Henny Penny in Chicken Heaven

We lost one of our little ladies, and not to a coyote, fox, or hawk.  Henny Penny had an impacted crop, and eventually suffocated. It started weeks before she actually passed, but being this is my first time keeping chickens I was pretty ignorant. I noticed when she would come out of the coop in the morning that her chest, that I now know is called her crop, was kind of pendulous. She seemed fine though, eating, drinking and clucking around, so I just thought she had more fat than the other hens.  One day I noticed that she was sitting under the water, and not coming to greet me like they all usually do, hoping for treats.  I immediately went online and learned a lot. First I separated her from the others so that they wouldn't pick on her, and in case she was contagious. I put her in the rabbit hutch that we use for storage while I tried to figure out what was wrong.  I googled until I found forums with folks talking about what I had observed in Henny Penny, and did what they recommended and in the process learned about the digestive system of a chicken all the while wishing that I had educated myself before hand.  So Henny Penny had one of two things: an impacted crop or a sour crop. But first learn about the digestive system of a chicken on this site: http://poultrykeeper.com/chickens/health/digestive-system-chicken.html
I told my husband about what I had learned and got the remedy ready. He held her while I gave her some olive oil, then we massaged her crop, and tipped her upside down for no longer than 20 seconds so that she could breath. She did vomit, but only what she ate that day, and nothing that could have caused blockage. We did it once more, and then we let her rest. The next day I gave her some yogurt and put vitamins in her water, and she did seem somewhat better. She couldn't really walk though and standing seemed to take so much energy, and her crop still seemed full. It was another two days before my husband tried the remedy again because she did not look good. I wasn't home, but he called me minutes later to ask me where I wanted her buried....Henny Penny didn't make it. Apparently, she started to vomit as soon as he gave her the oil, but it was too much that needed to come out, and no time for her to breathe. She died in my husband's arms. The culprit did finally show itself- a piece of deer netting. Yes, I cried. I am aware of how absurd that sounds. People chop the heads off chickens so they can eat them for dinner everyday. Not my Henny Penny though, she was a pet, and she was loved just as her four remaining sisters are loved. We showed our daughters before we buried her and all my oldest had to say was, "So that's what a dead chicken looks like." Don't you love how kids tell it like it is? Yes, it is a dead chicken that was buried on the side of my dog Samantha.....and she taught me a lot. Things you can learn from a chicken: It's okay to strut your stuff, the grass is green enough on this side of the fence, wake with the sun, and get a good nights rest, and don't eat plastic.  If you are going to have backyard chickens learn about the digestive system, the reproductive system, and the possible issues that could occur ie impacted crop, so that you can remedy it quickly. R.I.P. Henny Penny.

On a more positive note, our remaining hens are getting to free range part of the day. We decided to let them out a couple of hours before sunset (their bedtime). They love it, and I love watching them! I like to sit outside on the swing with a glass of wine while they cluck, peck, strut, run, scratch, and eat whatever they find. So entertaining! We only do this while we are home, and make sure that they don't go to my neighbor's yard. So far so good. And with three dogs and three cats I appreciate my little tick eaters, and the four eggs a day that they leave for me. <3 

Lifestyle change without excuses!

I swore to myself that I would never do this, but here I am about to blog about an issue I am having.....getting healthier.  I don't want to use the words "losing weight" because we all know how that goes.  Although I do want to lose weight, I also want to keep it off, and be content with my natural body whatever that may be.  I am a medium-boned girl, with broad shoudlers and long legs. I am 5'8" and weigh 194 lbs, after losing 11 lbs. I was 205 after the holidays, and when I began my routine on January 3rd.  I have been exercising 6 days / week, doing 30-40 minutes of cardio, and have added weights to my workouts at least 3 of those days.  But what I think happens, like right now when I hit a wall, my body adjusts to my routine so I stop losing weight. Or I skip a day or maybe two, and my poor habits creep back into my life.  Habits like potato chips, and tv.... a literal couch potato!  I allow myself too many splurges because "I've been so good".  The fact is, I feel good after I workout and there really should be no excuse for treating my body poorly.  Normally, I would start to analyze myself, and ask - why don't I feel like I deserve to feel good?, why do I sabotage myself? why do I continiue to purchase potato chips, when I know I can't leave them be?  why do I eat even if I am not hungry?  Who knows, and really who cares! The fact is that this is not a quick fix, and maybe I will never weigh again what I did in high school (and I thought I was big then!), but I simply need to change my bad habits into healthy habits.  Maybe I should celebrate the fact that I have taken a big step with having (some kind of) accountability, by writing this for my few friends.  I am also in a facebook group with 3 others for accountability purposes and support, but I'm taking it to the next level with this blog.

So I am vowing to continue what I started. Cardio 6 days a week, and not just going through the motions, but really pushing myself. Strength training because I know it is good for my medium-sized bones, increases my metabolism, and will ultimately help with weight loss.  I vow to avoid the chip aisle all together! Eating a healthy, and balanced diet.  Speaking of which, I am no longer a "vegetarian" because I now eat fish, not that I am into labels.  But I will only eat wild caught Alaskan cod and only occasionally because although I "think" the fish is healthy by it's package.  I still feel bad for the fish and don't think eating animals is sustainable unless I am catching it myself in clean waters etc. but that's another blog for another day. To put it simply I like my baked cod, so I am not going to deprive myself anymore.  I will eat it with gusto all the while thanking it for it's sacrifice, so that I may have the flaky protein that I have missed for so many years.....

For my own purposes I will write what I am doing well, and things that I still need to work on to make my lifestyle healthier.

The Good:
Smoothies (thank you Vitamix!!!!)
Regular exercise with:
Elliptical (her name is Elvira) and
Kettlebell (20lbs for my birthday- thanks Mom!)
Fresh healthy fruits and vegetables- as local and organic as I can
Passion for my work, and my family

The Bad:
Eating when I am no longer hungry because it tastes too good
Eating mindlessly, while on the computer, watching tv, standing up, or in the car
Snacking from the bag or container without regard to the portion
Going to bed too late
Craving salt and grease
Drinking too much wine....like chips I can't have just one.

The Ugly:
Not loving myself for who I am, or that I will become.....having a bad attitude and negative self image.

Looking forward to Spring, and my favorite exercise- hiking with the dogs!

Peace, Love & A Healthy Lifestyle. :)

Happy Hens

Our beautiful ladies have been rewarding us with eggs finally. Last month (9/23 to be exact) we found our first egg.  It was small, but oh so cute!  We think it was Henny Penny, but it could be Chicken Nugget.  One day last week, I found 4 eggs, yesterday we got 3, and today the girls found 2.  Not sure if it's normal to not have a regular pattern, but whatever.  The eggs are so strong, and hard to crack, but very yummy.  My lovely ladies, which I call them, get very excited when they see me because I give them the goodies that they love.  Twice a day I bring them food scraps, along with some grass and flowers that I pick from our garden.  They are not free range, but have a nice sized pen, so I like to bring them stuff they'd find in our yard if they were free range.  They seem to eat anything with seeds, and they love marigold and carrot greens. Show up with some bread though, and they go beserk!  I love hearing them talk to me when I visit.  They cackle as if to say, "What do you have for us today, is it yummy? Is it BREAD?!".  My girls love finding eggs, you should hear the excitement. I was telling my neighbor that we are finally getting eggs, and she was confused because I don't have a rooster.  She was under the impression that they didn't lay unless there was a rooster around.  I guess she thought we got the hens for the fun of it? We get eggs, but they are not fertilized eggs. So no potential chicks, just eggs.  I heard that hens are happier with a rooster, and so would lay more eggs.  I've also heard that fertilized are healthier.  I don't know, but my hens seem happy to me, and I like the idea of eating an egg that is just an egg...not a pre-chick embryo. 

Oh, and something weird is happening.  I'm starting to like the rooster decor for my kitchen!  I am not a "country type" decorator.

Cluck, cluck- I'll add pics later, as they are on my other computer not my laptop.
Stacie

Every 70 seconds...

Someone gets Alzheimer's Disease.  That's what I read today on billboard on 95 in CT.  I also noted that there will be a "Memory Walk" to help raise money for research which is good to know.  I feel that I do have a vested interest in learning all I can about the disease.  It's hard to focus on so many causes...it's depressing.  I like to focus on what I think I can help change in the world: maternity care, families, children, and the environment. But I digress .:)  My point is that Alzheimer's is the fastest growing disease with the least amount of exposure, or research dollars behind it. And so I ask myself why aren't we talking about this problem? (The fact that there IS a billboard, and now a Memory walk to raise funds is not lost on me).  The baby boomers are fast approaching "old" age, so this problem will probably touch everyone of us in some way or another. So let's just face it and be real, we will be the care takers.  Let's learn more, do more, and know more. 

The statistics are staggering for Alzheimer's!  First off let me say that they don't know how or why one gets it, they don't know how to prevent it, there is no current treatment, and of course- no cure.  It's rare that one is diagnosed before the age 40, but the youngest to be diagnosed was 27!  Here are some facts and figures, taken from http://www.alz.org/ :

• It currently impacts 5.3 million Americans and this figure will double by 2050
• It costs $172 BILLION annually
• From 2000-2006 alzheimer's disease deaths increased 46%- it's now the 7th leading cause of death
• It affects more women than men
• It is estimated that between 2000 and 2025 the growth of Alzheimer's will exceed 80% in some states

According to the Mayo Clinic, Alzheimer's is the leading cause of dementia which is a loss of both social and intellectual abilities that interfere with daily functioning.  The brain tissue simply degenerates and one losses the mental abilities over time.  It usually starts with memory loss, and inability for abstract thinking, and articulating.  Routine tasks become more difficult to complete, judgement and decision making becomes impaired.  They may start exhibiting personality changes, marked by mood swings, withdrawal, distrust in others, depression, anxiety, aggression, and increased stubborness.

So why this post? Well, it's kind of threefold.
We have a loved one in our family afflicted with this disease, and I have since discovered the troubling statistics.  I saw the billboard today, which put it in the forefront of my mind, and someone asked in the blogger/facebook world "In your opinion, what are some very wide-spread problems that people don't ever talk about or don't know how to talk about?"  Alzheimer's was the first thing to pop into my head.  So, instead of hoping that this great blogger chooses my topic, I decided to write about it myself.

Resources:
http://www.agingcarefl.org/caregiver/alzheimers/whatis
http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/adfact.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers-disease/DS00161
http://www.ahaf.org/alzheimers/

Peace,
Stacie

Mama's Day!

I've got to say today was a good day.  I love the hand made gifts that my daughters gave me. My eight year-old wrote an essay that I would like to share.

My Mom is special. She helps other moms. Do you want me to tell you about her?  I love how helpful she is because she relaxes other moms so they can have children like me.  I like how thoughtful she is because she thinks about what is healthy for us.  I am lucky how hard working she is because she takes care of six pets every day and takes care of us. I am grateful I have my Mom to drive me to school because my Dad has to work.  Our family is lucky to have her to make healthy food for us to eat even though I don't like some of them.  I think my Mom is proud of me for my good grades. I hope she lives forever.

Awwwwwww, how sweet is that? I love it! The gifts get better and better every year.