Hello from Southern Oregon!

Hello! I was browsing around last night and found this site! Have to say I've already been through quite a few links and reading different things on chickens. I started my small flock in 2007 with 5 straight run of Easter Eggers (though the Co-op we got them from labeled them as Araucanas). We ended up with 3 hens and 2 roosters. The next year we decided we would get more chicks for our flock and bought 8 more chicks. Don't quite remember what exactly they were. A couple years later we bought a few more chicks. Once again do not remember what they were called.

2 years ago we were given a beautiful Rhode Island rooster who had been rescued from an abusive home. We ended up being the perfect parents for him since we no longer had roosters. One had become rogue and had taken to spurring me when I went to feed. The other our dog got the idea one day to eat. Our rooster is a fairly happy fella his name is Ole Joe. He has had three owners in his life we are not sure how old he is exactly. The first owner did not know how to care for chickens and left her chickens out during the winter without shelter. Ole Joe was the only one to survive. He lost half of all his toes and his feet are a bit twisted now. He walks with quite the amusing strut due to his feet being the way they are. His second owner ended up with a younger rooster who took to beating on poor Ole Joe. So the owner finding out that I was raising my own chickens spoke with me. I told him I would be glad to give the old fella a home.

We've had some of our hens pass away leaving us with a very small flock. But believe it or not two of our very first chickens are still living and laying up a storm. They have been such wonderful layers and been more dependable then any of our newer chickens. This year we are trying out a new breed for us. We've never seen them sold out here in the Co-op before this year. We did some research on our phones when we saw that the Co-op had some new chicks in. Our choices were Orpington's and Plymouth Rocks. We decided to try out the Plymouth Rocks due to the information we found out they were more hardly birds for colder weather and great layers. So here's to trying new things. We have 12 very healthy chicks and they are about 8 weeks old.

Our 3 yr old daughter loves the chickens. She helps her daddy collect eggs and feed them. We do sell the eggs for a small profit since we get more eggs then we can ever eat in a lifetime! My husband works in one of DirecTv's call centers so there is always someone wanting our eggs. Our daughter takes pride in having our chickens because she gets the money from selling the eggs and gets to put the money into her savings account so that some day she might be able to go to college. Here's a picture of her with one of our new chicks. She thought it was so cute until it pooped on her arm.

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