By no means am I a full-fledged chicken farmer. I would say it’s more that we are “hobby” chicken raisers without the “hobby.” I did take a poultry class at Penn State and am glad I did as I understand the basics on poultry raising, but I am not chicken expert!
This being said last Thursday we welcomed 17 chickens to our farm. I like to say that we re-homed them! I got a call at 8 am that there were 17 chickens that needed a home, they asked if I wanted them. Indeed I did! In the fall our previous egg layers had stopped laying and I was going to call that very day to place our order for chicks. But luckily before we had to wait the 20 weeks for the chicks to grow to size and start laying eggs, I was offered these free birds that were 10 months old and we had eggs the very next day! Win win in my book!
For the past 4 years my husband and I along with our farm help have raised chickens both egg laying and meat chickens and have enjoyed it. I love being able to walk into the chicken coop and gather my eggs for the day but I do equally love going to the store and buying my eggs without the work! But for me. a busy farmer and mother, who doesn’t go grocery shopping often the ease of gathering my eggs is something I have come to enjoy and I actually enjoy the birds them self! And let me tell you I fully appreciate the poultry farmers out there that raise hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands of birds and hope never to have more than 20 egg laying chickens!
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