When the seasons change, so change my chickens' behavior.  Right now is kind of tough, but we're working through it.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I was only getting 2 eggs per day, instead of my typical 4-6.  Of course, I started worrying.  Are my chickens sick?  Molting?  Mad?  Scared?  After a few days I realized that as the days were growing shorter so was their outside time.  They were waking later and sleeping earlier.

A chicken needs approximately 14 hours of light per day in order to maintain a near-daily laying cycle.  Right now my area we are down to 10 hours and 41 minutes of daylight.  That's not enough light for ample egg production, folks!

I have several options here.  Since it's getting cooler, I can put both a heat lamp and a light in the coop.  That simulates daylight, which will amp up their egg production.  I can also leave nature as it is, and when the days start growing longer, know that I will have eggs again.

It's a tough decision!  I love my eggs!  I made a delicious quiche the other night...I love skillet egg salad boiled eggs...I love eggs.  But I also love my chickens.  Chickens are born with only a certain number of eggs they can lay.  Once they're gone, that's it.  So do I basically shorten their egg laying span, or do I let nature take its course?  

For this week, it will be status quo.  I'm not changing anything.  However, if my surplus starts to run low, I may change my mind for a bit.  What would you do?  

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I am a substitute teacher.  My degree is in communications, emphasizing in broadcast journalism.  I'm 4 hours short of my history degree.  I have my personal teaching knowledge certification, as well as early childhood education.  In my younger years, I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I would be in the public eye...as a Broadway actress, as a radio personality, as a newscaster...

I was a forensicator in high school.  Back in the good ol' days, that did not mean that I looked at dead bodies to decide how they died (ewwwwwwww...blood and guts are NOT my cup of tea).  Back in the day, that meant I spent  hours every week working on dramatic interpretations, original oratories, poetry, humorous, interpretation, duet, duo interpretation, radio, one act, reader's theater...you know, competitive drama!  I spent my weekends traveling across Missouri to compete in tournaments...and I was really good (toot toot...yeah, that's my horn).  I loved living this life!  I loved my forensics classes!

Fast forward.  My husband was a high school debater.  We both know and have experienced the benefits of forensics and debate.  Our joke is, in our family. you must take a year of debate in high school.  After all, if you think you can argue with your parents, you better know what you're arguing!  We firmly believe that forensics and debate teach you to step out of your comfort zone, speak well on your feet, look at both sides of issues, and win arguments.  Every one of our children complained about "wasting classes" on debate.  Emily graduated 4 year varsity.  Matt is in his 4th year (yep, he's a Senior!).  Michael loves his second year of debate.  HI, LD, Congress, DI...all of these terms flow freely through our household.  Yes, I am a DB8Mom.

I am so honored to do something today that I never expected.  I am going to be the substitute debate coach at a tournament!  The head coach asked me if I would be interested, and of course I said yes!  In about 2 hours, I will be on a school bus, heading to a local school, and taking care of the squad.  This was never on my radar as a bucket list item, but now that I'm doing this, I think it should have been all along!

GO EAGLES!  And if you need me, I'm there for you.

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When I was 11, my grandparents took me to Branson. This was LONG before Branson was the entertainment mecca it is today!  We came across a street fair, and my favorite part was playing tic tac toe with the chickens.  I was a premier tic tac toe player, and had no idea how those chickens kept beating me!  Nickel after nickel, I paid, they played, they won.

When I got my chickens, I was really surprised at how quickly they got used to things, and how they would respond in the same fashion, time after time.  As young as 2 weeks, if I lifted the top of the brood box, they would jump on the roosting bar.  If I put my hand in the box, one or more would try to jump in my palm.

As time goes by, I see them habitually doing things in response to other things.  Before I moved their coop, they were close to the driveway.  As soon as I would get out of the car, they would come to the front of the fence to greet me.  It didn't matter if it was light or dark, if they were in their coop or outside playing. The second I was out of my car, they took note.  Of course, with all that chicken cuteness, I would have to come over and say hello!  Each chicken would then walk up to me and lightly peck my hand.  When I would range them, when it was time to go inside, I would stand by the gate, and most of the time, most of them would walk inside.  One day my chickens ended up in my neighbor's yard.  I must have looked pretty funny when I chastised them, then had them following me in a single file line as I walked up our alleyway!

Now that they're in their new digs, I've noticed a lot of other habitual responses.  Since they are located close to the kitchen windows, when the windows are open and I see them, I say, "Chick Chick," and they come running toward the sound of my voice.  If I coo or talk sing son-y to them, they respond likewise.  The past couple of weeks, when I say a name, that chicken will inevitably respond.  And if I catch them doing something naughty, all I have to do is say their name in my teacher voice, and they will quit what they're doing.

I just find it fascinating.  I do believe we can train them.  Perhaps not as easily as we can train our dogs, and of course not the same tricks (can you imagine teaching a chicken to shake?).  I'm interested to see if others have had experiences with chicken training.  I mean, this lady seems to have taught her chicken how to maneuver an obstacle course!
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This has been a funny week for the girls.  It basically boiled down to one chicken and a great short story:  The Mystery of the Missing Eggs.  Where was Royal? Why isn't she laying eggs?  Why did the chicken cross the alley?  Shall we do some sleuthing and find the answers to these questions?

Whenever I'd come home, I'd be down to 6 chickens.  Missing one.  EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.   It was always Miss Royal.  I'd walk around the block looking for her, and by the time I'd end up back home, she'd be walking around the yard like she was queen of the flock.  Yesterday, I finally found where she was.  She had been flying the coop and walking over to where the old coop was.  She was homesick, I guess!  She also stresses out really easily, so I wonder if she still hadn't recovered from us uprooting her home, and moving her into a strange, albeit nicer, location.  I chalked up her recent lack of egg laying to her being stressed.

That answered the question, "Why isn't Royal laying eggs?"  Much to my surprise, when I picked her up to move her, I found 18 eggs buried in a homemade nest, where Royal had been secretly laying!  Can you believe it?  I did the fresh egg test, and all but 2 were good.  I've kept an eye on her all day, and she never escaped.  She did act like she was having a tummy ache, though, and her egg today was soft shelled. I'm keeping an eye on her to see what's up.

Now...the question we've all been waiting for...Why did the chicken cross the alley?  Because my neighbors have really cool shrubs for my chickens to hide under!  Okay, that's a joke from this summer. They really don't cross the alleyway anymore.

And that, dear friends, are the mysteries solved with my chickens today.
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I am having so much fun as Elegant Ms. US United!  I've talked to people I never would have gotten to meet.  I've gotten to volunteer at places I never would have been able to volunteer before.  I've met some fun people, some people who needed to hear about breast cancer and mammograms.  I've made blingy breast cancer ribbons.  I've gotten my picture taken with children who are amazed at the crown.  I've talked to people about chicken tending, microfarming, and building coops.  I've packed so much in my 2 weeks of being titled, and I'm so excited about what the future holds!  I want to host a vendor event for breast cancer.  My goal this week is to find a time and place for this.  I want to talk to people about sustainability through microfarming.  I want to encourage people to make a difference.  I want to do things I've never considered doing.

It's great being Queen!  

Now, I've been Royalty since 1969.  That's when Ewing Kauffman started the Kansas City Royals baseball club in Kansas City.  I've been a fan...ROYALty...as long as I can remember.  The past 2 years have been amazing...much like my Royals in the '70's and '80's.  Playoff hunting, game winning, milestone making ROYALS.  It's been fun!  Today, the last game of the season, we find out we will have HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE throughout the playoffs and World Series.  THIS IS OUR YEAR, I hope.

But back to being Queen.  I get to dress  nicely, and feel comfortable doing it.  I smile more.  I take time with my hair and my makeup, and I feel so confident.  I'm taking my confidence and hopefully affecting other people.  

It's great being Queen.  Yes, I am a Queen.  I am Valerie Gallup, Elegant Ms. US United 2015.  But you are royalty, too.  How is that, you say?  I'm just Joe Smith...Jane Doe...nobody special. Oh, but that's where you're wrong.  You ARE a QUEEN.  You ARE a KING.  You are the child of God, and he has a heck of a life in mind for you.