I've been spending an inordinate amount of time studying up on chickens here lately. I raised chickens 30-some-odd years ago but I didn't know what I was doing. I made sure they were fed, watered and had a place to stay and that's about it. This time I want to know what I'm doing and I want healthy, clean, well-fed, watered, and beautiful chickens. I've just about decided that for this first year I'm not going to try and keep a rooster. I just want chickens for their eggs and hens don't need a rooster to lay eggs. Secondly, I want to raise them from baby chicks so I realize the possibility is I might get a rooster anyway and not realize it but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'm only going to get about 8-10 and I'm going to start with 5 Barred Plymouth Rocks and 5 Rhode Island Reds. I had the fancy chickens the first time around and I love all those colorful blue and green eggs but I'm going to start with the "ordinary" this time and work out from there. That may be all I really want, who knows. I'm really, really excited. Hubby is going to make the coop so that there will be lids to the outside of the coop. I can go in the barn and open each box and reach in and get eggs without even going inside the coop. Is that not cool?!!! It was difficult for me to understand what he was trying to explain to me at first but after I got my head wrapped around it, I thought it was an awesome idea!! When he starts building the coop I'll make sure to take pictures so you can get an idea of what he's talking about - if you don't already. Some of you I know are more chicken-smart than I am!!!
By the way (as a side note) if you will go to my Pictures Page I will show you some Jewel Weed. Jewel Weed is a wild herb/plant that I make a salve from and keep for skin irritations. You can just about always presume that where there is poison ivy, Jewel Weed will be growing. Most of the time in nature you'll find the poison and the antidote thriving together, side by side. Jewel Weed will solve your poison ivy eruptions. My friend could not find anything to help her little boy who was suffering severely with poison ivy. She became desperate and heard about Jewel Weed. She went out into the woods and collected the whole plant and wrapped her son's arm in it for about 3 days, constantly changing the weed - and of all things it worked. Made a true believer out of her!! I've been slowly, when I'm out walking, gathering Jewel Weed this Summer and I now have enough to make a couple small jars of salve. That's all in the world I need but I wanted you to see what I've been up to!