3yrs ago for Easter my dad decided to be really funny and give the kids chicks. He bought ten figuring that at least a couple would die, especially with all of our kids! Wouldn't you know it, all 10 lived! Only one turned out to be a rooster, and he was relocated as soon as he found his lungs. : ) Funny that our neighbor across the street started hearing him crow a couple of days before we did. Oops! They really were fun to have around, not to mention a great learning experience for the kids (and Aaron and myself as well). I did more reading about chickens in one month than I ever thought I would do in my whole life!
Unfortunately when we moved out here, the chickens couldn't join us. Thankfully we have some wonderful cousins who are also chicken crazy, so they let our chickens go and live with theirs. As far as I know, as least some of them are still around! lol Minus the snotty chickens that started causing problems. Really, what is this world coming to when the chickens cause problems! ; ) But hey, the benefit there is that even as they meet their demise, they're still useful! (my sister will dry heave at that statement, if not actually throw up)
I hooked up to another blog through a friend today, and wouldn't you know it...pictures of chickens! Barred rock hens too...which were my favorite, despite the fact that I never got my little barred rock banty!
After grocery shopping yesterday (gasp! shock and dismay at the rapidly rising prices!!!), I REALLY missed them. It used to cost around $10/month to feed our 9 hens, and they'd usually each lay one egg a day. So, you figure 9 x 30...270....270/12....22 1/2 dozen eggs a month. For less than $2 more than I paid last night for 5 dozen eggs! Really. If I had the option (drawback to HOA, which, what do they do again???), I would have driven my little self to IFA out in good old Cedar Fort this very morning and bought me some chicks. I'm sure it costs more than that for feed now, and we'd have to figure in the cost of building a coop and all that good stuff, but I really do miss them. And not just for the eggs. Believe it or not, they really do make great pets!
And despite what Aaron says-he loved those birds, especially miss Squirly! : )
Hmmm.....maybe if I bribe Heidi with some chicken feed, she'll trade me for some fresh eggs??
They're not laying so well... They're getting older and sort of loosing their "spunk". They are beautiful birds though...
ReplyDeleteThe eggs they lay they have started EATING! We had a couple of naughty chickens that we couldn't catch, and they've taught the rest of the lot to be naughty egg eaters too!
We actually just got some new chicks so that we can start "replacing" the chickens... I have a few extra if you want to build a movable coop or something! You're welcome to a few birds! I won't tell anyone! ;)
Awwww-I'd love too! But unfortunately I don't think some of my neighbors out here would be as gracious about not telling! I forgot that they laying decreases-time to cycle some chickens!
ReplyDeleteLike I said-what is this world coming to, that your chickens are snaking your eggs? lol Do time-outs work for chickens? I'm guessing a Queen of Hearts approach would work better! ; )
How fun to get some new chicks-I loved that!
My Dad has owned chickens my whole life, and since I take no interest in animals, I don't miss them at all. I'm totally with you though on missing fresh eggs, especially with the current store price of them.
ReplyDeleteyou are sick!
ReplyDeleteCatey... I enjoy your blog... and I got a kick out of this post... My only question... Where was that rooster relocated once he found his lungs? Every morning if I have the window open I can still hear a rooster crow... I actually kind of enjoy it. Did you guys give the rooster away to someone closeby?
ReplyDelete-Brad
Brad, Nope-he went to Sugarhouse to live with Brian and Heidi's chickens! : ) But I know there were a couple of others not too far away that had chickens back when we lived there, as we occasionally heard the phantom crow as well. How's your family doing? We'd love to see you guys sometime!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind a chicken or two but I would mind having to clean up after them. Plus, I have an issue with supporting the companies that keep 3 hens stuffed inside a tiny cage and then never let them out. Not a friendly life for a chicken SO I chose to purchase the eggs from "free roaming" hens, which are about $3.50 a dozen. Think about how much money I'd save!!! Do you think the HOA would mind me having some free-roaming hens in my backyard? They can't be any worse than the innumerable amount of uncared for dogs we have in tons of back yards in our area! I think we should try it and maybe they'll get grandfathered in :)
ReplyDeleteSo, why is Aaron wearing those glasses in the picture? Is it so the chickens won't PECK OUT HIS EYES?
ReplyDeleteGreat pets, huh?!?!?
rofl! He's wearing the glasses b/c he had been rebuilding part of the nesting boxes and didn't want wood chips in his eyes! : ) We have lots of pictures of the kids loving on the chickens....safely.....with no safety goggles and no pecked out eyes! ; )
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