We have some new lady-friends, and they make us very happy.
It’s true what they say about good things coming in small packages.
Well, hello! 
Don’t look so worried. I think you’ll love it here!
It didn’t take long for them to hop out of their boxes and start scratching and pecking. We have lots of insects and slugs in our garden for them to turn into eggs.
A chicken in action!
Boy, they sure make our garden look better! I like how they all hang out together all the time.
I know a little someone who is ready for more responsibilities….
And I am just happy for some clucky companionship.
(I am posting this picture as a part of the Self-Portrait Project at The Salad Days.)
Our quality of life just shot up a notch. I sure won’t get tired of seeing these fluffy little chicken bottoms! What a wonderful start to the weekend…
I absolutely love this! Actually, I am terrified of chickens and birds in general but I love the idea (in theory) of keeping them and gathering all those lovely, fresh eggs. Where eggs come from is a big worry of mine. I do everything I can to only buy local eggs from small, organic, and truly free-range farms. Factory farms are just horrific – the stuff of nightmares. Every living creature deserves to live with some level of dignity and quality of life – every living thing – right? À la James Herriot. And I just love thinking of them rooting around in your yard and living the good life 🙂
And I ADORE your selfie – that is marvelous! One of my favorites yet of anyone!
This is Marisa by the way even though it says Anonymous! On my phone and can’t log in
Thanks, Marisa!
Oh, that’s kind of funny that you’re afraid of them– they are so sweet! I had a chicken in Portland who’s partner died, and she turned to me for companionship. She followed me all over the yard, let me pick her up whenever I wanted, and then would hang out by our glass back door when I was working in the kitchen. It was kind of like having a little dog, just less frisky. I am enjoying seeing them working over the yard this morning…
I completely agree with you about the terrible conditions of factory farms– it is wrong. We are happy to do our part, and to have some sweet creatures in our lives. Plus, our butcher was having a hard time keeping enough supplies of free range eggs on hand, since the demand was so high!
I was attacked by birds 3 different times as a child so I think that accounts for my fear!! But I really have loved the idea of keeping chickens and I’ve wondered if maybe I raised them from chicks I could get over the fear? I I don’t think I would be afraid of babies so by the time they grew up I’d already know them and have cared for them. This is actually something I’ve thought out before! But – I’m not in a position to do this right now anyway – I don’t have a yard! So I have years to figure this out! lol
I am just now looking at this for the first time on my computer (was on my phone before) and I can see your pictures better and I just love them! I must say that your little lady friends are very charming. And you have captured some wonderful shots of them – I particularly love the last one – all lined up in a row – seems so charming and Beatrix Potter-esque! Actually I really enjoy birds from a distance – I think they are delightful and fascinating to watch. And in fact my old screensaver was a picture of a hen wearing a tiny little pink knit cap! So funny and delightful. I called her Henny Penny.
In any case – I really look forward to seeing more of your lovely hens. Perhaps one day they will be sporting jaunty caps!
Oh, wow! What are the chances of getting bullied like that by birds so many times as a child?! I don’t blame you at all for your fear! And I really like your theory about raising hens from chicks to feel comfortable with them. I think that would work really well! They really are sweet. We had a really mean turkey when I was a kid, and I had to walk around my yard with a stick in hand to beat him off– he was very aggressive. But we kept him around because he was so virile!
I’m so glad you like the pictures! You will definitely be seeing more of these ladies…
This is such a coincidence but today in the Sunday Seattle Times they had a write-up about this book https://www.amazon.com/Free-Range-Chicken-Gardens-Beautiful-Chicken-Friendly/dp/1604692375 and naturally I couldn’t help but think of you and that you might enjoy it!
So funny too about your mean old turkey! That sounds like the stuff of horror stories to me! haha I’m impressed you didn’t develop a fear of your own though. I’d love to see a picture of a young Ariana beating away a menacing turkey with a stick – that really tickles me to think of 😀
Thanks for that link, Marisa. It is perfect, because they have been trampling my very carefully tended garden boxes. The broccoli can handle it, but not the lettuces. I am trying to figure out how to give them maximal freedom, without sacrificing my veggies!
Oh, I also got chased by our geese quite a bit, and still get a little anxious when I walk by a flock in a park… I know they can’t do more than pinch me, but still!
I bet there are a lot of blogs out there devoted to keeping hens too – it seems to be so popular nowadays 🙂
I can’t wait to live somewhere I can keep chickens! Yours are beautiful, will you be adding a rooster anytime soon? Bon weekend!
Hi Liene– no rooster for us! We have a nice big yard, but we are still in a very residential area, and most neighbors would object. If we do want to have some chicks, though, we can just order fertilized eggs and have one of our chickens sit on them. But our plan for now is to eventually get two more, and then we will probably have some eggs to spare each week.
It does feel like such a treat to be able to live somewhere that we can have a garden and even chickens– it’s been two years since we were able to do that in Portland, and it definitely goes a long way towards making us feel at home here!
Hello! I’m Rebecca from eating-life.blogspot.com, and a friend of Sarah’s from The Salad Days. I just fell insta-in-love with your selfie so I had to come over here and tell you how great it is. Fantastic! My husband and I have been talking for 4 years about getting chickens but as of yet, haven’t even built the coops. Now I’m living vicariously through you. I guess I’ll have to keep checking back in now to see how the Chicks are doing. Do they have names?
Hi Rebecca, I’m so glad you came over and introduced yourself! And thanks for saying such nice things about my selfie! We haven’t named our chickens yet, since we are still getting used to each of them. I think we’ll give them names when we can tell them apart. We just brought them home yesterday evening, so it’s all brand new at this point. It was so fun to let them out of their coop this morning and watch them take over the yard. I’m sure you’ll be seeing plenty more of them over here!
So cool. I love birds and chickens. My mamacita wants chickens. My city allows up to 3 hens (even in city limits). The next city over allows more chickens. Last summer I went on a Chicken Coop Tour to see back yard coops and their chickens.
Hi Kimberly– do you live in Oregon? I remember those were the same guidelines for Portland when we were there (and the Tour de Coup was very popular!) I think you can have some crazy number in residential areas here, like 30 or so– but we will probably stop at six. We were lucky enough to have a nice garden shed already in our yard, which our land lord is letting us keep them in– too easy!
I AM SO JEALOUS! We would love to have chickens. Enjoy your clucky new friends!
Thanks, Laura! They are a lot of fun!
We love our chickens. We keep 5, and they keep the 4 of us in eggs most of the year. So fun to see yours!
Yes, they are so nice to have around. These ones have been handled since they hatched, and so are really easy (so far.) We even got our first egg already!
Oh Jake is just going to be pea green with envy! He has wanted chickens for AGES! Looking forward to hearing about your adventures in chickenland – and LOVE the selfie of you and Clucky!! xoxo
Thanks Sarah! You guys will just have to come over sometime and spend an evening in our garden watching them scratch around…
Love, LOVE, love your new ladies!
And that line of fluffy chicken bottoms are too funny! How are they settling in?