"Hey, I'm not messing with your special lady."

As of recently, my roommates and I have enjoyed life as new urban chicken owners. There are a total of five new ladies in the backyard - 3 Rhode Island Reds and 2 Domineckers - all of which are laying eggs daily. (We had two ducks for a short time, too, but they were quickly eaten by an unidentified neighborhood predator.)

Aside from providing fresh eggs every day, the chickens have proved to be quite entertaining. You'd be surprised by the reaction a trophy earthworm can illicit. One favorite past time involves throwing treats at one end of their run then the other, effectively racing our hens back and forth. Their running style is pretty hilarious. Like a flock of mini velociraptors.

It didn't take long for merely hanging worms over them to evolve into trying to feed them by mouth. Chickens flying up at your face is pretty unnerving, but that's what makes it a worthwhile, noble activity, right? Aren't you proud, Mom?

I'll post more poultry-related material in the future, but for now, they're most useful in that their enclosure can double as a temporary goat enclosure. The goal is keep a couple of goats for two days and see how much damage they can do.

Right now, the enclosure is completely overtaken with non-native invasives: bamboo, autumn olive, and English ivy. If I had to guess, I'd anticipate the goats honing in on the bamboo leaves at head level. That would be ideal - limbing up the vegetation to increase visibility into the enclosure while at the same time preserving the shade and cover the bamboo offers.

"Way to go, Donny!"

Check it out. Looks like the University's catching on to the alternative grazing approach to ecological restoration. You can read more about it here.

Oddly enough, I used to ride my bike daily right by the parcel of land they fenced off - a linear strip of privet and honeysuckle sandwiched between the Oconee River and River Road. I can remember thinking to myself, as often is the case now, that "my goats would be perfect here." It's good to know I'm not the only one.

I had lunch the other day with two men from the University Architects office. They were interested in and encouraged by the blog, as well as very receptive to the idea of somehow incorporating goats into the equation in the future. At the very least, I offered my time and labor in an effort to stay involved with the project.