Filled with Joy

Finally!

I love the sun.  LOVE it! 

If we could move back to the southwest, I'd have no regrets.

Our girls are showing how much they love the sun, too.

After a long break over the winter without one single egg, they have finally started laying eggs again.

 

Reclaiming My Yard

Oh, the wonderful things that are accomplished when Robert has a few days off. 

We were all tired of the mess in the backyard, and it's time to prepare my garden beds for spring plants.

Last weekend, he made a door to lock up the girls in their pen. When the first one was destroyed by visitors, it wasn't too much of a problem because we weren't outside too much during the rainy season.   However, the sun is shining more, and we want to be able to enjoy our backyard again.

 

I'm planning to add at least four raised beds to our vegetable garden , but there is not way seedlings would survive these two-legged piranhas.

Robert borrowed a pressure washer to clean off our porch. Good-bye chicken poo!

  

Today, is a gorgeous day, and my children can enjoy running through the yard without, umm, stepping on anything yucky. 

Girls: Locked up
Porch & yard:  Lookin Good

We've Got Eggs!

Last night, I told Robert that we need to revamp the coop this weekend because the girls should be laying eggs any day now. 

He jokingly replied that he has a grill that could easily take care of them.  I think he has been hearing a bit of negative news from his coworkers that the girls wouldn't lay this time of year.

This afternoon, I looked outside and only saw six of our seven chickens walking around the backyard.  Olivia went out to find the missing girl.  When she returned, she said the missing girl was in the coop. 

Well, that was my big hint that something was up.

I walked out to the coop to find not one, not two, but THREE eggs!

A Hungry Visitor

I've noticed a new visitor eyeing the yard. 

This has been the best picture I can get.

All of our usual bird feeder visitors have vanished since we got the chickens, but we notice bald eagles and now this...

Do yah think it's interested in the chickens?  ;-)

Hens on My Hostas

Keeping Busy

I wanted to take a moment to let you know that we haven't fallen off the face of the earth. 

I'm spending every spare moment working around the house, in the garden, and reading stacks of books on chickens, vermicomposting, and vegetable gardening.

Our big news is that last Saturday, we went to a local feed store and picked up our little chicks!  They are absolutely adorable. 

I know I said no more than 5, but the store had a minimum purchase requirement of 6.  That was fine until we got there to see only 7 chicks.  How could we leave one little chick all alone?!  Robert and I had agreed to six before leaving home, what was one more?  We now have 1 Buff Orpington and 6 Plymouth Rocks.  Hopefully, they're all female or we will have to find any males a new home.  The black and cream is one of the Plymouth Rock.

This is Henny Penny, the Buff Orpington.  She is the only chick with a name right now.