Time Flies, And So Do Chickens

If you are looking for the last post on my mom's breast cancer, just keep scrolling down.  It's right  under this post.  It's called "Pink Ribbons and Butterflies".  Thanks for checking on her--we appreciate all the love and concern!  I will keep letting everyone know how she's doing!  Also, if you would like to leave a comment for her, feel free!  She sees them all and enjoys hearing from you.  Thanks for all of the supportive comments.  We are so greatful for the love we have felt!

Ever since we moved to "the country", I have wanted to get chickens.  A few years ago we decided to give it a try.  It's been quite the experience!  We started out with 12, and added 13 more a year later.  We have had a few wander off and one met an untimely demise when they neighbors dog got loose. (A traumatic day for me and the kids!)  So, now we have 20.  I have gotten used to the constant clucking from the backyard, and we love the fresh eggs.  Zack and Lauren feed them and take care of them, and sell eggs to a few neighbors for some spending money.  The only problem, is that they can FLY!  We have had the hardest time keeping these chickens contained.  At first we thought it was no big deal if they got out and wandered the yard a little, until my kids accidentally came across an egg under some shrubs in the flower beds.  They looked a little closer and had an October Easter egg hunt.  They came in with 39 eggs they had found in the backyard under various bushes, behind rocks, you name it.  The eggs had been pretty well hidden, and we had no idea how long they'd been there, so I threw them all away. After that, we decided we needed to be a little more strict with the ladies, and we fenced them in a little better.  Things went pretty well until this new batch of chicks grew up enough to join them, and they had a lot more energy than the older gals.  They were flying the coop every day, and making a huge mess in our landscaping bark.  We tried clipping their wings, and I even joined a very prestigious (ha-ha) online club, BYC.  (Back Yard Chickens, a club I never thought I'd be a member of!)  But, they send me a very handy and informative newsletter once a month, in which I learned that even with their wings clipped, chickens can fly up to 18 feet.  So, we covered our chicken enclosure with a tarp.  That lasted 3 days until a huge windstorm ripped it to shreds, tearing all the chicken wire down with it!  So for the next 3 days, while we decided what to do with them next, all twenty chickens roamed the yard, and had a 24 hour all-you-can-eat buffet in our garden boxes.  We ended up putting them in a huge dog run with a wire grid on top.  That's been better, but we still have two of the black chickens who somehow manage to get out.  Naughty girls!!!  They are just lucky we like eggs!

Easter 2009, Cooper looking at our first batch of chicks

It took about six months for them to start laying
eggs.  The kids were pretty excited when they
found the first few eggs.

Caden cooking up an egg, straight from the chicken coop

Yummy scrambled eggs!

New chicks this spring

Cooper was a little older and a little braver this time!

Caden with the new chicks

The black chicks have grown up and started laying
cute, teeny eggs.  They eggs will get bigger as the
chickens mature more.

They look so funny next to a regular egg!

I never thought I'd be taking pictures of eggs for my blog!
(Never thought I'd be of member of the BYC club, either!)

A mini-update on mom:  She is doing well, still really sore from surgery, and really tired.  Some days are better than others, but she is pretty exhausted by the end of the day.  She has a great attitude, though, and so many people who love her and support her.  Thanks to all of you who keep her in your thoughts and prayers--that helps so much!  She is scheduled for an appointment with her surgeon on Sept. 8, the surgery for the port on Sept. 9, and the echo cardiogram sometime between then and when chemo starts on Sept. 15.  So, that's the plan for now.  I will keep everyone updated.  Thank you so much for your interest and concern!