Baby robin...like tiny, naked chicks

A brave robin couple built their nest under our breezeway. The four prefect, tiny, blue egg have hatched and now we have 4 new residents in our backyard! They are such scrawny and naked and cute little aliens.

Henopause: no reason not to have a flock

I ran across this on the NYTimes twitter feed today: http://blogs.seattletimes.com/allyoucaneat/2013/05/17/henopause-and-whether-you-should-have-backyard-chickens/#.UZZYahGMCLM.twitter

Yes, yes, chickens slow down in egg production as they get older (though then don't actually stop) but Andrew & I are happily preparing for our hens dotage. Don't Peggy & Joan & Sally deserve a warm, clean(ish) coop even when they're no longer serving their "purpose"? Their room and board seems like a small price to pay for years of service. Besides, these girls are pets. True they don't sleep in bed like the other pets, but they're pets nonetheless. What do you guys think? Are your chickens headed to the soup pot when their egg laying slows down? Or is the inevitability of the slow down reason enough not to have them in the first place?