Cameron & I love Rent-A-Coop and love all the incredible people we meet because of it, it hasn't even been 1 year yet and we've had over 25 renters already! That's 25 different families and personalities we've happily come in contact with, and made some relationships that we never see coming to an end.Only in the 'land of opportunity' the beautiful USA could we have this business...seriously I've told my friends in Europe about it and they think I'm crazy, the response is: "You could never do that in __(insert European country here)_!" Its true we as a nation are free-thinkers, capitalists, and all a bit eccentric compared to our ancestors in the Old World!
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| classic Nob Hill, Route 66 |
Sadly the American-made pride, the Victory Gardens, the 'Starve the Beast' our grandparents believed in is dying along with them. I think of my hero growing up, Rosie the Riveter, her slogan "We Can Do It" has been twisted into "No We Won't" (or more accurately "we don't want to pay a fair wage to our employees so lets outsource to slave-labor in other countries"). It's not even questioned anymore, "Made In China" is what is printed on the bottom of everything in most stores. They are even trying to get American-raised poultry processed in China, seriously where will we draw the line: NY Times article about this FDA allowance I could continue, but I'll spare you by stopping there...Also today, a lot of us (including me) are city-dwellers and aren't as accustomed to how things in the natural world function. We've gotten used to prepackaged and ready-to-eat, that it is almost foreign to us the processes that took place prior to our plates. We ignore, or simply do not know, how that ingredient got there when busy looking for the best price. So being city-dwelling Americans, when we drop-off a live animal to a new renter's backyard they expect high productivity and rapid results.
We only rent out egg-laying hens, so these girls want to lay eggs, its in their nature and part of their daily biological routine. Since we check our hens for illnesses prior to drop-offs, the only reasons our hens won't lay eggs is because of some sort of environmental factor...
- The car ride: the chickens have air/light in their dog carrier the whole ride. They are frightened by the speed cars travel (similar to dogs) and the loud sound of the air rushing past.
- The drop-off: the chickens find themselves in a completely new environment, new scents, new sounds, new ground under them to peck at. Also you may have dogs or outdoor cats that come around to check out the hens, this can be frightening depending on how your pets react to their presence.
- The first few weeks: the chickens will have to get used to you also! Your demeanor, your voice, your family members, etc. The feeding schedule you put them on and the way your family spends time outside with them. You may be feeding them a different brand of feed than we do (which is totally fine, as long as it is "Layer Feed") they'll have to get used to that also. Most importantly, they need access to fresh water, the content of an egg is 74% water, chickens use much of their water stores to be able to create that egg.
Soon the chickens will start laying, we promise!
They always do, and usually they do right when you contact us to try to switch out your chickens for different ones, whom will have to go through the same "getting accustomed" period that the original hens had to, and it'll be even longer before you get eggs. Our very 1st renters had us come to their house with new chickens to switch out, when we arrived they decided that they were willing to wait to see if the original hens would lay. The next day we woke up to a message of egg-success! Those hens just needed a stern talking to from us and a little confidence in their egg-laying abilities from their new family, and they we're happy to lay (in reality, finally accustomed to their new home is all).
An unusual service, with 2 funny little chickens (the last remaining dinosaurs) there are bound to be surprises and differences to other animals you've raised. They aren't machines, and we can't make them do anything - we can, however, make sure all their needs met and believe that they can and will lay us an egg.
This is what chicken-keeping is all about, ask anyone with chickens...mostly they'll tell you that your job is to support their laying. Its just like keeping a garden, if your veggies aren't growing you don't go back to the store and demand new seeds, you figure out what is stopping them. Naturally plants want to grow, given that all the environmental factors support them in doing so: add some compost, water more often, lay down some mulch, etc. We as humans with our extra-boost of consciousness can manipulate circumstances to work in our favor, we wouldn't be as far as we are today without that ability which makes us human.
"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." -Lao Tzu
With everything so rapid nowadays we forget that one day, one week, one year even, is such a miniscule thing in terms of the planet, let alone the universe (a fun reminder: Here is today... ). Not that you should have to wait forever to get eggs, that's not my point at all, just trust in the natural process and natural timing of all things.
Nature doesn't do 'instant gratification' and if it did we would be extinct by now!
Further reading/explanation as to why your hens may not be laying:
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/450/several-reasons-why-your-hens-may-stop-laying-eggs/
http://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2012/11/why-arent-my-chickens-laying-eggs.html
*forever grateful, actively practicing patience
-jennifer
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