company and antics. Have been fortunate so far to keep predators at bay. The thought of loosing one of them is more than we can handle. Thank you for checking out @mother2chicks. I am sorry for your losses as chickens really are part of our family too. 🐓🐓
thanks for the update, sounds like they get a lot of love from you.
and to give back to you, they give eggs.
They do make delicious eggs, I like to watch them just because they’re amusing.🐓
Sounds like everyone is doing well and showing off their new feathers. Hope the hiccups with HP fitting in smooth out. Like you said... patience.
Things move slowly in the Chicken world. Kind of like waiting paint dry or is it watching vegetables grow! It’s a slow process, but it will happen soon enough. 🐓🐓
Ooo cute chikens.i like 🐔
Thank you so much. 🐓🐓
We are also getting 6 or 7 eggs a day. I can't believe people would spend that amount of money!!! That's kind of crazy. I guess money does strange things to the mind. Haha!
Thanks for the update! HP is looking really great! I wish the others would leave her alone and let her join. Poor lonely thing.
We are getting a great pile of eggs too. Just wish they would lay them in places that are easier to get to. Those crazy people finally figured out what we have known for quite some time. Now we can look for regulations to occur as only the rich can properly home them. Thanks for swinging by. 🐓🐓
I had no idea chickens were a fad among the wealthy techies! That just cracks me up! (Like an egg. Ha ha!) It's fun to see your flock looking so well. I love their names.
Thanks for reading the Gazette. We put a lot of love into those chickens and now they proving themselves. Do you think those wealthy techies could taste the difference between their expensive eggs and these free rangers? It’s doubtful if you ask me. You are as silly as I am. Which makes me laugh. Happy Day to you. 🐓🐓
I like post you beatifull very good same as me i am new in steemit please help
me i ask for my upvot help
Hi Ellie Mae, wonderful Gazette this week! Those tricky chickies, laying where you couldn't see the eggs! And the tale of the Silicon Valley types with their brand name chickens made me howl with laughter. We were just talking about home-laid eggs at breakfast this morning. Tim's son's girlfriend had chickens when she was growing up in England. She said the eggs definitely tasted better. We got into a lovely chat about raising chickens at home like you do, but then Tim dampened the mood somewhat when he brightly suggested a weekly beheading....😜
Loved your eggs, and I'm so glad to see Henny Penny looking so good. Maybe the other girls are jealous. I like @lynb's suggestion of introducing her to them one at a time.
Thanks again for a great read! Your friend across the pond 😘😘
Dear @kiligirl,
We are always ahead of the curve. First the tiny house, then the van, now the elite chickens! If only we could predict and market our awareness of these things. Can I tell you how many steemit vans are on the road now that we have one! OMG!
What will silicone valley watch us do next? Maybe they all read steemit and are having a bit of fun at our expense.
Tim’s suggestion about the ........of a chicken really startled me, skipping that part as I read your reply to the girls. You know how sensitive they can be. Although saying something so frightening could be just what they need to unite them. Haha. Love you my friend. Are you traveling this week? Your Friend Ellie Mae🐓🐓❤️❤️❤️❤️
You are totally THE trendsetter, Ellie Mae! Tim's suggestion startled all of us. But then, he grew up on a farm and had the job on Sunday's of, er, getting the roast ready. I don't think the girls deserve to be frightened...yet. 😜
Not travelling this week. Working on the company registration (with a few shareholders - lots of people to chase) and getting my first invoices in - going all the way back to last June. We need to register the company first before it can receive funding which will be used to pay my invoices...you get the picture. Between people and technology, this process really couldn't be any slower.
What are you up to this week, my friend? 😊😊💗💗💗💗
Dear Friend @kiligirl, just missing you today as I do each and every day we don’t have a little communication. You will always be my first true hero on steemit and have helped me so much. I hope in in some small way you too have experienced the joy of our friendship. My admiration for your work during difficult times in your niche of the world never stops. I wish that I had your drive and passion. That comes when you have your own business. Which I am trying so hard to accomplish. Tell you more later. Just wanted to let you know I love and miss my best pen pal from the other side of the world.
Yours truly, ❤️🐓🐓 Ellie Mae
Hi @kiligirl, I come like chicken have eggs colorful 😘😘😘😘