Chicken sCoop

What's with all of the chickens all of the sudden?  It seems as though a bunch of my friends have become chicken farmers - or what do you call someone who raises chickens? A chicken raiser?  Poultry people?  What the cluck?

Anyway, I have to say I am the beneficiary of the most delicious eggs I have ever had in my life.  Once you've had organic, free-range chicken eggs you never want to go back.  No way.  Those eggs and those sunny yellowy-orange yolks are truly amazing.

Right now, just in my humble circle of friends, I know of six families in the bay area who raise their own chickens.  They own between four to 34! 

I have heard once you own one, they become addicting.  They are unlike any other living creature you might decide to have as a pet.  While the cute Golden Retriever above is mine, the chick on her head is that of a dear friend who owns over 30 chickens. 

Chickens produce a low clucking, cooing sound that is rather soothing to hear.  They huddle together and seem to gather and walk in teams like gals heading to the bathroom. 

My friends all tell me funny stories about how their chicks are drama hens, quite over-the-top when it comes to laying that egg of the day.  The eyes are bulging, beak is outstretched, and they are almost frozen in a sort of agony-ecstacy stare until that egg drops out of its hatch.  "Ploop", and out it comes, relief washes over them and they can go on clucking once more.

I will feature more "Chick sCoop" stories as I have become quite interested in this fowl story.  So stay tuned as I gather more sCoop.  Do you have chickens?  Let us know your own Chicken sCoop.