I’m pretending I cannot understand what you said about the chickens and their personalities. I LOVE to eat chicken. Sometimes I tell my friends that if there were only two things (Chicken and Strawberries)to eat in the world that I might well be a happy woman. Of course a little Kentucky bourbon wouldn’t hurt, for medicinal purposes you understand.

Hi Rebekah, I also started raising chickens about 6 weeks ago but I’m still living in the city. My son and daughter-in-law gave me 6 of their chicks to get started. My "City Chicks" as I call them are so much fun to watch. I totally understand now why chicken scratch is called scratch…they each have to scratch the ground and do a little dance while pecking at the scratch while eating. I love to listen to the "girls" when they announce that an egg has been laid. There is so much more I could tell you of the fun of raising chickens. Also, nothing beats having fresh eggs.

Your blog about the chicks is so enlightening (and funny). I have learned things about chickens I didn’t know. I think its amazing that people are raising chickens everywhere, in the city, in the suburbs, as well as in the country. Although I live in an apartment (can’t have chickens), I manage to grow most of my own herbs and have a tomato plant. I frequent the farmers’ markets every weekend (we have many in the Boise ID area where I live). They actually begin in the middle of April and go through fall (one goes until Christmas-time). I, along with some of my friends, have been trying to eat as local and organic as possible and have found that the food tastes so good, and I’m sure it is so much better for us. Anyway, good luck with your chickens. Keep us posted as to their progress.

I love these lessons. I aspire to have chickens this summer. I want to eat them. I also want to have bunnies and eat them, but I bet you I’ll be like you and not be able to. I love Barbie Cochin. Of course you do outdoor chicken daycare. WHat else?
The rocking chair you can use to sit in and rock the chickens. How nice that will be.(well, there will be that chicken bedding, but still, you’re used to the smell by now anyway.) thanks for sharing and inspiring and encouraging.

Oh I do love the baby chicks. I get them every spring and enjoy all their lovely personalities. One trick I learned is to have space in the coop for a chair but don’t leave it in the coop. It will get yucky because the birds will use it. Also if you grow lavender in your garden you can harvest it and put the dried stems and flowers in your coop it will keep bugs away and makes your coop smell fresh. I mix it in with pine shavings. There is nothing in the summer that beats a good chair by the coop and a nice glass of wine. Have fun and enjoy. Vivian from http://www.gardengatelavender.com and http://www.womenfarmers.org.

Love reading your post, had a good laugh over your lessons, very funny and relevant too. Love what you’re doing with your farm too. Look forward to reading more posts 🙂 take care.

I Loved reading your post about your chickens. I too have started raising chickens I started off with 6 little Buff Orbingtons, they were just so cute and fluffy but yes they grew so fast and then became 5 Roos and 1 hen. We have been able to find homes for 4 of our Roos and now our Henry is so happy with his little Millie and there will be 7 new hens for him it was so nice to watch the two chickens get to know each other and Bond they hang with each other all day isn’t Love Wonderful

I feel so good when I read your everyday happenings and I always find wisdom that I can use in my life in suburbia. Even though there is a lot of work on your farm, it looks idyllic! I love the random surprise flowers, your freshly mowed fields and your farm critters. What lovely pictures. Even though a lot of us wish we were where you are, we can all learn to be joyful and to "bloom where we are planted". Am looking forward to your next adventure.

A few years back, I shared to an online friend that I was having a LARGE mouse problem and that they were eating my tomatoes. He told me to JUST get a couple of snakes (I can’t remember the type) and problem solved…He even said that he could get me a couple! I have no doubt that the snakes would work, however I would be levitating over my garden and not be able to weed. Good job with accepting the value of the black snake!
I am so happy that you have some beautiful flowering surprises! With more space comes more possibilities…

Purple flower…maybe wild flox, at least that’s what I call them. Spring is an insane time, I think where ever there is "real" winter, not tropics winter! We have a cabin on a lake and a city home, we are completely insane with all the work! Too cold yet for gardens, so that is not done. Love it all though!

Rebekah, I’m glad you are able to deal with your snake. I too hate snakes, there was one in my chicken yard the other day and my husband assured me it was a garter snake, harmless, except for the fact snakes like to eat your eggs and baby chicks, (just saying) my husband use to take the big black snakes and kings snakes and relocate them since they are considered good snakes, the king snakes anyway because they eat all of the bad snakes and mice I suppose. I agree with the other lady I believe the purple flowers are some type of wild phlox. I would still get a couple of barn cats if you could, they usually dont bother the chicks. oh and now for the whole point I was writing, and this may sound a little goofy, but the way you can tell if your chick is a roo or not is pick it up blow on the feathers on his/her backend and you will see a slit, if it is horizontal it is a hen, vertical it is a rooster. (I know it sounds a little gross but that is how the guy at the farm store told me how to sex your chickens.) and it has always proven to be right for me. just saying. oh well we shall see….Be Blessed and keep having fun on your farm. Neta

I am so glad you decided to try raised beds. I love ours and it is so much easier and we don’t have to have a big ole tiller, I can do the garden myself and not wait for my husband to get home from work to till the garden.

My chickens are laying eggs like crazy, can’t wait to see what happens when yours start laying, it will be so much fun to gather the eggs.

Congrats on the snake tolerance. I hate mice with the same passion that you hate snakes and was happy to have a snake around, even though I would still jump ten feet back at the sight on one. Our old farmer neighbor told us once that those big black rat snakes would drive away the venomous ones. Not sure if that’s true but possibly, because we never saw any poisonous snakes. And you know NC’s reputation for rattlesnakes. Or do you? Maybe you didn’t want to know that! Sorry. Yep, I know you’re exhausted but it’s a good kind of tired! And such a sweet pic of your sleeping daughter.

Your large bush is some kind of Rhododendron (say that 5 times fast!), not sure what kind. Beautiful though!