We started our chicken raising three summers ago. Fifty straight run Buff Orpingtons under heat lamps in the basement. They lived in the basement for...oh too long. When they started hopping up the stairs into the kitchen they were unceremoniously extricated to the almost finished chicken house. The twenty five or so roosters were taken to the poultry processors in the fall leaving only one rooster. But he was a mean-ol-rooster and so he was replaced with a new rooster. Last year we received about twenty various colors of baby chicks. And this year we received some more. They were hatched in the third grade classroom. But since only about half were hens we decided to increase our flock with more baby chicks. We ordered twenty five Partridge Rocks. They are currently in the garage (thankfully not the basement) getting bigger. In a few weeks they will join the others in the "big house". Our original hens will go to the processor this fall. They will be a little tough being that they are almost three years old, but they will be good for stew and soups.
I will admit that I am a little torn about taking them. Probably too sentimental. But they were our first hens. And they have done a great job at producing beautiful brown eggs. I've been selling them at the farmer's market and to neighbors. There's nothing like a free-range chicken laying lovely brown eggs. The yolks are almost orange and the flavor is exceptional.
Today I'm thankful for our hens... all of them.... in their various colors, shapes, ages, sounds and sizes. We now have spotted eggs, dark and light brown eggs and about three green eggs every day. A rainbow of colors. So beautiful. Hopefully, our new chickens will add even more color to our egg basket.
Today's Journey Joy - Hens
