- Jul 14, 2012
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I'm from Michigan orginally, moving to Arkansas 10yrs ago to get away from the cold. And boy is it HOT here, but you never have to shovel it! A few months ago I moved to the Ozark mountains, after falling in love with a "country boy." Now I have fruit trees, vegetable, herb and flower gardens, outside and inside dogs (I brought the Yorkie) and...2 chickens! I wouldn't have believed anyone if anyone had told me I'd be cuddleing chickens one day.
In early May we attended the spring festival at Baker Creek Seed Company (www.rareseeds.com) in Mansfield, MO. Just something to do. My country guy had told me about the place and couldn't wait to take me there. While wandering the lanes and checking out the booths, I spied a small cage of beautiful little chicks. These weren't just your basic little yellow guys, these were beautifully multi-colored. Well, you can guess what happened next. We had talked about getting chickens sometime in the future, but I wasn't really big on the idea. All that changed in a flash! I picked up one of the darlings, turned to my guy and said, "Can I have this?" He said, "of course." Then as we were about to pay the man, I suggested that maybe it wasn't a good idea to get just one. The rest is history!
Marigold and Hollyhock lived in the laundry room on top of the dryer for a short time. Then we moved them outdoors during the day. A friend gave up a small cage and one considerably bigger. After a short time, they were outside full time. I was holding both of them in my lap when they were little. Now one of them is a lapful all by herself...not mentioning any names, but the flower she's named after is othen thought to keep rabbits out of your garden. We still haven't gotten a coop built, but that will change soon. While discussing building a chicken tractor, I suggested using a folding dog pen that wasn't being used. We zip tied chicken wire to it, and it works great. It's light enough to pick up and move, giving "the girls" new territory every couple of days. I never thought I would find chicken watching so interesting and fun. Now, I really get, "pecking order." The girls are interesting and fun! Their interations can be quite comical.
So, now once we get the coop built, I want to get 4 more "girls." We look forward to enjoying their eggs. We want to say as close to "organic" as we can. The closest place to buy organic chicken feed is 2 hours away, so I'm checking out online sources. It was a Sunday evening when we first brought them home and I had no idea what to feed them. I called a friend who has chickens and she said to give them cooked oatmeal. Though reluctant because I thought they needed dry food, they proved me wrong. Now I am still cooking up a big pan of oatmeal a couple of times a week. Marigold recognizes the bowl and dives in before I can get it in the cage! Holly is such a priss, wiping off her beak after every couple bites. We eat a lot of fruits and veggies, so there is no shortage of treats.
So, long story short...I love my girls!
In early May we attended the spring festival at Baker Creek Seed Company (www.rareseeds.com) in Mansfield, MO. Just something to do. My country guy had told me about the place and couldn't wait to take me there. While wandering the lanes and checking out the booths, I spied a small cage of beautiful little chicks. These weren't just your basic little yellow guys, these were beautifully multi-colored. Well, you can guess what happened next. We had talked about getting chickens sometime in the future, but I wasn't really big on the idea. All that changed in a flash! I picked up one of the darlings, turned to my guy and said, "Can I have this?" He said, "of course." Then as we were about to pay the man, I suggested that maybe it wasn't a good idea to get just one. The rest is history!
Marigold and Hollyhock lived in the laundry room on top of the dryer for a short time. Then we moved them outdoors during the day. A friend gave up a small cage and one considerably bigger. After a short time, they were outside full time. I was holding both of them in my lap when they were little. Now one of them is a lapful all by herself...not mentioning any names, but the flower she's named after is othen thought to keep rabbits out of your garden. We still haven't gotten a coop built, but that will change soon. While discussing building a chicken tractor, I suggested using a folding dog pen that wasn't being used. We zip tied chicken wire to it, and it works great. It's light enough to pick up and move, giving "the girls" new territory every couple of days. I never thought I would find chicken watching so interesting and fun. Now, I really get, "pecking order." The girls are interesting and fun! Their interations can be quite comical.
So, now once we get the coop built, I want to get 4 more "girls." We look forward to enjoying their eggs. We want to say as close to "organic" as we can. The closest place to buy organic chicken feed is 2 hours away, so I'm checking out online sources. It was a Sunday evening when we first brought them home and I had no idea what to feed them. I called a friend who has chickens and she said to give them cooked oatmeal. Though reluctant because I thought they needed dry food, they proved me wrong. Now I am still cooking up a big pan of oatmeal a couple of times a week. Marigold recognizes the bowl and dives in before I can get it in the cage! Holly is such a priss, wiping off her beak after every couple bites. We eat a lot of fruits and veggies, so there is no shortage of treats.
So, long story short...I love my girls!
When I lived there I remember ppl saying there were 2 seasons in the UP...winter and the 4th of July! And I remember more than once, wearing a coat to watch the fire works. Enjoy your summer!!
from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. Great intro. Thanks for sharing. 
