As the name of this blog implies, I have a crunchy side. Underneath my slightly bland, t-shirt and jeans suburban mom exterior, hides a radical hippie chick/earth mama/urban farm girl just dying to raise her own chickens.
Yes, chickens.
Despite my lack of experience with any kind of live fowl -- and despite the worthy efforts of our friends to lead us down the path of vegan righteousness -- I have not been able to give up my dream of raising those fluffy, waddling birds that paint the Norman Rockwell picture of rural life.
I want pet chickens, dag mannit (as Grouper likes to say). I love eggs. I love their pretty feathers. I love the idea of my hens clucking beside me while I water the tomatoes and pick the green beans, tossing them plump, green hornworms as I go. I love the idea of raising our own food, encouraging genetic biodiversity, and fighting the atrocities of industrial animal production (not to mention Big Brother) with a daily trip to my backyard hen coop.
It's political activism that truly "starts at home."
So, this week I've been engrossed in learning everything I can about raising chicks, chicken breeds, chicken coops, municipal chicken laws, etc. There's a surprising amount to know, actually. For instance, who knew that sometimes chickens need DIAPERS?! Uberdad likes to tease me that I have a thing for hobbies involving poop. But I'll tell you now, I'm NOT washing chicken diapers with Baby's Fuzzi Bunz.
Happily, UberDad and all three boys are just as excited as I am. Puffer can recognize and name both a Silver-Laced Wyandotte and a Buff Orpington. And Baby Fish goes around "bawk bawk bawking" all day, and begging to look at pictures of chickens on the computer. We've been watching the Hen Cam during breakfast while we await our own happy flock.
Maybe I'll have my own chicken cam for you to watch someday.
I'm grinning, only because I feel exactly the same way. My hubby and I dream of buying a home with more land and no homeowner's assoc. We'd love to have chickens too even though we've had NIT experience what so ever with them. We have dreams of a root cellar and much larger gardens and lots and lots of canning....we do the best with what we have for now. But what a fun post I love the painting too!
ReplyDeleteWe've had chickens for a few years and I'd never heard of diapers! ROFL!
ReplyDeleteThankfully, we live in the south where we can seperate an injured or sick chicken without the need for a diaper... Phew!
I've always told Chris that I want to have chickens and goats someday, and I mean it! I don't think we can have livestock in our current neighborhood, but one day . . . In the meantime I'll be on the look out for that chicken cam!
ReplyDeleteIf you get chickens I will be so jealous. I have been asking for them for a couple years now and JOhn is not too keen on the idea. Someday!!! If you get some I want to come over and visit them!!
ReplyDeleteOooh, I'm excited about all the chicken talk! I had chickens growing up, though being a crazy kid, I was always trying to train them to fly. I, too, want so badly to grow all my own food (garden) and eggs-- so I'm dying to hear about your flock!
ReplyDelete(P.S. I'm a fairly new 'reader', and just pop over here every so often. Don't remember how I found your blog, but I do know we have a few things in common (namely, a certain crunch, christianity, and mommyhood--!)) Keep us posted on the chicks!