Eggs !

Our little ones have just started laying a beautiful rainbow of eggs. I admit I have been a bit obsessed with taking photographs of them lately.  But they are SO much easier to capture on film than the chickens - the eggs are much more cooperative !

Raise chickens, knit a sweater, grow vegetables....

Check out my facebook page FRESH EGGS DAILY !

Raise chickens, grow vegetables, knit a sweater, ride a horse, make jam, dry herbs, milk a cow, sew an apron, pick wildflowers
...dedicated to inspiring others to live the simple, wonderful, natural hobby farm life everyday.

Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

The days have been just flying by....the heat of the summer is upon us, so staying cool is our top priority.

The chickens always enjoy some cool watermelon...

The ducks spend alot of time in their pool but sometimes a big bowl of cool water is just fine with them also...

 Bella is six months old now and weighs about 50 pounds....

Happy Easter !

What's Easter without a few baby chicks and ducklings ?

Chick Days

I have read every book that Barnes & Noble stocks on their shelves about raising chickens.  And I have to say that Chick Days is one of the best.  I am really enjoying it.  I highly recommend it.

Its part instruction manual, part journal of one family's foray into chickens. 

Babies are growing up

Everyone is getting so big ! The chicks are just about 4 weeks old and had their first field trip outside yesterday - it got up to 80 degrees outside, so they had a rare bit of fresh air much earlier than  I normally would let them outside.

They were in their wire mesh cage inside the chicken run, so the older hens could get a good look at them but not get at them.

Bella is also getting big. She's 12 weeks old and weighs almost 30 pounds.

She is still giving Linus a run for his money, but he's good at giviner her a swipe when she gets too carried away.

Everyone is getting along tho and growing fast !

More Life in the Run

Since reinforcing the chicken yard, Linus can't come and go as he pleases anymore.  He loved spending time with the chickens so I let him in with me when I go down to feed or just hang out. 

Yesterday he decided to stage an ambush behind the duck pond stones....this was just seconds before he leaped out and 'attacked' Orange Chicken.  She squawked and flapped her wings and let him know that was NOT appreciated.  Linus retreated, having lost that skirmish.  He's so good with them. He play stalks them and then when they turn on him, he runs for the hills.  I think all enjoy that game.

More Pics of the Peeps !

The peeps at 6 days old...



New Baby Chicks !

It has been two months since I lost most of my chickens and my duck Puddles to the fox attack. I still miss them every day. I can't believe how much I looked forward every morning to letting them out of the coop and saying good morning. 

Happily tho, I received my batch of  a dozen chicks this past Wednesday.  So now besides a nine-week old puppy, we have 12 chicks living in our laundry room in a plastic storage bin !

This is Samantha.  She is an Australorp and will be glossy black, like my hen Charlotte, and lay pinkish eggs.

Here they are right after I got them.  There are some Americaunas that lay blue/green eggs, Australorps that lay pink, Buffs that lay brown and Cuckoo Marans that lay chocolate brown.

This is Grace, the yellow Buff, Samantha and an as-of-yet unnamed Cuckoo Marans in the foreground.

Grace, named in honor of my favorite Buff hen Gracie who we lost in December.

I will keep posting photos as the chicks get bigger.  They will be inside for about 5 weeks and then it should be warm enough for them to spend days outside.

In April I will be getting some Rouen ducks and some Salmon Faverolles and Blue Cochin chicks.

Chicken Village Updates

Beautiful warm weather this week allowed me to finish some outdoor projects down in Chicken Village.

I finally got the cedar shingles on the roof of the lean-to.  I love the metal Farm Fresh Egg sign and the white ladder up to the loft.

I also swapped out the regular silver hinges on the coop for black barn-style hinges and painted the knobs black. A few dollars more but so worth it.  I love the rustic look !

 I also painted my portable nesting box red and moved it into the bunker - ready for the little peeps once they are big enough to spend warm sunny days outside.  The hens weren't using it anyway and it will be perfect  for providing some shelter for the little ones.  This way in their 'cage within the yard', the older hens can see the peeps but not get at them for a few weeks until the are big enough to let out into the yard.



Brown Eggs

My three hens all lay brown eggs, but each is a slightly different shade so I can actually tell which hens has laid which egg. 

I have a dozen chicks coming next week that will lay pinkish, blue/green and chocolate brown eggs probably by July.

I have been collecting eggs every day now for almost 2 years and I still get excited when I see one in the nesting box !  Its like Easter every day.



Ready for my Spring Batch of Chicks and Ducklings

Our new and improved yard is all ready for my new batch of chicks due the week of February 21st. 

 Coop newly repainted....

Brand new duck house made from an old dog house and painted to match...

 Lean-to shelter for them for when its rainy...

and 1600 square feet of covered yard for them to roam and look for bugs !