In The Beginning

It would seem that Saturday mornings are when I have the most time to sit and reflect...to sit and think without interruption. So, I will indulge myself one more time before I go outside. Why not? It IS the weekend! Shelby sleeping late, Ian at work...I can take some time to think about things and share them here.

This morning I think I will answer the frequent question so many ask of me.

How DID you get so into chickens?

Well I won't lie, I wasn't always bent on living in the country. When I was in my twenties I didnt know what I wanted until I got pregnant with Shelby and then my whole perspective changed. I had a child to think about, and I wanted the best environment possible for her to grow up in. It took some doing, but we accomplished that as we live and breathe here in present day. Some people never get the chance to 'get out" of the crowded city life. We made it happen, and I feel so fortunate.

Anyway...as I grew older and wiser, as I mellowed in my old age...I began to gravitate towards country 'things'. I started going to rodeos...I was dreaming of the country life. I frequented country living message boards...reading about people that already lived this life I wanted so badly. We went to fairs that had country crafts, animals, Cattle, sheep, pig, llama, rabbit, cavy, goat shows. What a wonderful world they must live in to bring their animals to show. I gravitated towards country music probably about ohhh...twelve or so years ago. The song that got me started...now don't laugh.

Kenny Chesneys...She Thinks My Tractors Sexy. Okay, laugh if you want, go ahead.

We were at the Georgia National Fair and there was a clogging show going on...man it got my blood pumping to see those girls just a gettin' it to that song. I was hooked from then on for sure.

I know, I keep getting side tracked, but I am having a good time this morning thinking about things, so just bear with me.

So, my parents had moved to Stockbridge and in passing on the way to their house there was a house sitting a little back from the road...with a sign out front. It was an old weathered piece of plywood with roughly painted letters on it, reading Fresh Eggs For Sale.

Hmmmm...fresh eggs...what does that mean? They have chickens back there? Is it safe to buy eggs like that? (I know, what a dummy, I didnt know any better) Curiousity got the better of me and I drove up the dirt and gravel driveway. A nice lady came out and I bought a dozen for a dollar. I took those eggs home and we had some that weekend for breakfast. I had never known eggs could actually have TASTE until this moment. Imagine my surprise when I saw that egg yolks are not in fact a washed out pale yellow color like from the store. I was hooked. OH yes, I had to go back and get more of these.

Three weeks into it, their girls went into molt and stopped laying. :( Talk about sad. What to do? What to do?

Where do you get chickens? I didnt have a clue. I hadnt ever heard of the Market Bulletin, didnt know that flea markets had poultry for sale all the time. I didnt have a clue. So I asked on a message board. Try a feed store they said. Okay. I went to a very long standing feed store...and sure enough, they had chicks...well, not right then. They would have them in the Spring. I could hardly wait. But wait I did. During that time I researched the internet and learned as much as I could about raising chicks. Boy did I learn a lot. I still learn things today.

So Spring came...well, I started calling the feed store back in January...asking if they had any chicks in yet. I wonder if they knew my voice after so many calls...lol. I had settled on Buff Orpingtons as my first chicks. They are a docile friendly breed and great layers.

They finally came..oh they came! Off to the feed store I went with my little box ready. I bought six little buff orpington chicks..little yellow fuzzballs of joy. I was just so happy! I was going to have my very own eggs! Well, in about five or six months...;)

Chicks have to be kept at a certain temperature when they are little...or they will die. you start at about 95 degrees and take five degrees off each week as they get older. I had a heat lamp set up...medicated feed, medicated water, the proper waterers and feeders...I was ready to go! I regulated the temperature in the brooder with a towel on top of the cut out lid with window screen attached over the cut out section.

Here are some of the very first pictures I took when I started my hobby with chickens.

 

 

 

 

Well that is about enough for today, I really should get on outside now. I will go further along on this story at another time. I hope everyone has a great weekend, I sure am going to try to. :)