Information Seeking

I did a brief search for books at my local public library and am going to keep a running list of resources I want to peruse... My first search was for chickens as a general search (I decided that the public library was more likely to have information readily available on backyard flocks than the university library)--chickens as a general search in any field returned results that were more children's books in the beginning results for whatever reason. I knew if I went further in I was likely to find books that I would deem more in line with what I was looking for, but to save time, I tried searching with chickens as a keyword and go more relevant results.

Practical--for the home flock:
636.5
Author:
Damerow, Gail.
Title:
Storey's guide to raising chickens / Gail Damerow.
Publisher, Date:
Pownal, Vt. : Storey Books, c1995.


Author:
Kilarski, Barbara.
Title:
Keep chickens! : tending small flocks in cities, suburbs, and other small spaces / Barbara Kilarski.
Publisher, Date:
North Adams, Mass. : Storey Pub., c2003.


Author:
Paul, Johannes, 1978-
Title:
Keeping pet chickens : bring your backyard to life and enjoy the bounty of fresh eggs from your own small flock of happy hens / Johannes Paul and William Windham.
Publisher, Date:
Hauppauge, NY : Barron's, 2005.

Musings and philisophical looks:
Author:
Sheasley, Bob.
Title:
Home to roost : a backyard farmer chases chickens through the ages / Bob Sheasley.
Edition:
1st ed.
Publisher, Date:
New York : Thomas Dunne Books, 2008.
Author:
Gurdon, Martin.
Title:
Hen and the art of chicken maintenance : reflections on keeping chickens / Martin Gurdon .
Publisher, Date:
Guilford, Ct. The Lyons Press , 2004.

Kuhlthau's description of the feelings that occur during this part of the process made me consider whether I am in the Exploration stage of her Information Search Process or still really in the Selection stage, because I was so excited and joyful to see the books that I labeled Musings & Philisophical looks. I would guess I am at the further end of selection and beginning of exploration here.
(Carol Kuhlthau. Information Search Process. [Online] 6 September 2008. http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/information_search_process.htm)

Surfing again...

As I am searching the web...before going to talk to some local farmers...some more...



Do I want practical information or research information?

http://123webs.com/info/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2

Visting the chickens...

This weekend with the three days off and visit to my family's house, I went to my sisters and fed her chickens on Saturday. This led to more questions and brainstorming about what information I am going to look for and where I'm going to look. I have had discussions with my sister about her chickens, however, I am discussing interviewing some local folks who have in town chickens as well as talking with their neighbors son who is 6 and knows how to pick the chickens up. I am really interested in egg production by breed as well as the nurture versus nature look at "friendliness".

Wondering

As I was working on choosing my topic, I decided that this project had to be something personal and fun for me. As I mentioned, because we have talked about getting chickens "someday" I wanted to explore the topic more. I have already talked to my sister on and off for a while since she has chickens.

As I wonder, I spend a lot of time in my head coming up with questions. Luckily, I had shared with a friend via email that I was blogging about chickens for my class. He sent this question:
"What kind of chickens? I am happy to host any blog you care to produce!"

Here is my response...which began tracking the list of questions I have been mulling around in my head:
Pet chickens?
The essentials questions so far are:
Which good egg producing chickens are the friendliest—make the best pets?
Where do “easter egg” chickens fall in that spectrum?
Which is more important to me personally – egg production, color of eggs, friendliness of birds or some combination thereof?
What is needed for the proper care of chickens?
How do you build a chicken coop that effectively deters predators?
How about a chicken tractor?
Where is the best place to purchase chickens? How many chickens would be a good starting place?
Where would we locate our chicken coop?
Would our dog really eat the chickens and must we wait until she dies to purchase chickens?
Is it relevant that my father-in-law told me a chicken joke in response to our discussions about Americana aka Easter Egg Chickens?

In sharing my process, I think it is relevant to also share his response back that sent me wondering in another direction for a while and made me smile amidst the stress of a busy job, and a new class--and reminding me that wondering can be great fun:
"I have thoroughly enjoyed it! I truly hope that you find the answer to those questions, and will share with the group. I thought maybe you meant “chicken” in terms of being afraid. Maybe your investigation will turn into allegory?"

I was exploring The Question Mark http://questioning.org, and realized that I was smiling again, because I was thinking and what makes this question worth asking...because it brings me joy and opens my eyes to the possibilities and to what I really enjoy about the thought of having chickens...

Wondering Web site ideas...surfting (drafting&surfing)

As I have been thinking of topics that I would like to explore, I have decided that since we have been talking about getting chickens some day, I am going to learn more about having chickens. I have plenty of narrowing and topic focus that I need to do. Today I did some watching of different websites about chickens as pets (my search term for the day) because one thing I am interested in is which chickens are generally the friendliest of the egg layers.

comparison chart:
http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html
breed selection tool:
http://www.mypetchicken.com/breedQuestions.aspx
http://www.goodbyecitylife.com/barn/chicken-for-sale.htm
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/lp_birds/article/0,2041,DIY_14059_2277736,00.html http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Unusual-Pets-Chickens.76299
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/pathproject/simpleliving/chickens.shtml
http://thecoolchickenreturns.blogspot.com/2006/09/chickens-as-pets.html
http://www.birdhobbyist.com/articles/BirdHobbyist/Species/PetChickens.html

Experimenting

While thinking about this inquiry project I have been interested in practicing ways to share digital images and use this blog... In the introductions I shared that I learned to knit by using online videos and then wanted to learn to do two color knitting...this is one of my first projects with two colors of yarn (pattern from hello yarn--we call them pirates)and reading a new type of pattern.

Waving & Wrapping (Lamb's 8Ws) would be the stages that this would be if my inquiry project were on knitting...but this is really still in the watching and wondering stage in this project since my topic is not knitting.

Watching

In reviewing course materials, and project requirements I noticed that I was immediately in watching mode--looking for ideas for Project 1--what will my personal inquiry be. I have surfed, read and brainstormed. I made a mental list of things I need information about personally -- less of a work need and more of a personal need. No, I'm not going to do more searching on professional disposition and dispositional assessment of teachers! I ask myself--what am I going to do: dancing for creative outlet, gardening, chickens, geneology... I have talked with others about my various ideas and interests. I have narrowed my choices--I have chosen one and done some more looking and changed my mind...again. One thing that unnerves me is blogging and internet safety so that was a serious consideration that my blog might focus on the idea of not sharing personal information in an unsafe manner on the internet...the internet is certainly not private space. I forgot this part of my thought process until I was reading a classmates blog and there was a comment that was discussed as rather creepy which brought up this issue and reminded me of my first thoughts about creating a blog for class.

As Kuhlthau describes the affective parts of this stage in the process--"feelings of uncertainy and apprehension are common"--I am definitely filled with those feelings (Kuhlthau). I have often thought of the discomfort I feel when working on something to share with others as a bit extreme. I know it is normal to feel nervous, but do people really get this nervous :)... I think they do--but I am also really excited about choosing a topic that is going to be fun for me to delve into...so I go on watching...

(Carol Kuhlthau. Information Search Process. [Online] 20 August 2008. http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/information_search_process.htm)