and there they are! Snowdrops! In part sun, part shade, and not even open yet. We’re still waiting for crocus and all of the other bulbs and most anything that’s green, but this is a start! The ducks made a brief appearance on the pond yesterday but their gone today. I’m sure their hiding becauseContinue reading “I Promised…”
The Lovely, Motherly Cochin
If your deciding on breeds of chicken to raise, another fun possibility is the cochin. Cochins originated in China in the 1800s and are now commonly found here in the United States. Their most unique features are their furry feet and legs and their round, fluffy shape. They are just beautiful girls! The hen onContinue reading “The Lovely, Motherly Cochin”
Poop-poop-e-doop
That’s what Michael always said when we were dealing with a really poopy diaper back in the diaper days and it’s my first thought when I step into the chicken coop in the morning. I love to talk about all of the lovely reasons to raise chickens… the eggs, the colors, the educational benefits, theContinue reading “Poop-poop-e-doop”
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day-March 2014
Well I can’t say that I’m the bloom day game just yet, we don’t have any blooms outside. We still have quite a bit of snow and I’ve heard a rumor of more snow possible on Monday. So for now I have to look at the patches of garden where the snowdrops and crocus usuallyContinue reading “Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day-March 2014”
Feathering Out
Baby chicks grow so quickly! We’ve had ours since Saturday and they already have wing feathers. They’ll all be teenagers getting ready for the prom before we know it. Trust me, it’s true! Sleep well, Michele
Our Coop Construction, 2007-Present
Good almost spring morning! I seem to be encountering lots of people who are planning to build or buy a chicken coop these days so I thought I’d share an overview of ours as it was constructed. We didn’t exactly plan the coop before our first batch of chicks arrived in 2007 so our pulletsContinue reading “Our Coop Construction, 2007-Present”
Consider the Australorp
We love our australorps. They’re classic chickens… very beautiful, good layers, just nice to have around. One of ours tends to wander a bit more than the rest of the flock. I once opened our front door to find a neighbor whom I had never met, coming by to tell me that one of ourContinue reading “Consider the Australorp”
They’re Here! Baby Chicks 2014!
What could be in this box? Maddie thinks it sounds familiar She’s heard this before… Yay!! Two buff orpington, a cuckoo maran, a dark cochin, and one gold and one silver laced wyandotte… Soon they were safe and sound in our new brooder. We made it from a bunny cage for protection with a brownContinue reading “They’re Here! Baby Chicks 2014!”
The Chicken Bucket
One of the most important parts of our role as chicken keepers is to provide food for our girls. We do feed them chicken feed and I’ll talk about that at some point, but we also collect everything that we don’t eat into a handy plastic container known as “the chicken bucket.” The chicken bucketContinue reading “The Chicken Bucket”
Beware of the Predators…
…because they are out there and their hungry! I’m not kidding, you do need to think carefully about how to manage the predator population because predators are probably the biggest reason for chicken loss in backyard flocks. Lots of animals prey on chickens and once they have your address they will lurk and lurk, justContinue reading “Beware of the Predators…”
The Salem Garden 