Shelly Jobgen of Illinois made this 4' x 5' lighted "Christmas Chicken" with some wire and 350 lights.
Pat Foreman, co-host with Andy Schneider on The Chicken Whisperer radio program, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/backyardpoultry, recounted her chickens reaction to the lunar eclipse of the night before, http://www.mreclipse.com/LEdata/TLE2010Dec21/TLE2010Dec21.html, in the December 21 broadcast. Although they weren't able to see it, they seemed to react to it.
These Ocellated Turkeys are the wild breed I wrote about in last month's issue of Backyard Poultry. 
I attended the Southern California American Society of Journalists and Authors, http://www.asja.org/, holiday lunch last week. It was delightful, held at a Victorian tea room, the Vintage Tea Leaf, http://www.vintagetealeaf.com/, in Long Beach, California. Long Beach is better known for the port of Los Angeles, so a tea room is unexpected there, but sure enough, it's the real thing.
"Live with Regis & Kelly" is having a contest to look for "Men of Radio Co-Hosts." The winner will get to co-host an episode of the television show in January. Andy Schneider aspires to sit on that set and tell the viewing audience about chickens!
For the past two years, I've posted historical information as to the items listed in the traditional carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas. Check the December postings from 2008 and 2009. PNC Wealth Management compiles costs for what it would actually cost to purchase everything, from the Partridge in a Pear Tree through the Twelve Drummers Drumming, http://pnc.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=756.
Sounds like a good deal.
Historically, Colley Birds could refer to black fowl, which would also be much less expensive.
Probably Mute Swans, those are the iconic breed, but controversial. Some states require that they be pinioned, the distal end of the wing surgically removed so that they can't fly. If they escape, they easily become feral and have become an invasive species in some states.
A BETTER world Lecture Series presents Shannon Hayes speaking on Radical Homemaking: Reclaiming Domesticity From A Consumer Culture, November 5, 7:00pm, Saint Mary's, Hudson, NY. She wrote the book of the same name, http://radicalhomemakers.com/.
converted into broilers, perhaps someone would like to take them and start an Icelandic flock. They are both lovely birds in excellent health and the prime of life. See more pictures on the Starting from Hatch page on this blog.
Reliable Poultry Journal, recounts the history of the importation of various fowls from China, including those given to Queen Victoria in 1843. He refers to Wright’s “New Book of Poultry,” in which Wright refutes the idea that those birds are the antecedents of modern Cochins, although they were from the Cochin area of China. Those birds, as shown in the 1843 illustration, are tall and rangy, showing a Malay influence, he felt.
that was standing on end.” Birds descended from those are reported to have reached 17 or 18 pounds in weight. They no longer reach that size, but Asiatic breeds are all meat breeds. Langshans, at 9 ½ lbs smaller than the 12-lb. Brahma roosters and 11-lb. Cochins, are considered a dual purpose breed with good egg production. The American Poultry Association recognizes Buff, Partridge, White, Black, Silver-laced, Golden-laced, Blue, Brown and Barred varieties of the Cochin. Many unrecognized colors are also raised, including Red, Silver Laced, Mottled and Splash. Seventeen color varieties of bantam Cochins are recognized by the American Bantam Association, including Black Tailed Red, Birchen, Golden Laced, Columbian and Lemon Blue. Their popularity is second only to the English Game bantam.
influenced development of birds with very short legs, the ideal is “one that will preserve all the vitality of the ancient Asiatic and prove, as they have with some fanciers who study their proper management, to be productive and profitable as well as exceedingly showy.
APA leader Dave Anderson told me he judged a large class of Dorkings at the Edmonton show. Lots of Chanteclers there, too. These breeds are finding their champions!
I'll look forward to seeing him again at the Bash at the Beach show in Ventura.
The sale area had some very interesting birds. A pair of Gray Junglefowl, two Marans roosters and a hen. The two roosters joined forces to guard that sweet hen! If you are looking for birds, find a poultry show and see what you can find. It's a great way to connect with other breeders.
Blue Slate Turkeys, such as this one of Mike Walters', and a pair of Dewlap Toulouse Geese, a trio of Barred Plymouth Rocks and a trio of Aylesbury Ducks. The 10 birds were sold as a group, bidding up to $4,300.
Sara R. Wyant, Editor of Agri-Pulse, writes:
If you are interested in poultry shows, or have chickens you would like to show, or are an experienced exhibitor, David Scrivener's book, Exhibition Poultry Keeping, is an excellent book to have in your library.
Elaine Belanger of Backyard Poultry magazine suggested this book to me. It's a Young Adult book, which I always enjoy. It's a lot of fun. Written for students in grades 3-6, there's also a Literature Unit for teachers, http://edhelper.com/books/The_Great_Turkey_Walk.htm.
Craig Russell, president of the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities, has been invited to speak at the upcoming Mother Earth News Fair, http://www.motherearthnews.com/Nature-Community/Mothers-Having-A-Party-And-Youre-Invited.aspx, September 25-26, and the 7th Annual Green Fesitival in Washington, DC, October 23-24, http://www.greenfestivals.org/wdc/updates/ .
In Cambria, where I live, Pinedorado Days are the major festival of the year. The parade on Saturday morning kicks off the events. Local groups of all kinds, some assembled entirely for the parade, march down the street. I marched with the Friends of the Elephant Seals, http://www.elephantseal.org/. That's me on the left, holding the 'Shark' sign
We walked among the parade visitors, and what should I see but a man with a chicken setting calmly on his arm! It was a Showgirl, an unusual Silkie-Naked Neck cross. They aren't yet recognized by the APA or ABA, but fanciers enjoy their flashy appearance, as shown in this photo from backyardchickens forum. 
I approached him with a compliment on his lovely chicken. He was surprised that I knew what he, the rooster was, and I explained about writing about chickens and gave him my card. He was delighted.
When we marched past later, he waved to us and I pointed him and his chicken out to my fellow marchers. "Is it a parrot?" one asked. No, it's a chicken. "Is it a puppet?" someone else asked. No, it's real.
They were appropriately impressed. I didn't get his name, but he said he was from San Jose. Thanks for bringing your chicken to add to our festivities!
Runner Ducks, such as these of Troy Griepentrog's, were developed in Southeast Asia, where they were – are – herded from the home pen to rice paddies, where they consume the snails and insects in the water. They are part of an agricultural system that incorporates all factors into production.
Black turkeys such as this one of Mikes Walters', were popular.
Retired microbiologist and backyard chicken fancier John Ingraham explains that three proteins in the albumen of healthy chickens help eggs resist contamination naturally, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129472951#commentBlock. The NPR Morning Edition story is illustrated with this picture of a nice Silver Laced Wyandotte.
I'll be talking with Andy Schneider, the Chicken Whisperer, today about Junglefowl, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/backyardpoultry. Special guest is Tom Condon, now a graduate student in biology at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. He's studying behavior in game birds, which fits into his work with wild Junglefowl. He visited India two years ago to see the birds in their natural habitat. Here he is riding an elephant into Rajaji National Park..JPG)
He found that wild birds at the edges of the park are freely interbreeding with domestic birds. Since the wild birds' characteristics are usually dominant, the domestic qualities aren't noticed, but dilute the natural genetic purity.
The Chantecler was developed by Brother Wilfred Chatelain as a distinctive Canadian breed. The original birds he bred where white. A Partridge variety was recognized by the American Poultry Association, but the birds with that color plumage were actually developed as a separate breed, the Albertan. A Buff variety is also raised, with advocates workiing toward formal recognition. This lovely rooster belongs to Gina Bisco of New York State.
Ian Daniels of Dobbies in England and Scotland, http://www.dobbies.com/, has created a snappy brochure to help their customers get started with chickens, http://www.dobbies.co.uk/blog/chicken-house-guide. It's free to download and worth having. It's a route to get started .
