Easter Egger Chickens

We have been given the "thumbs up" from hubby to order the chickens in a few weeks - so the kids and I have been researching about different types of breeds. We are amazed at their different personalities, egg laying abilities and heartiness.


photo from http://www.slowfoodusa.org

I think we have settled on two kinds - the first is the popular Rhode Island Red. They have a sweet disposition, pretty easy to raise and are good egg producers. 



photo from http://thefarmershusband.com

 

The other one is Ameraucanas - or known as "Easter Eggers".  They lay blue and green eggs, fun and easy chickens to care for. The kids just thought this was the funniest idea - a chicken laying green eggs!  But inside the egg is like a regular old egg.  I'll keep you posted on when we actually put in our order!

Homestead Gardens

Visited a fantastic garden store about 35 minutes outside of DC that had everything you need for backyard chickens - including the chics. Homestead Gardens is located in Davidsonville MD, east of DC off of highway 50. The kids fell in love with those fluffy yellow chics which nudged hubby a little more towards welcoming a few into the family.

They also host all sorts of gardening classes including a intro to chickens. Check them out at: http://www.homesteadgardens.com/

Convincing the Hubby

Much like many good women throughout history, I am very good at gently convincing my hubby about the awesomeness of my ideas.  I call this particular skill "dropping breadcrumbs".  It takes patience, perseverance and a great amount of tack to slowly convince a man that not only is he open to an idea that he once was adamantly against but now he is a passionate fan.  My current project is introducing him to the love of chickens.  Yup chickens.  We live in the DC area and they are not legal in our city, many people still have them and our council is considering changing the laws. 

Why chickens?  Well, why not?  Eggs are a staple in our diet.  Living in a large urban area I sometimes feel disconnected to our food source.  Our kids love animals and from everything I have read about chickens I think they will be a fantastic family project.

In the mean time, hubby is exploring starting a chicken coop building business.  He is extremely handy, owns every tool known to man and loves working with his hands.  He would enjoy a few extra projects to keep him busy.  So I see the door opening to having a few chicks running around in the back yard and fresh eggs every morning.  But time will tell...