Guess Who Is Coming To Live With Us...

Here are a couple hints: they're two-legged and come in all different colors, shapes and sizes. 

 

They have feathers.

 

They chirp.

 

Have you guessed it yet?



Little baby chicks! We are so excited.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would have chickens. Let me tell you why...

They stink, they peck, they poop, they're probably loud, and my dogs will eat them. Furthermore, there's no way in sweet hallelujah that I'm cleaning a nasty icky chicken coop full of liquid poop OR touching eggs that have come out of a chicken's @$$!

Yes, I know where the eggs we eat come from, but does that mean I want to essentially pluck an egg from a butt and take it inside to cook and toss on a piece of toast? And what do you mean the eggs don't have to be refrigerated?! Is that sanitary?

 

What's more, do they listen? Like, can I smooch and they all come running? I have visions of chasing the little buggers everywhere and them just running, flying and hopping every which way to evade me.  

 

Again, the stink! Just thinking of them I can smell all the chicken farms. I can't get past it.

 

...Are you asking yet why the heck we got chickens?

Our number one reason is that we want to know where the chicken and eggs that we consume are coming from. It all stemmed from watching this documentary. To keep it short and sweet, we want to know how they are raised and what they eat.

 

This reason has overpowered the stink. And the work. And the noise and the mess. And the potential death-by-dog.

 

So after months of research, we have determined that you can keep the stink to a minimum- especially if they are primarily free range.

I have come to terms with plucking eggs directly from the...source. I've also learned why they don't need to be refrigerated.

We've read that they aren't stupid, and can learn how to go back to their coop at night.

Even better, they have personalities and can even be friendly! Some of you might say "Well, duh." But, as I've said before, all of this farm stuff is completely new to me. I have always, naively, thought that chickens were just dumb dirty birds.

Needless to say, I'm so very happy that we started researching before just saying 'NO'.

 

Now, cross your fingers that we can introduce them to our dogs as friends, not food!

{Photos via Townline Poultry Farm}