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eggcount · 2 months

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How to Fix a Hinge in Israel

March 9, 2024

Since I'm in Israel now waiting for Abby's baby to come, there aren't any eggs to count. Instead, I offer this telling of an amazing home repair. This time at Abby and Syoma's apartment in Carmei Gat, Israel.

Problem: The top hinge has fallen out of a cabinet door in Abby's kitchen taking a good chunk of particle board with it.

No Problem - I can fix this. Follow along step by step!

Step 1) Call Mike for advice:

Syoma's solution is to ask their landlord to fix it. I have my doubts on this because the landlord already tried to fix it by screwing it back in. That held for one or two days until someone used it again. Did I mention that a good hunk of the particle board was broken. Mike as always has some ideas but first we must. . . .

Step 2) Obtain buy-in from Syoma:

The landlord has agreed to allow me to fix it.

Step 3) Develop a Plan of Action:

After extensive conversation with Mike, both on the phone and by text, it was decided that the best way to fix this was not to try to screw it in again, but to bolt it. This was possible because there was nothing on the other side of the cabinet - just an empty space for a dishwasher. An aspirational dishwasher I think is the term for it. (Abby has an aspirational TV - this is how I learned the term.) In Israel, rentals do not come with appliances - everyone brings their own or buys the old ones from the previous tenants. Rooms in Israel are also without closets. Again, bring your own or buy one from the previous tenant. Big market here for armoires! Total digression - the point is that instead of having to patch the particle board and figure out how to attach a screw to it without it breaking again, I can just bolt the hinge in and put a nice nut in the space where there is no dishwasher. The gaping hole in the particle board will be filled with wood epoxy; then drill; then bolt! Ta da - easy peasy and no waiting weeks and weeks for the landlord to "fix" it. (It will actually need two bolts as the hinge was held in with two screws.) Just so you know that there was no detail missed, there was also a lot of discussion on what type of lock washer to use.

This is the piece that used to be in the particle board.

It's a sort of two sided plastic molly, but only one side remains. Mike and I did discuss for a long long long time whether we could obtain a new anchor at IKEA. (The cabinetry by all appearances is an IKEA product.) We even spent a lot of time on the IKEA website even looking for the part! But in the end, with the revelation that there is nothing on the other side of the cabinet, the bolts won.

Until the repair is done, the cabinet door is propped up with a bean can topped with a folded up piece of cardboard and a lid from a tub of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, the cardboard and lid functioning as shims. We have also added chairs on either side to remind us NOT to close the cabinet which will certainly break the other hinge. Only the top hinge is the problem and we do want to keep it this way.

Step 4) Gather tools:

Abby, it turns out, has no tools. Well, she has a screwdriver and a rubber mallet and a pair of the cutest vise grips you've ever seen. Super cute! Syoma's opinion of tools is "who needs them, call the landlord to fix everything and don't put up pictures or shelves because it just makes holes in the walls that you have to fill when you move out." Oye, thankfully he has a friend with tools. And we arrange to borrow a drill and a hammer.

We can't get the drill until the next day, so the whole thing sits precariously and no dishwashing is done as this is the under-the-sink cabinet. The chairs do not work as planned and we closed the cabinet door several times by accident, bending the bottom hinge but not breaking it or causing it to pull out of the particle board.

Whew! We make it through the night without further damaging the door. Turns out that Syoma met his friend while taking a night time walk and picks up the drill. So we are ready to roll!

Step 5) Buy Bolts and Wood Epoxy:

Here's where the fun starts. Abby lives in a "new town". It looks like Crystal City - lots of high rises (lots and lots of them) and hardly any commercial activity yet. A ton of aspirational stores and oddly, four supermarkets and two produce shops. I guess people have to eat. Also two bakeries and a sort of dollar store type of place called "Booom" (no typo, three "O"s and it's in English too.)

But also, right near Abby's friend with the drill, there is supposed to be a hardware store. So off we go. After a lot of looking and skepticism that it exists, and some ooh and aahing at the beautiful rainbow of meringues at the bakery and a little discussion of whether we should stop for a coffee and baked good (over ruled by Abby) we find it. It's called, again in English, "Go Fix". It might also have a Hebrew name, but the English name is written in big letters over the door.

It's a pretty great name but in truth - false advertising. This is the most under-stocked hardware store ever. You would be hard pressed to fix anything. Yes, it does have some little bins of nuts and bolts, the hallmark of a good hardware store, but only 4 or 5 different sizes and no 6s which is what we need. Well, some 6s but not long enough. Not the hardware store of my youth with hundreds and hundreds of little drawers of every screw, nut, bolt, washer you could possibly want. No bolt to be had, so we move on to wood epoxy. This is a two-part epoxy for filling wood. Just the thing for particle board and you can drill it! First, the people show us wood putty and then wood glue. Finally, after explaining that I want a two-part epoxy, the woman, who speaks excellent English, has a moment of clarity and shows me tubes of two-part epoxy for steel and ceramics, but no wood. (They are right on the counter by the register in a small bucket.) And then the guy shows me a tube of something that is used for anchoring things in concrete. He thinks this might work. I demur. It does not seem drillable as it appears to be silicone based. I return to the two-part epoxy tubes and ask if maybe they can be used for wood too. They are written entirely in Hebrew, so I can't tell. Abby tries translating with her phone, but it doesn't work. Then the woman reads the label on the tube and - hope against hope - the one for steel can also be used for wood! The tube is excitedly passed around for verification - everyone nodding and beaming and affirming, yes, it can be used for wood! A sale is made and we are on our way to go fix.

Step 6) Buy Epoxy and Bolts (part two):

The epoxy has to cure for 24 hours, so that's how long we have to find the bolts. Syoma has a plan. We will go to the "old city", and by old they mean it was built in the 1960s. The old city is the real Kiryat Gat and Abby lives in Carmei Gat, the new city, which is across the highway. It's the same postal code, but has its own name. Construction of Carmei Gat commenced in 2017 with the goal of 10.000 units - mostly high rise apartments. You can google it. It was sort of conceived as a bedroom suburb for Tel Aviv - only 35 minutes away and appeals to young families because it is cheap. There are more playgrounds than open stores. I counted 12 on our three block drive to the highway. This is true.

Upon entering the old city hardware store, I am transported. The smell takes me back to my youth where I spent many hours with my dad at Union Hardware. Big bins of nails, thousands of little drawers of stuff, an old worn wood counter with "special tools" behind the cashier staffed by men who look like they've spent a lifetime fixing things. This is my happy place. Syoma has no patience for shopping and thinks it smells like "oil". Abby indulges me as I head straight for the little drawers. There it is - a whole section labeled "6", screws and bolts of all sorts and lengths and head types. But weirdly, none in the length I need. And then, I spot one - on the counter where dozens of screws have been abandoned by would be buyers. (The young Maurie would have had a fine time sorting and returning everything to its place. They loved to sort things as a child.) And the guy comes over to help (asking Syoma first - naturally). I show him the screw that I found and say I need another just like it and maybe a little longer please. Well, I mime this as I don't speak Hebrew. He pokes around, opens some drawers, shuts some others and says "we don't have them". He also mimes this. Syoma has abandoned us. "How can that be", I mime back, "I found this one." "Just is", he answers and leaves me there to figure something else out. As luck would have it, we were able to find two more 6 bolts (on the floor this time), different lengths, but they will work and I even have an idea to ask the man to cut them to the right length. This will be easy to mime. Washers and nuts are procured (there are bins of them).

Next comes my best (or most baffling part). There is an electrician's tool that strips wire that I really only recently learned can also be used to cut bolts. The problem, as everyone knows, is that you ruin the threads of the bolts if you try to cut them with a hacksaw or diagonal cutter. This tool solves that problem. You screw the bolt into a hole and by super hard squeezing, you can cut the bolt. The holes are even nicely labeled for the size of screws. My idea was to find the tool and ask the guy if I could borrow it to cut the bolt. I would have sprung for it to add to Abby's pathetic tool collection, but I couldn't imagine that she would have a subsequent use for it. I found the tool, easily spotted as it was right behind the cash register. I'm not sure why it was there because it is not like it is so valuable that it risks being stolen. It's actually really cheap - maybe $10 - but that's the type of place this was - randomly organized. And who knows, maybe electricians pocket this tool all the time. So, I ask the man in my best mime if he has one that I can use to cut the bolt. The one behind the register is all in its packaging but maybe he'll take it out and let me use it. Or maybe he has one somewhere that is not in its packaging.

Here's where it gets interesting. The man tells me that this tool cannot be used for cutting bolts. He brings out some diagonal cutters and offers to cut my bolts with them, but explains that it will ruin the threads. That part he tells Syoma who has now joined us with a power strip that he intends to buy. Yay - Syoma's here. He can explain to the guy that no, the tool for stripping wires will cut the bolts too. And the guy explains to Syoma who explains to me that it's not for cutting bolts but for stripping wires and crimping. He won't budge on this point. So frustrating to me. I want so much to show him how it works, but it's not to happen and we leave with too long bolts and me wondering - how can it be that the guy doesn't actually know this use of the tool? I didn't know until recently, but it's not my business to sell tools. And it's such a great use for this tool. Electricians like it because frequently the bolts are too big for the space they are installing the box, with this there is no need for an extra tool. Why didn't the guy believe me? Maybe he'll go home and think about it and give it a go. And if you are reading this, and didn't know what those holes are for, now you do!

btw, no charge for all the little bolts, washers and nuts. Syoma tries to pay, but the guy waves him away. It's possible that they were just happy to have me out of the store. You can never tell.

This is the tool of which I have been speaking. You can see the labeled hole.

And this picture shows the various uses for the tool in case you your self were also doubting me, which is unlikely. I'm always right as Dave will attest. Top left - cutting bolts!

Step 7) Install Bolts:

This part takes two seconds. Sand the wood epoxy a little so it's flatter, drill the holes, insert bolts, add washer, nuts and tighten the whole thing. There were no lock washers, so I didn't use them. A little miming with the guy and saying "lock tight" got him to understand the need, but he couldn't find any small lock washers and he thought that a tube of actual Locktite was too expensive for this small use. Me too. I thought I would use nail polish, but Abby doesn't have any. Anyway, we made do without lock washers. We did use Abby's super cute vise grips to hold the bolt while I tightened the whole thing.

Step 8) Another Amazing Repair?

NO. The door doesn't close now. At all. I was worried this would happen. I don't have any experience with cabinet door hinges but somewhere in the back of my mind I had an inkling that they are tricky and need to be adjusted and while I kind of knew this is true, I hadn't a clue on how to do it. Abby gives me this look of "why did you start this project if you were just going to make it worse". (While she would never be so rude as to say this out loud, she has a good face for expressions.) I loosen up the bolts and nudge the door up a little. This does nothing. I think about calling Mike - I know he knows how to install cabinets, but it's the middle of the night for him. So, I do what all thinking people of this day and age do - just google it! Two videos later, the door is opening and closing perfectly! So easy, that's what the little screws are for on the hinge - not the ones that hold it in, but the ones just sitting there waiting to be used to adjust the door. I don't know how they work, but the one on the left straightens the door so it opens and closes properly and the one on the right does something else. I didn't need that one so I didn't watch that part.

Step 9} ANOTHER AMAZING REPAIR!

YES! Another Amazing Repair! I finished by job by coloring the screws with sharpie so they would blend into the cabinet. I did not cut them to the same length.

Ta Da! Easy Peasy!

and

Here is a bonus picture of the flags Mary made hung in the baby's room. (also the guest room)

I also decorated the ceiling shade.

Here are pictures of the other ceiling shades. Nine shekels from IKEA with mom-applied tissue paper decoupage. You have to bring your own light fixtures too in Israel. They just provide bare light bulbs - pig tails as they are called in the trade.

This with flying hearts is in the kitchen

and this is in the entrance way.

And yes, they took forever to make.

Still no baby yet.

xoxoxo Sarah

#backyard chickens

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eggcount · 3 months

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Jessie is Molting

February 1, 2024

At first I thought it was the huge hen revenge. Feathers everywhere. Jessie looking like she's ready for the pot if you know what I mean. And who knew she was so small! Then I got it - she's molting. What's that all about? It's winter here. Whose idea of adaptive behavior is that? She's down to bare skin in lots of places. And on account of her sort of bitchy personality, I don't think the other girls are doing much snuggling.

Here are pictures. You can't even begin to comprehend this without pictures.

Jessie-two-tail-feathers!

Jessie-no-breast-feathers

and Jessie-bald-back

Honestly, as much as I think she sort of deserves this for how she treats the new huge hens, no hen should have to molt like this in the winter. I hope the new feathers grow in fast! Maybe Greta or Maurie will finally knit those little chicken sweaters I've been begging for.

xoxoxox

Sarah

ps. Here's a bonus picture of the huge hens. There are more feathers on their feet than on Jessie's back!

#indoor chicken #backyard chickens

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eggcount · 3 months

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Pictures!

January 18, 2024

As promised, chickens in the snow. btw, I will have to do more practice squats and crouching if I am going to perfect this art. I did get down to almost eye level with the girls, but I'm lucky I didn't immediately face-plant in the snow.

Because hot oatmeal is appropriate for everyone in this type of weather, I brought them a nice breakfast of oatmeal with raisins and scratch. The old girls were quite interested, but the Brahmas wanted to have a little explore first.

So, I moved a dish of warm food outside the run, in case they changed their minds or got hungry. I'm not sure which, but they stopped and ate.

btw, yesterday, I commented on how they wouldn't eat the sunflower seeds in favor of the mealy worms. Today, they pretty much rejected the warm oatmeal for the scratch sprinkled on top. Food fusser chickens!

Now that I've let them out, my greatest hope is that they will all go back to bed tonight. My biggest fear is that they won't, and I will have to crawl under the porch to get them out. We had to do that with Betty once. It's a little awkward. The things we do for our pets.

xoxoxo

Sarah

And here are bonus pictures from memory lane!

This is from 2015, chickens in the snow. That's Ethel leading the flock.

and where are they going?

and final destination! I think they all went back to the coop at night though. Or maybe this was the time that I had to carry them.

#indoor chicken #backyard chickens #hens

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eggcount · 3 months

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Snow!

January 17, 2024

Dave and I go away for Fake Christmas with the kiddies and despite Dave’s best predictions, it snows. Really snows and gets cold. This was not supposed to happened until I got home, but like the boy scouts, I was prepared. I mean the hen house was prepared; the storm windows had been installed, and the poultry waterer was in the heated dog dish. And the nice neighbor was on chicken duty. So, everything was ready, but I just wasn’t expecting that it would snow while I was gone. And these chickens have never seen snow. Maybe Lulubelle and Batman, they are almost 4 years old, but certainly not Mary Kate and Jessie and the new hens. The new hens are still pullets. They don’t know snow from snow. They are still small – “big but small” as my grandbaby Alice says as she explains to me that she’s a “big girl now”, but not that tall. She always uses her hand to show me just how tall she is. She is as tall as the top of her head. btw, I think it’s the reverse for the new hens – they are still babies but very big. They aren’t even one yet.

Back to snow. So, how did they do? Well, I don’t know how they did on Tuesday because I was not home until late on account of a lot of snow Tuesday am in Connecticut postponing my travels. But today, there is still snow and they do not like it at all. NOT AT ALL. No one would even come out of the house. Well, actually that is not true. Annabelle and Daisy were on the slide platform tonight when I went to put everyone to bed. I never saw them come out, I never saw them walking around, but they were both on the slide platform at 5:10 so obviously they had to have come out. I made them come down for dinner, which they did not want to do, but fortunately, they are very friendly and I just picked them up and put them on the ground where they pecked away at a delicious meal of sunflower seeds and mealy worms. btw, I’m just saying that they ate both because that is what I would like them to do. The reality is that they don’t seem to like the sunflower seeds, just the mealy worms. The other hens love/loved sunflower seeds so I don’t know what’s up with them. Sunflower seeds are really good winter food because they are full of fats and they need a little extra fat in their diet in the winter. Oh well. They are really huge hens, so maybe they don’t need the extra fat for the winter.

Jessie also ventured out of the house to eat, but when she saw me giving her the “don’t you dare bother the new hens” stink eye, she went right back inside. She popped out a few more times, grabbed a mealy worm or two, but turns out that I’m the head chicken and she didn’t want to mess with me! No sight of any other hen. And Annabelle and Daisy happily went into the coop for bedtime when they were done eating.

So, this makes it seem all wonderful and warm in the hen house, storm windows up, heated water bowl. Girls all snuggled in together. You are probably thinking how prepared I am, how under control, that sort of thing. ‘Cause that’s the kind of person I am. NOT. I would be remiss not to tell you what really happened. On Monday night, I am at my father-in-law’s house and all the sudden it hits me - I couldn’t remember if I had checked before we left to see if the electricity was on for the water bowl. The outside outlets trip if there is a big rainstorm and there was a big rainstorm before we left and I thought I had checked, but I couldn’t remember and if the outlets were tripped, the water would be frozen and the hens are locked in the run and can’t get to the pond to drink and their big 5 gallon water container was definitely frozen and the nice neighbor who was on hen duty thought I was coming back Monday, so she wouldn’t check and besides, I didn’t tell her to check because it wasn’t supposed to get cold and the hens have never seen snow before and . . well, you can see I panicked just a little.

Lucky for me, I have a good friend who stays up late and when I texted him at 10:00, he didn’t mind at all going down to see if the outlet was tripped. Thanks Russell. btw, it wasn’t. And the nice neighbor came by on Tuesday night to check on the water and discovered that the giant hens were not in the coop, but on the slide platform, so she moved them into the coop and filled up the water. All the hens were happy and ok when I got home. They even laid – two eggs!

No pictures because Abby is really the one who takes the best pictures of hens. I’m going to visit Abby for her baby, so maybe she can teach me how to take good pictures – something about crouching down and moving the camera to weird angles. I’ve been doing 15 minutes of squats every morning. I’ll add crouching so I’ll be in shape for Abby’s lessons. And I’ll go out tomorrow and see what I can do. Maybe bad pictures are better than none?

xoxoxo Sarah who is happy to see snow.

PS: Here is a bonus picture of the river near where we were staying in Winsted, CT. Those trees are exhibiting marcescence. Or they are marcescent trees. No one knows why they don't lose their leaves. Like, what's in it for them. Sort of like chickens that way. Who knows what they are thinking and why they do anything. And why do we think we should know this? IMHO, it's just a little hubris.

#indoor chicken #chickens #hens #backyard chickens

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eggcount · 4 months

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Who is Jessie Anyway!!?!?!?

January 9, 2024

So, on Saturday I got Covid. (I'm no longer a unicorn - so sad and so much for Gale's theory that the Gorcey genes are somehow protecting us. And I got it magically from Toby who is in St. Paul and I haven't seen since Thanksgiving. I don't know how that happened, but it's true. Here's how I know. Toby got Covid from his in-laws over Christmas. His symptoms were that he had a huge headache and was super tired. Being the father of at least one child who doesn't sleep through the night, he didn't give it much thought. But then, his mother-in-law tested positive, so he decided to test and yikes - there was the little purple line! So, on Saturday, I was dead tired, like "will someone put that baby to bed" tired, almost-face-planting-in-my-dinner tired. And it just popped in my head - I have Covid. Dave said "no you don't", I said "yes I do", Dave said "impossible", I said "I'm testing" and yep - I have Covid and Toby gave it to me. That's my story. If not for Toby, I would just be sick and not in quarantine for 5 days. And I would still be a Covid unicorn. oh well. What can you say, that's the risks of having children.) (btw, the true story of where I got it is from Dave, who also has Covid, but didn't think he did, so he didn't test when he got sick last week. It's his second annual New Year's Covid. He probably picked it up on New Year’s Eve at the Seldom Scene concert. He's out of the quarantine period and didn't get the Paxlovid because he passed the 5 days onset of symptoms when I got Covid and he got tested.)

But this is a big digression - the point is that I'm not quite well enough to do anything, despite the Paxlovid, but that's your gain. I can write Egg Counts!!! Everyone wins. I get to write Egg Counts, you get to read them. I'm a little less bored and you are hopefully a little entertained. I'm sure everyone is shivering with delight!

Back to the topic - who is Jessie anyway!!?!?

We lost a lot of chickens in 2022. And ended up getting four new ones in October 2022. Jessie was one of those girls. But before we get to that, I really need to catch you up on the year before we got Jessie. Fortunately, I still communicated with my kids about the chickens on WhatsApp and WhatsApp, as Maurie just informed me, is searchable. So, I have a lot of information - dates and even pictures! Get ready to be updated!

Of most interest to everyone will be Henrietta’s brush with death at the beginning of 2022 – dramatically called “Henrietta gets bumblefoot, nearly dies, but is ok now” or “How Greta brought Henrietta back to life.” Henrietta’s name should be familiar to everyone. She’s, well, she’s of blessed memory now, but back in January 2022, she was the last of the hand raised chicks that we got in April 2014. And she had bumblefoot which is horrible staph infections on the bottom of the foot which causes the hen to limp. You have to cut them out. Good thing for us, Greta is a pro at bumblefoot surgery. And also, Carolyn Preyer, our neighbor and vet, is OK at bumble surgery. But not so good a thing for us, is that we were leaving for St. Paul to attend a Kathan Clan gathering for Alice’s birthday leaving Andre to watch the chickens so the surgery had to be done NOW. We booked Greta with Carolyn coming over later to help if Greta had problems. (She also brought a lot of vet tape!). After a nice soak in the downstairs sink, the bumble was taken care of, but Henrietta was not ok. In fact, she was really not ok. Carolyn did an inspection, and discovered a giant puncture wound. It looks like she might have been attacked by a fox and now the wound was infected. Honestly, we all thought she would die She was that not ok.

Here’s the problem. We were leaving the next day. If she died that night, that would be sad, but ok. If she didn’t die that night, she would need nursing for the bumblefoot and for the wound. Daily soaking, and bandage changing. Greta was willing to do this, but not willing to take her home to die. Carolyn, although she was 100% convinced that Henrietta would die, was not willing to “do the deed”, as she doesn’t know how to humanely end a chicken’s life. That was super important to her. In her opinion, Henrietta was very comfortable in a box and surely would pass peacefully in the next couple of hours. Her breathing was shallow, her eyes were glazed, and she just had that end-of-life look. Greta agreed to come back the next day to get her in the unlikely event that she lived. I agreed to stand vigil over her and make sure that her passing was peaceful. Dave agreed to bury her before we left. So, we had a plan.

As it turned out, Henrietta had her own plan and after a few hours of looking like it was “the time”, opened her eyes, lifted her head, assessed the situation - the warm house, clean box - and decided not to die. She gave a little peaceful coo, and went back to sleep. What a roller coaster of emotions. Instead of burying her, she was off to Greta’s house for a week of healing. Greta set her up in the basement and hand fed her until she was strong enough to feed herself. Twice daily baths to soak the wounds were part of the prescribed treatment and Henrietta came to love floating around in the tub. Greta’s cats were jealous. We got daily updates and returned home to a glowing and ready to rule the roost Henrietta. I think she was a little disappointed not to have daily baths, but excited to see her sisters.

And now I am feeling better from the Covid, so you’ll have to wait for more updates!

btw, the huge hens are happy. They are not integrated into the flock yet, but follow us around and come when called. Daisy is a little skittish with Jessie, but she’s not even laying yet – still a pullet. I’m pretty sure when she comes into adulthood, she’ll realize that she could stomp all over Jessie and Jessie will – well, we’ll see how it goes. Annabelle has not had to engage Jessie again and takes good care of Daisy.

Love to everyone,

Sarah

#egg count

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eggcount · 4 months

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Giant Hens are Here

January 2, 2024

Dave and I were talking tonight and trying to figure out the ages of our chickens. We couldn't remember, so we decided to do a little research. Turns out that I haven't done a chicken update since July 2021. Yikes - that's like a zillion years ago in chicken life. So many changes here, so much has happened.

So this is going to be a super long email and it's going to take me days to get to the Giant Hens. Ok, I'll do them now and then travel back in time to catch you up with chicken news. Maybe even in another Egg Count!

The Giant Hens are Dark Brahmas and they are not kosher. That's the most important thing to know about them. And if a person keeps really, really kosher, they cannot eat their eggs and further, if they can't tell the Brahma eggs from the kosher chickens' eggs, they have to give the hens away even though they raised them from chicks and it's a very obscure law that the Rabbis are still debating. What!?!?!? Well, these chickens have feathers on their feet. For reasons known only to the Rabbis, who have too much time on their hands IMHO, the feathers on their feet make them treif. Something about that they look like silly chickens and it's not clear from the Torah that eating silly chickens is permitted. (Look it up, it's a thing.)

They were Rachel's chickens that she and her 6 children raised from chicks and loved to death and were their favorites. She never dreamed that they weren't kosher. But someone who knows the most obscure laws of kashrut knew, so now they are mine. They were born on April 1. There are two of them, and they are very big. They make Jessie, a Production Red, look like a pullet. And they are soft and they are friendly. And they lay eggs! They came with names, Annabelle and Daisy, and I'm not renaming them. Rachel's kids would be heartbroken if I did (and also they are great names and it solves the AnnabelleorLulubelle problem. Now I have Annabelle and Lulubelle again!). The terms of adoption are that I have to give them daily reports and send pictures. I also had to agree to visitation rights. But, I get to keep the eggs!

We've had them for two days now and so far so good. It turns out that if you're a giant chicken, no one messes with you. Jessie, weighing in at 4 pounds soaking wet, is the current head hen and first thing she tried to engage Annabelle. It did not go well for Jessie. She retreated and actually tried a second time. It didn't go any better! I'm not sure what she was thinking. Annabelle probably has 3 pounds on her. I did mention that Annabelle and Daisy are giants. I'm not sure this has demoted Jessie, as Annabelle and Daisy are still not integrated into the small flock, but it certainly sent her a message. btw, Jessie is not a nice chicken. Some of the head chickens manage the flock benevolently, but not Jessie. She's the classic mean girl. And so mean to Lulubelle - never lets her in the run. She could be at the end of her reign. Like the song says - "There's a new girl in town." The wind might be shifting.

Well, enough for tonight. No one can read this much anyway. More Egg Counts another day.

Here's a picture of the new chickens squeezed into a nest box for the night. Too funny. What are they thinking!?!?! The darker chick (butt side out) is Annabelle and the lighter one, (she turned her head when we went to take the picture) is Daisy. Better pictures tomorrow! Just so you know, there are plenty of vacant spots on the roosts, plenty of room even for giant hens.

Who knows - it's always something with chickens!

So excited to have giant hens!

xoxoxox

Sarah

Mom, Bubbie, Auntie, Friend, Sister and so much more!

#chicken

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eggcount · 3 years

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Egg Count: Nest Chair

July 3:

This is Elsa. She is sitting on the wicker chair on our porch. She is going to lay an egg (I hope). It will be her first time. What is going on here? This used to be Dave's favorite chair, now it functions as a nest box. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?!?! First Lulu-belle decided it was the best place to lay. That was ok, she marches to her own drum. We wouldn't expect less of her. Then, Georgie took it up. That was ok. Georgie used to lay her eggs under the porch, so this was a big improvement and didn't require us to go on hands and knees in the dirt every day to search for her beautiful blue egg. Then Peppa started to lay her eggs there too. It was ok. With Melly still broody and hogging the good nest box, the hens were having to find new places. But now Elsa? She was the good hen, always laying in the nest box even if Melly was in the way. Over to the dark side. Sigh - I guess it's time to give up on Dave's chair. But, you have to wonder - are we in charge of the chickens or do they have us really well trained?

xoxoxox Sarah mom, host mom, faux mom, mom-in-law and more! Here's a bonus picture of Alice. She's 5 months old today! We just got back from the annual Kathan Clan gathering for the solstice (and Celia's birthday) . Thank you to all the hen minders.

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eggcount · 3 years

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Egg Count: Mystery Solved

May 5, 2021

Well, today there was this:

and this:

I don't know why they don't use the empty nest box. I guess I'll have to clean-up the floor.

oy - chickens, always something.

xoxoxo

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eggcount · 3 years

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Egg Count: Uh Oh!

May 4, 2021

Uh oh, we might have a sharing problem

When I went to gather eggs this morning, I found THIS!

And this

and nothing in here!

As you may recall from my last Egg Count, it was all peaceable kingdom in the hen house - the hens had resolved Melly’s recent takeover of the “good” nest box as her own personal brooder by laying their eggs on top of her. They were happy and Melly was happy to tuck the freshly laid eggs under her in her pursuit of motherhood.

hmmmmm - it turns out – not so happy. Well, someone wasn’t happy. Did Melly get tired of being laid on and push her sisters away to lay on the floor or did she jettison the eggs to the ground not happy to be a surrogate? I found the eggs this morning but I didn’t catch any hens in the act of laying. So, it’s a mystery.

But, more baffling is why aren’t the hens just laying in the empty nest box. It’s not like they haven’t laid there before.

As I always say – always something with chickens,

Love to everyone,

Sarah

Mom, Mom-in-law, faux mom, Auntie, Sister and more!

PS: Several people have asked "what is a broody hen". This is not a hen who sits around thinking deeply about something that makes her unhappy. (to paraphrase Webster), well - she might be thinking deeply, but primarily she's wanting to hatch eggs. Broodiness is not triggered by actual eggs or even a rooster, but by some mysterious inner forces that I cannot even begin to fathom. Truly, her body is aching to be a mother. So, she sits there, hour after hour, day after day waiting. She won't leave the nest box but for a few minutes a day - just to grab a bite to eat and to have the biggest poop ever. If there were eggs under her, it would take 21 days for them to hatch. But she will sit there even with no eggs, for as long as it takes. There are all kinds of advice on how to "break" a broody hen, but we've had no luck so far. Last year, she sat for 4 weeks before I got day old chicks to slip under her. I might give in again and get some again. You can never have too many chickens?

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eggcount · 3 years

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Egg Count: Chicken Catch-up

May 2, 2021

So, I went out to gather eggs this morning and was greeted by the sight of Melly puffed up in the nest box with Elsa sitting on top of her. Group lay? NO! Melly has gone broody and is hogging the “best” box. The other hens are dealing with this inconvenience by laying on top of her. Mind you, there is a perfectly good and empty nest box right next door. In fact, at one point, it was the favorite nest box. Maybe this is standard behavior when a hen goes broody? The other hens lay on top of the broody hen taking advantage of the opportunity to have their eggs hatched - sort of like a hen’s version of cowbirding? (For those who don’t know what cowbirding is, I am referring to the cowbird’s habit of laying their eggs in other species nests for hatching and rearing. Look it up, it’s a true thing – they are called brood parasites.) At any rate, it’s funny to see (picture below) and lots of fun to pick Melly up and gather the eggs from under her. She makes a little growling noise in protest, but actually she’s very docile when she’s broody, so it’s one of the few times that we get to hold her.

Yes, Melly is broody again. I haven't written in quite a while and there is lots to catch up on in Egg Count. Really! The last time I wrote about my hens was in June 2020 and Melly was busy raising chicks. The new hens weren't even laying yet. (and they didn't for months and months.) Yikes! The pandemic did that to me. I just didn’t feel like writing anymore. Not good, as I actually like to write. But maybe all the staring at the computer screen for zoom conferences and play dates and everything just squeezed the enthusiasm out of me for more screen time. Or maybe I was, as the NY Times described, “languishing”. It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year of this. So much has happened and so little. Well, Donald Trump isn’t president anymore so there is that. If that was the only thing that happened in the last year, as we say every year at Passover – Dayenu – “that would be enough”. And I have a new grandbaby - Alice Elizabeth Howard Kathan born Feb 3, 2021 - double Dayenu!

But I digress – this is about chickens! Everyone is doing great. All the new chicks – Lulubelle, Annabelle, Georgie, Peppa, and Elsa – made it to pullet-hood and they are all laying, almost every day. Henrietta and Melly (until she went broody again) and occasionally Big Bird are also laying – maybe they are feeling competitive with the younger girls. You see that in humans sometimes, old farts killing themselves to prove that they still have it. (Not that I have any personal experience with this!) Or maybe just having young hens around has reminded them that they too can lay eggs. Whatever the reason, we are swimming in eggs – 6 or 7 a day – and have taken to giving them to anyone and everyone. Joey suggested that I barter the eggs for things so I have set up some barters. One of the local beekeepers is saving me 5 pounds of honey for 5 dozen eggs; the Darling-Fuentes are trading eggs for that delicious bread that Dario makes and our vet is taking eggs as payment for Noodle’s meds. If anyone reading this wants to barter eggs for something, I’m up for it!

And the little chicks quickly developed big personalities. There is Lulubelle the adventurous. She’s the only one to explore inside the house and once laid an egg in the sock basket, Aurora’s old nesting spot. Currently, she has settled on laying on the wicker chair on the porch. It hasn’t been warm enough to keep the door open, and she hasn’t been that interested in coming inside that she will knock on the door (like Ethel would). And then there’s Georgie who lays beautiful blue eggs. After searching for the perfect spot to lay (including a whole week of laying way under the house), she’s joined Lulubelle in laying on the chair. Peppa is a twin to Henrietta and comes on the porch every night to demand dinner. This was Henrietta’s role for the longest time, but apparently the torch has been passed. The other hens wait patiently on the deck while Peppa summons us. (It’s always about 30 minutes before sunset, in case you were wondering what time chickens have dinner.) Peppa also squats a lot so I can pick her up. Elsa is very shy and little but also adventurous. She’s escaped a few times into Mrs. Smith’s yard and then through the broken-down fence to the Tejblum's compost pile. I’ve gotten a few calls to come and get her. Annabelle seems like a regular chicken although she might be the one that pecks at me. It’s super annoying. And all the new hens are getting their fluffy butts! Abby (who is still living in Israel with her beloved) loves those fluffy butts!

Meanwhile, Melly has gone broody, sitting there on no eggs hoping to be a mother again. If anyone would like to adopt Melly and have her raise some chicks for you, she would love it. She’s such a good mother and I feel so bad that she has to sit there day after day with no promise of motherhood. We just can’t take anymore hens. Really, eight is enough for our backyard. I’ll even lend you our beautiful brooder barn if you want to take this on.

So, there you are – caught up for chickens. I hope all is well with you and yours and everyone is surviving the pandemic as best they can.

xoxoxox

Sarah

Mom, Bubbie, Auntie, Friend, Sister and more!

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eggcount · 4 years

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Helicopter Mom?

June 15, 2020

So, today I spent a lot of time today researching "when are chicks launched". You know we have Abby AND Joey bounced back, so launching is on my mind. (Not that I don't love every minute of having them here especially as they cook dinner from time to time, but, you know, failure to launch is a thing.) The consensus of the internet is 5 to 7 weeks, although one person had a picture of her poor hen precariously resting on top of what looks to be 10 week old chicks. No wait - that was my picture of Melly! Not really - Melly's babies are only 8.5 weeks old, but she is still tending them as if they were still little balls of fluff. You remember the picture from two weeks ago. Four of them squeezing in their way under her in the nest box with one poor chick roosting on the ledge because there just wasn't any more room. Well they are much much bigger now and still stuffing themselves in. Only 3 can fit, but not for lack of trying.

Helicopter mom or needy chicks? The internet says that the mom will start to wean them, gently pecking at them to discourage them from following her around. But not our Melly, super mom. She's with them 24/7. She clucks at them to come, herds them around, makes them take baths, puts them down for naps. Makes little excited noises to show them something good to eat. They still go to bed early; she's very strict about that. Into the nest box at least 45 minutes before sundown and they follow her without problem. She rules them with an iron hand.

I don't know. Is this really overly attentive? Maybe the chicks are a little needy; it's scary being a small chick in the huge world of our backyard. Or, maybe she's into the power trip of it all - the "look at me, I have minions, I have chickens that follow me around". There is that pecking order thing and even if Henrietta won't give her the time of day, the chicks think she's the bomb. Or maybe she just really likes being a Mom - all satisfaction that comes with motherhood. The little chicks looking at you with their beady little chick eyes, the snuggle puddles, the fun of being with youth. I just don't know. And so what if she is a helicopter mom, the chicks are thriving. They are growing big and strong and have personalities and - well she should be proud of the job she is doing. What does the internet know anyway! You go Melly!

This is sort of an aside - It is my observation that as good a mom as Melly is, she can't count. She calls the chicks but will move on once some, but not all, have shown up. The internet, always the internet, says that hens can count to at least six and do some basic math (https://www.livescience.com/49633-chicks-count-like-humans.html) but I haven't seen any evidence of this with Melly. Or maybe she just doesn't care how many chickens show up as long as some do and she's actually not that good a mom. After all there are 5 of them and they never go away, never ever.

Ok, too long. Here is a picture of 5 chicks on a sign. Apparently, it was nap time, so Melly moved them all into the coop where they settled in for naps on a campaign sign that I had put on top of a broken table to provide a little shade. I obviously didn't know that the best use of a campaign sign is NOT for hiding under to cool off, but for sleeping on top of in the sun.

That's Elsa in the front, Anna-or-LulaBelle behind her on the left with Georgie on the right. And the other Anna-or-LuluBelle in front of Peppa. They are in the run, I am on the outside. They are not in jail. But remember when we first got them and they could easily slip through the fence! Seems like so long ago. A pandemic ago even.

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eggcount · 4 years

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Bedtime and Current Events

June 2, 2020

Alice Walker has a book about her chickens - The Chicken Chronicles: Sitting with the Angels Who Have Returned with My Memories: Glorious, Rufus, Gertrude Stein, Splendor, Hortensia, Agnes of God, the Gladyses, & Babe: A Memoir. Some of the chapters are just funny stories, but in some she uses the chickens to comment of social justice issues, world events, and visions for a more just society. I found it a little contrived at times, but this week I understand her impulse. Since I can’t even pretend to write a fraction as well as Alice, I will not attempt the same. Suffice it to say, my heart is breaking for America. After Federal police shot at and tear gassed peaceful protestors so that Trump could have a photo op in front of a church he has never even entered, I can’t seem to stop crying.

But the chicks provide endless distractions, so I can comment on that.

The big news is that they have transitioned from the mini-coop to the big house! They are all grown-up. This, by the way, is not true. But they are really big, too big to be all squished into the mini-coop – not so much at night, but in the morning until I open the door. Melly has been trying to put them to bed in the big house for some time now, but they resisted. So, being the chicken whisperer that I am, I decided that the problem was the roost was too high. This weekend, I spent a lot of quality time with my tools and installed a nice low roost for them imagining them all lined up peacefully sleeping in a row. Sunday was the big day. We shut the door to the mini-coop and decided to see what Melly would do. Could she get the chicks to follow her into the big coop? Or, would she scream and fuss until we opened the mini coop so she could put them to bed in the regular spot? Unfortunately, I missed the whole thing as she put them to bed super early, but Abby was paying attention and reported that the chicks followed her right into the big coop. Oh, I was so excited and I asked Abby, "were they all on the new roost????" No, they were not. Apparently they can easily get up anywhere they want and three were settled into a nest box with Melly and the other two were sleeping on the ledge on top and next to the nest box, about three feet above the new roost. Turns out all I needed to do was exclude them from the mini-coop. Oh well. I'm still the chicken whisperer. Just not as astute as I could be.

Here are some bedtime pictures. This first one is Sunday night, first night in the big coop. That's LuluBelle-or-Anna on top of the nest box, Elsa on the left side and the other three inside - from left to right - Peppa, the other LuleBelle-or-Anna and Georgie. By the way, Melly has switched nest boxes. When she was broody, she occupied the right side.

The second night was even funnier – all five chicks stuffed into the nest box with her. That is Georgie's butt sticking out on the right. And LuluBelle-or-Anna under Melly and Elsa on the left. Peppa and the other LuluBelle-or-Anna must be all the way under or in the back.

And tonight (Tuesday), four are in the box and one is roosting. You can just see LuluBelle-or-Anna roosting on the top of the box on the left. And that's Elsa on the right. If you lighten the picture up even more, you can see one more chick on the left. I guess the rest are under her. I think it's pretty tight in there!

The pandemic, the police brutality, the killing of innocent people of color, the protests, the riots - it's been trying and scary times here. But some of it fades away when I'm with my hens. Maybe someday, I will tap into my inner Alice Walker (I’m sure I’ve got a little in me) and write an essay connecting my ladies to the greater world. Until I do, I leave you with a quote from the great Martin Luther King - “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” I'm not sure how this relates to chickens, but it's something to think about.

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eggcount · 4 years

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Pictures!

May 20, 2020

The chicks are 4 weeks old now. So big! They don't really go under Melly anymore, but that might be because it's warmer out during the day. She still tends them faithfully and puts them to bed around 7:15, 45 minutes before sunset. Maybe they snuggle under her at night? It's been down in the low 40s, so cold for them. I'm sure it's warm in the mini coop. They are really stuffed in. In the morning, when I open the door, they come tumbling out like clowns out of a too small car. Letting them out is the best part of my morning.

We've let them out into the main run a couple of times and Melly has taught them to get a drink from the water nipples that the big hens use. She's also tried to put them to bed in the big coop. Today, she went in; popped on the roost and called for them. I could hear her in there clucking like crazy. They wouldn't even venture through the door to see what she was doing. So, she came out and tried again, giving them a stern look before going back in, this time popping up into the nest box. Nothing - only Georgie even peeked in. Finally, she gave up and put them to bed in the mini-coop. They all trotted happily in behind her. Very funny to watch. What was she thinking? The roosts and nest boxes are way off the ground. There is no way they can get up with her.

They can fly a little though and pop up onto the top of the mini-coop. Their wing feathers are starting to come in and they have lost their cute chick look. We can finally tell the mini-bears apart and even the little brown ones are looking different. And they all look different from when we go them. It's amazing.

So, without further ado - here are pictures!

Just to remind. here they are at 4 days old. In front is Elsa, then LuluBelle and Anna (Rhode Island Reds, or "the huggy bears"), and in the back are the mini-bears - Georgie and Peppa.

Fast forward 4 weeks: Here's Elsa this past Sunday, so big, but not too old for a piggy back ride. That's Georgie peeking out below Melly. And that's the watering system with the red water nipples.

And here's everyone learning to use the water nipples. In the very front is Peppa, Elsa is on the cinder block and LuluBelle is right up there in Melly's face figuring it out. Melly's beak is on the nipple. She is demonstrating how to peck at it and get the water out. Good mom. They all got the hang of it! We had some pictures of that, but we can't find them. Maybe on Abby's phone.

And now, here are some individual portraits. They are kind of hard to capture with our phones. They move all the time.

This is Peppa

This is her sister Georgie, both Americanas and yes, they are significantly bigger than the others.

And this is LuluBelle OR Anna. We really can't tell them apart yet.

This is LuluBelle AND Anna. Abby loves this picture because the huggy bear on the right is grooming herself! I like it because they have such beautiful pink feet.

Finally, here's Elsa; she's a Buff Orphington. What's exciting about this picture is TAIL FEATHERS! Peppa and Georgie have them too. So, maybe not so exciting, but Elsa was actually the first to sprout tail feathers. The Huggy Bears are working on their fluffy butt feathers. Very important too.

btw, If you are wondering what Dave is doing while I'm writing this. He's watching marble racing on the big screen. Really! it's getting bad here!

Stay Healthy; Stay Sane!

xoxoxoxo Sarah your mom, faux mom, friend, Aunt, sister and more!

#btw If you are wondering what Dave is doing while I'm writing this. He's watching marble racing. Really! it's getting bad here! Stay Hea

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eggcount · 4 years

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Henrietta Lays an Egg

May 15, 2020: One beautiful brown egg!

Yes, it's true, Henrietta is laying again. Three eggs this week! Who knows, maybe it's the good weather, maybe it's the sight of Melly with her babies, maybe she's just feeling a little nostalgic for her younger days when laying an egg was not a big deal? Or maybe, she's worried about the POT? Just kidding, we would never eat Henrietta!

So, that's that happy news. The sad news is that Gladys died last week. She went to bed early and died in her sleep. It wasn't unexpected as she had stopped laying a week or so before and my experience with her breed is that they lay every day for a couple of years and then drop dead. Nonetheless, It was too sad for me to process, so no egg count that day.

Each hen should be eulogized though. so here I go. Gladys was only three and the last survivor of Gladys Night and the Peeps, a trio of Red-sex links. I got them from a farm in Poolesville - rescued them really, they were so stuffed into a chicken tractor that they didn't even know how to be chickens. I spent a long time teaching them to roost, to use the nest box, to go into the coop at night. Gladys was super sweet and she was the last of my chickens who came in the house. Henrietta was always too shy and the new birds, Melly and Big Bird, have never even ventured onto the screen porch. (While in some ways, this is OK - the poop in the house did leave a little to be desired - it was unique to my chickens and I will miss the easy exchange we had and the thrill watching them having a drink from Noodle’s water bowl while I stood at the stove making dinner. They were always very interested in what ever was going on in the kitchen.)

Gladys will always be known for her love laying in more and more unique places. To list a few: in the recycling bin, on the pillow on the bottom bunk in the yellow room, in the sock basket, on the couch in the living room, behind the wicker chairs on the porch, on the wicker chairs, under the wicker chairs and finally, in her last days, in the nest box! After Ethel died, Gladys took on the role of head chicken. Every night she would march up to the kitchen door and demand dinner for the girls - Henrietta, Melly and Big Bird waiting anxiously on the deck. She was always the last to bed, making sure that everyone was in. RIP Gladys. You were a great chicken.

I know you are dying for news of the babies, but that will have to wait for tomorrow. This is too long and it's getting late.

Stay Healthy, Stay Sane, xoxoox Sarah

ps, you can read old Egg Counts (like the exciting story of bringing Gladys and the Peeps home) on this blog. We got Gladys and the Peeps in 2017, so scroll down some!

Here is a nice picture of Henrietta's egg. Henrietta has eschewed the nest box and prefers to lay on the floor of the coop in the corner by the front door. She's been laying here for quite some time now (when she lays, which is hardly ever) - I don't know why. But then again, I really know very little about where hens like to lay. I hope the new chicks will just lay in the nest box like they are supposed to.

And here are final pictures of Gladys. Abby took these a few days before she passed. She was stuck by the beauty of Gladys sleeping in the sun, at least until Noodles showed up.

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