Current Chicken Status

As of today, we have eight chickens and one rooster.  Over the course of the past few years, we've gone from starting with sixteen hens to three dozen to what we have now.  This includes hatching our own and ordering day old chicks on line from McMurrary Hatchery. 

When we ordered the chicks on line, we had no idea what to expect.  They came on Memorial Day one year.  They were shipped overnight through the US Post office.  Sure enough we got call on Memorial Day that the chicks were in and to please come pick them up as soon as possible.  When we got to the loading dock, there on a shelf was not just our box of chicks but three others.  The box was very small compared to what we expected.  It was about the size of small box of pears you would get online.  And there were holes everywhere.  We got the chicks home and had a child's small plastic pool ready to go for them, water and food.  Little did I know that when you first pick up the baby chick, you have to put their beak in the water then the food so they know where they eat and drink.  Farmer Ken knew this, but neglected to tell me, so here are 36 chicks chirping away and as quickly as we could, picked them up one by one and introduced them to their first drink and eat!

It was very exiting and they were so cute.  They are a little ball of fuzz.  I am happy to say we did not lose one chick.  But that was quite a few years ago and since then we've hatched our own.  It's truly amazing to watch a hen raise a chick.  She showed them everything.  How to scratch for food and drink.  How to get warm up under her wings.  It was very cool to see and she did all the work.  We only had to observe and make sure there was fresh water and food.

Living with Chickens

One day, about 2003ish, my husband comes home and tells me that we're going to raise chickens.  I said sure we are.  A few weeks later in the mail comes this chicken book.  The book is called, " Living with Chickens: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Backyard Flock".  So, I'm looking at this book and thinking that he's playing one good joke on me.  But why on earth would he get a hard cover book to pull a prank.  It was a real nice looking book with lots of pictures and very easy to follow.

I breeze through the book, put it aside and forget about it and the talk of chickens.

Now it's sometime in the Spring.  The air is getting warm, the nights are pleasantly crisp and we get to start enjoying our backyard.  My husband comes home, let's just call him Farmer Ken, and tells me that we have to start getting a chicken coop ready.  Why?  I ask.  He says because we're getting an already full grown flock of chickens, rooster too!  NOW I believe him!

That weekend I watch as Farmer Ken enlists his friend Dane and they move an old shed to the back of the yard.  Now I really believe him.  After a few alterations to the shed, ie roosting bars (basically broom handles); Nesting boxes 9 to be exact; a recycled window; a small door unto which the future chickens can exit and enter their new home and lastly a fence with a nice size yard to it.

After the preparation is done, Farmer Ken shows up with these chickens, at 8:30 at night!  You see, when you move them to a new 'home' it has to be done at dark.  That way, they know where to sleep.  I'm not kidding.  Well, 16 beautiful chickens arrived and one very healthy, large, red rooster. 

This is the book that Farmer Ken brought home

 

and you too can still get this book.  It's available at Amazon for a mere $11.00!

Stay tuned, more to come.

Fresh Eggs

Here's a tid bit on free range eggs. 

They are fresh and there are a few less bugs in the world.

More to come on fresh eggs.

Don't forget to follow up with my future posts on "Fresh Eggs".

They're what's good for you!

The picture above shows some of the eggs that my chickens laid yesterday!

Topiaries

I just love topiaries. And I highly encourage anyone to purchase the faux ones.  They are extremely easy to maintain and you can't kill them!  I had two beautiful double ball topiaries from Walmart last summer for a mere $35 a piece.  They were beautiful on either side of my front black door.  When Fall hit, that's when I found out that they were not winter hardy, they were actually tropical from Australia.  Now, if I had a greenhouse, they still would be with me.  Lessons learned, it's ok to buy faux plants!  

Following I'm showing a few from Ballard Designs

Angel Vine Topiary

Ballard Designs

Boxwood Topiaries

Ballard Designs 

 

This is a topiary that I found at Marshalls.  

I have the exact match on the window next to it. 

Both cost me $12.00

So my advice is to look at HomeGoods, Marshalls and TJ Max.

Fern Party

Here is what I call a Fern Party.  I have three small ferns and a pansy in the cutest pots
and basket with a miniature welcome sign.

Ingredients:

1 bag of variety mosses

Pot 1: Single Maidenhair Fern

Pot 2: Lemon Button

Pot 3: Silver Lace

Pot 4: pansy of your choosing!

 1 small and really cute sign and the basket is about 11" in width and contains a metal pan.

Overhead view

 Hope you find this small table top welcome of ferns as inviting as my guests do!

Following are the sources:

Pots, basket with aluminum pan inside and sign: Shutters, Fair Haven, NJ

Ferns and moss package: Sickels, Little Silver, NJ

Noticing the little stuff always,
Suzanne