The Daily Rasorial

Lucy’s Solstice

2009-12-22T06:18:35Z

The Sun brightens the sky and I awake. My days are filled with the hunt for food. And when I’m not pecking and scratching for food, I lay in the Sun, stretching my wings and legs to let the warmth penetrate feathers to my skin. In the evening when the Sun sets and it is once again dark, I rest. The Sun is my timepiece and its movement guides everything I do. For me, Life is all about the Sun and its power to nurture Earth’s children, making things grow.

The seasons change slowly but if you are very observant, you will notice the difference in how the Sun shines. In the cold time of the year the Sun rises as always but it never gets too high in the sky. Nor is it as warm as in the hot time of the year when the Sun blasts down unrelenting heat. There is a day in the cold time that my Human companion calls Solstice. This is when the Sun shines for the shortest amount of time in the whole year. Human celebrates Solstice not for the shortness of the day but because it marks the Sun’s return to longer and warmer days. Days when Human will tend her garden to bring forth Earth’s gifts. The journey of the Sun rules us all.

It is this Solstice that my Human celebrates with fervor. She decorates her coop with evergreen branches and candles. There is the rich smell of cooking food wafting in the air whenever the door to Human’s coop opens. I run to that door for my share of whatever Human doles out to me. Bread, cooked vegetables, fresh fruit and milk are the bounty she gives me on this Solstice Eve.

There are cut oranges and plenty of seed for the wild birds. Every living being in the area of our home is honored with treats. My best treat is a seed cake made from the fat of a four-legged animal, cracked corn, millet and oats. Human makes up a huge cake for me and I chase away the wild birds so I can have it all.

In my part of our land, Human sets out candles in paper bags filled with sand that she will light on Solstice night. These little flames are token mirrors of the Sun’s power and act as a reminder that without the Sun all would be darkness and cold. Life as we know it would not be. It is a powerful connection with times past when there was only fire to light the night.

Inside the hearth fire burns brightly; music and song fill the air. Laughter comes from Human’s coop as the day draws to an end and Solstice Night begins. She has invited friends to share her cooking and enjoy the lighted bags. And of course, they all must come to my coop to say hello, shining lights at me so that in the sudden brightness I object with a caw of disapproval. This too is part of the annual ritual.

Solstice harkens to the first ones to inhabit the Earth, those who found joy in merely being alive. There is no artifice in celebrating the Return of the Sun. Gifts are given from the heart, freely and often without monetary cost. You do what you can with what you have. There is none of the tension or angst as in the other holidays celebrated at this time of the year. Try it, I as I do; lay in the Sun on the day of Solstice Eve and connect with that part of you perhaps lost while hurrying to be somewhere else.

Human sent my story to her newspaper so you might get to see this twice! Enjoy the days to come for they are filled with brightness.

Soo-she and other updates

2009-12-07T17:37:30Z

Foot update: what ever Human did to get rid of the bumble foot worked. I hop much less now.
Molting: Us older hens are now finished with our molting which is a good thing as the weather has turned cold, well, cold for the low desert in which we live.
Kate: Human still washes Kate's bum but not as often. The vent issue has not resolved itself and she may never lay eggs. It's winter now so Human will have to wait until spring for any eggs from Kate.
Speaking of eggs, Zena has started laying again. She has become Human's best pest by flying over the low patio wall and cawing at the back door for treats. She has Human well trained!

Human gave us a huge plate of something called Soo-she. It is mostly rice with some unknown vegetable matter and fishy protein.There was extra protein on the plate and Zena got most of that first. The ricey things were a challenge in that we liked the protein much better than the rice and veg so we all picked out the protein first. Dog ate most of the rice.

Next Human tossed out what she calls 'salad'. Now this is not the usual lettuce and cabbage salad we are used to. This had green ball things (capers, not nice tasting at all), black bug like things (currants, ok as long as you don't chew) and white hard things that looked like grubs (slivered almonds). These we ate with great relish! The fancy greens were ok but the grub things were yummy.

Today the desert sky is giving us water, much needed though wet and cold for those of the feathered habit. We hide under a wagon Human put in the yard. It's just enough room for us to huddle and not touch each other. No doubt she will come out and grab us to put us in the playhouse in our coop. It would be nice if she brought us into her snug coop!

Hop Along Little Lucy

2009-10-09T07:27:35Z

Lately I have been limping and hopping rather than walking like a normal chicken would do. Ever aware of our every movement, Human looked at my foot in the daylight and noticed a small brown spot, no bigger than a millet seed on the biggest pad on my foot. She determined it was a malady called Bumblefoot and put me back on the ground.

It was the time Human calls night. All I know is it was dark and I was resting comfortably on the roost, having given up on the broody bit, when Human came in with her light and grabbed me! Alarming as this is, I submitted to being carried into the house and placed in a bucket of warm but shallow water. After a few minutes Human took me out and wrapped me in a towel. She then turned me onto my back and looked at the foot. With a sharp metal poker, she prodded and squeezed at the spot until it bled a little. Then she put some oily medicine on it and wrapped my foot in a padded bandage. Finally Human took be back to the coop and placed me into the nest.

I can't wait until morning to see what is on my foot and avoid Human lest she try this again!

Bumblefoot:
www.firststatevetsupply.com/poultry-health/bumblefoot.html

Wonderful Weather!

2009-10-01T16:44:54Z

The weather has changed from blasting hot to comfortably cool. Human likes it better too and has been out with us in the morning working her veg garden and clearing up all of the fallen leaves.

I have gone sort of broody finding it more comfortable to sleep in the nest at night instead of on the perch. The others perch separately not touching or even on the same rung.

Zena is the most active following Human around hoping she will uncover a bug or two. Kate gets washed at least once a day and while she is not improving, she is growing. Emma has done some molting, normal for us this time of year.

Doris' rose bush is struggling. Roses are hard to grow in the desert. Hopefully Human will keep it going so it can get established before next years heat starts again.

Pecking Order Re-Ordered

2009-09-24T02:49:27Z

Human has come out to check up on us at odd hours of the night. She shines a light in our eyes, most annoying.

Kate used to sleep inside the playhouse. Now that Doris is gone, Kate has moved up to the lower rung of the outdoor perch. Zena is on the top rung. I have taken over the roof of the playhouse and Emma now perches on a piece of wood that somehow came loose on the roof and is now sticking out at an angle. This places Emma over all of us! No doubt Human will fix that piece of wood as it seems to serve no purpose in our sleeping arrangements.

Emma continues to pester Kate and has now taken to chasing Zena away from tasty snacks that Human provides. To see a small bird tugging at the wing of a bird 5 times her size amuses Human. After the trauma of yesterday, it is nice to see Human not so sad.

Kate continues to need daily bum washings. She is growing but ever so slowly. She is a lovely little pullet and Human goes to great pains to see that Kates gets extra rations.

Kate - September 22, 2009

Doris

2009-09-22T14:09:53Z

The days pass one upon the other and my tales have been slight. We eat, hunt, get into things that Human would rather we did not and our lives are full. Rather than recount the past days and nights since last I wrote, I will instead, tell you of the now in our lives.

Human cleaned out the coop putting fresh straw and re-arranging the perch sleeping arrangements. Last night she came to bid us good night and found Doris in one of the nests. As it was nearly dark, Human, knowing we do not normally lay in the dark, put Doris on the perch inside the playhouse with Kate.

Doris has not been laying for some time, not unusual in the hotter parts of the summer, but has on occasion dropped an egg from her nightly perch; also not uncommon. She has been eating well, chasing down the scraps of food that Human tosses to us and generally being a fine example of a healthy chicken. She has had a kind of cough as though something was caught in her throat.

This morning when Human let us out of the cage, Doris was not in her usual place by the gate wanting out. Human went into the coop and found Doris under our perch, dead. There are no obvious signs of distress, nothing to indicate the cause. Human has opted not to dissect Doris nor have her examined. Knowing the cause would not help Doris and as we seem to be fine, what is the point?

Human carefully wrapped Doris’ limp body in a pretty pink cloth. Human is naturally quite upset. Doris was such a sweet natured girl. We have a spot in the yard where a rose bush brought from the Avalon House has not survived so Human is digging a deep hole there and will plant another rose to honor our hen sister.

In our own way we too are unsettled by today's event. Cawing and bak-baking, Zena and I have erratically gone about our morning rasorial ritual. Zena is quite loud and Human thinks she is calling for Doris to come out of hiding.

Doris

Avian Diseases
http://www.afn.org/~poultry/virus.htm

http://www.afn.org/~poultry/syndrome.htm

Diane Transported

2009-08-06T18:37:52Z

Human came into our yard this morning and enticed Diane to come and feed on the patio wall. Then, without warning or ceremony, Diane was picked up and shoved into a small box! Not liking that one bit, Diane tried to get out but Human was ready with tape and the box was sealed up. There were air holes in it so Diane was fine. Human then told us that Diane was going to a farm in Laveen where there are other Guinea hens, chickens, peacocks, ducks and a turkey. One acre of trees in a grassy meadow. Sounds like fowl heaven!

As the hatching hen, I don't feel any sadness over Diane's departure, just means more food for us and a lot less racket! Our flock is unbalanced now. Kate has no one to pal around with. She sticks closer to me now but I'm busy and am not really interested in chick-sitting. Zena, Doris and Emma are relentless about harassing Kate. Unless Human gives Kate special attention, she does not get any of the food scraps that come our way.

It's Still Summer!

2009-08-03T19:39:56Z

Yes, it's still summer at Villa Petra. Hot nights and hotter days. Kate and Diane are growing fast. I am no longer their prime food hunter, they are on their own! Diane gets picked on by Doris and Emma but is faster than they are and gets away without bloodshed. Kate is another story!

Human brought Kate back outside and the poor little thing is such a 'special needs' chicken. Still pasty on her nether end, picked on to the point of a bloody comb and so skittish that she seldom gets any of the treats Human tosses out for us, Kate resorts to eating too much grass thus exacerbating her digestive condition. She gets a good bottom washing several times a day and then Human takes her aside for a dose of antibiotic water and chick-grow food.

Diane has quite a loud 'buckwheat, buckwheat' sound so Human is certain that Diane is a female. She is always hungry and quite the bug catcher. If the noise keeps up, which it will of course, Human will send Diane to live on a farm someplace where noisy fowl are tolerated.

Kate and Diane at about 8 weeks old

Diane in her adult spotted feathers

Baked or Boiled?

2009-07-14T05:08:26Z

The cruel desert sun has been beating down on us most unmercifully. Human allows Diane and I into the veg garden, a sanctuary of cool green delight. We start at the zucchini end of the garden and exit by the native tepary beans. Doris buries herself deeply into the mint plants. Zena and Emma hug the outer wall of the patio beneath the plumbago.

Human turned on the misters today. So rather than us baking, does she intend to boil us instead?! She added an umbrella so that there is more shade in the misty plumbago area but still the temperature makes us pant. Even the nighttime does not cool down enough for us to be comfortable.

Kate though, has lived these past few days in the luxury of Human's coop. Fed only chick starter food and electrolyte water, poor Kate is still trying to digest the too much grass she ate last week. Several times a day, Human washes little Kate's reddened vent in warm soapy water then applies a soothing aloe salve. Human and Kate cheep-cheep at each other, while Dog watches silently hoping for a chance at the chick food.

Tepary Beans:
azteparybeans.com/basic-information/the-history-of-tepary-beans/

Busy Hen's Update

2009-07-10T15:52:04Z

Who has time to write while raising 2 curious chicks?! Diane is quite able to fend for herself hunting bugs and seeds along with the rest of the flock here at Villa Petra. She can fly too. Human tried to clip her wings but did not get them short enough to curtail Diane's ability to fly up 6' in the air!

Kate is still experiencing pasty bottom. Human tried to get her cleaned up several times but not cured. So yesterday Human took Kate into her coop for a good scrubbing. Kate screamed so loud I could here her out in the yard. Both Diane and I squawked back for a good long while but Kate was not let back out with us. Human is keeping her caged inside so she can keep an eye on what Kate eats and maybe get her innards more regular. Lucky Kate as the outdoor temperatures have gone up to chicken boiling stage!

Human has set up the misters again which does make the ground nice and cool but none of us really like to stand under them. The coop is hot at night and now that Diane can fly, Human put up another perch so we all can be out of the little house and not on top of it!

Color Genetics of Guinea Fowl:
http://www.guineafowlinternational.org/articles/genetics.php

Growing up Fast

2009-06-24T15:49:22Z

My two charges are growing fast, I can barely keep up. Diane is fearless, chasing after Zena to share with a gecko or piece of bread. Kate is not so bold. Both of them now know the sound of Human coming out of her coop and fly-hop to the back of the patio. Human, in her role as the 'pink vending machine' obliges with snacks. She sits on a chair and picks up Kate who squawks until she sees the food in Human's hand, then she dives right in. Diane flies onto Human's lap and also eats vigorously. Of course I have to join them to make sure all is well and grab a bit of food for myself.

I take them for walks across the yard several times a day. There are very few bugs for us to eat so Human comes out and offers chick food.

Kate is developing a comb and her barred patterning

Diane is still rather brown

Dog watches but does not chase, Human scolds her if she does!

Kate's First Gecko

2009-06-16T17:38:10Z

Little Kate, at almost 4 weeks old ate her first gecko! I captured it near our secluded outdoor pen and was about to share with my two charges when Kate grabbed it out of my mouth and ran to the shade garden. This tasty morsel was about 2 inches long, that is, after Kate ate off the tail! She then did as any adult chicken would do and that was to peck, shake and nibble until feet and legs were removed and eaten. Diane and I tried to get at her but were thwarted by one of Human's fences. Before we could get through or over the fence, Kate had swallowed the rest of the tiny lizard whole, head and front legs going down last. Human stood watching astonished that such a tiny chick could devour a whole critter so quickly. Me too as gecko is a very tasty meal and I got no part of it!

These two are growing up fast. Diane can fly straight up 3' and often can be seen fly-hopping after me across the lawn. Kate still requires my warmth and the comfort of my nearness throughout the day. She too can fly a bit but not like Diane.

Pecking order issues are kept at bay because the older hens seek the shade of the red bird of paradise and don't bother us too much. Human stirs things up in the afternoon with bread snacks and then the beaks are poised to insure that the little ones must eat last.

Pecking Order Revised

2009-06-12T23:01:35Z

A new pecking order is emerging. I, of course, may peck on all of the fowl, Dog too if she needs to be reminded her place. Emma is next in the hierarchy of pecking and exercises her right often. Doris, currently at the bottom of the order has taken to pecking on Kate which in turn causes me to peck on her! Zena is not interested in the order of pecking and would rather spend her energy on food hunting or outsmarting Humans attempts to keep us out of her gardens.

All of this gets very complicated so here is a diagram explaining how this works:

Current re-aligned pecking order, subject to change.

Kate, being the smallest, appears to have garnered the lowest rung on our ladder of importance. Diane is a bit bigger in stature and much faster at getting away from the angry beaks of her elders. I do not need to peck on the little ones to show them who is boss. I am their mother and what I bawk goes!

Lucy's YouTube Debut

2009-06-12T01:54:29Z

Human let my brood and I dig in the 'forbidden shade garden'. We found pill bugs, worms and crickets. When Human moved a cement toad, a small gecko scooted out which I caught and then Kate grabbed it and while Diane tried to get it away from her, Kate ran to a corner and ate the whole thing! Human was not fast enough to catch the gecko being eaten but she did make a short movie of my digging and the little ones eating. You can hear them cheep-cheeping and the pond gurgling in the background.

Watch our debut on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGd3INu5dnQ

Morning Walk

2009-06-09T18:39:42Z

This morning when Human opened the big coop door she could not see Kate. Well, Kate and I had gotten out of the little cage Human prefers we sleep in at night and Kate was hiding under me. Diane was running back and forth trying to figure out how to get out with us. Human lifted her out and the 3 of us went for a walk to the forbidden shade garden! The little ones kept close to me as Dog and Human watched. When Human moved some of her plant pots, we had a feast of crickets, centipedes and worms! Diane knew right away that if it moved and she could catch it then it was food. I had to show Kate that bugs are food. Three geckos got away.

Human let me scratch up the dirt around her iris plants and that caused more little crickets to surface. Once my strong foot caught Diane in the head and she went sprawling and squawking across the pavers but was unhurt. At that point in our morning, Human picked us all up and put us into the outdoor caged area for the day.

Human came back later with a bowl of hard boiled egg yolks, corn meal and molasses. Kate is still having troubles with pasty bottom and this is one of the remedies Human is trying to get Kate's system regulated. The excrement dribbles have caused Kate to lose all the tiny feathers from her vent to her belly. Her bottom is quite bald and blistered.

Tired Diane sleeping on Lucy's back

resting little family

Two Weeks Old!

2009-06-06T22:14:36Z

The girls are growing fast. Wing feathers are coming in with lovely pattering though not the colors of their grownup selves. Both can hop-fly Diane having a longer wingspan is able to fly further than Kate.

Human has fixed up yet another area out in the yard for us to spend the afternoon. It's larger and in the shade all day. Plenty of scratching room for all of us. Human put in a small perch which Kate is quite adept at using, Diane not so much. Neither one of them wants to be out of my sight so we three are constantly touching. Kate insists on hiding under my wing while Diane is content to scratch alone but close by.

Neither one likes it when Human reaches to grab them. Diane screams and wriggles to get away. Kate will eventually sit in Human's lap but only after much stroking and cooing on Human's part.

Camera shy Diane (left) and Kate (right) at 2 weeks old

LucyMay's little family

Aunty Em Goes Broody

2009-06-03T15:30:08Z

Aunty Em, aka Emma, has now gone broody. She is occupying one of the nests and is fiercely protective of two wooden eggs. No doubt Human will try to find her some eggs to hatch. Hopefully Human can now recognize Guinea Fowl eggs and won't bring them home!

My brood is growing nicely. This morning Human brought us some cooked eggs. It is good protein for the little ones and I enjoy it too. Zena and Doris are curious about the chicks but so far have stayed on their side of the fenced brood area. Dog is also interested in the little peepers but knows better than to tangle with me. Human talks to Dog telling her that these little fuzz balls are not doggy squeaky toys.

Yesterday's adventure in the larger cage in the main yard was nice but it got quite hot so Human picked us all out of there and put us back in the coop.

Word for the Day: precocial
In Biology, the term precocial refers to species in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precocial

Broody Boredom

2009-06-02T13:52:30Z

Boredom is not a good trait for a broody hen. But sitting all day with the babes and their continual chirping has driven me out of the little caged area Human built for us. I scratched near the wire and Diane went nuts trying to squeeze through the small openings. Kate cries for the warmth and nearness of my now featherless breast. Yikes! What is a mother to do?

Human knows well how I get when caged too long so she built a larger area, fenced with wire and covered with a shade screen. It is out in the yard so we three can enjoy the fresh air and sunlight. Plenty of area for scratching but not much in the way of bugs or seed.

Diane, as a bird more closely related to something more wild than poultry, is much more independent than Kate. Diane is happy to search out tidbits on her own an only occasionally needs to hide under my wing. Kate, on the other claw, is quite needy. She must be near me at all times and when she is not eating, she dozes. Where Diane will stretch her neck to look far away, Kate stays in a hunched chick posture. Both girls can hop-fly short distances.

Kate's Close Call

2009-05-31T14:13:07Z

Thanks to Human's diligence with checking on my brood, Kate is still alive. Seems Kate, and quite probably this is what happened to Star, got twisted up in my feathers and was nearly strangled. The little ones are constantly moving in the night and my downy under feathers are quite soft so it is no wonder that there can be accidents.This morning Human found her stuck under me, wrenched her free and held her for a minute then set her back in the straw. Kate started breathing and then chirped, all is well!

Did you know, Human did not until she sat observing us yesterday, that as the Mother Hen, it is my job to see that the babes are kept clean? Their tiny bottoms can get pasty with excrement and I am continually pecking it away. Kate is a particular bother in that department. Artificially hatched chicks are prone to this malady.

Human has renamed Port to Diane Keeton, unless of course if this one turns out to be male then he'll be Buster. Human seems to giggle when she says these things to me, must be a kind of human humor.

Raising Chicks:
www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKRaisingChicks.html

A Passing Star

2009-05-30T14:01:51Z

Early this morning, as the sky lightened into day, little Star Keet passed this way no more. Human found her under me, limp in that repose that is death. I do not know what happened. Star was lively all yesterday; chirping, poking about our little pen, being a young and inquisitive new life. My other two charges seem fine. Human took Star and wrapped her in white cloth then dug a hole in the cotton patch and settled Star deep within the soil placing a large white rock to mark the spot.

Human enjoyed this past week learning about Guinea fowl and holding the little ones. Her life is enriched for the experience and her heart saddened by the loss. We poultry, as a rule, do not feel the pain of separation as Human does. We live in the now. Now I must eat; now I must drink; now is time for sleep. I am too busy to mourn, even if I could. I have two little ones who need my warmth and teaching. Such is the wheel of Life and we go where it turns us.

Plymouth "Barred" Rock

2009-05-28T21:26:03Z

Oh, no, my Human has done it again! She went to the feed store for some chick food for Star and Port and came home with Kate!

Kate is one week old today

Kate, named I am told, for Human's favorite actress Katharine Hepburn, is a Plymouth or Barred Rock chick. This breed showed up on the poultry scene in 1869 from the New England area. At maturity Kate will weigh in at over 7 pounds and is expected to be a good brown egg producer.

I've allowed this little girl a home in my nest teaching her along with the Keet sisters what is food and letting her burrow into my warm feathers if she needs a chicken hug.

Kate and Star

Plymouth "Barred" Rock:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Rock_(chicken)

Keets: Day 2

2009-05-26T19:53:28Z

The little ones are now able to hop around quite well. They have found the water basin Human put in for us and drink all by themselves. I pick up food, make a very rapid sounding chirp that tells the girls that "this is food". They either pick it up out of the dish or off my beak. Sometimes I let little pieces fall out of my mouth so they get the idea that "this is food".

Human comes to the cage several times a day and just sits there on a little stool watching us. She picks up the babies, coos at them and shows them to Dog. Dog is not sure what to make of the little peepers. She won't look them in the eye but does wag her tail as though to say 'Hi, want to play?'

I told you last year how Human names things that really don't need names. Well she has named the little ones Port and Starboard. Starboard being the green dyed first born and Port her twin.

The Hatch!

2009-05-25T14:12:15Z

The long wait is over, thank goodness! The two eggs Human found and put under me hatched yesterday afternoon. They are cute little things, quite helpless at this point and I continue to keep on the nest providing warmth. Human is very excited about these developments. She spent the afternoon watching the eggs, picking them up and listening to the chicks as they pecked their way through the shell. I had to nip her fingers for disturbing me.

After the first one hatched, Human tried to mark her with green food coloring. Poor little thing is all green! But Human is satisfied to know which one is the older of them. And of course, Human had to try to figure out what kind of chicks we had. She is surprised and a bit disappointed that they are not chickens after all but Guinea Fowl, Numida meleagris! Most likely Pearls, a wild type that were in abundance at the ranch where Human found the eggs. Matters not to me, I'll raise them to be chickens.

1st hatchling, before the green paint!
new keets and a shell
Notice the brown stripes on the heads? Characteristic of Pearl Keets

Guinea Fowl:
www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Guineas/BRKPearlGuinea.html

Villa Petra Gets Some Rain

2009-05-22T22:37:15Z

"Rain in the desert is rare as hen's teeth", said Human this morning. But rain it did, most of the night. Human came out and put Doris and Zena into our little house. I was snug in the brood nest.

Still nothing on the chick front. I continue to sit on the eggs; Human still gives me treats; poultry biology at work! As long as Human wants to spoil me, I can sit on these 2 little orphan eggs.

Emma went missing for a little while, or so Human thought. But Emma is a very sneaky hen. She likes to hide her eggs and Human, after searching under every shrub and behind all the stacks of garden tools, found Emma in a nice deep nest she had made in the compost pile!

Silly Science Thing:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-02/uom-htn022206.php

Today Should be the Day

2009-05-20T18:58:07Z

21 days of sitting in a semi-comatose state should be enough to hatch my 2 adopted eggs. Human took them to her coop and looked at them with a strong light to see if there was any sign of chicks but the shells are too thick and she saw nothing. The process is called candling but Human used a spot light not a real candle! I will continue to sit for a few more days.

It has been really hot and sitting all day takes some doing. Human comes a couple times a day to check on me and give me little tidbits of food like cottage cheese or fresh fruit. Doris prefers the nest I am occupying and while I am out for my afternoon walk-about, she lays her egg with my little clutch.

Candling:
shilala.homestead.com/candling.html