Howdy from the Foothills of NC!

I'm fairly new to chickens. This is our second year. We have two hens and a rooster. We began with 6 hens, but our two dogs killed 4 of them. (Didn't realize that the invisible fence battery had drained!) We are planning to add 5 more hens later in the summer. We'll have separate coop and run for the new ones, so they'll be no squabbling. We like to turn our chickens out for a "stroll" in the evening, but generally keep them in the run during the day. (When we leave them out all day, they like to visit our neighbor!...not good!!!) We have a wooded lot, which used to be teeming with ticks...now...no ticks! Our chickies are Rhode Island Reds, I think! I found out about BYC through Google. Some of my other hobbies are gardening, (veggies and flowers), hiking, tent camping, reading. My family: Me and my precious husband, two sons, and two dogs (Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and Black Lab). I am amazed at how the Lord has blessed me!