Chickens

This summer, while we were still living in Decorah, we got 14 chickens and 1 guinea from some friends that were moving and needed to get rid of them. They are a mis-mash of chickens, with some reds, blacks, and speckled chickens. One turned out to be a rooster, which is fine. Maybe next year we'll have some chicks if one of the hens decides to hatch some eggs.

Now that we've moved to our Wisconsin, we needed a place for the chickens, so my dad and I built this chicken house out of some plywood we had. We got the actual chicken house done a week or so ago, but didn't have time to make an outside run, so we did that today. The chickens were very happy to get outside and we picked plenty of greens for them.

All in all, I don't think it's any cheaper, or only marginally cheaper, to raise your own eggs versus buying them, but chickens seems to be at the heart of a homestead, so we have them and hopefully they'll start laying soon. Next summer I hope to get them out to graze or at least in a chicken tractor so they can eat all the greens they want during the summer.

Attached is a picture and video of the chicken house. On the video you'll notice the Amish, a very common sight around where we live.