Comments on: Bwaawwkkk! First day at the new junior high http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/ Blogging by a team of pet-care experts. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:26:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Gina Spadafori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-485212 Gina Spadafori Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:07:29 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-485212 Ericka ... one more thing: Ducks are really, really messy. Bernadette The Weather Duck® is messier than 12 chickens combined. She fowls (pun intended) her kiddie pool to a mucky mess within hours and turns the water dispenser for all occupants of the chicken/duck yard into muck soup twice a day. She's special, and I am very fond of her. But I would never recommend a pet duck. Chickens, you bet. Duck, no way. Ericka … one more thing: Ducks are really, really messy.

Bernadette The Weather Duck® is messier than 12 chickens combined. She fowls (pun intended) her kiddie pool to a mucky mess within hours and turns the water dispenser for all occupants of the chicken/duck yard into muck soup twice a day.

She’s special, and I am very fond of her. But I would never recommend a pet duck. Chickens, you bet. Duck, no way.

]]> By: Cait http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-485210 Cait Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:02:56 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-485210 Erika- yes, when you buy ducks, they are domesticated species. In some states, you have to have permits to buy mallards. Releasing these ducks into the wild is a death sentence at worst, and irresponsible at best- they crowd out wild mallards. Our local city park used to have beautiful seasonal migrants. Now it just has a bunch of muscovey mules (muscovies and the mallard-family domestic ducks can reproduce but the offspring are sterile) that someone thought it would be cute to let go once they got past the yellow fuzzy stage. Erika- yes, when you buy ducks, they are domesticated species. In some states, you have to have permits to buy mallards.

Releasing these ducks into the wild is a death sentence at worst, and irresponsible at best- they crowd out wild mallards.

Our local city park used to have beautiful seasonal migrants. Now it just has a bunch of muscovey mules (muscovies and the mallard-family domestic ducks can reproduce but the offspring are sterile) that someone thought it would be cute to let go once they got past the yellow fuzzy stage.

]]> By: Gina Spadafori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-485206 Gina Spadafori Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:40:51 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-485206 I actually bought most of my chickens from Dr. Sue Chan, a veterinarian who runs <a href=http://www.cetafoundation.com/ rel="nofollow">this fabulous demonstration farm</a>. She raises chicks to sell to help fund farm operations. (And to give the kids something to help with, of course!) A couple of them, yes, I raised from chicks, or got as youngsters from my friend Pamela (who has <a href=http://www.launderdog.com/ rel="nofollow">this groovy biz</a>) who raised a bunch last year. The story of Bernadette is <a href=http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/10/24/my-pet-duck-why-fate-smiles-on-some-but-not-others/ rel="nofollow">here</a>. I actually bought most of my chickens from Dr. Sue Chan, a veterinarian who runs this fabulous demonstration farm. She raises chicks to sell to help fund farm operations. (And to give the kids something to help with, of course!)

A couple of them, yes, I raised from chicks, or got as youngsters from my friend Pamela (who has this groovy biz) who raised a bunch last year.

The story of Bernadette is here.

]]> By: ericka http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-485203 ericka Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:22:03 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-485203 Did you buy the chickens as chicks and they were shipped to you? My son wanted to do that with ducks. But, in the end I decided not to because I heard they poops a lot (duh) and my idea of keeping them on the pool patio wouldn't work. I also knew we would all be sad when they were tween-agers and we let them go. I wonder, do they become domesticated and shouldn't be released into the wild? Did you buy the chickens as chicks and they were shipped to you? My son wanted to do that with ducks. But, in the end I decided not to because I heard they poops a lot (duh) and my idea of keeping them on the pool patio wouldn’t work. I also knew we would all be sad when they were tween-agers and we let them go. I wonder, do they become domesticated and shouldn’t be released into the wild?

]]> By: Original Lori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-475132 Original Lori Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:02:46 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-475132 Yay! A new Einstein! Yay! A new Einstein!

]]> By: Gina Spadafori http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-475107 Gina Spadafori Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:34:15 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-475107 Reiman said the museum also would have displays detailing chickens’ habits and intelligence. Comment by Anne T — September 15, 2009 Perhaps we could then have one detailing the media's habits and intelligence, specifically why they think every time PETA farts it's news. Reiman said the museum also would have displays detailing chickens’ habits and intelligence.

Comment by Anne T — September 15, 2009

Perhaps we could then have one detailing the media’s habits and intelligence, specifically why they think every time PETA farts it’s news.

]]> By: Anne T http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-475102 Anne T Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:08:19 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-475102 Mayhap a fowl idea? "PETA wants to turn Va. prison into chicken museum (AP) – 18 hours ago TROUTVILLE, Va. — An animal rights group wants to rent a prison building the state plans to close and turn it into the nation's first chicken empathy museum. A People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals official sent a letter Monday to Gov. Tim Kaine asking to rent the Botetourt Correctional Center building in Troutville. Kaine spokeswoman Lynda Tran said the state doesn't lease to private entities except for cases grandfathered in when it purchases buildings. PETA spokeswoman Ashley Byrne said the Norfolk-based group thinks a former prison is the ideal setting for exhibits on what it contends is mistreatment of chickens raised for slaughter. Reiman said the museum also would have displays detailing chickens' habits and intelligence. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved." Mayhap a fowl idea?
“PETA wants to turn Va. prison into chicken museum

(AP) – 18 hours ago

TROUTVILLE, Va. — An animal rights group wants to rent a prison building the state plans to close and turn it into the nation’s first chicken empathy museum. A People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals official sent a letter Monday to Gov. Tim Kaine asking to rent the Botetourt Correctional Center building in Troutville.

Kaine spokeswoman Lynda Tran said the state doesn’t lease to private entities except for cases grandfathered in when it purchases buildings.

PETA spokeswoman Ashley Byrne said the Norfolk-based group thinks a former prison is the ideal setting for exhibits on what it contends is mistreatment of chickens raised for slaughter.

Reiman said the museum also would have displays detailing chickens’ habits and intelligence.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.”

]]> By: Linda Kaim http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-474996 Linda Kaim Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:57:45 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-474996 C.L.H. writes "Who needs TV when you have chickens?" We have our own channel of chicken teevee. I have thirty birds, 15 Barred Plymouth Rock crosses that are prolific layers, 10 Buff Orpingtons who lay large dark eggs and 5 Black Australorps who have not started laying yet. They free range during the day and come to the garage to be let in at night, often all of them roosting on their old brooder pen walls. They are wonderful to watch and a constant source of entertainment for dogs, visitors and us. I can sit and watch them all day. We have a pair that are the best of friends; one of the Rock crosses has befriended one of the Orps and they spend their days together, roosting together, laying together and avoiding the two randy Orp roosters who have still not met the knife. I have five boxes for the girls to lay in and a wall of hay bales that they will often stand in line to take their turns laying in. Between 9 and 11 in the morning, there is a line that goes out my garage door as they each take turns on their favorite spots. One of the hens sounds like she is laughing as she lays. We are pulling in about 15 eggs a day now, and five of the birds are still not laying yet. I have already given away about 9 dozen eggs! I love my birds. They are like my crackberry, I don't know how I ever managed without them! C.L.H. writes “Who needs TV when you have chickens?”

We have our own channel of chicken teevee.

I have thirty birds, 15 Barred Plymouth Rock crosses that are prolific layers, 10 Buff Orpingtons who lay large dark eggs and 5 Black Australorps who have not started laying yet.

They free range during the day and come to the garage to be let in at night, often all of them roosting on their old brooder pen walls.

They are wonderful to watch and a constant source of entertainment for dogs, visitors and us. I can sit and watch them all day.

We have a pair that are the best of friends; one of the Rock crosses has befriended one of the Orps and they spend their days together, roosting together, laying together and avoiding the two randy Orp roosters who have still not met the knife.

I have five boxes for the girls to lay in and a wall of hay bales that they will often stand in line to take their turns laying in.

Between 9 and 11 in the morning, there is a line that goes out my garage door as they each take turns on their favorite spots.

One of the hens sounds like she is laughing as she lays. We are pulling in about 15 eggs a day now, and five of the birds are still not laying yet.

I have already given away about 9 dozen eggs!

I love my birds. They are like my crackberry, I don’t know how I ever managed without them!

]]> By: C.L.H. http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-474973 C.L.H. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:42:46 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-474973 What a great variety. Pullets are so cute! You're lucky you can keep so many. Even the dynamics of a flock of four gets complicated. Gladys is already broody and wants to sit on all the eggs at once. When another chicken is in the nesting box laying, Eulalie announces it to the world like she's the one doing it. Who needs TV when you have chickens? What a great variety. Pullets are so cute! You’re lucky you can keep so many. Even the dynamics of a flock of four gets complicated. Gladys is already broody and wants to sit on all the eggs at once. When another chicken is in the nesting box laying, Eulalie announces it to the world like she’s the one doing it. Who needs TV when you have chickens?

]]> By: retrieverman http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/09/13/bwaawwkkk-first-day-at-the-new-junior-high/comment-page-1/#comment-474968 retrieverman Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:09:45 +0000 http://www.petconnection.com/blog/?p=8995#comment-474968 I thought that chicken in the photo was a hen pheasant until I got a closer look. I thought that chicken in the photo was a hen pheasant until I got a closer look.

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