A few months ago, we went to Uwajimaya, an Asian market, and got a sampling of odd (to us) treats.  One of them was a small bag of Chiz Curls.  How can you go wrong with corn puffs and cheese powder?

Well, they weren’t really good enough to eat the whole bag.  There were six of us all together who tried, and no one ate more than 2-3 curls.  So they’ve sat in their bag, waiting for their moment.

That moment was today.

My roommate came inside from the back yard, and says, “Have you spent any time with your chickens today?”  Well, yeah, I’d gone out and gathered eggs and gave them a handful of 5-grain.  Apparently that wasn’t enough, because he had been beset by chickens when he went out.

So I looked around to see what I could take them, and my eyes settled on the lonely bag of Chiz Curls.  I took them out, handed one to Turken, and she pecked at it pensively.  The others soon came running to see what I had, so I dropped a few on the ground.

They liked them.  Now, I’m not saying that they got the same response as say, a corn dog, but they did like them.  And lucky for them, no fingers to turn bright orange!

Of course, this is newsworthy so I had to record it for posterity.

but the ladies are doing just fine.

All six of them are laying now, on a pretty regular basis.  This means a lot of “anyone want eggs” posts on my facebook page now, but no one complains.

I learned a great recipe the other day that will help use up a days worth at a time – the Dutch Baby.

My sister was passing through on her way from the coast going home (back to Idaho), and we decided that instead of her trying to find my house, we’d meet up at a breakfast place near the freeway – Elmer’s.  I used to eat at the one in Tigard when we lived there, and have never been disappointed.

Well, either they’ve changed or it’s just different here, but it was not the same Elmer’s I was used to.  This isn’t a bad thing, not at all.  There were things on the menu I’d never seen, and most of it looked damn good.  I’m a sucker for trying new things that don’t look gross, so I decided on a Classic Dutch Baby.

I was not disappointed.  It was great, not a huge heavy meal or too light and fluff.  Not sweet at all, except the powdered sugar topping.  The lemon was the perfect counterpoint.

Once I got home, I decided that I needed to learn how to make it.  I found that it was remarkably simple – whip up your eggs and flour, put it in a sizzling pan in the oven.  The recipe and method I used I go here.  No, it’s not as pretty as the one on Elmer’s menu, but it was still pretty good, and with the powdered sugar and lemon even my roommate had a second serving.

The large recipe took 6 eggs – one day of my girls’ hard work.  I think it would be a fun recipe to try with kids around, because you pour it in the hot pan, put it in the oven and POOF – it comes out all huge and inflated.  My teenager is a little old to be impressed too much, but smaller kids…I think they’d like it.

Anyway – try it out.  It looks like it is quite accepting of toppings, so have fun!

Our Sicilian Buttercup is the only chicken we have that lays white eggs, so it’s been pretty obvious that she hasn’t been laying all winter. She did some molting a couple weeks ago, so I guess she’s ready to start – we got our first white egg of the season today.

Better yet, she’s a fantastic poser:

I think it’s Turken’s turn to molt, now. I have read that they are supposed to molt in the fall, but my chickens are living life on the edge – breaking all the rules. Damn straight.

I visited Wilco the other day, talked to Jen (who does the chick ordering). I got a sneak peek at what they are expecting this year, and wow it’s going to be hard to not get more this year. I mean, I don’t need any more, but man. There were several types I’ve never heard of, but I guess that’s not too surprising considering how new I am to chickening.

I think that if I were to get any more, I’d pick a Dorking. I really like the looks of her.

But I have to keep telling myself: I will not get more chickens. I will not get more chickens. NO!

For the last few weeks, I’ve gotten only 2 brown eggs a day from my six girls. That means that the Aracauna’s weren’t laying at all – until this last weekend.

While I was gone chaperoning my daughter’s visit to a Kumo buddy, green eggs began appearing once more in my hen house. I still don’t know which of the brown-egg layers are laying, but now I can definitely say: Sicilian buttercup is not, turken is, now both Aracauna’s are. That leaves the barred rock and speckled sussex as wild cards.

Side note: Can’t not like chicken comics. I’ve tried, doesn’t work.

The goose is getting fat…
And it’s a good time to say Happy and Merry! to everyone who cares, and who we care about. So, I present the Christmas Kittens!

Hmm, Spike and Nox don’t seem thrilled by the hats, do they? Wonder if they’d be happier if I got them matching mittens…

Due to the lack of exciting chicken news, I’ve decided to put up some links to some neat chicken hats.  This was inspired by a trip to The Mall yesterday, where we saw a chicken hat at the Elephant’s Trunk.

First, we have the World Famous Chicken Hat.  Says so right on the page.

Not bad, but not hardly a cold-weather headpiece, huh.

This looks a little warmer.   And, it’s the Best Little Chicken Hat on the Web. Again, it says so right on the page.

Super cute, covers the ears.  I like it.

Then there’s this.  The Clucker.

I just don’t know.  It looks like that man is enjoying his hat much more than is typically called for, and it sort of creeps me out.  Oh, and no ear flaps.  The legs don’t count.

For the party-chicken, there is the Oktoberfest Chicken Hat.

Another guy too happy with his chicken.  I’m not sure I approve of giving alcohol to chickens, I don’t believe they are of legal age!

Here, a nice homestyle hat – a Knit Chicken Ski Cap.

I gotta say, this is my favorite.  Not too flashy, not too childish, practical ear flaps and liner.  And tassels.  How can we not love tassels?

So, if anyone wants a holiday gift-giving idea for me, make it the tasseled chicken hat.

…that was my question.

Turns out, a lot of people have that same question, and as with armpits and bodily orifices, there are many differing opinions on the matter.

What I’ve done so far is this:  when I noticed the chickens huddling more to sleep, I put the brooder heat lamp outside the chicken door to the coop.  It shines some heat inside, some outside.  My logic (such as it is) is that they’re birds – birds have feathers and monster body heat.  But maybe just a little something near the feeder would be nice for them.

Then this morning, I get up and the water bucket thing is frozen solid, and it made me start googling again.  I found this thread on the BackYard Chicken forum, but like I said, it’s all opinion.

In the end, I’ll probably just end up leaving it as is.  I may move the light out a bit more, put the water bucket thing under it and see if that helps.  But if I block the light too much, where will the cats hang out??

As a side note, as I was googling for images of cold chickens, I came across this one:

Click it to see where it’s from – a coffee place in the San Joaquin Valley.  It sounds like a fantastic drink, and what a great name for it.  Makes me wish I lived anywhere near there.  Or at least could visit.

The ladies are pretty mellow right now, getting up later and going to bed by 5pm.  Lazy, I tell ya.   Also their egg-laying has diminished – I’m lucky to get 3 a day now, and none from the Araucanas at all. The smallest, Buttercup, has been the most faithful producer that I can tell, because I have one small white egg every day.

I’ve started feeding them scratch grains along with ther pellets, to help them keep bulked up.  I put out a motion-sensor light and a heat lamp, thinking that maybe it would help them decide to stay up later, but no.  The motion sensor usually only catches cats, and the heat lamp…well, take a look:

That’s not a chicken.  That’s a Toaster cat, coming to see why I disturbed his nap in the sun.

The cats have been happy with chickens, they have fun chasing them and the chickens don’t seem to mind.  Twinkles has started liking bread lately, so she joins the ladies at the treat dish.  I had a picture of them sharing a bagel, but I’m not sure where it went.

I was given the idea of strapping a camera onto a chicken, and seeing what comes back.  When I search, I find cameras watching chickens, but none from the chicken point of view.  And after reading this article, I think it would be a great idea.  I just need a camera now.  *Christmas present hint*

Guess that’s it for today, the ladies just aren’t that exciting right now unless they think they are getting treats.  Pfft, just like a woman.

Now I want a miniature dairy cow.

I don’t see why not, really – we have a good sized back yard.  The ones I’ve seen are sometimes less than 40 inches high – like a good-sized dog.  Only the cow wouldn’t expect to be allowed to sleep on the bed.   I hope.

Although, maybe a dairy goat is a better idea.  I’ve been informed that they are less trouble, and I’ve heard great things about goats milk.  And super cute – yes indeed. See here: Oberhasli dairy goats.

I’m going to have to start figuring out a way to buy the Old Uncle’s place up the river.  It’s the only way I’m going to be able to contain all the things I want to do.

Property lines are completely guesswork.

That, and I’ll need about a million bucks to make all the improvements I’d want.  I’d better start saving.