chickens

Ethan's Aunt Ginger, who we visited this past weekend in Tampa, has a handful of chickens she keeps in her backyard. I was so excited to meet them as I've had the pleasure of eating many, many of their eggs! Ginger usually brings us cartons of eggs when she visits Atlanta and they are hands-down the best eggs I've ever had. I'm a big-egg lover. Gimme breakfast for every meal of the day and I'd be happy. They just don't get much more fresh than right from your backyard.

So many people are keeping chickens these days and I have to say, they are the sweetest things. They're pretty quiet unless they're laying eggs from what Ginger told me. We got to see their coop, and when it got dark, we saw them all snuggled up together on their perch! I had no idea chickens slept that way. It was the sweetest thing ever. I'm baffled at how they don't fall over!

Here's Ginger.. she's such an animal lover. She's owned all kinds of animals.

There's Nina the Chihuahua in the background above!

Here's the coop...

I couldn't help but go searching for some vintage chicken inspiration...

source 1, 2

purse

by the river (ok, just realized those are ducks, let's ignore that, mmkay?)

clock

cute

purse

Do you keep chickens? Do you love it?

Comments

[Lo]

I love this post! We're getting chickens this spring and this post has me even more excited. I can't wait!

[Bristol]

I dream to have chickens in my back yard but there is this dumb ordinance in my community:( loved this post!~
Bristol

[Margo]

im gonna get some chickens this spring as well from my step dad! I wish you would do more outfit posts! i would love to see more since the new cut! im a mom of a 14 year old boy(but alas im 31) dont do the math! always looking for mama stylish inspiration!

[Genevieve Gail]

Chickens are fun! We Chicken sat for our neighbors not too long ago and it was great- definitely thinking about getting some of our own... http://genevievegail.blogspot.com/2011/11/chicken-sittin-and-thanksgivin.html

Oh, and have you seen this coop? Most awesome chicken house EVER http://www.thefancyfarmgirl.com/heres-the-coop/

Love your blog!
Genevieve

[Cassandra]

Love this post! I want chickens so darn bad - but living with a city boy is not helping my case much. We now have a place where they are legal, and the land for it, so....I'm workin on it again this spring. :) When I was a wee lass - we raised a bunch of chickens from chicks and had a whole coop-full. Those chickens were my pride and joy. We have many pictures of me collecting eggs, holding them, talking to them....I loved those chickens. Great pics. Great post. :) Thanks!

[Koral]

We keep chickens in our backyard!! we used to live in the city at the time of getting the hens with a teeny tiny yard, and in our city we had a bylaw which stated 4 as the limit of hens per household (we kept 8 of them, because we are rebels haha) but since then we have moved outside the city and there are no bylaws with respect to the number of hens and livestock.....but check up on that, or bribe your neighbors with eggs like we did instead :) we love the whole experience so much! it is a rewarding friendship we have with our hens, they give so much in return, i very much respect farming now that i have been caring for these hens for a year and a half. our three little kids learn so much from them, and love to take care of them too feeding them cleaning out their coop collecting eggs changing nests. the kids also learn valuable knowledge about caring and growing/raising your own food, what could be more valuable knowledge than that I ask ? :) in addition to giving us eggs, their manure is wonderful for the garden!
We raised four rhode island red hens from 3 day old chicks. now that is dedication, they don't start laying until they are about 4 - 6 months old! so they are much like a regular pet until then.

we were much like you, curious about the whole thing for almost a year, asked around, did some reading, investigated prices on feed, bedding and then just decided let's go for it! we collected the supplies and ordered four baby chicks from the feed store. it is all trial and error in the beginning, but completely worthwhile in the long run. you could have a nice little egg cash business too. all the neighbors love getting eggs from us, being self-sufficient and eating well, its a win-win!! if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer any more!

[Melissa]

Well...I don't have REAL chickens...but I do have that chicken clock you posted! I have the big one...but now I am on the hunt for the little one to match it:) My husband thought I was nuts when I brought the chicken clock home. It's kinda ridiculous how happy it makes me every time I look at it in the kitchen:)

[The Glamorous Housewife]

Awesome! I so want chickens but my husband said over his dead body. Put I can still live vicariously through all the lucky bloggers who DO have chickens. *sigh*

Thanks doll,
The Glamorous Housewife

[Karli Plant]

I have always wanted to live in a small town on a farm. . . it probably is a romanticized notion but a wonderful notion all the same! we have neighbors with chickens and they bring us fresh eggs once in a while. . . DELICIOUS!!! the brown eggs are my *fav*!