First timer having a blast ... maybe too much fun.

[kaydubj]

Hi all, I'm Kevin and I live in Colorado Springs, where it's legal to have up to ten hens. We've got eight and they're adorable. I'm sure I'll be posting about my family's experience raising these beautiful girls (hopefully all girls, no roos allowed in town). I just wanted to make an introduction on behalf of my wife Amber, our daughter TK, and, of course, Verna and Siouxsie (Buff Orpingtons), Willow and Chloe (Ameraucanas, or so I'm told), Noodle and Elvis (Barred Plymouth Rocks), and finally our Production Red pretties Colette and Megatron. Yes, Megatron. Again, I hope they're all girls and we're not tempting fate(s) with the ridiculous names.

Some background. We just bought a house in the Old North End of Colorado Springs. The house included a chicken coop built with a reasonable amount of effort. More on that later. An issue of our local newsweekly recently focused on locally sourcing food, and some friends were included in the article on backyard chickens. The article is what primarily led me to this site, but it also engendered a desire to get some birds and bees. The honeybee hive(s) will be coming in a year or two, but I couldn't wait on the chickens. Amber wasn't so pleased at my inability to wait. More on that, too, later. We are definitely doing this for the eggs and are raising these chickens as pets. They will be spoiled, pampered, loved and never need fear the stew pot or the butcher's block.

I'll get the hang of this forum soon, and will be joining in the conversation and community, rather than just lurking like I've been the past two months. Instead of posting pics herein, this time I'll just post a URL to a simple little Apple iWeb site I built in a few minutes.

Cheers!

Here it is:
http://bit.ly/cd2dDd

 

[zade11]

so i finally get to do this:

It's good to hear you're so excited. I'm new to this too. three weeks in with my chicks. and thanks for the name idea. i gotta figure out which one to call rodamus prime

 

[satay]

Hi Kevin,
Where did you get the name Verna for you chicken? I have only ever heard that name once in my life. (My mums name). Glad some one else knows the name too lol.
Welcome to Byc.

 

[Illia]

I like how you add the "or so I'm told" bit on your Ameraucanas (they're likely EE's then)

from Washington! Nice to see more and more people so much in love with their chookies!

 

[kaydubj]

Thanks for the welcome, all!

@Satay, my grandmother's name is Verna. I just think it's a pretty, earthy name, and suits this little puffball well.

Had a great time tonight just working out by the brooder on the laptop. I was doing some voiceover recordings for a video project and the chicks wouldn't stay quiet. I had no choice but to wait them out. Noisy, but highly therapeutic.

I feel like my stress levels would be off the charts if I didn't spend an hour or so watching the mayhem caused by eight little eating machines. Oh, they're pooping machines, too, no doubt.