During our weekend away we started talking chickens.
We have a chicken coop, makes sense to have chickens right? Then during a brief trip home for some extra clothes I caught up on reading a few blogs and saw this post http://vintagecountrygirl.blogspot.com/2011/02/are-you-lookin-at-me.html from Vintage Country Girl.
Coincidence? I think not!
Our coop behind the garden
I ran out and bought a book on raising chickens (Thank you Vintage Country Girl for writing a blog with chicken advise!!). I read through the whole thing anxiously in the hotel room.
We've lived here over a year and it just now dawned on me that we could have chickens! In fairness I was born and raised a city/suburbs kinda girl.
We will have to put a new roof on the coop because it leaks, and do a little more prep work, but it looks like sometime in the next couple of months we will be getting chickens!
After researching it some I am considering the Silkie.
We don't want to eat them or breed them. Really just have them as a hobby/pet. An occasional egg or two would be great. From what I have read they are not huge producers. They are amazingly lovely chickens! Almost all the info I have found on them describes them as friendly, cuddly chickens.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebigwranch12/758552809/ |
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| http://www.bukisa.com/articles/157696_bantam-chickens |
I plan to do a bit more research on this whole chicken business before I dive head first into it, but I am pretty excited!
Aren't they just too cute?
Do you have chickens or more specifically Silkies even?
I'd love to hear about your feathered friends!!
I have chickens and they are so fun and easy to care for.....I love, love silkies and really wanted some until I read where they are not cold hardy......so instead I went with cochins which are also very fluffy and cute, friendly... mine are 6 months old and have done great this winter. I have several other breeds as well.
ReplyDelete@Niece
ReplyDeleteI read that too. I have been trying to think of an economical way to heat the coop.If I decide not to go with Silkies, Cochin are my second choice, just as beautiful, just not as fluffy.
Do you plan to breed yours?
For anyone else reading...check out Nieces blog too! She has pics of her lovely chickies! http://izzysacres.blogspot.com/
I don't plan on breeding them, I did hatch some this summer using an incubator my friend loaned me, but the problem with breeding is what do you do with the little roosters? It's hard to find homes for them. I have 2 heat lamps in my coop and I use lots of bedding. Yes, silkies are the cutest ever....I would end up bringing them in the house when too cold and hubby would kill me!
ReplyDelete@Niece
ReplyDeleteI saw somewhere that a lot of people do choose them as house pets and buy little diapers for them! Cute....but I don't know how I would feel about changing chicken diapers! (It's been hard enough trying to convince my almost 3 yr old to potty train so we have her out of diapers!)
I see you have goats. I've been bugging my husband about possibly getting a goat but I am pretty sure I would be in over my head with something that large. (we've never even had a dog)but boy are yours cuuuute! Makes me want one!!
diapers for chickens! too funny! i feel the same way as "The Vintage Farmhouse", i already change too many diapers... ;)
ReplyDeletethose chickens are so cute, i would love to raise them myself too someday. good luck with your chickies!
Hi Nicki, so glad to have you visit Verde Farm. Love your post and I would highly recommend the beautiful Silkies--they are cuddly chickens and so fun to have. I have a post you may enjoy as you ponder chickens--it’s called “all I want for Christmas is a chicken”--there are some beauties out there :) So glad to find you blog now too!! Perhaps you can link up with us for Farm Friend friday someday very soon too :)
ReplyDeleteI am wanting chickens too..hubby thinks it's crazy since we live in the suburbs of CA... Have you seen Heather Bullard's chicken coop...soo cute. check out her blog if you haven't already.
ReplyDeleteI did a post recently on wanting chickens. Good luck I hope everything works out well.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few bloggers that raise chickens that I have listed on my side bar on my blog. LadyBug Dreams, Verde Farm (which I see you have already 'talked' to) and Jayme the Coop Keeper. Jayme did a post awhile back on diapering a chicken. She had a sick one in her house for awhile. I don't think I could do the diaper thing. I do know that you should at least use them for eggs. I know you don't think you want to, but you will. Eggs from the coop are the BEST. I've bought one dozen from the store this year and don't even want to use them! Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth...
ReplyDeleteCindy Bee
@Tea Cozy House
ReplyDeleteI've read that a lot of people in the suburbs and even the city are raising chickens now!
I think I have seen Heather Bullards coop...is it the one with a chandelier in it? I plan to put a chandelier in mine but I don't think I could keep it that pretty!!
@Bee Lady
ReplyDeleteI've never had a farm fresh egg. I've heard they are amazing.
@From Beyond My Kitchen Window
ReplyDeleteGoing to go look for you post now!
oh my i dont know where you get all the time to do the many projects you accomplish- i cant wait to see what you come up with and in true vintage farmstyle will you repaint and redo the chicken coop in my mind i can see you with a chandlier in ur coop (smile)
ReplyDelete@nickys nook
ReplyDeleteWhat you don't see is all of the projects sitting around unfinished!! Or the days the house looks like it was hit by a tornado because I just dive right in a project and don't stop for anything (except the kiddos) until it's done.
I am really excited about "prettifying" the coop.I already have the chandelier picked out!
aww..that little chick is so adorable!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Tammy
your blog always makes me smile i love all the pretty things you do- i cant wait to see your birthday party and now i am hanging around for the pretty coop- have a great day
ReplyDeleteThat chicken is the cutest thing I have ever seen. She should be strutting her stuff on the cat walk. He, he. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteKim
http://kim-lettersfromtheshore.blogspot.com/
@nickys nook
ReplyDeleteThanks Nicky! You were one of my first followers and you're still hanging in. That makes me smile!!
I am getting my very first chickens this May. I love those Silkies, but I think it's too chilly here in Nova Scotia. To start with I'll just be geting "brown layers".
ReplyDeleteSharon
http://quiltingthefarm.vius.ca