While is was in Santa Barbara my sister and I were talking about chickens and how we loved our pet chickens growing up. Then she started telling me about backyard chickening. There is a woman in her ward who has a few in her yard in a more urbanized neighborhood. I started researching it and got really excited. There is a whole society of backyard chickening, or urban chickening. I loved it. Got totally excited about the prospect of chickens and started researching breeds. I found that the best mix of egg production and docile temperament were buff orpington chickens. They look and act a lot like Cochin, but are better layers and less prone to disease because of the bare legs instead of the fuzzy.
They are supposed to make the best pet chickens. Growing up we had a dozen chickens, 6 Road Island reds and 6 Black and white Barred rock. They were great layers and we would go around the neighborhood selling eggs. They were our pets...we would watch movies with them, walk around the yard with them on our shoulder, when ever we went outside they would come running up to us. We loved our chickens and have the best memories with them. I actually could not picture childhood without chickens.
Anyway, I got this backyard chickening in my mind and started thinking...we easily have enough room for two chickens to roam in our yard. I have a slug and ant problem which they would eliminate, along with poor soil quality. Win win situation. So I sat down and looked for feed shops. I found one...
...and came home with Mickey and Donald. They are five day old Orpintons and the kids LOVE them. I can't keep them away. I have to admit I am as excited or even more excited than they are. Joshua named them, I tried to explain that they were girls and Minnie and Daisy would be better but oh well. The chicks have six weeks under the lamp and then we will let them roam our whole yard. I have already drawn up plans for a chicken hut. It is basically a little box with two lay boxes a roosting stick and door that I can close at night once they have gone into roost. At 18 weeks the chicks should start laying (point of lay) and should produce about an egg a day each. Well that is if they survive all the petting, hugging, and snuggling they have been getting. So far they are doing great and will hopefully end up being the friendliest chickens in the world probably the chubbiest too. The kids love to feed them...several times an hour.
