Tidbit for November 15, 1999:
Forget the canned goods--stock up on chicks for Y2K
"Having your own small flock of hens ensures a certain security in the 21st century," asserts the millennium edition of The Old Farmer's Almanac. Hmm... somehow I think the flurry of fur and feathers that would result from sharing my apartment with my cat, Spike, and a few chickens is a bigger nightmare than any potential Y2K meltdown. But if you'd rather depend on chickens than computer chips, you won't want to miss the Almanac's five-page "Poultry Primer."
Here's a sampling of some of the fun fowl facts you'll find:
"Anyone with brains enough to
pound sand can successfully raise chickens," or at least that's what city-born man
turned farmer H.A. Highstone wrote in 1940 in Practical Farming for Beginners.
Once a hen starts laying eggs, at
about five months old, she'll average an egg on two out of three days--or about 20 a
month.
If you plan to hatch some of your
eggs into chicks, you'll need a rooster or two. Breeders suggest having a rooster for
every 8 to 12 standard-size hens.
Think it's tricky to shop for
high-tech gadgets? With more than 100 recognized breeds to choose from, hen selection
can be an even more involved process! Are you looking for eggs, or meat, or an
all-purpose bird? Brown eggs or white? The
Old Farmer's Almanac's "Poultry Primer" recommends 10 breeds of egg
layers, four meat birds, and a dozen all-purpose chickens.
You can supplement your chicks'
diet with table scraps, but don't feed them raw potato peels, which are hard to digest, or
garlic or onions, which may alter the taste of eggs or meat.
If a Y2K catastrophe knocks out
power and communications, your coop full of chickens can at least provide you with a
weather forecast. New England weather lore says, " If a fowl stands on one leg, it is
a sign of cold weather." And you'll know that rain is on the way if:
... hens spread and ruffle their tail feathers
... cocks clap their wings in an unusual manner
... hens take dustbaths and appear uneasy
... fowls' wings droop
... hens roost earlier than usual.
Convinced that chickens are the best Y2K solution you've heard? Either order your own copy of the Almanac and read the complete "Poultry Primer" section, or visit Almanac.com, the official Web site of The Old Farmer's Almanac, where you'll find more helpful chicken articles and links.
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Photograph of Farmer's Almanac 2000 by Kim Knox, copyright 1999.
