I have wanted chickens for 25 years, my husband FINALLY agreed. I should mention, we don’t live in the country on a farm, but rather a suburb of Los Angeles. Goodbye Beverly Hill’s Rodeo Drive, hello Beverly Hillbilly’s Egg Avenue. You may be thinking how ever did this city slicker pull off such a feat. It actually wasn’t that hard. I researched our zoning restrictions, and found that city ordinance allows for up to four fowl in our specific neighborhood. I found a chicken coop on Craig’s list for a fraction of the cost, it was located an hour away in Temecula. My husband was a Sweetheart and transported the coop home without incidence, saving a bundle on shipping fees.
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Whoo hooo, of course I had to point out to my husband, how much money I saved him by buying “local” and “gently used”. Now try and mentally picture him, rolling his eyes. Anyways, I also made a quick stop at our local grain and feed store to buy a watering system, feed tray, wood shavings, and laying mash. If only I had a super hero cape, I could be “Farmer Chick” with a manicure………(((crickets)))……okay, keep reading.
We visited Chicken’s Galore in Norco, CA. and chose Black French Copper Marans for our breed. They are the legendary French Hens from the 12 Days of Christmas, and their beautiful brown, speckled eggs highly prized in the culinary world. For a brief moment, I contemplated getting baby chicks, but then I started having flashbacks of the I Love Lucy baby chick episode and thought twice. Wise decision I do believe, as I’m an impatient person. I ended up choosing hens that were ready to start laying. They actually laid their first egg on the 7th day after coming home. On the 6th day, it was only rumored that I told the hens to lay or get in the pot. Rumors I say. Did I mention I am impatient?
We free range our girls and use non GMO feed, resulting in tastier and healthier eggs. We also put them to work in the garden, backyard chickens and gardens go hand in hand. Their droppings enrich our compost, they provide natural insect control, and their scratching for bugs is good for the soil. At the end of the growing season, turn your chickens loose in the garden and they practically prepare your planting beds for next season. Whoo hooo less work for Hubby and less chance of me chipping my nail polish. In all fairness, my husband would more than likely point out, that my nail polish has never been at risk for chipping. He does all the manly garden tasks. I do believe in this case, “it is indeed good to be a woman”…..wink wink ladies.
Backyard chickens are also a great conversation starter. My most frequent question asked, “Do you have to have roosters to get eggs?” Answer: No. Our three girls, Savannah, Pandora, and Scarlett produce the most glorious dark brown eggs, that have deep orange yolks. The eggs must be collected daily, but the nesting box door makes easy work of this task. The average laying hen will produce about 300 eggs a year, but production depends much on the breed and the environment. The happier the hens, the more they will produce. They are kind of like women in this regard, “happy wife happy life” fellas. Should I mention how much money I’m saving my hubby on organic eggs? Yes, he is rolling his eyes again. All kidding aside, fresh home grown eggs are such a bountiful blessing for our family.