I LOVE the handmade lifestyle! One slice of the handmade pie for me is living as greenly, locally, environmentally aware as possible. I think every little change I am able to make, makes a difference. For me this means shopping at small businesses when possible… Buying many of my groceries at the natural food store… and trying to limit the amount of garbage my family leaves behind… Each year I find I am able to make more and more changes. Chickens became part of this equation this last year.
A couple weeks after we moved into our new home, I bought a dozen chicks. Yay for backyard chickens!! So far it has been a pretty easy endeavor. I’d say the hardest part is keeping our dog (yellow lab) out of the chicken coop. Our birds are 17 weeks old, so I’ll start keeping an eye out for our first egg. They begin laying at 18-20 weeks. Our birds are all brown egg layers and will lay an average of 2 eggs every 3 days.
On the far left are 2 Rhode Island Red chickens. The black and white ones in the center are Silver Laced Wyandottes.
The lady front and right is a Barred Rock. And the golden lady in the back is a Buff Orpington.
There is plenty of space for the girls to roam in the chicken run, but today was so gorgeous I decided to let them out in the yard. They stick pretty close as they enjoy exploring the grass and we love to watch their antics. I think the Buff Orpingtons are the boy’s favorites since they are so gentle and laid back about being handled. Maybe mine too…
Chickens have been a great addition to our family and I love seeing my kids learn and discover right along with me. Fresh eggs will be an added bonus in a couple weeks but I already consider this chicken adventure a success. Chickens are just another way I am a handmade girl!!
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