Chicken Math

So as some of you know, I own chickens. I bought some as day-old chicks in April 2013, and cannot believe how much they have changed my life since then. But let me take a few steps back. My whole life I have owned a plethora of animals. Everything from geckos to mice, to dogs and cats. But I have always dreamt of living on a farm, where I could have land with horses and goats, and chickens roaming the property foraging and scurrying about, waking to the sound of roosters. Coming from a girl who was born and raised in the heart of Denver, two blocks from I-25, that has always sounded a little far fetched. But when I bought my home, got married, and graduated college, I began to look at my life differently. Maybe I was more in control of it than I thought. Maybe I didn't have to be a "city kid" after all. After doing extensive research on raising baby chicks, the care of chickens, etc. my husband, Joe, and I decided we would get a few chickens. Now, we thought that we would start out with a couple, and that way we could get more the following year so that we could raise chicks again. That's when chicken math came into the picture. Anyone who raises chickens knows that once you have chickens, you begin to feel the want, nay the need for more. There was no way we'd be able to wait a year... So, we've added a couple, tragically lost one, raised a couple of chicks, re-homed a couple of cockerals, rescued a rooster and his girlfriend and found them a new home, and finally things have settled down. These little birds have grown to become egg laying ladies with beautiful plumage, each with her own very unique personality and name. My husband built a large beautiful coop on the side of our house for them that has been wonderful to keep them safe. I have also attended two poultry shows and entered one with a couple of other chickens that I have since gotten, and won two blue ribbons at the National Western Stock Show! Needless to say, chickens have become a new lifestyle for me. They have gotten me involved with new clubs, I've met some great people, and every day I get to care for a cast of very interesting characters, that also happen to make us food! Chickens are a win-win for everyone... but beware of the chicken math, it's easy to fall for their fuzzy butts!