Eggs-cellent

When we first moved back home, we thought it would be neat to get some chickens.  We had considered having chickens in our backyard in Dallas after taking the annual "A Peep at the Coops" tour in our area, but the idea didn't gain much ground.  Neither of us had owned chickens before, and the project seemed daunting.

As soon as we knew we were moving back to Louisiana, we started researching small, mobile coops, thinking it would be nice for the kids to experience.  However, the chicken excitement took hold of all of us- okay, maybe not my dad.  Within a month of moving back, we had chickens.  So much for waiting.    Luckily, my mother had some experience with chickens and relished the idea of them living in a section of her super large garden.  We all had a blast watching our four Buff Orpington ladies peck around, eat chicken scraps, and just live life.  We all bought chicken boots, and the kids had a real life petting zoo in the backyard.  We soon realized taking care of four chickens is about the same as taking care of many, many more.  Our operation began to grow and become "an operation."

Here's what we've learned so far and the answers to some frequently asked questions:

• Just like dogs, there are breeds of chickens, each with their own distinct characteristics.  Check out MyPetChicken for the full scoop. 
• You do NOT need a rooster in order for your hens to lay eggs.
• Chickens lay a maximum of ONE egg per day, but some days, they do not lay any.  Different breeds lay at different frequencies.
• Chickens CAN eat scraps.  Here is my "go-to" website for a list of acceptable scraps.  Note: One time I fed our ladies a LOT of leftover baked fish, and the scrambled eggs soon after tasted fishy to me although no one else noticed.
• Chicken sleep on roosting bars in the coops, not in the nesting boxes, usually.  
• Unwashed eggs can sit on your counter for about a month, safely.  Once an egg is washed, it's "bloom" is removed, and you should refrigerate it.  Above is a picture of our unwashed eggs on display.  There is something satisfying about seeing your freshly collected eggs on the counter.
• We wash our eggs in warm water, dry them well, and then refrigerate the eggs.
• If you do get a rooster, you will not necessarily have chicks.  We let one of our hens sit on her eggs for a month, with no results.  Online research found that today's chickens aren't exactly in touch with the way to properly sit on the eggs, thus the need for an incubator.
• We have bought chicks before, but the wait for eggs to arrive is very, very long...and chicks can be very, very messy.  Knowing these things does not necessarily keep us from buying chicks - they are super cute.  Know that many states require that you buy a minimum number of chicks. In Louisiana and Arkansas, that number is six.  Why? To curtail buying chicks at Easter as pets, pets that would probably have a very short life.  Also, chicks like to huddle, sharing their body heat to ensure a better chance of survival. When I was a kid, you could buy dyed chicks on the side of the road around Easter.  Seemed neat at the time, but, as an adult, I see the many concerns with that practice.

There are many, many books on keeping Backyard Chickens.  You only have to do a quick search on Amazon.com for Backyard Chickens to see the many options available.

Before you know it, you may chicken out just like us.