chickens_inverness_library
Marin County Free Library is sponsoring a series of events related to this year’s One Book One Marin title, Novella Carpenter’s “Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer.” On Monday, people gathered at the Inverness Library to learn about raising chickens. Some pointers: Chickens do not need roosters to lay eggs, but having one around increases hormonal activity, resulting in more eggs. One can hatch fertilized eggs from the market. Chickens sometimes eat their own eggs, so put a fake egg in with them when they’re young so they learn that it’s no good to peck at eggs. Chickens are social creatures, so don’t get just one, and if you do, give it a mirror. The phrase “pecking order” comes from the hen with the lowest social status, who is sometimes pecked to death by other hens; confined spaces exaggerate this behavior. Get chickens from reputable vendors, otherwise they may be diseased. Chickens are direct descendants of dinosaurs. David Briggs