Comments on: Meet the Orpingtons http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/ none the wiser Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:43:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Tales from The Web: The Endorphin Edition « Charlotte’s Web http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8945 Tales from The Web: The Endorphin Edition « Charlotte’s Web Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:10:38 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8945 [...] all-around chickeny cuteness, go and check out Mandarine’s new tenants, the Orpingtons. We had bantams as children, and they caused us no end of happiness. Unfortunately, they [...] […] all-around chickeny cuteness, go and check out Mandarine’s new tenants, the Orpingtons. We had bantams as children, and they caused us no end of happiness. Unfortunately, they […]

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8939 mandarine Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:36:19 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8939 Yesterday, as I was cutting some of the wood Mandarine was sunbathing in (see next post) for the stove, I found a nest of wood worms. I gathered them on a piece of bark, went to the hens, and laid down the loot as an offering. Mr Orpington came tiptoeing, stared at the thing with one eye, then with the other, and then started pecking, but instead of swallowing, he let it fall on the side, for Mrs Orpington #1. He repeated the operation at least two or three times, while taking care to exclude the other Mrs Orpingtons -- this was clearly a treat too delicate for low-ranking hens. If I provide such delicacies on a regular basis, they <em>are</em> going to be very happy. Yesterday, as I was cutting some of the wood Mandarine was sunbathing in (see next post) for the stove, I found a nest of wood worms. I gathered them on a piece of bark, went to the hens, and laid down the loot as an offering. Mr Orpington came tiptoeing, stared at the thing with one eye, then with the other, and then started pecking, but instead of swallowing, he let it fall on the side, for Mrs Orpington #1. He repeated the operation at least two or three times, while taking care to exclude the other Mrs Orpingtons — this was clearly a treat too delicate for low-ranking hens. If I provide such delicacies on a regular basis, they are going to be very happy.

]]> By: Emily Barton http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8936 Emily Barton Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:12:08 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8936 Welcome to your new tenants! I think they'll be very happy, and much happier than they would be had they been born into an "industrial layer situation." I'll be interested to hear how they get on and what it's like to eat your own chickens, if you end up doing so. (I, as usual, am like Courtney and have been doing a whole lot of thinking about my relationship to meat, especially since moving to farm country where I see the animals all the time.) Welcome to your new tenants! I think they’ll be very happy, and much happier than they would be had they been born into an “industrial layer situation.” I’ll be interested to hear how they get on and what it’s like to eat your own chickens, if you end up doing so. (I, as usual, am like Courtney and have been doing a whole lot of thinking about my relationship to meat, especially since moving to farm country where I see the animals all the time.)

]]> By: Tai http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8928 Tai Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:12:32 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8928 "The Chicken's Revenge" -- now there is a book that is crying out to be written. “The Chicken’s Revenge” — now there is a book that is crying out to be written.

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8927 mandarine Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:57:00 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8927 All tales of urbanites confronted to home slaughtering are good to read. I think I would not bother so much about 'humane' treatment, as I find it way too anthropocentric and hypocritical. As long as it is neither too long nor too messy, it's probably OK by me. And if it brings me nightmares, well, that's the chicken's deserved revenge. All tales of urbanites confronted to home slaughtering are good to read. I think I would not bother so much about ‘humane’ treatment, as I find it way too anthropocentric and hypocritical. As long as it is neither too long nor too messy, it’s probably OK by me. And if it brings me nightmares, well, that’s the chicken’s deserved revenge.

]]> By: Tai http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8926 Tai Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:35:14 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8926 Welcome, Orpingtons! What a beautiful family. I look forward to vicariously experiencing chickendom. Re the difficulty (or not) of eating one's chickens, you might be interested to read the following tale from another organic chicken farmer: http://tinyurl.com/3d9wew Welcome, Orpingtons! What a beautiful family. I look forward to vicariously experiencing chickendom. Re the difficulty (or not) of eating one’s chickens, you might be interested to read the following tale from another organic chicken farmer:

http://tinyurl.com/3d9wew

]]> By: mandarine http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8925 mandarine Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:19:26 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8925 Charlotte: they are completely sheltered (imprisoned?) in a wirenetted pen, so no monkeys will be able to eat them. Cam: they will necessarily taste better because they will be our eggs. But let's not count our eggs before they are laid. I am not sure there will be enough eggs to cover our appetite. Courtney: if I cannot do the slaughtering myself, I will try to rely on my neighbours with 'kill two, keep one' bargains. Or I will turn 100% vegetarian, but then the safest way not to end up with too many chickens that need slaughtering is to send Mr Orpington in exile. Charlotte: they are completely sheltered (imprisoned?) in a wirenetted pen, so no monkeys will be able to eat them.

Cam: they will necessarily taste better because they will be our eggs. But let’s not count our eggs before they are laid. I am not sure there will be enough eggs to cover our appetite.

Courtney: if I cannot do the slaughtering myself, I will try to rely on my neighbours with ‘kill two, keep one’ bargains. Or I will turn 100% vegetarian, but then the safest way not to end up with too many chickens that need slaughtering is to send Mr Orpington in exile.

]]> By: Courtney http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8919 Courtney Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:01:41 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8919 Congrats on the chickens. I am interested to read further blogs about them. Do you anticipate difficulty when it does come time to eat one? See, this is where I fall down tragically and am one huge hypocrite...my father hunted - still does - but I could never stand to hear about it, although I happily ate the meat he provided our family. I think I would have an extraordinarily hard time killing a chicken but I would absolutely want to eat one. I've been doing some thinking lately, actually, on my relationship with meat. Congrats on the chickens. I am interested to read further blogs about them. Do you anticipate difficulty when it does come time to eat one? See, this is where I fall down tragically and am one huge hypocrite…my father hunted - still does - but I could never stand to hear about it, although I happily ate the meat he provided our family. I think I would have an extraordinarily hard time killing a chicken but I would absolutely want to eat one. I’ve been doing some thinking lately, actually, on my relationship with meat.

]]> By: Cam http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8918 Cam Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:00:30 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8918 Because my regular encounters with chickens are thigh/leg quarters and eggs in cardboard boxes, I am always amused when I infrequently see a live one. I'm sure that they will entertain your family as well as providing those eggs. As much as I love the "farm-fresh" eggs I buy at the organic market in the Spring/Summer months, I'd bet that they would taste even better if just collected from the backyard. Because my regular encounters with chickens are thigh/leg quarters and eggs in cardboard boxes, I am always amused when I infrequently see a live one. I’m sure that they will entertain your family as well as providing those eggs. As much as I love the “farm-fresh” eggs I buy at the organic market in the Spring/Summer months, I’d bet that they would taste even better if just collected from the backyard.

]]> By: Charlotte http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8915 Charlotte Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:13:30 +0000 http://www.wisemandarine.com/meet-the-orpingtons/#comment-8915 A warm welcome to your new tenants. I have a soft spot for bantams. We had some as kids, but the eagles and the vervet monkeys eventually ate them all. I don't remember ever actually eating one of our own eggs, but they were certainly funny and adorable in their chickenness. Hope the Orpingtons are well-behaved tenants who pay their rent regularly. A warm welcome to your new tenants. I have a soft spot for bantams. We had some as kids, but the eagles and the vervet monkeys eventually ate them all. I don’t remember ever actually eating one of our own eggs, but they were certainly funny and adorable in their chickenness.

Hope the Orpingtons are well-behaved tenants who pay their rent regularly.

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