UNDER CONSTRUCTION
It all started on a rainy day in February 2008. That's when my husband and I ventured to a yard and garden show in Portland, OR to get some inspiration for a deck addition we wanted to do in the coming summer. What happened instead was, we stopped by one little nursery booth that had a box of day old chicks sitting at their table. We thought, ah, how cute! Something to entertain the kiddies. These were no ordinary chicks for kids though. These were URBAN chicks for kids! Urban chickens, we said, now that sounds like an oxymoron. Then we started to think about it. Fresh eggs every day, free fertilizer every year, not to mention the sheer entertainment value. And so that night we started to plan...
his went on for 4 weeks. Then we were finally ready. Let's get some chicks! Three balls of fluff came to live with us on March 1, 2008. A Delaware we named Marilyn Monroe, a Black Australorp we named Betty Paige, and a Buff Orpington we named Doris Day. We built the coop in a few short weeks. Good thing too because they grew up way too fast!We planned, we sketched, we planned some more. T
Before we knew it, we learned that Betty was actually a Barney, and Doris was actually a Boris! In May Betty, er I mean Barney went to live at a nice farm in Cornelius. We thought maybe Boris would be able to cut it as an urban rooster. We tried to help him figure it out, giving him treats when he DIDN'T crow. Alas, the urge was just too great. Our little Boris just went to live on a farm as well. He made it to July with us. We'll miss him.
Since May we have been busy raising three more balls of fluff. A Gold Laced Wyandotte named Greta Garbo, a Rhode Island Red named Sophia Loren, and a Plymouth Barred Rock named Audrey Hepburn. This time, hopefully all pullets! So what did I learn the first time around? Well, if you want chickens that don't run away at the mere smell of you, you must cuddle them everyday. Then and only then will they use you as a chicken jungle gym and expect you to carry them around like you're they're cheaufer service!
If only Marilyn would love them as much as she did Boris!
It all started on a rainy day in February 2008. That's when my husband and I ventured to a yard and garden show in Portland, OR to get some inspiration for a deck addition we wanted to do in the coming summer. What happened instead was, we stopped by one little nursery booth that had a box of day old chicks sitting at their table. We thought, ah, how cute! Something to entertain the kiddies. These were no ordinary chicks for kids though. These were URBAN chicks for kids! Urban chickens, we said, now that sounds like an oxymoron. Then we started to think about it. Fresh eggs every day, free fertilizer every year, not to mention the sheer entertainment value. And so that night we started to plan...
his went on for 4 weeks. Then we were finally ready. Let's get some chicks! Three balls of fluff came to live with us on March 1, 2008. A Delaware we named Marilyn Monroe, a Black Australorp we named Betty Paige, and a Buff Orpington we named Doris Day. We built the coop in a few short weeks. Good thing too because they grew up way too fast!We planned, we sketched, we planned some more. T
Before we knew it, we learned that Betty was actually a Barney, and Doris was actually a Boris! In May Betty, er I mean Barney went to live at a nice farm in Cornelius. We thought maybe Boris would be able to cut it as an urban rooster. We tried to help him figure it out, giving him treats when he DIDN'T crow. Alas, the urge was just too great. Our little Boris just went to live on a farm as well. He made it to July with us. We'll miss him.
Since May we have been busy raising three more balls of fluff. A Gold Laced Wyandotte named Greta Garbo, a Rhode Island Red named Sophia Loren, and a Plymouth Barred Rock named Audrey Hepburn. This time, hopefully all pullets! So what did I learn the first time around? Well, if you want chickens that don't run away at the mere smell of you, you must cuddle them everyday. Then and only then will they use you as a chicken jungle gym and expect you to carry them around like you're they're cheaufer service!
If only Marilyn would love them as much as she did Boris!