Saturday, February 21, 2009

Our Urban Chicken Adventure Begins

In the spring of 2007 our family was invited to visit the farm of my principal to see the baby lambs. All was going very well until I stepped out to spend some time with our daughter exploring the adjoining woodland. We came back to discover that a plot had been (literally) hatched in my absence! We were off to the farm supply store to buy chickens..."For whom?" I asked naively.

I bravely put on a strong defense, making a great kerfuffle of objections, denial, bargaining, etc. But, It was no use. I soon found myself driving home with a box of 6 tiny chicks, $80 in supplies, and a book about raising urban chickens. First piece of advice in the book: NEVER buy chickens without careful planning and preparations at home!

I quickly converted my quiet weekend into a frenzied building project, constructing a pen in our spare bedroom. For several weeks the chicks were a delight for our daughter and a happy distraction as my wife and I worked to close the school year. We had one New Hampshire Red, one Black Australorp, two Barred Plymouth Rocks, and two Araucanas. They made a colorful little flock, and grew quickly under the glow of the heat lamp as the spring progressed.

Then, the crowing started.

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