Backyard Hens …

Backyard Hens

I have wanted my own flock for some time now. Jay kept saying he does not want to get into the chicken business (he knows who will end up tending MY chickens, and his name starts with J!). Thank goodness for grown sons. My eldest, Eric, homesteads at the south end of our 4 acres and shares my desire to feed myself through farming. Before I knew it a coop went up and the word was out that we were looking for chickens. It is amazing what this island community will provide, you just have to ask. Great friends on Lopez had an extra hen, a Golden Laced Wyandotte, she’s a beauty!. Within 5 days of coop construction, Eric had collected 5 hens with more promised as they hatched. We are in the egg business. I have a feeling, if this pace keeps up, I will be blogging egg recipes and asking for your favorite way to prepare eggs! 

One of my favorite magazines, Organic Gardening, had a section on chickens (June/July 2010) naming pros and cons and discussing best backyard breeds, www.orgaincgardening.com.

Now I am finding chicken information everywhere. Island Hardware www.islandhardware.com  had a stack of 2012 WSDA Calendars- Birds of Washington, chock full of tips, dos and don’ts for a healthy flock. The WSU Avian Health & Food Safety Laboratory will conduct diagnostic testing for backyard poultry that die. Call 1-800-606-3056 for information.  The Avian Health Program also offers two free online training courses: Avian Disease Prevention Training Course and Poultry 101 Training Course. http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AvianHealth/AvianCertificationTraining.aspx

Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island? Contact T Williams Realty – we’ll help you find your way home.