Well, it had to happen at some point. Our poor house sitter went outside to find Jessica prone, headless, and mangled in the coop. Interesting that predators are so consistent – they always eat the chicken head first. They also generally eat the nether regions but I didn’t want to subject the house sitter to that type of cadaver inspection.

The other ladies are a bit rattled, but otherwise OK. Egg production is down, but picking up again. We found a small breach at the base of the coop, a place where a single strand of wire had rusted out. We can’t tell what happened for sure, but Jessica may have had her head stuck outside, or something small and agile may have come in. It’s tough to be a chicken.

For any of you who don’t know me, I am not heartless. I am sad she died, but if you keep chickens you have to put up a barrier, a clinical approach to death. They are my pets, but they die frequently and in unpleasant, messy ways. I’ve had exactly one chicken die of old age, poor old Larry, who was actually senile.

Silver linings: I only lost one. The others will benefit from more run space. She lived a relatively long chicken life. I found the hole and patched it.

This is our second year with the Delvin Farms CSA. CSA is an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, we “buy in” to the Delvin’s farm in exchange for an incredible box of veggies each week. This week’s farm newsletter featured their chicken tractor. You see 110 chicks inside, fertilizing the orchard. If you’re considering a using a tractor with chicks, be sure it is very warm outside, consistently. Chicks cannot keep themselves warm until their feathers grow in. If they get chilled, especially in conjunction with a cold rain or dew, they will die. Chicks need a mom chicken to sit under, or a heat lamp that gives them access to a 95 degree spot plus an area to cool down. It’s warm enough now that the Delvin birds should be just fine outside in their tractor.

Davis, California just became one of my favorite US cities. Thanks to Reed, one of my former students, I learned about the upcoming Tour de Cluck Bicycle Chicken Coop Crawl on May 22, 2010!

“The Tour de Cluck: A Bicycle Chicken Coop Crawl!”, presented by the Davis Farm to School Connection, offers the chicken lovers and chicken curious among us the opportunity to visit a variety of our Davis, CA community’s chicken coops. Your participation will benefit the Davis Farm to School Connection’s work to support local food in a healthy school environment.

How amazingly cool is that?

My friend Rob is turning into an amazing source for chicken coop design ideas. Check out this beautiful design. From a practical standpoint, it would be a nightmare to clean but it could certainly be used for inspiration.

Stroll into Tractor Supply and you’ll see tubs of chicks. So cute, aren’t they?

Please do not buy chicks for your kids’ Easter baskets, unless you plan to keep them, or you’ve lined up a good home in advance. Chicks are adorable for about one week (or less) and then they turn into teenage birds that only a chicken mother could love. At this point, they are messy, a little loud, and you may not know what they need for heat, light, bedding, vitamins, feed, etc.

The dyed chicks are the worst, in my opinion. Imagine taking a human baby, dunking it in purple dye, and sticking it in a basket as a decoration. No one would think of doing that to a human, so why a chicken? These are living, breathing animals that deserve our respect and care. Even if (or, especially if) you plan to eat your chickens, they should be treated with respect while they live.