In CA? Vote Yes on Prop 2

Are you in California? This election day Vote Yes on Prop 2 and help control animal cruelty.

Not convinced by the website... or me? How about this cutie -




The 25th - 31st also happen to be World Go Vegan Days. What better time to really make an impact than now.

Remember...

You don't have to do everything. Just do something.

Keep up with the Coop

If you just love all these chicken stories...

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Hope we see you there!

A-dor-a-ble!

Okay, I know everyone on the planet has probably seen this already, but I just love the sweetness and compassionate and playful interaction of this pup, kitty and baby chicks.

Thanks to CuteOverload for posting these. I'll do my part to pass this along without cluttering up a million Inboxes!

Enjoy!

Against the odds

I'm a very lucky person. I have had the opportunity to have animals in my life for my entire life. I think the only time I have not had an animal friend around me was during my first three years of college. And only then because I felt it would not be fair to them, given my crazy school schedule.

But growing up, my parents had a dog before I was born. A Benji-looking dog that went from being a skittish pound-pup who would cringe and hide from strangers to my fierce protector who guarded me from everyone but my parents. I've had dogs, cats, hamsters, mice and gerbils. I've worked at stables, vet's offices and the Miami MetroZoo.

And now, moving to North Carolina, I've been able to meet some new friends... our three chickens.

I've been around all types of animals. Parrots, snakes, deer, possums, ferrets, snakes, elephants, pot belly pigs, hedgehogs, horses, lizards, etc. You name it. And I have to tell you, our chickens have one of the best personalities of any of them. They're social. They're inquisitive. They're caring. They're funny as all hell.

That is why it pains me so greatly to think of what we do do them just to eat their flesh and eggs. They can't move, they can't extend their wings (think of living your life with your arms bound to your sides), they cut off their beaks without anesthesia, they grind the male chicks up alive right after birth. They have no "use" for them... why keep them?

Colleen from CompassionateCooks.com does a great podcast (found on iTunes too) and she did this episode with a short story reading about a rescued hen. It was sad but sweet and worth listening too. Click here to hear it - it will take a minute or two to load. And if you like it, check it out on iTunes or on her site here. I'm still working my way through them all.

This is my Meg -



She's not a factory farm rescue but she is a rescued chicken. When we first got her and Gertie and Napoleon we thought it would be fun. We do eat their eggs. But we don't keep them for their eggs. And when they stop laying we will not kill them or eat them. We would have done that even before we became vegetarian/vegan. I would no more kill and eat our pups and kitties.

I just don't eat my friends.

And they are my friends. We do have a symbiotic relationship. They are fun to be around. They've educated us. They eat our veggie scraps like melon rinds and extra rice and bread (although they do get veggies and fruit just for them every day) and take care of a lot of bugs.

That's the kind of partnership I feel comfortable with. Not I use you then kill and eat you.

Ick!

Horrific!

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/p2_rabbit_fur_investigation

Not only do have we stopped eating meat but we've always actively boycotted fur and fur products.

If you can watch this video and still think it's okay to wear fur, a product that is not commonly worn and is based on mere spoiled vanity, then I don't want to know you.

You can't just bury your head in the sand when it comes to issues like this. You can't NOT watch. If your going to wear fur, you should be OBLIGATED to watch and know the suffering that you cause.

And by buying fur, you DO cause it.

They Way It Should Be

Today is absolutely gorgeous out, here in North Carolina. My favorite weather of all - cool, clear and sunny. It was so nice that I couldn't resist staying out with the chickens this morning and letting them run around the yard a bit before I went in to make breakfast.

This is the life that chickens deserve. Being able to spread their wings, scratch on the ground, interact with one another, eat some fresh greens and hunt for bugs and worms.



I have extremely crappy video capabilities on my little digital camera. This was low-res on the original video and even worse now that it is uploaded to YouTube. So, I know, you can't really get a good view of them.

What you can hear (and sort of make out) is Napoleon and the girls walking around and Napoleon finding stuff then making his little coo-ing sound to call the girls over, letting them know he found something good for them to eat.

It also shows him running over to me as soon as I got closer to the ground because he wants to jump up on my lap. He loves me.





I haven't really discussed this much on any of the blogs but we have changed to being vegetarians. I have actually wanted this for a very long time but it can be hard when you live with someone who is not totally ready for the change, especially if they do most of the cooking.

But Napoleon's attack really brought the issue and the disconnect home and we were both ready for this. And I have to say, no diet change has ever been easier. Or made more sense.

We are not completely vegan. We still each cheeses and butter and, rarely, milk, as well as the eggs we get from our girls. The hubby still eats fish. I'm a bit of a seafood snob in general so I didn't eat much in the past unless I was within an hour of the ocean. In terms of the cheeses, most of what we get comes from a local goat dairy, so we are very familiar with how the animals are treated.

With all of the great produce out there as well as the huge surge in recipes, menu choices and prepared foods, eating vegetarian is amazingly easy. And once you get past the mindset that a meal needs to include meat it's been simple.

One of my biggest hurdles was the milk issue. I love cereal and eat it a lot, generally. I always have - ask my parents. If I wanted a simple dinner, that was what I ate. So I was I bit leery of the Soy/Rice milk products. But when we decided to make the change we thought we would give them a try. How bad could they be, right? And if we hated them, we'd just dump them down the drain.

Well, we tried the Silk Soy Milk and LOVED IT. Seriously, I couldn't get enough. We have now tried the chai and chocolate flavors too. I like to have a glass of the chocolate when I get home from work for a quick "snack". The hubby uses it in his hot tea in the morning and to make scrambled eggs. If you haven't tried it, you really should. It's a little sweet but yummy.

The two of us have slightly different reasons for doing this but, hey, as long as we're together on the end choices, I'm fine with that. We're just at the beginning (just 3 months or so in) but I've never felt better physically or emotionally. It's kind of exciting.

I'm trying to convince the hubby to do his own blog talking about the recipes he's making and the products we find and try. I hope I can get him to do it because I think it would help to have someone share this change from a very early step. A lot of the vegetarian blogs and writers and podcasters have been on this for a long time, which can be intimidating. We're still learning ourselves but we're enthusiastic. What do you think?

We've been talking it up and, of course there are always questions. Our culture is so ingrained with how meals "should be" but once you get past that, you'd be surprised to realize that it's so easy.

And as I'm saying to everyone who is considering it or who we talk about it to:

You don't have to do everything; just do something.

That means, you don't have to make a 100% vegan lifestyle switch overnight. Ease into it. Give up chicken. Have 3 nights a week be vegetarian meals. Anything is better than nothing. I think you'd be surprised how much you already do and how much you like it.

Plus, if you want to chat or ask question (or follow my daily yummy meals on Twitter) I welcome it!

Hope to hear from you soon with your thoughts!

Respect the Rooster

I'm not one to buy a bunch of Rooster/Chicken themed items for my house just because we have them. I don't like to have a lot of collectibles or kitchy things around. I have enough dust catchers already.

But I am seriously in love with these bowls and plates from Sur La Table.



I don't need any more cute dessert sized plates but I saw the expressions of the Roosters and nearly broke down and bought them.



I had to leave the story immediately because I was too tempted! As it is, the fact that these are available online is making it difficult to keep away.

How cute are they??? Seriously, I love them!

Sweet Dreams

If you're visiting from Shoe Daydreams, you may be wondering why we're talking chickens here?

Well, my chickens are quite fashionable, especially my Napoleon. I mean, designers have to be using his colors as inspiration!

Just like many a fashion show, there is a pecking order here and craziness often ensues. This blog doesn't quite live up to it's "daily" designation but we try to keep up. If you want some more frequent hilarity, check out Savage Chickens over there to the left! Or keep up with the photostream on Flickr.

Welcome.

Luv
Poochie

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

As a part of having the chickens and having their food and the compost pile all be out in the yard, we get a variety of "visitors" who like to come out and snack on some of the bounty that is laid out each day.

We get tons of songbirds for starters, but we also get squirrels, deer, geese and bunnies

And groundhogs.

Yes, these two little stinkers live in our backyard. I think, under our garage. I'm sure one day the garage is going to sink into the earth becasue of them. And no, we haven't tried catching them yet. I don't mind them that much.

They do have a tendency to sneak under the chicken wire which makes up the coop yard fence. Their fat butts have previously pushed up the wire to the point that Napoleon was able to slip out. We put wood posts all along the bottom of the fence but we still need to do this in the new coop yard annex.

This morning I heard Napoleon squawking up a storm and thought something like a hawk or something was in there trying to get him. When we ran down the stairs and out the door we found that it was one of the groundhogs trapped in the coop and trying to get out!

Usually the chickens don't mind them when they get in the coop. Maybe today he was eating too much and they weren't happy about it.

We scared him so he ran into the brush and, I'm assuming, found his way out.

I'm sure he'll be back though!

You Oughta Be In Pictures

For my B-day my friend, Miss C, painted this amazing portrait of my Napoleon!

Isn't he handsome?

She did a great job and it now has a place of honor in my office.

If you are interested in commissioning a pet portrait, she works from a photo and is amazing!

Drop me an email at princesspoochie@shoedaydreams.com and I'll hook ya up!

Napoleon Recovery - Clean Bill

Just a quick note. I'll update more tonight or tomorrow.

We're taking Napoleon for a final visit with an avian specialis tonight. His feathers are really sprouting now and we hope she gives him a clean bill of health. Our goal is to have him back in the coop in the next day or so. I know he is eager to be out and we hope the girls will not have a problem with him (or should I say them not give him any problems).

If all goes well he'll be out scratching around by the weekend!

Hedgehog Butt!

As I mentioned - Mr. Napoleon is on the mend. He's even regrowing most of the feathers on his back! We're going to keep him on the porch until they fully "sprout" but he's looking like he will get most of them back.

As he is right now, he looks like a hedgehog!

He's been very good about being on the porch and in his crate. I know he's bored but he's been wonderful. And I think he and our kitten have a new bond. They love to stare at each other through the windows.

But I'm sure he can't wait to get back out in the coop to see his girls and scratch around.

Free Range Strauss

I'm in a chipper mood so here's a little something to make you smile too... I hope!

Napoleon Recovery - Day 14

It's been a while since we did an update on Napoleon. He is doing amazingly well. The biggest news is that he's started to grow feathers again. His back looks like a hedgehog! I think by next week he'll be ready to go back into the coop. He should be done with the antibiotics today but we'll keep him on the porch until his feathers really sprout and cover his back.

Then we'll have to see how he and the girls get on at their re-introduction.

Napoleon Recovery - Day 7

On Friday night we took Napoleon for a follow-up visit to the After Hours Vet. The good thing is that they are only open evenings and weekends, so we took Napoleon Friday night around 10pm, which worked out perfectly since he would be sleepy and easy to transport in the crate.

Let me just say the emergency vet late on a Friday night is a very depressing place to be.

All in all they said he was doing well, but the vet said that the green spots might be a bacterial infection. She wasn't sure so we decided to continue giving him the antibiotics. Since the vet admitted she is not an avian expert, she referred us to another vet in the town over. However, that vet is out until Wednesday. So that's where we will be taking him Wednesday night.

There was one big development yesterday. I walked out my door to do some errands. I was wearing a jeans skirt and some sandals and a black top. I looked out into my yard which goes pretty far back. About 50 yards or less out we have a pile of brush for a burn pile. Yeah, well, who was messing around in the brush probably chasing a rabbit or something???

IT WAS THE DAMN DOG! The same dog that hurt Napoleon.

I called out softly, "Hey Puppy." The dog looked up and took off at top speed back behind our property towards the woods which back up to our area. I dropped my bags and took off running down the gravel road which leads back to our neighbor's house which is up there.

Now, after I had come back from the taking Napoleon to the vet last week we had gone back to our neighbor's as he raises hunting dogs. And sometimes these dogs happen to get out. So, suffice it to say, these dogs were prime suspects to me from the start. But I couldn't prove anything and they had said the dogs had not gotten out.

Well, it just so happens they let the dogs out to run around and get exercise in their woods. But this dog happened to be going up onto our property since neither of us have any fences. When I got up to their house I had a little chat with the dog's owner about the whole situation.

Net result, we made it clear that not only do we not want their dogs on our property again, they would be paying for all the vet bill...which will probably end up being in the $700+ range.

It would be an understatement to say that I'm very happy we found and were able to prove whose dog it was.

Napoleon Recovery - Day 5

Hi there!

Napoleon continues to amaze us with his recovery. He's even tried to flap up over his barrier on the porch. He's getting restless and probably bored with being on the porch, away from his girls with nothing to scratch up or play with.

His back seems to be healing and he is walking better. He is getting an odd discoloration on the skin on this back, though. We are going to take him in for a follow-up vet visit tonight. We want them to look at his back and make sure he doesn't need more antibiotics.

We plan on taking him at night, since the vet is an after-hours vet anyways. This way, he'll be in his crate and sleepy. We hope!

More of the saga to follow.

Gruesome

So the pics are a bit graphic but you can see the level of injury Napoleon sustained. It's a bit hard to tell from this angle but his back is scraped raw and the puncture wounds are there. He's lost some of his balance too. Some of that is due to soreness probably but also because his tail feathers are missing.



The less severe puncture wound is the one you see here towards the back. The worse one is just at the edge of the feathers.



Given that he was in the dog's mouth when we saw this happening and that he was completely in shock and limp when we rushed him to the vet, it is amazing that he avoided broken bones or worse. That he is now standing, eating, drinking and crowing is even more of a miracle.

Let's hope he keeps on improving and that the antibiotics do their work!

Napoleon Recovery - Day 2

Just a brief update.

Napoleon is hanging in there. He's being very good on the porch and seems to like sleeping in the cat crate in the dog carrier.

He's even eaten some of his feed and been drinking water. We've been cutting down on the pain shots just to try and help space them out a bit but he's been getting his antibiotics regularly.

He's walking around and crowing although we are keeping an eye on his left leg because it seems a bit wonky. We're not really sure what's up - if it's just sore or if it is hurt more than we can tell.

Last night we zipped him into his crate when he had gone to sleep and left him on the porch. We probably won't do that again because the light wakes him up far too early.

His back is scabbed over, which I think is good. It helps to heel and keeps out any dirt, dust or buggies. Not that we are really getting many since the porch is screened in.

Napoleon is outside my window crowing right now. We did not give him pain meds this morning so we'll see how he does today. I'm going to go into work but may have to come home early if he starts having trouble.

Thank you for all your kind words and thoughts.

- Poochie

Please Send Good Thoughts

I can't write this all out again. Please read it at Shoe Daydreams.



Please send your good thoughts to Napoleon. He needs them right now. We all do.

Eggbound

Eggs courtesy of Gertie and Meg

A few weeks ago we noticed that the girls laying schedule had significantly reduced. It was especially noticeable in Meg who has, so far, been a very consistent layer. Nothing was happening.

The season was changing and getting warmer but we didn't think that was likely to make her slow down so much. If anything we thought she would be laying regularly every day. She also didn't seem to be getting ready for a moult, but hey, what do we know.

I tend to worry when things happen with the pets and I'm not sure why. So of course, my mind thinks that maybe Meg is egg bound. This is when, essentially, the egg gets stuck inside the hen and can be very serious, even fatal.

I tried to get to pick Meg up so I could examine her and see if I could feel anything but she was not having anything to do with that. I was going to take her to the vet (more chicken vet visits!) but ended up asking our friends who have lots of chickens and have had them for a while.

Their response was that if she was egg bound, she'd be dead by now. Alrighty then.

This has gone on for a few weeks now and she's still out there. She's been eating well and moves around fine, especially when she gets to free range. She hasn't gone back to laying but she has gone through a bit of a moult. It's not as extensive as the Fall moult but I'm assuming that is the cause of the interruption.

We're keeping a close eye on her just in case.