New Law for Los Angelos...only One Rooster per Household

If you live in Los Angeles you need to be aware of this new law that was just passed. Take a look at this story: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9ASK4BG0&show_article=1

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I have a confession...

I have a confession…

Believe it or not there was a point when I was ready to put the brakes on our chicken/eggs adventure. You see, my wife was the driving force behind the whole idea. She had studied all the great benefits of eating free range eggs and had decided she wanted to raise them herself. Now, don’t get me wrong, I liked the idea of chickens, but I didn’t really think about what the costs would be before starting.

Well, it was at the coop building stage that everything almost fell apart. The chicks had outgrown our guest bathroom and needed more room. My wife and I went down to Lowes to pick out the roofing materials. As I started adding up the price, I was having trouble seeing the payoff of this whole adventure. It was going to be well over $100.00. She could sense my apprehension and started asking me what was wrong. I’m not the best in the world at hiding my feelings (a wife has an uncanny ability to see right through a husband) and she soon figured out that I was really not feeling this whole chickens-in-the-backyard thing. “OK, let’s just forget it then” she said “I’ll find a home for the chicks and we’ll be done with it.” She started walking back to the truck with tears in her eyes and it was then that I realized how much these little chicks meant to her. (I admit husbands aren’t always the brightest creatures, but at least I figured that one out.) You can bet I wasn’t going home without that roofing material.

I gingerly suggested we try another store to compare pricing. She waited this one out in the truck as I went in and found a little better deal. I called her up on her cell phone and asked her to come help me load the stuff onto the cart. Things were starting to look up. J When I got home I officially started the coop and it went together very quickly. Less than 2 afternoons and the chicks had a nice new home. They were happy, I was happy and last but not least my wife was very happy.

Now that the chicks had their new home I was ready to see the eggs. That’s when I found out it takes time for the chicken to mature to the egg laying stage. Every week I kept asking when the eggs would start appearing, but it remained an inevitable yet indefinite date in the future. I continued to wait patiently (J) and eventually stopped asking about it. Then finally the day arrived, our first egg! A cute little egg, but an egg nonetheless.

Over the next few days the egg production began to grow from 1-2 a day then 3-4 a day and now 7-8 a day. They started out small but are now fairly large eggs, with a few double yolks thrown in every now and then. I have to admit that these are the most delicious eggs I have ever eaten. I am so thankful that my sweet wife got her little chicks after all.

Here’s hoping you will soon have your own fresh eggs, too! Take it from me, you won’t regret it.

The Chicken Coop

Chickens have few needs. That’s one of the nice things about them. My wife went to the local co-op and picked up our little chicks and brought them home to our guest bath. She made a little cardboard house complete with a heating lamp to keep them warm and cozy. It wasn’t too long and those girls were getting big.

My wife talked about the need of building a coop but I kind of just let it slide for a while. As the chicks grew it became a big job for my wife to take care of them. The chicks needed more room and it was growing into a bigger mess and it was getting a little smelly. It was the smell that drove me to action.

I had some lumber laying around the house so I didn’t need to much in the way of materials to get started. Had some deck blocks that I used to get the coop off the ground. And purchased the metal roofing and some hinges for the doors.

I had decided to build a simple shed roof design. I wanted a roof over the chicken run so that it wouldn’t get muddy (we get appx. 47 inches of rain per year). The coop was 32 square feet and the run was about 64 square feet.

Trying hard to keep the costs down, I used OSB sheathing for the coop and chicken wire for the run. I painted the OSB to match our shed and to protect it from the elements.

The day our chicks moved into their new coop was the happiest day of their lives. I was pretty happy about the move too. My wife was tickled because now her workload had been cut way down.

Remember rule Number 1: Don’t put off getting your coop ready. Whether you decide to build your own or purchase a ready-made coop, don’t make the mistake I did. Have your coop setup before you need it.

The Incredible Edible Free Range Egg

Chickens and Free Range Eggs

Chickens are a special pet. Yes, I said pet. Believe it or not these lovable feathered friends are not only nice to have around the house; they also work for a living. Which is more than most pets can ever claim. Chickens provide meaningful benefits to you. These are benefits that will improve your health and wellbeing.

Take a look at what chickens can do for you. Not only will your chickens give you a fresh supply of healthy and delicious eggs each day. They will provide rich fertilizer without resorting to scary chemicals. And chickens can also get rid of many pesky insects without using dangerous chemicals.

Chickens: A Pet the Whole Family can Enjoy.

Chickens are very friendly. Each time we go out they come running up to us. They love being petted and seeing what kind of snacks we have for them. They love vegetable scraps. And once in a while my wife will give them some cottage cheese. They go crazy for cottage cheese. J

Why you need to raise chickens.

Now you've been hearing about how much better free-range chicken eggs are for you. Well here are the specifics.

• 4-6 times as much vitamin D

• 1⁄3 less cholesterol

• 1⁄4 less saturated fat

• 2⁄3 more vitamin A

• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

• 3 times more vitamin E

• 7 times more beta carotene

These results were from testing 14 different flocks of free-ranged chicken eggs. The data from these tests were compared with the official egg nutrient data from the USDA for store bought eggs.

But there's something else about free-range eggs that cannot be quantified or certified by any government laboratory. That one thing is the fantastic taste of a fresh egg. And the fluffy, pureness that these eggs provide will take your angel food cakes to a new level. You will also notice the rich vibrant color of the yoke of a free-range egg.

The Way Nature Intended

You see nature never intended for 100,000 chickens to be caged together without ever getting a breath of fresh air or warm sunshine. Today’s chicken egg has devolved down to what is most profitable and efficient to the corporations. Corporations don’t care about the nutritional content of their eggs. They just want the highest production regardless of what the end result is. They don’t care about what is best for the consumer. And they certainly don’t care about what is good for the chicken.

The fact is that what is best for the chicken is also best for the consumer. The test results prove that very clearly. Chickens were meant to roam free. They were meant to have fresh air and sunlight and access to fresh food. That’s how you get the best eggs.

You’ve heard the old saying “the proof is in the pudding”. Well I say “the proof is in the egg”. It’s time for you to experience the best eggs of your life.

The Lovable Chicken

When I first decided to get chickens, it was strictly from the “nutritional” aspect. We are trying to live and eat as healthy as possible, using organic products as much as we can. Buying organic eggs can get expensive, as can most things organic, but here was something I could change!

So I took the plunge this past spring and bought 8 little chicks from our local co-op. Four Rhode Island Reds and four Barred Rocks, both breeds are good layers. I brought them right home and set them up in their little temporary housing (the bathtub in our spare bathroom).

How could anyone NOT fall in love with those little bundles of fluff and a beak? They peeped and pecked and wobbled all over their new home and then finally flopped down to sleep wherever they happened to be standing. I talked to them and cuddled them and told them about all the great eggs they would lay someday. When one would start acting a little funny I would pick it up and fuss an’ worry over it until it started acting fine again.

When they finally got to move out to their posh new chicken house they were so happy to be outside. They pecked around and explored every nook and cranny. They walked up and down their ramps and perched on their water dispenser. What fun to be a chicken!

I am beginning to realize at this time that I really like raising chickens, even if they didn’t lay eggs. I just like chickens. The way they cock their little head to get a better look at you; the way they like to taste everything including whatever skirt I’m wearing, my green rubber clogs, my wedding ring , my hair just to name a few. And boy howdy, look out bugs and crickets, here comes the chickens. I love the way they come barreling across the yard when I call them with their big bottoms going from side to side. They remind me of a big lady lifting her skirts to run through a mud puddle at full speed. I love their curiosity in whatever it is I am doing. They are calming and rewarding in so many ways more than just “eggs”.

Of course, the eggs are a BIG plus, don’t get me wrong. I love the suspense every day of checking to see how many “girls” laid an egg. The taste is unsurpassable. I know these eggs come from chickens that are happy, well fed, and well taken care of. The treatment of most chickens in chicken farms is unbelievable and horribly cruel just to up their production of eggs. I can’t even bear to think about it for too long, so I don’t. I just remember how happy my “girls” are.

Worlds Best Eggs

Chickens and Fresh Eggs

We are going to share our journey of raising chickens. We hope to provide information that will be useful to you. If you have questions don't hesitate to ask.