Thank you everyone. You've made me feel so welcome and I love some of your ideas and some made me smile. I'm always eager for a smile.
I'm not worrying yet. I have to play it slow and easy and talk fresh eggs and food shortages are acomin' and suchlike. It was the thought of possible food shortages that got him to agree to my raised veggie beds and he's enjoyed the best-tasting veggies, considering we had too much rain in July and it drowned most home gardens in this area.
I know I'd like to have a couple Eastereggers just for the fun of colorful eggs and a variety of other birds that can tolerate Maine winters. We'd have to build a henhouse for them and I want it solid and insulated against our bitter cold winters and two runs so they can have access to one at a time, so grasses can be allowed to grow a bit between chicken access. My brain is working overtime on this project but I don't want to start in the winter. Come spring I hope to bring you good news and until then I'm going to absorb all I can from this board about chickens.
Thanks again.
quiltbea
welcome to byc. Maybe you should find someone local with fresh eggs, slip some of these to your son. As soon as he tastes farm fresh eggs he'll be sold and won't want store bought eggs anymore.
Chickens are just the most useful animals. I never appreciated them until my husband suggested getting chickens and the idea began to grow on us. Chickens eat bugs, they produce fertilizer which can be used in the garden (after composting) and they provide a wonderful source of food with many uses - EGGS! I am also finding the chickens very amusing to watch. I honestly believe they have a calming affect. The kids LOVE the chickens and are willing and eager to get involved in the daily "chicken chores", which really are not that labor intensive.
Some of our neighbors (we live in a suburban area) have asked, "Aren't chickens dirty?" and my answer is not if we keep them clean.
We have chosen to keep only pullets and hens so neighbors don't even know we have chickens unless we tell them.