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The Husband & The Chickens

No, the husband is NOT a chicken but we’re spending a lot of time these days discussing my chickens, a chicken tractor and chicken coup.

No, silly!  Not that kind of chicken . . this kind of chicken:

And, for the record, because I know there are some out there just waiting to peck my eyeballs out . . I’m not going to eat my chickens.  Not ever!  My chickens will be happy chickens and they can live with me as long as they wish and if ever I can’t keep them any longer, I’ll find a good home for them.  OK . . got that out of the way!

Last night Vince was sitting in his chair looking at a chicken magazine.  I’m sitting across the room doing work  .. yes, real work on the computer. His laptop is sitting right next to him, turned on, warmed up and ready to go.

Vince:   Go to this website.  (Me going to the website to look at something he wants me to look at is kinda like me calling the car mechanic with Vince standing behind me telling me what to say and then the car mechanic telling me something and I have to relay it back to Vince and then he tells me what to say to the mechanic and I’m thinking why don’t YOU talk to the mechanic?)
Me:  YOU go to the website.  I don’t know what you want me to look up.
Vince:  What kind of chickens they recommend.
I do as I’m told. Good Judy!
Me: (now on website)  Do you want “standard breed baby chicks” or “Bantam baby chicks”? (Knowing that whatever he says first, then he’ll send me back to the other one and still wondering why he isn’t looking them up himself and knowing he eventually will.)
Vince:  Standard
Me:  OK . . they have Heavy Breeds, White Egg Layers, Meat Breads, Crested Breads, Cochins . . (and I’m talking very fast)  What kind would you like for me to look at?
Vince:  THE KIND THAT DOESN’T TALK!
Mission Accomplished . . he then goes to the website himself.
About the chicken coop.  I want something I can paint . . lime green and purple and happy.  There are several really neat coops here:

Not exactly what Vince was thinking.  I believe he’s wanting to have something a little more basic . . like ugly.  Oh well . . at least he’s looking at it with me.  We’ll find common ground and soon we’ll order our chickens and soon we’ll be out visiting with the chickens for our evening entertainment.  How many years have I wanted chickens?  At least 20 . . probably more.  I can’t believe it’s about to happen.  Guess I’d better not count my chickens before they hatch though!  We don’t have them yet!

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Comments

  1. I used to love having chickens, mostly Rhode Island Red plus a very fancy looking Bantam Cock… called Rosemary !! well that was the name of the person that gave him to us. When we moved we found we do not have room for chickens. I look forward to seeing the pictures of your new “family”.

  2. are you going to get laying hens? nice to have fresh eggs. I miss that from being on the farm as a young girl to married in the city now.
    so exciting. I think because Vince chose the type of chickens you should be able to choose and paint the coop as you see fit. only fair, right? oooooooooo……..a patchwork coop……..now theres a thought! using maybe the pattern corn and beans! hope you get your wish.

    Dawn in MA

  3. almost forgot. we had some hens that laid greenish colored eggs. so pretty for Easter and precolored! forgot the name of the chicken though.

    Dawn in MA

  4. Get some Marron hens, their eggs are a beautiful deep red brown.
    And the hens are very pretty speckled ones.
    Don’t worry about keeping them into old age, they lay fewer eggs but they are much bigger then.
    Have fun!

  5. oh Judy you crack me up..I love reading your posts and sometimes I am fortunate enough to have time to comment..Now I love chooks & roosters so long as they are not in real life..I truly will walk way out of my way not to walk near them-their beady eys scare the dickens outta me..and hey I think Vince should go with your choice of hen house LOL..it’s rad
    cheers Vickie

  6. That will be a pretty fancy chicken coup and I think your chickens will deserve a fancy place to live. Afterall, not all chickens get a stay of execution before they are ever hatched. ;o Fresh eggs are the best.

  7. Love the chickens-they are so funny looking. Our friends had one breed that had feathers that went in all directions. Even standing still she looked like she was in a frenzy. The blue egg laying chickens are arucana(sp?) I just love watching them. Fresh eggs are a wonder. Lucky you. Can’t wait to see the brood.

  8. Two words for you, Judy: BARRED COCHIN. They are beautiful birds. And the Cochins all seem to be gentle and sweet-tempered. I have cochin banties but the standard cochins are just gorgeous. They’re pretty good mothers, too.

    I love my banty hens and their little teeny diet eggs!

  9. Oh, and if you haven’t already, look at Cackle Hatchery for your babies. We have ordered from McMurray and Cackle and over all I was happier with the birds from Cackle. I think McMurray is just too big.

  11. Judy, from what you’ve described you are looking for and from what I know of your personality, I would recommend that you go with Buff Orpingtons. They’re a large breed (dual purpose, so if you’re ever hungry they make great meat birds) and very, very gentle. Probably the most docile breed there is. They’re good layers (brown eggs) and the eggs are large.

    Cackle hatchery is in Lebanon, close enough for you to make a day trip and not subject your babies to the stress of being mailed, and they’re birds are always nice and healthy.

  12. I LOVE your blog. I read it everyday. I hope you don’t stop blogging. I find your ideas inspiring. Good luck with the chickens. I live on a farm and we used to have chickens. Loved having fresh eggs!

  13. Love the chicken house – I concur with the colors and I like the idea of decorating it with quilt blocks….

    Being a city girl, I have no idea what everyone is talking about concerning types of hens, but fresh eggs everyday sure sounds good…

  14. You two crack me up! You’re not going to eat them? Seriously? I was kind of looking forward to your first blog about wringing necks and plucking feathers! Or, rather, Vince doing that! Or you wringing Vince’s neck! LOL. Okay, sorry, just trying to be funny here! It’ll be interesting to watch your farm grow. Can’t wait to see if you can find some lime green chickens!! ILY

  15. My sister and brother in law have chickens….not sure of the kinds except that they do lay eggs. She once brought me a dozen eggs and hubby wouldn’t touch them….they were different sizes and colors. Asked me to please go to the grocery store and buy him some “real eggs.” They are still chuckling over that one. 🙂

  16. Whoo Hooo – you are close to getting your chickens. We love ours – they provide great entertainment! And fresh eggs are a bonus. We have barred rock, silver laced wyandot, jersey giants and aracaunas (that lay green eggs). Hey – the green eggs would match your green coop! hehe. And I like the chicken coop you picked out – it will look just right in your backyard.

  18. For a time period when I was in middle school & part of high school, we had chickens complete with an ugly coop, but I have never heard of a chicken tractor…

    BTW We had a wide variety of chickens, but I think they interbred… Our eggs came in a rainbow of colors.

  19. Judy,
    Red-brested Bantams make wonderful pets (and not a lot of noise!). My Son had one that would ride on the handle bar of his bicycle – now that was a site. We get some new chicks ever spring – waiting on them to be delivered now. Good luck with your chickens.

  20. Ok, I’m still trying to get over the fact that there is a CHICKEN magazine…?? LOL

    Guess I never thought about where my chickens came from….

  21. Somedays you scare me! I had almost the very same conversation last night with hubby. I’ve been wanting him to build me another chicken coop. Neighbor dog proof. He told me about a pen and house he saw on his drive about yesterday and I think he is going to start it this weekend. I cannot wait to see your chicken’s home!
    And there is absolutely nothing wrong with cooking one of these birds when they are done being productive layers (mmm chicken and dumplings!). This is life of the farm!

  22. Your chickens sound like fun. I raised them and sold eggs when I was a kid, and yes, we did butcher some on occasion. The chickens that lay blueish-green eggs are called Arucanas.Good conversation piece that’s for sure. We had Buff Orpingtons, banties, Leghorns, Arucanas and some others. I loved the little banty hens – they were so much fun to watch raise their little ones and they would sit on ANY egg – duck or chicken! Good mamas.

    Just one thing I never knew growing up, chickens, like any other animals, will probably need wormed and other preventative stuff. We never did any of that, which is weird because we took dogs, horses, one pig, and cows to the vet, why not think chickens needed some of that?

    I would love to get some again. It would be a great experience for the kids.

  23. A thought occurred to me just now; you can always get an opinion from the Amish or Menonites that you have been buying some of your supplies from and they could give lots of hands on advice. I sure can’t help you in that department!

  24. Love the coup! I hope you can convince Vince that it’s his favorite too.

    And “the kind that doesn’t talk” comment? Silly Vince, chicken’s don’t talk (at least not the human kind of talk. 🙂

  25. cutecute chicken house. I know zip about chickens other than the neighbor had a variety.. some had ruffled pants on.! lolll…. they come in all colors that was fun to watch each day as they strolled their yard.

    another neighbor had itty bitty puppy size goats ! those were fun to watch also.
    lol need some goats??

    Have fun with it ! ~~K

  26. Good luck on your chicken search. I gotta tell ya…..don’t completely rule out ever eating them. Sometime you’ll get an “old bitty hen” who will make your life miserable…….your revenge will be chicken stew for supper!!! I look forward to your “egg adventures”. Too bad chicken feed don’t come in reuseable sacks like they used to……feed the chickens and add to the stash all at the same time.

    Karen L

  27. We use to have 3 laying hens when we lived in suburbia. We built a small simple coop that they lived in at night and they roamed our little garden during the day. We averaged 2 fresh eggs each morning and our chickens kept our garden clear of pesky bugs while providing some good fertilizer. I miss having hens but where we live now, the preditors would be a huge problem. I’d have to build a fortress to keep the foxes, skunks, racoons & such out not to mention the hawks that cruise the sky. I’ll be watching to see what sort of structure you decide on.

  28. I have six hens and every hen lays a different color egg. They are all named (Miss Minnie, Ellie Mae, Dumpling, Buttercup, Lucy and Ethel) – they will not be eaten – they are members of our family. Check out my blog and you’ll see the hens and and their house (not as fancy as what you’re looking at but remember they’re just chickens).
    Enjoy – they are fun and very entertaining.

  30. I forgot to say that , for the life of me can I eat anything that I have seen alive, I guess I’m just a extra soft hearted “old bitty”. So, we will not be eating one of my hens-when and if I ever get them. We also have steers here once in a while and as bad as i like “home grown” beef-I wouldn’t butcher one of ours for nothing-we will buy a half a beef from a rancher, but I have never seen that steer alive. Hugs, Bobbie

  31. I have raised chickens a few times. I love having chickens around. They are fun to watch. I also got joy if I decided to bake cookies and gee, I have to have an egg or two…run out to the coop and pick them up. Can’t get any fresher than that. The color and taste is so different from store bought. When we lost all the chickens (due to wild dogs and coyotees) we pretty much quit eating eggs because we didn’t like the store bought ones. Last year I got 25 chicks from McMurry Hatchery and raised them from day old. After they got about 3 months old I ran an ad in the local paper and sold all I didn’t want. I had a good mix of all different breeds. Even though they were suppossed to all be hens, a rooster got in there. But, I love roosters. The crowing doesn’t bother us. Same problem, wild dogs and coyotees. My chickens are free range. One night I forgot to lock them up. My husbad saw all the chickens at 6:30 am and when I left for work at 8:00 am, they were all gone. We are going to re-design the chicken area and try again in the future. Have a lot of fun!!

  32. Judy, you are so funny. Your statement that you aren’t going to eat your chickens reminds me of my sister-in-law, Gerry, who simply loves ALL animals including the ducks. Her favorite was Daffy because he would follow her around and became her pet. Daffy got to be old and just couldn’t walk anymore. My brother put Daffy out of his misery and thought it was going to be dinner. Daffy went into the freezer as there was no way Gerry was going to cook Daffy. Daffy remained in the freezer for years and years and it got to be something Gerry was teased about. Think someone else removed Daffy from the freezer and gave him a proper burial, but it was not Gerry that handled that task. Don’t think she ever became attached to any of the other ducks; only Daffy.

  33. Mmmmm–fresh eggs! The best thing about having chickens! I don’t have them and don’t really want any, but I sure buy from friends who do!

  34. I’m giggling over the husband up in one of those comments who refused to eat eggs that weren’t store-bought. We have a nice but rather ditzy home ec teacher in our district who actually told the kids not to eat farm eggs because “they haven’t been pasteurized.” LOL

  35. I’m laughing! Yes, there are times when we should do what they ask us even when we want them to do it themselves. I like it when it comes around and, he should have started it in the first place. But, I hope it all works out for you, it usually does.
    Have a great day. Christina D

  36. Please tell us what a chicken tractor is. I never owned a Smoker until I read about yours, I didn’t know there WERE electric smokers. Now, I love mine due to your blog. Do you suppose I’ll need a chicken tractor? LOL

  37. Find out what kind of chickens Martha Stewart raises. The eggs are so pretty.

    Joe and I text each other from different rooms in the house. We’re getting too old to yell. We also email things like “go look at this”. (THat’s usually me wanting to pay for something with HIS CC).

  38. Gee, Judy, you’ve just taught me something else. I googled “chicken tractor” and learned that it is a portable chicken pen without a bottom so that it can be moved around and the chickens can have fresh grass underfoot to eat, etc. You must keep blogging or I can’t learn lots of good stuff! I was thinking a big green thing with giant wheels and a steering wheel and maybe a cab and stereo!

  39. hi judy– ohhh…. chickens!! this is one of my dreams too. i want to have a little land and have some chickens and a couple of goats. luckily my oldest son thinks this is a good idea and said he’d help me do this once he gets out of law school. have you seen this blog –http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com/sassy_sweet_notes/ – she talks a lot about rubber stamping, but lives on a farm in texas and has chickens and other animals. her pictures and stories are fun -just the other day she had pics of pretty colored eggs her hens had laid — hope you enjoy it –take care –

  40. I can’t help but comment here.

    I love my chickens! Go, Judy, go!!!! I have 6, 1 each of six different breeds which I ordered from mypetchicken.com. We originally had 8, 1 was a rooster that was killed just last week by a fox. Protecting them from predators is a major concern in my area. We don’t eat our chickens either; we bury them and cry over them. Last week when we buried our rooster we were all balling.

    I bought my coop locally (PA) from an Amish man who builds dog houses, sheds and coops. MUCH better price than anything we could build or buy elsewhere and very well-built. There’s pictures on my blog: http://www.nobodyswatchingkim.blogspot.com

  41. I so miss our chooks, and in fact was only lamenting the fact with another chook lover this afternoon. But when I had to have a new sewing studio built, there was only one place for it to go on our land and my chooks had to go (after 12 years of having them clucking around!) AND I still resent having to pay for eggs at the supermarket!! Your post has given me new hope, since I see you can get little mobile coops. Hmmm, I’ll have to investigate this!

  42. Somebody else mentioned Buff Orphingtons…and we had them too. Very easy going chicken and great layer. THey’re a bigger bird, but easy to be around.

    Purple and lime green chicken house…..I can’t wait to see it.

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