My Crafty Husband...and Some New Chicks

We started off with three one week old chicks, Buff Orpingtons. We were told we had a 50/50 chance of them being hens. We lost. At four months old, the most dominant one, Tara, started her, I mean his pathetic crow. 

Frantic to find the rooster a home, Anna Egg, answered our Craig's List ad. No kidding, her name is Anna Egg. We started to pack Tara up for a car ride and low and behold the other two began crowing. Bad luck. Anna said she'd take all three and I found myself in a Target parking lot doing a “chicken deal.”

The beautifully crafted chicken coop my husband made from scratch, complete with a living roof, sat empty.

Off to the chicken ranch we went. Black Sparrow (Silver Leghorn), Yellow Soup II (another Buff Orpington) and Turk (Transylvanian Naked Neck) came home with us. And, yes, our kids named the chickens.

Addicted at this point, we went back for more...Rhinestone Slipper (miniature cochin) and Crazy Mary (Polish Hen). Rhinestone turned out to be a Roo too and back to the ranch he came from. I hope he wasn't someone's dinner...

Who Knew Raising Chickens Would Be So Much Fun!?

Let me start by saying that I was raised a city girl, only having spent a week at my aunt's farm during my childhood....and even then I don't remember her having chickens only cows with lots and lots of poop! Chickens were never really in my plans. About two years ago my husband, children and I decided to take our “eco-friendly” living to a new level. It began with a small garden that eventually grew to a large organic vegetable garden. Then composting. Soon “sustainability” started to become the forefront of our homestead.

Next, downsizing the cars and riding our bikes as much as possible. You'll know if you're driving next to my husband in his “used volvo.” It smells like McDonald's....yep, the car runs on vegetable oil. He converted it and now he doesn't pay for gas and guess what? It's one less vehicle polluting the air! Oh, and our chickens came next! Ah, the girls...well, the first three turned out to be roosters!

Check back as I'll fill you in on some of our chicken musing, recipes and eco-friendly ideas.