Monday, August 6, 2012

Raising Chickens in the City, Chicken Predators and Dealing with Broken Eggs

Urban chickens, urban chicken predators, broken chicken eggs

These city girls all love to sit on my lounge chair. All four every morning. I am sitting in the window right here on my computer and though it would be nice to think they love me, I am sure they are waiting to see if I am coming out with a treat. I think my Easter Eggers are starting to lay as I have had some thin shelled eggs this weekend but they were all broken. Either these girls are bad and breaking them or they just drop them any old place. Not nice and neat like the Barred Rocks.


We had our first encounter with a predator on Saturday. My daughter told me she heard some real squawking out back so I rushed out to find my girls all huddled under the patio table and a cat I did not recognize sitting on the lawn. I sent our little chihuahua out after it and she ran it off. She chased it off the next day too. I have not seen it since. I hope it fears the dog more than it likes my chickens. Some say a cat is not a worry but others say they can be. It all depends on the kitty I guess. The eggs are getting a little bigger. Almost the size of the store bought eggs I am still using up.


I have been enjoying one each morning with my toast. The yolks are deep in color and the white stays in shape. Much less runny then store bought eggs.


20 comments:

  1. One of my chickens, drops it like it's hot, whenever, and wherever too!!! Be sure to remove any broken eggs asap!! They may have just not had the calcium supplement long enough for hard shells. They will get better and better.
    Bad kitty! Mine doesn't pay them any mind at all.
    XO Kris

    ReplyDelete
  2. Let's hope the dog keeps the cat away! These girls are too pretty for anything to happen to them. I enjoy your chicken stories!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love your chickens and eggs. I could eat eggs and turkey bacon every day of the week.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I do wish the cat would leave your girls alone! Your egg looks delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Glad that your dog was able to scare off the cat.
    Even if the cat didn't harm the chickens, it still could stress them out, which would mean no eggs.

    So nice to get fresh eggs each day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love this!! Such pretty girls. Thank you for sharing. Visiting from A Delightsome Life. Would love it if you would share this at my Make it Pretty Monday party at The Dedicated House. http://thededicatedhouse.blogspot.com/2012/08/make-it-pretty-monday-week-9.html Hope to see you at the bash! Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cute chickens, hope the cat leaves them alone.

    ReplyDelete
  8. oh my gosh I hope that cat stays away! Farm fresh eggs are just so much better, now thats an egg!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love following your chicken and egg stories. So glad you are now able to enjoy you eggs.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cool chickens , I hope nothing happensto them ,A feral cat put an untimely end to my pet chicken. Great Pics!

    ReplyDelete
  11. You're gonna need to be on Kitty alert, now that they've found your girls. YIKES!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Chickens have become quite a topic of interest at our house recently, and the kids went last week to a friend's to learn how to take care of them. We'll see what happens next.

    ReplyDelete
  13. "Such lovely little ladies...
    Such wonderful eggs they lay!

    Such lovely little ladies...
    Frightened by a forbidden prey...

    Such a lovely little puppy...
    Chased the cat away.

    Such lovely little ladies...
    Safe to cluck, play and lay
    On a Sunny Simple Day!"

    Blessings, Elaine!
    Carolynn xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  14. As you know, my problem is my own cat. I'm sure he would kill them. I have to give my chickens oyster shell every day to have hard, but not bumpy shells. ~ Maureen

    ReplyDelete
  15. I know nothing about chickens or eggs .. Just that chickens are super cute and eggs taste super yummy. Scrabbled with ketchup.
    My neighbors cat likes to stalk our Dove who's cage in near a window. Errrr!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. We've had a neighbors cat in our yard, and then in our coop twice. I chased it off, but may have to do some problem solving...

    ReplyDelete
  17. What beautiful chickens! I always love seeing photos of them. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your chickens are so pretty! We have never had a problem with our cats or the neighbors' cats bothering the chickens. Maybe the kitty is just curious!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I brought up chickens in a conversation last night with some friends - no one else was as enthusiastic as I....still hoping some day! Your chickens are gorgeous!
    I do appreciate you sharing with A Return to Loveliness,
    Kathy

    ReplyDelete
  20. Don't you love a good "watch dog" it seems the smaller they are the louder the bark!
    Suzan

    ReplyDelete