Coming Spring 2022!
What could be more symbolic of being on the farm than having a bunch of chickens running around? After nearly six years of not having any, the spring of 2022 will be bringing along a whole new flock of these delightful little birds.
And what more? These are going to be very colorful egg layers - from variations of browns, greens, and blues. Chances are pretty good that you won't find any common white eggs out here!
Check out the possible selection of birds I have picked out for the coop:
And what more? These are going to be very colorful egg layers - from variations of browns, greens, and blues. Chances are pretty good that you won't find any common white eggs out here!
Check out the possible selection of birds I have picked out for the coop:
- Midnight/(French) Black Copper Marans - dark brown/copper eggs
- Ameraucana (Blues, Blacks, Lavenders) - blues to blue/green eggs
- Cream Legbar - blues to blue/green eggs
- Moss, Sage, Olive Eggers - green eggs
What are some benefits to owning chickens?
- As a horse owner - the pest control! From spiders to flies, even mice and small reptiles are on the menu. Chickens are such an amazing form of pest control. Instead of having to constantly spray down the horses down with fly spray, chickens are more than happy to take over the job.
- The eggs of course!
- Clean up crew - if you drop any tidbits on the ground, the chickens will be sure to help clean that up for you. And since chickens are omnivores, unwanted leftovers from the kitchen can go to your flock instead of the garbage. Just make sure the leftovers are 'chicken-friendly' and not toxic to your feathered family.
- Horse manure pasture management crew - chickens are fabulous little diggers and help spread out manure piles as they rummage for goodies in a rather 'unappealing' way. This helps spread out piles of manure so they dry and breakdown faster.
- Free, highly beneficial chicken manure. Poultry is one of the BEST manures out there. The high nitrogen and phosphorus content make it exceptional fertilizer - especially if you're a gardener.
- Chickens are considerably low maintenance and easy to keep. However - many chicken owners would agree - we do go out of our way to pamper these hard working little birds with extra amenities!
- Too many eggs? No problem! Just fry them up and feed them back to the chickens as it's a great source of protein. And be sure to save the shells! You can dry them out, grind and crunch them down into small pieces to either feed back to your girls as an excellent source of much-needed calcium (for more egg-laying) or sprinkle them in your garden.
In my humble opinion, the chicken is one of the most efficient, effective, productive, and practical animals you can raise.
