These pages will be dedicated to my experience with keeping chickens, and perhaps a resource to those who may be thinking of following the same path. My ladies are part of a total vision to become as self-sufficient as I am able. Their purpose is to provide fresh organic eggs, insect control and yard fertilization.
In the spring of 2013, we purchased a small coop, and six darling chicks...three reds and three leghorns. We kept them inside and watched them grow daily. It was amazing to me. When it warmed up, and they were not chicks but pullets, I got them outside FAST.
We have a large dog kennel, half roofed. We transferred the coop to the dog kennel and enclosed any gaps and the top with chicken wire. Mostly we let them have the run of the yard, and they went back to the coop/kennel in the evenings.
It was so rewarding to me to find the first egg, I got on the phone and made the announcement to friends and family...they're so patient with me. It'll be almost a year with them in a couple months, and I've learned a lot. I worried about them this winter, it has been a brutally cold one. I think supplementing their feed with canned and cracked corn, and whole and rolled oats has helped them combat the cold. They are amazing creatures, so primitive.
The eggs are delicious, much better than store bought ones and have lots of fertilizer for yard and gardens. So far I am still somewhat enchanted. I thought I was a pragmatic person, until I thought about using the chickens themselves as a food source, and realized that I am more sissy than pragmatic.
Elfscooter
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