Little story of the Incident that cemented my decision to get hens...

[equine chick]

Wait til you get your first egg! You will know exactly what goes into your chickens and thus your eggs. By the way tell your boss, those eggs in the store well they are 4-6 weeks old before they even get to his store.

 

[JamesInCorona]

Really like your outlook CSWolffe...very similar here
We've had our 4x girls now for 6 weeks and love them...2x Rhode Island Reds, 2x Silver Wyandottes.
We had been wanting them for years and finally took the jump so to speak...
We have lots of sore muscles from building the pen the last few weekends, and the coop is coming this weekend...but it's worth every minute/dollar we've put into it.
We also didn't like the way chickens in these egg production facility's are treated, it's horrible...just deplorable conditions.
Already at 6 weeks, our hens/girls follow us around the pen, and crawl into our lap when we sit down.

Wishing you the best


James in Corona

 

[CSWolffe]

I just moved them out of the brooder to the coop a few days ago. The run is still under construction, so they are confined to the coop. No chance to see if they will follow me around just yet. Every time I open the door to feed them or water them or offer a treat, they do come running. Often comically, skidding and sliding about in the bedding. They don't mind being touched, but don't seem to like being held.
I have two windows in the coop, one up high and a smaller one low on the opposite wall for cross-ventilation. The smaller one opens up over my compost piles, and one fun side-effect is what my wife now calls ChickTV. They spend hours at a time crowded in front of the smaller window, snatching at all the flies buzz about. Hey, free food and it keeps them mentally stimulated!

 

[JulieNKC]

The eggs are great, and chickens make wonderful pets. I love mine, wish I hadn't waited so long to get them.

 

[SIMPleChick]

I grew up in San Diego and have lived all over the US, Chicago, DC, etc...grew up buying everything at a market. I love the city life but I always felt a little disconnected except when I visited my uncle in Idaho. I think we have gotten SOOOOO far away from what it means to be self reliant/sufficient and forget what it really takes to survive and make our food. This is our first year with chickens and we are aving SOOO much fun! Chickens are amusing and good for so many things! We should be getting our first eggs any day now! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!! The good thing about chickens too is that if there is an emergency, natural disaster, I have eggs and meat if needed, we won't be able to ge fresh food from stores in the event of a huge earthquake of something. My husband and I want to move and get property so we can get milking goats next!!! LOL! One step at a time! But for NOW, CHICKENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[suebe333]

thats funny, people are so goofy about color. I have some white layers too and when I give someone eggs I always throw whites in too, and they are like? are those store ones in there?

 

[ChIcKeN_DiNnErS]

I'm new to the chicken scene myself, I've got 5 almost 3 week old chicks that live in my dining room right now and they are wonderful to have a round. We will start on a tractor coop this weekend. We too have wanted to be self reliant and teach our kids where food really comes from, and we are slowly but surely making our way there

. My mother in law Maggie would get two dozen fresh eggs from a lady that would send her daughter over for music lessons and that was how she paid her each week. Maggie gave us some because she just had too many to eat herself, OH HEAVEN!!

Loved them! ~Drool Drool ~
The children are delighted that we have them and are constantly wanting to hold and pet them lol. I can't wait to have my own fresh eggs! I know that they will taste WAY better than the ones from the store.
I agree it is crazy how many people don't know or prefer not to think about where the food from the store derives from. I really can't understand how someone could eat say a fish or steak or whatever type of animal, but cannot eat an animal that was raised on a farm or had gotten hunting because it had a face. Do they not realize the food that is shrink wrapped in the refrigerated/freezer sections had faces too??

I'm glad you and your family are having a blast with your chickens, I love reading about everyone's chickens and their experiences. Hope to hear more! Good luck on your bee discovery!

 

[ChicksterJo]

That is great that you have made the decision to keep chickens!

Now that you are indoctrinated, so to speak, you will soon learn the ways of chicken math...

I also enjoy living in a city but I am a farm girl at heart. I lived in the middle of Chicago and while I loved the different types of food available there, I also yearned to be grounded and reconnect with my food, literally. I was lurking on BYC for a few months but once I graduated from college and got back home, I knew I had to get chickens. It's the first step...the next is to buy land and get more chickens

I wonder what will your boss say if you gave him white eggs from your chickens, if you happen to have white egg layers, and the eggs had really orange yolks? That wouldn't be logical based on what he told you.

 

[CSWolffe]

Chicken Math! I was wondering how long it would take for that phrase to show up!
I have a friend who experienced Ferret Math, so I am familiar with the concept. I have steeled my soul against additional birds. City ordinances only allow six. I want to add to my flock in two or three years when my girls stop laying well, and to do that, I -have- to keep my flock to four birds now. This is a problem for me though. Anticipating a fatality and possible a roo, we actually got six birds from the local Farmers Co-Op, planning on giving any extras that survive to a friend in the country who runs an egg-c-op. The problem is, I've gotten attached to all six! I'm kinda actually hoping one turns out to be a roo, so the decision is easier for me. We started out with a RIR, a Golden Sex Link, an Australorp, a Cuckoo Marans, a S L Wyandotte and a Speckled Sussex. My wife likes the two 'ginger ones', as she calls them. the RIR and the Sex Link, leaving me to pick the other two. Well the Sussex turned out to be a second Wyandotte, and as I love that breed I will pick one of them. The Austra is much more friendly than the Marans, who is rather spazzy, so I think we will keep her. And I already have my next two breeds picked out, I want my Sussex, and a Barnevelder too.
Maybe I can wait two or three years.
I plan on getting bees next spring, so maybe that will keep me distracted...

 

[Matthew3590]

Quote:
You could always be an "outlaw" the life is quite good actually.