The best part of having chickens

[Our Roost]

Hmmm, you would think the response would be the meat and fresh eggs they supply, but in reality thats not all they give us. I started out raising chickens over 4 years ago in an effort to share time with the grandchildren and teach them how chickens could be a valuable asset as well as to make them more responsible in lifes journey. Turns out that we were the ones that learned and became addicted! Chickens can be very sociable especially if you have or havent got special treats or food for them! A gentle coo can turn into an upset squawk depending on if you come bearing gifts or not. They have mood swings just like us humans and are very dependant of us to care for them in certain ways. They always seem to return the favor in more ways than I can express. I have found they all have individual personalities including the roosters.Getting greeted by a flock full of hungry birds is what I like best about a trip to the coop. The welcome mat is always there and they are glad you came!

 

[threescompany]

The best part about raising/having chickens for me has been that it is allowing me to use my mind in ways I had not before. I did not grow up with chickens and really do not know exactly why it became so interesting to me in these later years. I am up "with the chickens" and caring for them everyday before I go to work and it is so satisfying that the care results in the most delicious eggs I have ever had! I even ate an egg over easy for the first time this year! I am reading constantly, trying to find the best practices and advice and it makes your brain work! Creates new pathways. And on top of it all , my girls are so happy to see me everyday because I am the food lady. The best part of having chickens is....Chickens!!

 

[tnspursfan09]

how bout a recipe!

It's pretty easy...few steps so that she can do it herself. She's just now learning about different flours and baking powder, soda and yeast. She's been making these for a couple of months now and makes them frequently because we like them so much.

Maddy's Cheddar Garlic Plop Biscuits

Self-rising flour
Shredded cheddar
Garlic powder (lots)
Onion powder
Pepper
Pinch of salt
Cold butter sliced and diced
Milk

Mix first seven ingredients with your hands then add milk until gloopy enough to plop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 425 until they start to brown.

Sometimes we brush the tops with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.

 

[Stephyhankyou]

Nice to hear your story, I hope for the same soon..as were getting chicks this week end. I was wondering, when they get old enough and go outside to the coop, what time of the day is one expected to show up for feed time..and do they run on a scedueal. I hate to think we have to be out there at six in the morning.
We will not be have roosters for the neighborhood noise level.
Thanks,
Stephanie

 

[Our Roost]

Ha Ha! No rooster eh! Feeding and watering the chickens depends on you mostly. Set a routine that "you" can follow. Trust they will adapt. Both your feeders and water dish should have leftovers in them from the day before and most likely only need topped off with more food and water. A rooster would surely tell you he is back on watch in the morning! The females will cackle if your late and when its egg laying time. You will definitely learn the difference! Enjoy and learn.

 

[lazy gardener]

Stephanie: Your life is about to go through a drastic change. Your sleep habits will change. Your gait pattern will change. You will never look at kitchen left overs the same again. As a matter of fact, you will never even look at your yard the same again. They will expect you to show up bright and early, along with the sun, every morning. And they will expect you to bear gifts of treats. Your gait will change to a shuffling step, often with a bit of a toe flick out to the side with each step. You will watch the ground at all times so you don't step on a chicken, because they will be swarming around your feet, and you don't want to step on any chicken bombs. You will carefully guard any left over scraps from dinner, lest your hubby throw them away. 3 peas, that bit of fat from the pork chops, the little morsels scraped out of the pan... you'll savor those little bits and trot out to the coop, just to watch the flock devour them. When you're in the yard, you'll flip over rocks, just to find the tasty bugs lurking there, and you may even buy yourself a butterfly net... On Saturday morning, when you have a rare chance to sleep in, you just can't sleep, because you'll hear them calling your name. So you'll shuffle out to the coop in your jammies to let the girls out to greet the sun. But you won't mind, because the morning is beautiful, and you can always sneak back to bed after greeting the morning with your flock. So, you've been warned... you're about to become a crazy chicken lady.

 

[carikermoon]

 

[silkielover64]

Another reason I love my silkies,Is their eggs are far more tastier than the regular chickens. I have a small silkie that lays green eggs and the yolk is to die for.I also love my other birds too of course.

 

[Stephyhankyou]

thanks for the info.we already save vegetable for our the compost..so were some what condition Ed.
Can I ask, do u keep there feeder and water in the coop? I hear conflicting stories. Varmints tend to try getting inside if food is there?
I want to locate it in the right place.

 

[lazy gardener]

Varmints will try to get into your coop, no matter what. That's why you need to make it predator proof. seal all openings with 1/2" hardware cloth. Shut the flock inside each and every night. I feed the flock outside from April through October, and move the feed and water inside when temps are consistently below freezing. I use fermented feed, so there's never any food left over at night. If there does happen to be some when it's outside, I cover it up to keep vermin from finding it. (My poultry run is electro-net, so coons and such critters don't have access.) Any feeder left accessible at night is a welcome mat for mice, rats, and even more nasty and dangerous creatures.