My Little Farm in the Big City - Apr. 10, 2008
Posted in My Little Farm in the Big City
When I blogged my Monday Meanderings earlier this week, I realized that it has been a month since I’ve been here. Over the next couple of days I want to share with you what has been gong on this past month that has kept me from blogging.
Often times, regular bloggers will “wander” away for a bit and come back with stories of a whirlwind life and an out-of-control schedule. I know this because I’ve done it myself. Life just gets busy. This time, though, I’m choosing to say that life just got full. Very full. So, what’s the difference? Well, busy makes me think of “busy work” which is just a flurry of activity and nonsense that doesn’t really accomplish anything or present anything worth blogging about. Busy just makes you tired. However, a full life is exhilarating.
Disclaimer: By the way, your definition of exhilarating and my definition of exhilarating might differ a bit, so don’t be too disappointed when you find out that I didn’t go bungee jumping or motocross racing in the last four weeks. Oh, and this week’s posts will not be in any specific order. Don’t look for continuity here or a hierarchy of importance. I’m basically posting according to what pictures I have available right now.
Now, on to the cool events that have kept me from blogging for a month!
Meet the new additions to the family:
These sweet, fast-growing chicks joined our family about three weeks ago, and nothing has been the same since, lol! Meet Peep, Chubba, Stripe, and Cawthorne, four Rhode Island Red chickens who prompted a renaming of our home to “The little farm in the big city.”
Now, I know that many of you have large pieces of property in the middle of nowhere, and our little flock of four are nothing compared to the thirty or forty head flock you keep on a regular basis. But, we live in the middle of
For anyone who is thinking of getting a couple of chickens for eggs or just for pets, I highly recommend it. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
· Keep them extra warm for the first week.
· Get to know your feed store workers really well. They possess a treasure trove of great information.
· Be prepared to keep them in the house for a couple of weeks, especially at night.
· Be prepared to clean out their indoor cage daily.
· Be prepared to increase the size of their indoor cage every other day.
· Be prepared to meet some of the more interesting nocturnal wildlife in your area that you never even realized lived there.
· Be prepared to have parts and pieces of the “new and improved” coop sitting in your living room for a while until the final project is actually finished. Oh, and be prepared for the actual design of the coop to continuously evolve.
· Be sure that your final coop design is movable and well-ventilated. Cleaning the open run area is a lot easier if you can move the run out of your way. And don’t forget to compost what you’ve cleaned up! That’s valuable fertilizer you’ve got there!
· Spend the extra money to get sexed chickens so you don’t end up with roosters which are not allowed in most cities.
· Handle the chicks often. You want them to know who you are.
I thinks that’s about everything I didn’t think about before impulsively racing off to our local feed store to indulge in some spring chicks.
Thanks for stopping by today. Wait ‘til you see what else is going on!
Betty
Grace and peace be yours in abundance. – 1Peter1:2b
PS. Sorry, Julie, no goats here.
Comments
Apr. 10, 2008 - OOooooo, chickens!
Posted by moonshowr
Glad to see you back, I was wondering what happened to you! Can't wait to see more pictures of the chicks, and I'm sure there will be some funny stories to go along with them! Funny stories and chickens seem to just go together! LOL!!! Welcome back!
Carrie
Apr. 13, 2008 - I Remember it Well!
Posted by mijubrifarms
We must live parallel lives, you and me. We were still living in the city when DH got his first 10 chicks - two days before Father's Day. Our neighbors thought we were nuts! And DH built them a mansion for a coop. And they were (are) great pets. DS joined 4H that year and learned everything you could ever want to know about chickens. As for the goats, well Colorado Springs code enforcement didn't think too highly of it when we moved 3 nigerian dwarfs into the backyard. That's about when we decided it was time to move out to the country.
Nice to see you again.
Julie
Apr. 14, 2008 - Hey
Posted by shawtime
It's so good to see you back online, Betty. You were missed. :-) I can't wait to read more about your "full" break from blogging.
Apr. 22, 2008 - Cute!
Posted by CreativeLearning
I love RIR's - they are good layers. We just moved North a few years ago ( North Carolina) from Sarasota - not too far from where you are. Glad to hear about your Little Farm! God bless, MeritK
