Chickens!

This could be the longest post ever. 

I love my chickens. Actually, I now have guineas and turkeys as well - and other animals. For simplicity, I'll keep it to the chickens because the turkeys are still small and the guineas are technically not born yet. 

We've had chickens since 2016. My husband got them thinking I would get bored of them and he could turn the coop into a meat shop. We started off with 12 browns and this year we have 41 laying hens, 4 roosters, 18 juveniles (feb 2020 hatch) and over 50 grow-outs (replacement hens). (plus 10 turkeys and possibly 43 guineas but that's a different story)

Chickens are amazing little birds. Okay, maybe they are a little on the simple side, but their personalities are intriguing. I could go on about them for ages. I've had to use a variety of interesting skills with these guys: 

Problem-solving - How did I get my chickens to stop chasing the saskenergy guy? 😑

Teamwork - We had to move an enormous set of laying boxes from one coop to another. 

Organizing/planning - making sure there's enough room for everyone to grow happy and healthy and ensure proper feed for everyone involved. 

Dedication - Keeping up with everyday chores even in -50 weather. 

Patience - They eat the garden. The end. 

Communication skills - Does ordering more eggs or chickens count? I think it does. 

Perseverance - One year I lost 3/4 of my flock to a fox. 

Responsibility - I take that very seriously. They depend on me for food, water, shelter and a safe place to live. I take it very personally if I fail them somehow. I know it's just a chicken - but I feel each loss regardless. 

Chickens are also my calm-down space. I can go out and watch them and do the chores and they are happy just to see me. Maybe it's because I bring the food and maybe it's because they like me. It's all about perspective. 

#theytotallylikeme