Chickens in the Winter

We've had chickens since we've lived here in PA.  It's a great chore for the boys to have and also a way to make some money.  We let the boys sell the extra eggs,,, we have to have a dozen in the frig and they can sell the extras.  We've got "customers" from church and the neighbors love the eggs.  Our problem isn't finding people to buy our fresh, yummy, better for you eggs,, it's keeping up with the demand!  Right now Hunter, Luke and Silas all have their own chickens.  Luke also has a duck in his coop.  Last year poor Duck was attacked by a mean raccoon (which we later trapped and got rid of!) and was barely alive but she lived through it!  Luke enjoys Duck and was so glad she made it! 

 

We always start our chickens from peeps and when they get enough feathers, move them outdoors to moveable coops.  Then once they start laying, they move to the permanent coops.  This summer I hope to get 12 more chicks and also some meat birds.   This is Hunter digging a path to the snow buried coops.

We started with the coop in the front and added an addition on each year.  So there are now 3 different batches of hens,, each with their own rooster.  This black rooster is our only "nice" rooster.  Silas' rooster is the meanest!!!  I won't go in that coop without a weapon to defend my legs!  This is an egg in the nesting box.   Right now we get about 18-20 eggs a day.  This is the first winter they didn't slow down!!  All the winters in the past, we went months with feeding them and NO eggs!  Bummer!!!    It's been great because we go through at least a dozen a day,, 2 per person for breakfast is more than a dozen but Mark doesn't eat eggs every morning and some days the younger guys prefer to just have toast.    The joys of our birds!  I absolutely LOVE the chickens and hope to always have them!  I love working in the garden and throwing the grub worms to them and watch them fight for it!  I just go down to the coop and watch them,, I find real peacefulness in that!