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Backyard chickens: Just some Chicks I know…

 

Backyard chickens and other things better not left in the closet

I have a confession to make.  I have kept this secret for too long and I feel compelled to share it with you now.  I have been obsessed with chickens for years.  “Chickens?”, you might ask.  “That’s you’re big secret???”   Big deal a lot of people have loved a lot of chickens for a lot of years, right?  The chicken (or the egg…I’m not sure which came first) can be traced back to Asia circa 6000 BC.  So yeah, a lot of people have loved these birds, but I …tried to hatch one.  No, I don’t mean in an incubator with expensive lights,  gizmos and chicken hatching doohickies. No.  I literally pulled an egg out of my mother’s refrigerator and proceeded to sit on it for what seemed to be an eternity. It was more likely just a few minutes. I hid in a closet and dreamed of what I would name my chick.  She would naturally understand every word I said and would respond only to me.  I would name her something clever and all my friends would be jealous.  It was a pretty solid plan.  Then I got bored (this seems to be a common theme I’m noticing) I got so bored and so tired of waiting for this egg to warm up and hatch that I soon left.  I left that egg in that closet for days until it eventually began to smell; I handled it.  I threw the egg out and was covered in shame.  In that moment I realized how dumb my plan really was, but I was desperate to have a chicken to call my own.

Backyard Chickens of my own

Fast forward a few decades.  My fascination hasn’t faded and it is with great pride that I present my backyard chickens:  Henrietta, Cosmo, Nugget and Scout (originally Omelet).  These are my girls (actually Scout keeps us wondering; no eggs, but quiet as a church mouse).  I love them, I named them, they come when I call ( if I have food and they are hungry) Mission Accomplished.

 

 

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7 Comments

  1. Oh my goodness, you’ve just made my day even brighter. I’m so pleased you stopped by my post and left a message for me, as this caused a ripple effect for me to come and see what you’ve been posting. What a lovely, and heartwarming story of the egg. Your chickens are so beautiful and I love the names you’ve given to them. I too, have always dreamed of a little piece of land where the chicken could grow. I suppose I wished for a Martha Stewart type of chicken coup. 🙂 but since I live where having these are not possible I enjoy reading the tales of others who are so blessed to realize a dream.. Thanking you kindly for this post .. It really did touch my heart..

    Take care and happy blogging to ya, from Laura ~

    1. My husband and I hoping to move soon. The area that we live in was once very rural and now has been overrun with industry. There are many nice amenities, but I prefer a more minimal and quiet lifestyle. We really need to get on some acreage BEFORE Scout begins to show his true colors. He didn’t lay a single egg last season, and he appears to be very protective of the others, (which is why we changed his name to Scout). We were told we had four hens, but I’m pretty sure we have a Rooster on our hands.

      1. Eleanor, I wish you all the best on your search for a more rural area. Sounds like you would be very happy, once you have more room to expand,. My grandmother had a saying that I for the life of me can’t remember, but it did have something to do with hens.. perhaps it will come to me in the near future…. I do however remember giggling as a child… Good luck with Scout.. love that name and sounds like it suits the hen or perhaps rooster..
        Take care and thanking you kindly for your return comments…
        Hugs from Laura ~

    1. Thank you Pete! I live in the suburbs of Houston, TX. Not many foxes out here. The greatest danger is a complaint to the Homeowners Association. My chickens have gone unnoticed by our neighbors for now.

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