As you know, my guy and I are trying to become more responsible about where our food comes from. We're also trying to save some $$ by doing this. Our latest endeavor has been.... Drum Roll Please!!
Our own chickens!
That's right, we now have 6 baby Australorps! They are so cute I can't stand it!!
I know 6 sounds like a lot, and it is. Where we live, we are fortunate enough to have laws that allow us to even have farm animals at our home, but there are restrictions, of course. We are allowed four hens, and zero roosters. As you can guess, roosters are very noisy and obnoxious to neighbors. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to 'sex' baby chicks, so we had to buy extra to make sure we got at least one hen! The other chickens will go to good homes once it's determined who's what - maybe.
Chickens in Idaho are fairly common, so finding them wasn't too difficult. We did a lot of online research first, and by 'we' I mean 'he'. When my guy is looking into something, he finds out all the information he can, and then some! He found a great website for getting started called
My Pet Chicken. There you can research different kinds of chickens that will lay all kinds of eggs, chickens that fare better in hot or cool climates, what to feed them, what to do with them, pretty much everything. Blueprints for chicken coops are available as well. My very talented man drew up his own plans, of course. You can even order baby chicks from the site and have them shipped to your home.
One thing I learned was that when shipping baby chickens, they are shipped the same day they hatch. I thought 'Ludicrous! Why, they're brand new! How can they?!' Well, here's how. Once they are born, they are still absorbing the yolk sack. The yolk sack contains all the nutrients they need for up to three days. Pretty cool! It also ensures you that you're sure to get the tiny, little, fluffy chicks that are so cute!!
We decided (again, we = he) to go with the Australorp because of its hardiness in different types of weather, the fact they are brown egg layers, and because they lay - on average, mind you - up to 300 eggs a year. That is going to be about 1,200 eggs we get to eat fresh every morning, bake treats, and give to friends and family. I love that!
In this day when people are trying to be better about eating and getting healthier foods, it's so nice to know that there are so many resources out there! I can't wait to let you know what else we undertake! Wish us luck with our chicky-chicks!