It’s funny you should ask. A year ago, I’d say, “Heck no…chickens are BORING, DIRTY, DUMB creatures!” Mike was the chicken fan. I wanted “real” livestock, like goats, sheep and cows. Now? Well, I’ve kind of become a convert. Obviously, there is the cool factor of collecting your own eggs, and sharing them with friends & family. But, let me tell you…you won’t need reality TV once you get a few hens in your backyard. Don’t believe me? Check out what went down at Blue Yurt Farms yesterday.
All posts tagged chickens
Thrill Seeking Chickens & An Update!
It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Well, yesterday we spent our day in Yurt-ville and it was pretty exciting. Things are popping, as they say. And while there are headaches (like the shower kit that has the drain on the wrong side, but it’s an internet only item, and thus will take forever and a day to get replaced, and we need it now, sigh), we’re really…really…really excited. And even better, our chickens are too. Here’s a peek of them taking a walk on the wild side…just because they can. Seriously.
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Someone Else is Laying!
For about a month now, we’ve been getting on average 3 or 4 beautiful, large brown eggs. It’s obvious they’re coming from the new hens. They take their jobs seriously, heading to their laying box every morning, while the lazy hens play in the yard. But. Someone (or should I say, some hen?) has apparently been inspired. Mike went out the other day, and there was a fifth MUCH smaller brown egg. But from whom???
Happy Hens on a Cold Day
One day last week it was cold. Really, really cold. Like, remember the ice in the buckets? Well, on this particular day, the ice LAUGHED at that ice. It was so cold, we had to break through a freaking iceberg in each bucket…only to have it freeze again an hour later. The animals were NOT happy. And even better, the hose was frozen too…so no bucket refills until things warmed up a bit. The chicken waterer was the worst, because it has such a shallow amount of water.
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Fresh Eggs Are Delicious
I’m not kidding. They really are. We’ve been doing the “free range” eggs from the store for awhile now (like years), and while better than the generic thin-shelled-anemic-flavorless industrial eggs, they cannot compare to what we’ve been eating for the last week or so. You can’t beat so fresh they’re still-warm-from-the-nest eggs. I won’t say they have a wildly different taste, but when cooked, the whites are firmer and the yolks are richer. Makes sense. They’re beyond fresh.
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Frosted Winter Mornings.
Ever see that movie, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? Yes? But you don’t want to admit it? OK, I get that. But remember that ad slogan for diamonds? Frost Yourself. That’s what I thought as I uploaded these photos for you guys. I wish they could capture how beautiful it is to step outside here in the early morning, and see sparkling frost everywhere. If it weren’t so freaking cold, it’d be even more magical. But nothing is perfect, eh?
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What To Do With Leftover Halloween Pumpkins
Do you happen to have un-carved pumpkins sitting on your porch right now? We do. I consider them zombie pumpkins, not dead….but not alive, either. Or, perhaps they are guilt pumpkins…guilt at all of the things I should be doing with them (roasted pumpkin seeds are the best!). But with a puppy, and a yurt, and lots of work…pumpkins are kind of low on the list. Good thing they aren’t low for others in the Kelly farm family.
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We. Have. EGGS!!!!!
Super exciting news! Mike went out yesterday morning, aaand….there were two eggs waiting for him. And, by the afternoon, we had two more. FOUR EGGS, people! Pretty amazing. And, they were nice brown eggs too. So, for those of you who have been following along, you might be wondering just who laid their first eggs. And I have a bit of a confession. Well…. We lost patience with our starter flock, and…
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Don’t Hate Mix Rooster.
Did you read yesterday’s post? Do you now hate Mix Rooster for his…umm…indiscretions? Well, his life isn’t too easy either. Sometimes people visit and they challenge his authority. And this is how he feels about it.
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Chicken Sex…So Wrong.
One thing about having a “hen” turn into a rooster, is that eventually…that rooster will start crowing, and, well, doing other things. We firmly fall into the yuppie urbanized backyard chicken keepers on this, but those chickens are our ladies, protected and spoiled. So, the other morning when we heard what could only be described as an indignant and then…startled squawk from outside…well, we felt a little indignant ourselves!
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