A Chicken's life...

We've just joined BYC and what a wealth of information this has been! We recently joined in the fun of having chickens as recently as the end of July through a "Rent a Chicken" program! We heard about it on our local news and oddly enough it peaked our curiosity! So here we are now closing out October with a small group of three hens; 2 Red Sex Links and 1 Golden Comet. This wasn't exactly how we started out but ultimately found this lovely group of gals to be reasonably compatible with each other and amazingly enough....very very quiet! So we went from renting a few with a small portable coop to building our own very spacious coop and enjoying the experience of raising "backyard chickens"!

TLC

 

As a matter of fact, yes you do! You have the option to buy the entire setup; chickens and coop! Initially we started with two, immediately swapping out one gal as I think she had an identity crisis literally attempting to crow at the most ungodly hours of the morning and then throughout the day! I was terrified my consenting neighbors would begin to second guess their blessings when we initially asked how'd they feel about us having chickens in the first place. Her replacement was just as troublesome to me as she was very aggressive to the remaining original hen. So we decided to perhaps swap her out too and so the chicken swapping game began! Ultimately I ended up with three; Black Sex Link, Buff Orpington and a Golden Comet. The buff was such a drastic change from the other two we decided to keep her a bit longer and see how she'd work out. Then the Buff and Sex Link began picking on my Comet non-stop. The problem I know...was us! We'd grown attached to the Comet and without a doubt she has been an incredible gal! She was hand raised and so loves to be picked up and loved on. Heck she'll even fall asleep when you hold her! So I decided to take my chances one last time! While the coop was under construction I found a gal who was selling year old laying Red Sex Links...and chose two from her flock. At this point I had two coops I could use to slowly integrate them and see how they'd do. The initial introduction was as expected...everyone up in feathers...through the wiring of course!

After a week they managed to get along fine and re-establish their pecking order, once again putting our beloved Comet at the bottom. But my intention was never to have 5 chickens; only 3. So we made arrangements to have the rental coop, the Black Sex Link and Buff go back home. She managed to find a couple interested in buying them outright and over their time with us, those two (even being alpha hens) had become BFF's! So the entire situation worked out well all around and as of today my three red feathered gals are happy as ever and the most quietest chickens ever! It's weird and probably unusual but I'm very grateful as I still need to keep my neighbors happy too. Yes, I do manage to share our wealth with them in eggs from time to time to aide our efforts of continued peace! LOL

 

Oh believe me...we have enjoyed i so much we'd love to expand but doing so would mean we'd need to move! Heck I'm probably pushing our luck with the three we already have! My husbands initially reaction to the mere thought of chickens was figuring that I had finally lost my ever-loving mind! But secretly, he has caught the bug! He was the designer, engineer and construction crew for their lovely abode and takes great pride in his build! Being an actual engineer anyway, he is constantly researching and contemplating new ideas, potential redesigns and yes...we already have the chicken webcam! That didn't take long at all! LOL

It is so very easy to let this run away with you but I only have so much yard! The portable fencing allows us to section off areas and reseed while they begin their methodical destruction of a new area with great determination! The resident roaming felines have already become quite bored with them and their occasional outbursts of noise that neither the chickens or the cats pay attention to each other at all. Even our own cat sits within their fenced area (when we are present) and wonders around them, sniffs at them every now and then and oddly enough they aren't the least bit bothered. Who would have thought!!!!

So unless we have plans to relocate further out of town, and on more land, we will have to exert some self control and do our best to stay with three. But yes...there has already been talk of adding just one more! They are great fun!!!!

My daughter and I would spend hours within their fenced area, hot tea in the cup holder of a lawn chair and laptop firmly in the lap...enjoying the company of our gals and their mornings' activity. It's a Zen thing!