Cookncluck
Chirping
We had to get rid of our eight chickens early last spring, so I could spend several months out of state with my aging Mom. The chickens were two and a half years old, still all laying great, which was helpful in finding new owners for them. I found a wonderful woman who lives about an hour away from here and already has chickens and goats. She felt like an instant sister, she took five of them to share with her nearby son, so ... I know those girls went to two separate good homes! A young man took the remaining three girls and I said a little prayer as he drove off with those chickens in a cardboard box I provided because he hadn’t thought to bring a container. I also thrust my leftover chicken feed, cracked corn, grit and pine shavings onto him, while interrogating him on his chicken knowledge...his family has had chickens before, and it sounded like he lived with his extended family. You know, honestly, since I hit my sixties, I find it difficult to trust anyone under fifty, haha!
I told my husband we must have chickens again when we are able! ...But eight was really too many ... five would be the perfect backyard chicken number for us! I LOVED the marvelous eggs they gave us, loved relaxing in an adirondak with a book and a tall glass of sweet tea, and those chickens foraging in their run or the chicken tractor.
Fast forward to this morning. ELEVEN six week old chickens asleep in the henhouse. Minimum order was ten, I said I’ll give five away ...We ordered two of each: golden laced wyandotes, barred rocks, buff orpingtons, easter eggers, black australorps. The good folks at Mount Healthy packed a spare into the little box of day-olds. My husband, who was not completely in the boat when I ordered the chicks, says we can’t possibly give any away until they are grown and we decide which are our favorites!
Every morning when I open the pop door, I toss them a handful of fresh sprouts. Throughout the day, I walk the yard plucking the tastiest weeds for them to snack on. They are still too young to be allowed out of their small covered yard, but I think perhaps this week we’ll let them into the large run, which is going to be wonderful for them. Lots of feral cats around ... my neighbor feeds them, which I think is not a good idea, but we all have our passions, don’t we? So I go out to the henhouse with a broom to shoo away the cats, and observe that the chicks are getting too big to be of interest to them.
Our past flock started laying at twenty two weeks. CANNOT WAIT!
I told my husband we must have chickens again when we are able! ...But eight was really too many ... five would be the perfect backyard chicken number for us! I LOVED the marvelous eggs they gave us, loved relaxing in an adirondak with a book and a tall glass of sweet tea, and those chickens foraging in their run or the chicken tractor.
Fast forward to this morning. ELEVEN six week old chickens asleep in the henhouse. Minimum order was ten, I said I’ll give five away ...We ordered two of each: golden laced wyandotes, barred rocks, buff orpingtons, easter eggers, black australorps. The good folks at Mount Healthy packed a spare into the little box of day-olds. My husband, who was not completely in the boat when I ordered the chicks, says we can’t possibly give any away until they are grown and we decide which are our favorites!
Every morning when I open the pop door, I toss them a handful of fresh sprouts. Throughout the day, I walk the yard plucking the tastiest weeds for them to snack on. They are still too young to be allowed out of their small covered yard, but I think perhaps this week we’ll let them into the large run, which is going to be wonderful for them. Lots of feral cats around ... my neighbor feeds them, which I think is not a good idea, but we all have our passions, don’t we? So I go out to the henhouse with a broom to shoo away the cats, and observe that the chicks are getting too big to be of interest to them.
Our past flock started laying at twenty two weeks. CANNOT WAIT!
