Chickens!

Almost a week ago, we got chickens! Wait, let me go back. A few months ago, someone in our co-op preschool asked if the school would like some chickens. I responded that if the school didn't want them, then I'd be interested. I've been obsessed with getting chickens ever since I wrote an article on Urban Homesteading and keeping chickens. Unfortunately our school wanted them but the church which houses our school was not able to have the chickens on their property which meant the chickens were mine! I discussed the chickens with Scott who said he was completely against the idea and that if I took them that they would be 100% my responsibility. I thanked him for his honestly and decided to take on chicken farming!

On Sunday afternoon, my brother met me at the chicken house to transport the coop back to my house. The previous owner loaded the girls into a cat carrier and then helped load up my brother's truck. He also gave me enough food for a few weeks and all the supplies I would need to care for chickens.

Scott did help unload the coop from the truck and then helped me get everything arranged for the chickens. Molly helped me line their bedding with pine shavings and loved putting straw in their nesting boxes. We then woke Maggie up from her nap to shoo the chickens from the cat carrier they were loudly bocking in and into their coop home. They stayed in the coop for a few days until I could get a chicken run built. It's temporary until I can get a nicer and studier one built but I wanted them to be able to roam free(ish).

The girls LOVE having chickens and go out in the morning with me to release them from their coop. They named them Mermaid, Bock, Rainbow Dash and Flutterfly. They love feeding them garden rubbish and leftover fruit. They however are terrible at helping me clean out the coop! I did a quick clean out this morning and I was impressed with how quick it was. I think I was out there for about 10 minutes. I plan to do a quick weekly clean-out and a more through one monthly. No one likes to live in a dirty coop.

The chickens have been busy laying eggs. Not everyone is laying right now which is to be expected with the stress of the move. We have however already gotten 11 eggs. The first dozen is going to my brother as a thank you for his help moving the girls. One more to go until I get to have my first eggs from my hens.