Chickens!

I can't believe I haven't announced that we will be the proud parents of 25 Buff Orpington chicks beginning April 17th. (Check out the link, if you don't know what this kind looks like). We have long wanted chickens, not only for eggs and meat, but also for their garbage-disposal tendencies. And besides, what homestead is complete without chickens?! They like to eat the yummy compost, aphids off of your culls, and they scratch and scratch in the dirt, cultivating and incorporating their manure. The Buff's are a good dual-purpose meat/egg bird, and they also make great mothers. They are prone to getting broody, meaning we could potentially raise our own chicks next year.

We won't be seeing any eggs until sometime later, but within a few months, the other chicken benefits will begin to roll in, provided we can keep hawks and other critters from eating them. We plan on building a movable coop so we can spread their effect over a larger area within the garden. Keep posted to see photos of our little babies in a few weeks!