We've been on the fence about getting chickens, so I decided we should go meet a few to see what we thought.
I knew I didn't want babies for a number of reasons which narrowed the field tremendously. I came across a few local farmers on craigslist and connected with a nice couple in Leesburg that had a few 8-month-old hens for sale.
Why not visit and just see what they're like? We can decide if we want them after we leave, right?
Three minutes after stepping into the chicken coop, I have a hen in my arms and I'm saying, "We'll take them." As soon as Jae and I were in the car, he turned to me and said, "I thought we were going to think about it, first."
So did I, but their soft feathers and total trust when they were in my arms just won me over. Could you resist THIS?
Exactly.
The problem is that our coop fell through and we're leaving in a few weeks to travel.
Thankfully, the Bennett's offered to house the two hens (Buff Orphintons) until we get back from our trip. Which gives us a few more weeks to figure out where we'll house them and what the hell we need to get to keep them safe and happy.
On a side note, the Bennett's had a bunch of other animals including a one-day-old lamb! Isn't he cute?!?!?! Momma sheep wasn't too sure about us invading their stall, but baby was super sweet and loved all the attention.
As we left, the Bennett's gave us eggs that our two girls had laid just that morning.
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| Our first eggs!!! |
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| IN MY BELLY! |
I've downloaded some plans to build our own chicken coop. It will be a lot cheaper, but I'm not sure our relationship can survive the cooperation that will be required. HA!
So, ready or not, I'm a chicken momma now.
Congratulations on your new hens! Love the pictures, too. How are you building a coop? Do you have some plans, or are you winging it?
ReplyDeleteI bought some plans that look awesome. The farm we visited yesterday had a coop that was tall enough for people to walk into and I really liked that idea (most of the coops you can buy pre-made are only 3 or 4 feet tall).
ReplyDeleteSo, I have the plans in my hand (The Garden Coop Plan) and we are going to see what we can come up with.
I can't start until next weekend because I purchased some eco-friendly non-toxic wood sealer that probably won't arrive until mid-week.
SO NERVOUS!