Chickens

Yes we are crazy.  We have decided that because we are allowed to we are going to raise some chickens in the backyard.  Here are the reasons we decided to raise chickens

1. They are so cute!  - This is not a good reason to get chickens!
2. We eat a lot of eggs and also frequently feed our dogs eggs.  I have started baking much more frequently and we cook lots of pancakes, muffins, and hope to soon get our own bread maker!
3. Gardening - chicken poop and the used bedding material makes great compost and our yard has proven how much compost our soil needs to grow anything!  We could barely get grass to grow!
4. Self-Sufficiency - as horrid as the idea is both my husband and I want to get closer to the reality of the food we consume.  Neither of us grew up on farms and are both accustom to suburban/urban living.  Basically we plan to eat our chickens when their egg production slows.  We hope to take comfort in the fact that our chickens will live happy lives in a more free-range environment and much longer life than those found in grocery stores.

Starting out with 5 day old chicks!  We have them inside with a heat lamp, fine pine bedding, fresh water, and baby chick food.  They will need to stay mostly inside until they are 6 weeks old or have all their big bird feathers.  We plan to take them out for a few supervised hours outside on warmer dryer days.  We hope not to loose any before they move outside but after much reading it is not uncommon to loose 25% of your chicks even with great care.