Chickens! There not just for your freezer anymore!

I have had a lot of talk about why I would have such nasty disease carrying birds in my backyard. So I guess you can say I got fed up with all the misinformation about chickens. And I do acknowledge that their are  those who are completely terrified of chickens and view them as prehistoric dino birds ready to attack at a moments notice, out of respect to those I do keep my chickens put up when they are over.

A little chicken history: chickens have been around for ions, we have used chickens as a source of meat and egg production, many say our chickens now come from the jungle fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) and over time have been domesticated and bred to fit our needs. There are many many breeds of chickens, some are classified as Heritage Breeds, Bantams, Meaties, Dual Purpose, and many more classifications. There are some chickens strictly for show while others are raised for their meat.

So what is a chicken any way? A chicken is a domesticated bird that serves a purpose in providing meat and eggs. Chickens are birds that come in all shapes and sizes, some are more rare to find than others, some are more docile while others are more flighty and mean. Some chickens are more of a pet than anything else, these are usually bantams that tend to want to go broody and they carry beautiful array of colors, they really serve no purpose in that they only are there for show.

So why do I have chickens? I have them for the soul purpose to be self sufficient, to be able to enjoy fresh eggs every day, I know what my girls are eating and I know that my eggs are good and full of nutrients.

But they carry diseases! Yes and no, you can give your chickens supplements to keep them healthy, all natural vitamins and minerals to ward of diseases, infections and internal worms and parasites, it is inexpensive and easy to give them. Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic, different Herbs, and food grade DE
Educate yourself to better care for your hens, your hens eat everything so it is easy to give them supplements to keep them healthy inside and out.

But they are nasty, dirty and stink! Well, no they are not, if properly housed and cared for they are not nasty and dirty and certainly don't stink, I let my flock out daily so they can run and exercise in the main yard, that is when I grab my rake and clean the run up, it is like all pets, you must keep up with them in order to keep the smell down and not over crowding them! Yes chickens poop a lot! so you have to clean a lot! that all goes hand in hand and part of good husbandry ;)
 Are eggs safe to eat? Why yes they are!
Hen eggs have these healthy benefits:
• 1⁄3 less cholesterol• 1⁄4 less saturated fat• 2⁄3 more vitamin A• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids• 3 times more vitamin E• 7 times more beta carotene. Eggs come in array of colors from shades of brown to pinks, greens and blues and of course white. The color has no bearing on nutritional value, it is fun to have multicolored eggs in our baskets. Also when eggs are freshly laid the hen produces this clear liquid that surrounds the egg called a Bloom, this bloom keeps out harmful bacteria and germs, so your egg last longer either on the counter or in your fridge. True fact store bought eggs are months old when you buy them, months old remember that and when they are gathered in the factory the eggs are placed in a bleach bath solution.

I am going to sum this section up and continue it later with more facts and figures. Yes I have chickens, they are wonderful addition to our family, it is a husbandry, you must provide and care for them, always remember happy hens lay beautiful eggs :)

Next I will discuss the lay out of our hen house and the right space per bird, it is important to remember that when someone says they have chickens doesn't mean to conjure up horrible images of dino like creatures running around ready to attack

Camping!!

We didn't camp in a prepared campground, we hit the back roads to an undisclosed area untouched by mans hands! we were of course close to civilization but we camped on the river banks of the Mississippi.

No, this is not your usual family affair, we had to hike for a long while to a good spot, clear an area, build our fire and no we didn't kill our food, we brought our own food, the kids played on the sand bars and hunted for treasure.

We also had to face the night life, we have lots of big cats roaming around, packs of really big coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, the list goes own, we had to make sure we were prepared for anything, so every snap of a twig or pop we jumped, we had our tents but still it was hard to sleep. A huge coyote ran between our tent and my sister's family tent, it smacked the tents with its tail and we found its tracks between the tents the next morning, 2 1/2 inch long paw print and the trail cam got a picture of it we think.

If you are brave go primitive camping! or semi primitive, it was so fun, we were a little unprepared, next time we will be properly prepared!

One Busy Week

I was suppose to participate in a photo challenge, sadly on our primitive camp out on the river bank, my camera was dropped :( and I had to back out of the challenge :(

I love challenges and was looking forward to each day, I do have the first 7 days and that is it, I will post those, I also didn't have internet until today, we lost internet until today.

When I get to a stable connection I will upload my pictures

A new month

I haven't been up and going like I should, lots of drama going on too. But! I shall continue photographing the changing weather as we enter Fall :)

 The boys are off for Fall Break and we have lots to plan, with my camera in tow I hope to get lots of pics!


I am also biting my nails about heading back to school to tuck in a few more hrs of training and finding a part time job.

This and That

Here are some pics I am working on at the moment

Future Herpetologist

Sun coming through the leaves

Flower reaching for the sun

Predators!

I don't know what to think! I don't know what is worse! We live out in the county but still in a neighborhood, we have neighbors beside us, with the exception of an empty house on the market, we have a neighbor behind us with a deep lot which is cornered by businesses, we have a candle factory not big mind you but busy, then an auto body shop not open to the public a contractors shop of some sorts and a distribution center for portable things or something like that. Anyway, our yard is rather large and completely fenced in, we have 1 huge main gate that is by the driveway side of the house and a smaller gate on the other side of the house plus a smaller gate on the back fence which leads into our neighbors yard. I think I painted a pretty good picture of how our yard lays.

About predators. We have all kinds around us but we have not seen any personally, only a couple of times have we seen evidence of their passing, a foot print, droppings, fur etc. We have hawks, owls, bobcats, coyotes, possums, skunks, raccoons, stray dogs, cougars, foxes, rats. I know in the natural order of things they need to eat and everything loves eggs and chickens. I don't want to ever lose a chicken to anything so I think we maintain a safe haven for our girls.

But the biggest predator that bothers me is the 2-legged kind. Honestly, if you are that hungry or that desperate and need food all you have to do is ask. I have been finding the hen house door open and unlatched. I make rounds at night before I go to bed and the first thing I do in the morning is grab my coffee and let the girls out of their run to free range for a bit. We have been missing some eggs and I just don't want to wake up and be missing my girls!

I guess it is time to buy locks and lock them up good but if they are that desperate they will go right through that window, there is no way of locking the window. 

Benji Lee part 2

I have never seen doggy diapers before and when we brought Benji home and rummaged through his bags sure enough there are diapers and pads just for him. So far he has been good at not going in the house, we had 2 accidents but after learning it is ok to go outside and us establishing routines he is getting the hang of it all. 

He loves to go out and play

doggy diapers and training pads

 Our next biggest chore is getting his hair cleaned up, trash is not to get into and food is eaten out of a bowl not our hands.
Plus he is learning that the chickens are here and not to be chased, he seems to just let those 2 legged half flying/half running creatures know he is the king of this back yard.

On the list of things to do:
1) get him proper dog toys that he can actually play with
2) learn to eat out of a bowl
3) chickens are not to be chased
4) get proper grooming and shampoo supplies
5) get his tags on his collar, a bright new shiny tag is being sought after

Benji Lee

We went out Sat morning had breakfast and headed for some yard sales. I was hunting up some great bargains of picture frames and maybe milk glass pieces. Unknown to us we would fall in love with this tiny little Yorkshire Terrier Named Benji Lee, we didn't realize he was for sale, he jumped right into my hubby's lap and right into our hearts.

Benji Lee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So after hashing out the what ifs and can our hearts handle another dog after the great heartache we felt losing our beloved Dottie. We agreed, Benji Lee would come home with us. The lady who bought him from his original had trained him to puppy pads and doggy diapers, until his second owner who we bought him from was trying to train him to go outside on his own and be rid of puppy pads and diapers but she ended up getting job and having no time for his training.
We scooped the matted little fur ball up and headed home.
He has a long way to go, we have got to get all the hair mat and knot free, letting him know it is ok to go outside and do his business and other things :)
More pictures of Benji Lee to come!

Our Chicken Adventure

In the beginning we decided to get chickens, I loved the thought of those big beautiful yummy fresh eggs. It all begin when our son brought home 2 bundles of fuzzy fluffy feathers. They grew fast and we had to think fast on what to do with them. My sister and I built a temp coop built for 2 out of metal we found on the property that we just bought.
http://s462.photobucket.com/albums/qq345/1crazydaysee/Chicken%20Coop%20Project/

Meet Egghead and BBQ, our first chickens

Sadly we were at the beginning of learning all about backyard chicken keeping, we lost our first 2 which were a pair, they both died of heart failure and since we didn't at the time what happened to them we buried them deep in the soil, they soon were replace by 2 other hens who were living in a large flock by a friend, a predator got into their pen and killed all but these 2 girls:

Mrs. T and Honey B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos I am working on

I am working on some photo editing programs and when I am done they will be available to sale.

Ahhh the beginning

It is not easy for me to start something and remember to keep up with it all. But I have found that being able to come to a place and write what I have done has greatly helped me remember the things I need to do or finish.

I am enjoying my love of photography and hopefully one day become good at what I love. I also write stories for my children to enjoy. I have several goals in mind and again one day I will complete them!

For right now we live in W KY and after my husband is done with his school and our children are done with elementary school we will move back north closer to the big city of St. Louis. I am a country girl and that is where I will always want to be!

This is what I love to take pictures of! I have many photos I am going to share =)