We're diving head first into Spring and our vegetable garden is in full swing. We have planted tomatoes, green beans, snap peas, corn, cucumber, sweet potatoes, onions, cantelope, and tomatoes in the garden now.
We're still awaiting our strawberry plants and are getting ready to plant potatoes. We're really trying to go green this year. So, we'll be adding a real composter (contrary to Ken's belief, the ever growing heap in the backyard is not a compost pile). After months of consideration, we've also decided to add chickens.We'll be adding four or five laying hens, so we can have fresh homegrown eggs for the family. I never realized there were so many different breeds of chickens, so I did my research and found which ones were best with children. We've settled on five different varieties.
We're starting off with a 1/2 a dozen Buff Cochin hatching eggs, which should arrive this week. I thought it would be educational for Ella to see the chickens hatch. We have an incubator and even have a candler to view inside the egg and watch as development takes place.
This is the Buff Cochin:
May 19th, our order of six day old Light Sussex chicks are being shipped to us from Florida. The Light Sussex; which is the #1 Chicken in England, due to egg production & versatility (plus, they have a great temperment). Below is a Light Sussex Hen and her chicks:
The Ameraucana lays blue/green eggs. The kids are going to love picking up eggs from this beautiful bird. It will be Easter every morning.
and lastly a couple bantam hens for the kids (Small sized chicken, lays 1/2 the size of a standard egg). A Bantam Blue Wheaten Ameracauna, also lays blue & green eggs:
and this Sesame Street or Dr. Seuss looking bantam, the Buff Silkie
It seems like a lot of chicks will be around, but in actuality I've already placed half the Cochin chicks that will hatch and expect to do the same for the Sussex. Once we figure out the hens from the roosters, we will be parting with all but one of each variety. I'll order the remaining Easter Eggers & Ameracaunas, once the other chicks have been placed.
Of course, the chickens will not be living in our house. We're in the process of building a chicken coop for our backyard. We've purchased some plans and have already layed the framework this past weekend. Stay tuned as our eggs are arriving any day now and we continue to build the chicken coop.
