The Problem With Free-Ranging Chickens

 Chickens are fun.

It's interesting to see how they relate to each other and watching them grow from baby chicks to full-grown, egg-laying hens. Roosters are another story. Seeing their battles to determine who gets to be head rooster is something to behold. I sure am glad I'm not a chicken.

I built a coop from pallets, then two years later, I finally put up a fence around the coop to keep chickens out of the garden during the summertime. After the harvest is over, I open the gate and they're free to roam. They seem like happy chickens-- they forage in the yard and the garden, they come to the back door looking for handouts, they lay eggs.

Chickens in the yard please me.  No more bare feet, but that's alright, I think it's a fair trade-off.

The problem with free-ranging chickens is that to find the eggs, it's a full-on Easter egg hunt, but without the bright colors to tip you off! Ever try to look for brown eggs nestled among brown dirt and leaves? Not easy.

The girls hit pay-dirt while out playing in the snow today. Ten eggs hidden by the woodpile! A good cleaning and they're good to go. The temperatures outdoors where we are have been a steady 40, so I'm not worried about these eggs being rotten, but nevertheless, I will inspect each egg as I crack them into a separate bowl before using them in any meals. 

I'm sure there are more piles of eggs hidden somewhere, but haven't found them yet. Sure am looking forward to gardening season and I'll have a reason to pen the chickens in again.

Hen Output

The hens have been doing a fantastic job of laying eggs lately. They have been laying between 8 to 11 daily!! That's a lot of eggs, even for this family of 7! I have been giving away eggs by the dozen to family and friends because we just don't eat that many eggs, and certainly not on a daily basis. I'd like to sell some, but have yet to take that step to advertise. In the meantime, I don't mind sharing the bounty.

Eggs will be on the menu for breakfast tomorrow. I still have to eat soft foods while my mouth heals from a pulled tooth, and eggs will be perfect! Happy Weekend!
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Random Winter Thoughts

Heading out today to the Library, I was pleased to see that the snow is finally starting to melt. I'm not tired of the cold, but I am tired of looking at the same, dirty snow from before Christmas. The snow by the road is yucky and brown and the snow in the yard is dotted with chicken, dog and cat droppings. No wonder the kids don't want to play in the snow!

The weather has warmed up slightly and I had the windows open to air out the house! It got up to the 50s the other day and my mom thought I was nuts! I thought it was nice out there and it was so lovely to smell the fresh air coursing through the house. It's funny how after several weeks of 20-degree weather, 50 can seem so warm!

One of my hens is going broody. I don't like to interrupt their laying process so I wait until after they get out of the coop to gather eggs, but every time I check, the same hen is still sitting on her and the others' eggs. After awhile, I reach under and collect the eggs. It's too soon to let her sit and try to hatch eggs, but maybe sometime in February, I'll let her sit on them. I figure by March, any chicks hatched will be alright with mama if it gets chilly, but it shouldn't get as cold as it has been by then-- knock on wood. If she is successful, she'll save me money on buying more chicks.

Garden dreaming is on the brain these days. Andrew and I are determined to do better in the garden this year, so we are planning and thinking and talking. I'll be making a small greenhouse for my seeds to start in, and we are coming up with ideas on how to build it and where to put it. Meant to get it in before the snow but.... oh well. It'll get started when the snow is completely melted.

Tax-time is coming. ugh. 2009 is the first year in a while where Andrew has worked the whole year at one job. It won't be the biggest, but it should be something, better than last years refund, I hope. The first thing we'll get, if possible, will be a new chainsaw for Andrew. He really needs a new one, as the old one keeps crapping out and parts keep getting replaced. I watch him get so frustrated with the old one and because of all the trouble it gives him, and we really didn't prepare enough wood for the winter. We are being stingy with the wood stove and if it's possible to be warm by adding a sweater instead of starting a fire, that's what we do. There's a local chainsaw shop that gives credit for trade-ins so maybe that will cut down on the price a little bit.

I'm dreaming of cherries. I know it's way too soon for cherries, but I am down to my very last jar of cherry almond jam and I am savoring every bit. On a whim, I added almond extract to my last batch of cherry jam and it has turned into something the whole family cannot get enough of! I only had 4 pints of it so we tried our hardest to make it last. This coming cherry season, I'll be sure to make several batches of cherry almond jam!

Evelyn got a sewing kit from an auntie for Christmas and she has just blown us away at the stuff she is creating! I think she has my knack for coming up with things without a pattern. The kit came with several pre-cut felt pieces to sew together and stuff to make a cat, dog and elephant and some fabric to sew into a pouch to hold it all. She made the stuffed cat and the pouch, then raided my fabric scraps and started making her own designs-- a purse with a latch and a pocket on the front; a little stuffed flashlight with a button for the on/off switch; little purses for her sisters.... She now talks about making a basket and after telling me how she is going to do it, I am impressed with her thought processes. If she keeps this up, I'll give her my old sewing machine whenever I get myself a new one. Hmmm... a chainsaw for Andrew and a sewing machine for me??? Oh please let this be a nice tax year for us!

Sylvia has mastered the computer and now begs to play computer games every time I get on here. She is pestering me now, and I need to get off anyway, so til next time!

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Thank You!

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my 'Introductions' posts. I enjoyed writing them and it reminded me of all the good things about my kids. It's a good way to remember them since they change and grow so quickly and stuff they used to do only a year ago, they no longer do anymore.

I sent out Christmas 'thank you' cards using the photo above. I still have a few more to send out, I ran out of ink in the printer and need to get some more, but I have improved from last year. I think by the time I sent out 'thank yous' it was already February! I'm trying to do better with little things like that.

We have been busy cleaning house. Andrew has not been working very many hours lately-- his boss has cut back every one's hours and hired new people, so this past week, Andrew only worked 9 hours. Hardly worth the gas it takes to work 9 hours, but what is he to do? He has stepped up the job hunt and hopefully something comes our way.

With him home, we are getting some organizing done around here, as part of our resolution to get things cleaned up and de-cluttered. The living room got moved around and everything came off the shelves, then we eliminated about half of the stuff and put stuff back on the shelves. It looks so much better in there now and while no furniture was taken out, it also feels roomier. Amazing what a shift in furniture can do.

The office is currently getting worked on now. We took out more than 10 boxes of stuff, mostly items that I had up for sale on ebay and etsy that went unsold but never got moved back to the basement. The office became a place for things that Peter was getting into and there were precarious towers of papers and stuff teeter-tottering, one bump away from falling over. I had enough! A shelf got taken out, another shelf got moved, lots of papers destined for the burn pile, and I think we are a couple days away from completion. Looking good so far. We only clean after Peter goes down for his nap, otherwise he'd get into things and we'd holler and shriek at the poor kid.



It is bitterly cold up here. All that snow we got before Christmas has yet to melt away, and while it doesn't look like this anymore, there is still several inches of snow on the coop and everywhere else. Not a patch of grass showing except for where we shoveled out and where the chickens scratch.

With 6 hens, we average out to about 4 eggs daily. Today was 6 eggs but the other day was only 2. We have a heat lamp out there, and I think it helps keep the egg production going. Even the cats like to hang out in the coop at night, all snuggled in the straw. I plan to get more chicks in the Spring, I'm thinking 10 more, pullets only, no mixed males or females this time and I'll sell the surplus eggs for a little extra feed money. There is a neighbor down the road that sells farm eggs, so I hope she won't mind the competition.

I have 7 dozen eggs in the fridge now, and I gave away 3 dozen as Christmas gifts. Any tried and true quiche or egg recipes you want to share with me? I see recipes on the internet, but I'd like one from someone I know. Please share! :o) I'll be making eggs salad sandwiches for lunch tomorrow, which I don't think Gretchen will care for, but I think the other 3 kids will gobble up. That'll be about a dozen eggs there. Potato salad will also be on the menu pretty soon, and deviled eggs, yum!


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