Chickens are fun! Nothing quite a comical as a laying hen, appearing for all the world like a 19th century matron gathering her petticoats about her and racing across the yard.

They soon develop a murderous intent with regards to bugs. With adequate veggies, freely given in their yard, free time is usually spent scratching around for insects and worms. They also always enjoyed having a little lawn grass. Where one can get in trouble, I'm sure, is allowing them too many hours to entertain themselves.

In our yard here in town, they tended to prowl the perimeter and take dust baths. The gardens are elsewhere and the little patch on the other side of the greenhouses was a little too isolated from safety (there were dogs beyond the fence, oh no!). Sometimes they'd work their way (under heavy cover) along the far side of the house and might even make it all the way to the front yard but then it was only to gather their petticoats around them and race back towards their "bird house."

Now, this experience was with 3 or 4 laying hens and no roosters. A rooster would have entirely changed the equation. We never let them out when they were real young nor did we allow large groups of fryers out at once. Just about the easiest critters to keep, thrived on left-overs, anything from the garden especially if it was cooked, and a little laying mash. One hen for each family member provides more eggs than can be easily eaten.

digitS'

We have 12 older hens and 12 young pullets about 3 months. Pretty rooster and 2 of the older hens were taken by fox. DH saw the fox take off with the rooster and it was less than 10 feet from the coop in the middle of the afternoon. We didn't expect him to be so bold.

When I was out in country, Margaret, a coyote that picked off a few of the chickens - starting with a rooster. The 1st attack was very early in the morning in the chicken yard.

The roosters aren't really "chicken" altho' they will carry-on about every darn little thing. This must primarily be to impress the hens. But, when it comes to defending the flock the low ranking rooster goes first or, at least, that's how it turned out. I got it stopped but not before losing a couple of the hens and the other rooster, as well. Darn near put me out of the chicken business and hurt my feelings enormously.

digitS'

Have you ever thought about raising those grasshoppers for chicken feed, Margaret?

They'd be a little difficult to keep corralled but, seriously, I've been thinking about what I could raise in the garden that could be used outside the growing season as chicken feed. And, I may have come across a rather bold notion. It hinges on my willingness to "feed" the compost pile.

This year I'm growing a ton of cukes and Summer squash. My planting schedule for the cukes seems to have been thrown off and those planted early, late, and transplanted from the greenhouse all are starting to produce at the same time. Further, I'm growing more Summer squash than ever before. If the late plantings kick in while the plants producing now are still going strong - I'm going to be harvesting truckloads of zucchini and crooknecks.

Well, if necessary, I'm willing to feed the compost and always feel good in seeing the results. One thing that will happen in my lazy man's compost is that by Spring it will be almost frightening to look under the material capping the pile. There will be red worms as thick and tangled as a plate of spaghetti! There's the bold notion.

I've just been doing a little reading on vermiculture. One study found that the feed conversion ratio for some worms in some situations is better than 2 lbs of feed to every 1 lb of weight gain. And, the worms amount to between 70% and 90% complete protein - in many cases, better than fish!

With those kinds of numbers, one could afford to feed them something a step up from garbage . . . after all, one project had them living in sand and "eating" sawdust!! Some outfits are dehydrating these worms and turning them into livestock feed. And, their use as a fish food isn't just at the end of a angler's line. Now, here's a resource we just aren't fully harnessing!

I'm not sure if I'm quite ready for worm harvesting and processing but I've become an accidental vermiculturalist. And, the hens themselves could handle the harvesting and would rejoice at the prospect.

digitS'