I remember wandering around in the backyard the day after we gave away our last flock of chickens feeling much sadder than I had expected to. It was too quiet. We’d spent over two years with chickens and I guess we got used to having them. Over the following months we gradually forgot all the times that Trudy (our dog) or one of the kids tracked chicken poop into the house (Well, I did. Jonny probably didn’t. He’s more sensitive about poop than I am.) The huge problem of chicken poop on the porch quickly shifted in my mind to the huge emptiness that our flock left behind. When we started talking about chicks this spring I said, “What if we just got six?” Somehow six became seventeen. But seventeen is less than two dozen, which was the size of our last flock.
Right now these new girls (and the one accidental boy) are entertaining us in ways that only chickens can. The Columbian Rock Crosses (white with black around their necks) are the friendliest of the bunch with the Rhode Island Reds in second place. The red Ameraucana seen in several of these photos is a pretty outgoing girl herself. I think she’s the first chicken to try peeking in the kitchen window from atop the recycling can.
Mr. Rooster Doodle is reminding us that roosters like to crow a lot. It’s far more pleasant having just one. I am hoping that he will be a happier guy due to the lack of competition for the ladies. We ended up with four roosters our last go around and it wasn’t the best situation. I want him to work out, I really do.
chicken in trees??? great pics!! (as always!)
I’m glad you have chickens again too. I missed them when they left. They were entertaining from afar. 🙂 We are starting to think about getting chickens too. It’s a bit more difficult in the suburbs, but not impossible!
Yay, they’re back!! We need to get some more layers soon because our others are petering out…
I am so happy for you! I cannot imagine being without our barnyard chickens…. hubby and I have often discussed our *need* for them! I’m glad you shared your flock with us!
If you ever get the chance I would also love to hear more about the eggs. We recently bought 4 acres and I would love to have chickens – however I have a huge garden and to be honest just wouldn’t have patience for them in there so I think they would need a pen. Oh, and one more question, what do your cats think of them? As always, thanks for the inspiration Ginny.
A moveable pen for them would be good. That’s what I would like to have, so that they are moved into new areas regularly to forage without actually free roaming. Our cats don’t really pay attention to the chickens. I want to fence our garden because of both the cats and the chickens! We expect first eggs in August/September.
When we moved into our house 10 years ago the previous owners left their chickens for us. There were only a few, but they were free-range/wild (as wild as the dumb creatures get). When I walked out of the house one morning and there was a chicken next to the front door on the railing, pooping on the porch – that was it! Even if I wanted to deal with poop (and I was dealing with enough poop with a baby in cloth diapers), I didn’t think my guests should have to. Also a friend’s son was on antibiotics for an intestinal parasite for something picked up on their farm. I might have been a little paranoid and hormonal, but I urged my husband and sons to quickly finish fixing up an old shed for a henhouse and fence in a large area for ranging. I don’t feel the least tender toward chickens and only have them for the eggs. If we didn’t have the five acres to keep chickens contained, we probably would not have them and get eggs from our friends instead.
I would love to get chickens. I’m not sure how our neighbors would feel about it though…
I miss chickens, sometimes. But ours kept eating my garden. and when I had to choose….the garden won.
We need to fence our garden!
I love the way our chickens have helped us get to know our neighbors. Just this weekend one escaped, and it became a little party to track her down and catch her. I don’t think the non-chicken keepers can understand just how much personality they have. It’s a lot of poop cleaning off the porch (and we only have ten), but, like you, I would miss them if they were gone.
Love the pictures of yours playing in the trees and peeking in windows!
Your photos are lovely – they’re very pretty birds.
I loved growing up with chickens, although I think they are the dumbest critter God ever made. I don’t remember how many times we three girls got woken up in the middle of the night with the words, “it’s snowing”. We have to get the chickens in. They were too dumb to go into the nice warm barn or the chicken house and instead, stayed outside on tree branches or hiding under bushes and some did freeze to death before we found them. Mom and dad would find them via a flashlight and the yardlight and hand them off to the three of us to carry into the barn. Those who froze ended up on our dinner table the next day or two. I never could figure out why they were so dumb. All of that aside, I loved hearing the rooster crow at dawn (dad only had one at a time) and I found the cluck of the hens a soothing sound. I know. I’m weird.
I keep toying with the idea of not having chickens any longer. The idea doesn’t last long, though. At the present time, and for the past couple of years (since I have had them), I have not had the proper set up for them. I have had to alter stalls in a barn, etc. I think that makes it more of a chore for me having them than it will when we have new stalls and runs and all built when we get to our new place later this summer.
Love my chickens!
Thanks for the pictures. So when will these hens start laying eggs or have they already? (I know nothing of chickens). Love Larkspur’s sooty face!
I think we should have eggs sometime between Late August/Late September.
We have seventeen new ones this year too. . . our goal was fifteen thinking one or two might not make it, but so far, they all seem healthy! Unfortunately, it appears that we have two verified, perhaps three roosters in our bunch so we may have to give away or butcher one or two to keep the flock happy. We will see. I thought one was a rooster from the start (and I was right!) but these other two were surprises.
Our Ameracauna’s are white and dove grey (we have three) and look NOTHING like yours! So interesting to see how differently that variety can look! Those Colombian White Crosses are gorgeous! We have Silver Laced Wyandottes and Barred Rocks along with Ameracauna’s and Buff Orpington’s around here. Looking forward to eggs soon!
And I agree, we went almost two years without chickens and our little homestead seemed empty. I’m happy to have them back (even with dueling crowing roosters!)
Best,
Sarah
We love “chicken TV” over here. Beautiful pictures.
Oh I love a rooster! They are so entertaining to watch, they way they look after their hens is nothing sort of lovable!
Enjoy the fun!
Such a happy-looking flock surrounded by the adoring (and adorable) children. Chuckled at the chook peering in to the house. We ended up with 5 accidental roosters last year, which was an ugly thing in terms of flock dynamics, but once we were down to a manageable *one* rooster, everything settled down nicely. I love listening to his crowing. All day long.
Hilarious that the one tried coming in the kitchen. Perhaps just saying hello. Glad the new flock is working out.
The chickens are pretty, but I like the picture of Cinderella, there! She’s adorable.
I would so love to have some chooks but we just don’t have the space for them here. I shall stare longingly at your pictures instead!
Looks like fun and I love all of your photos, especially the one with Gabe. Larkspur looks like my boys after some time in the yard. I think they actually rub the dirt/mud on their face. Have a great week!
I love the pictures of the chickens in the tree! We had started out wanting 6 chickens, which turned into 10. But, they do bring us quite a bit of joy! My 4 year old daughter is their mama, and treats them accordingly. It is our first year having chickens, and so far we are very happy with it. Me more than my hubby since he is building the chicken coop.