But first!
A winter prediction.
A Wooly Bear Caterpillar prediction.
And like most predictions this is not based on any scientific fact.
So do not mistake this for real news! The amount of bullshit news dressed up as actual news is shocking this Fall!
Having said that we may as well believe a Wooly Bear Caterpillar! Here is one I saw yesterday.
What the old folks say:
According to the legend, the length of the black bands on the caterpillar indicates the severity of the upcoming winter: more black suggests a harsher winter, while more brown suggests a milder one.
Additionally, (and this is the fun bit) the position of these bands is thought to predict which part of winter will be most severe.
Or (I am wondering) wouldn’t the bands be the response to last years winter?
Who wants to join me in trying to predict the coming winter using this wooly caterpillar. Not Vandal thats for sure.
Early cold then mostly mild with a cold spring?
What do you think?
And how many caterpillars do we need for a quorum?
Did you know a group of caterpillars is called an army?
Attack in the night.
Last night two possums got in with the broilers. They were skinning a live chicken when Boo came roaring in to the rescue. He got the big one. I chased the second one off. Best we don’t discuss the sudden demise of the big one Boo caught first (after my command).
I need to find where they got in.
Going forward the broilers will all be locked up in the little house at night. I hate to do that as they are too big for that small space but I have not been seen possums attack chickens before either. Yet here we are. Possums are nocturnal so the white chickens should be safe in the daytime.
The wounded chicken is still alive and walking about this morning with minor injuries. Chickens are incredibly tough. Our biggest problem will be the others pecking at it and making her wounds deeper, so she will be isolated under a big basket with her own water and food but still in with her flock until her wounds are dried up
How to weigh a chicken.
We weighed a few of the broilers yesterday – the roosters are past 5 pounds now (2.5 kilos). and the hens were at around 3.5 (1.5 kilos).
And they have just under a month to go.
How to weigh a chicken?
Place the chicken in a light pillowcase. Place on scales. Easy!
Yeah – not so easy! This is one very annoyed chicken!
The pet couch is very popular!
Ok. I had better get going.
Have a great busy day!
Celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
31 responses to “How to Weigh a Chicken”
I caught an army (5) of caterpillars on by cavalo nero today. I hope that’s all, they do a lot of damage very quickly.
Boo looks guilty, lying on that couch!
I just wonder who got never bed first. Probably LuLu – Boo looks a bit ousted out not the edge. Ton will not get on the bed if a cat is there he just lies beside it and stares like an old man!
I suppose Boo wants to nanny the other animals, whereas TonTon has a healthy dog wariness of cats 😂
We have had a predator filled summer this year! Raccoons and yes, possums too. Possums go for chickens as well. And how they get in is so often a mystery! Thank goodness for Boo!!!
Yes! We will be out again tonight – they will be back. There will be a whole family of them fattening up for winter.
Don’t you just love old, interesting ways to predict the weather! I so rarely see any wooly caterpillars here but now my eyes are going to be searching! Clearly Boo won on the pet couch position, unless he’s actually laying on Vandal in that 2nd picture 🙂 He is a good boy and deserves his time on the couch after doing his important job.
A bit sad regarding the way chickens will turn on one of their own, wounded. Hmmm. Not sure I like chickens much. My Mom was raised on a chicken farm and grew to despise them. Oh well. The chicken in the pillowcase is very funny. Love the caterpillar challenge. I hate to be so unoriginal, but I agree with YOU!
Chickens are horrible. If they smell blood they go nuts.
I am about to get on my version of the pet couch to enjoy my afternoon nap. Thank you for another fascinating post….
That sounds just lovely! Afternoon naps are a forgotten skill !
Have you seen what looks like a giant floofy dog bed for people? It looks like it’d be wonderfully comfie but I fear I’d have an issue getting back up off the floor!
I have not seen the giant dog bed….but will check it out:)
You could weigh the chicken down with that big chain you brought back. But of course weigh the chain first then subtract. Maybe too complicated, but it would definitely keep that chicken down on the scale! No messing around for him/her.
That is an idea. Though they did do ok in the bag. It settled them . I always took cats to the vet in a bag like that. They would sit on my knee quite happily inside their bag!
I’ve heard of that woolly caterpillar thing; it may be just as accurate as the weather experts’ predictions! I try to be ready for anything. I’ll have my winter tires put on my Subaru (overkill); sometimes we have no snow, other years, a couple storms which don’t last long around here. That poor chicken! I’m amazed that she survived the attack. Possums are scary critters–all those nasty little sharp teeth.
That chicken has quite the look of surprise on its face.
It does right! So funny!
Boo deserves a nap on the pet couch after having his sleep disrupted. So do you, but not on the pet couch. “Very annoyed chicken” is probably an understatement! 😂Have a great day! Patti
those chickens doth protest too much!!
❤️
I predict a mild winter based on that wooly bear, which we call wooly worms in the South. We’ll see… There used to be many wooly worms here, beginning in June every year. However, I haven’t seen even one in a couple of years now.
I saw another one today. Exactly the same pattern. Interesting. They are coming back here because our fields are organic now. I wonder what they eat.
OMG! That chicken in a pillowcase made me laugh!!! Darn Possums! Best be closing up the Chook House too. Although they can roost higher. If a Possum can get in … so can ‘they who shall not be named’. Funny your wooly caterpillars look almost identical to the ones we have been seeing. We have noticed that unlike last year (when we kept finding fully black ones) they are sporting that divided black section. I vote for light snow, followed by long sunny stretches, concluded with light snow.
I don’t mind light snow!! And warm stretches! We should log our predictions and return to this conversation in the spring!!
Oh dear, while walking my dog down the road toward the river I spotted a wooly bear – it was entirely black!
yikes! You best get your chains on that skid!
The chicken in the pillow case is a very clever idea. I’m glad the nasty possum didn’t do any more damage. Good for Boo. He is such a good farm dog!
The old man who taught me chicken wrangling when I was a child used to weigh his chickens by holding them upside down till they quieted and then just laid them gently in the big scoop side of his balance scales. I suspect his chooks were more docile than your feisty girls! We now have two pet couches, awaiting the arrival of a brother for Higgins in November, and Higgins is in heaven moving from one to the other. He’s in for a rude shock when he has to share the accommodations!
How exciting to have another dog.
I can’t wait!