...or should I say the chicken before the fence? 

Yes, yes, let's start the blog off with what I am doing wrong, shall we?  I won't bore you with HOW I got myself into this mess.  That is another story for another day.  Right now, I am in crises.

We have 36 chickens.  Yes, you heard me right, 36 chickens!  I know, I can hear you all now, why in the world do you have 36 chickens.  You are in your FIRST YEAR of experiencing all things homesteading.  Haven't you ever heard of starting slow??

Anyway, I digress, all summer they have been perfect little angels.  They have stayed in our yard eating all of the bugs their little tummies could hold.  Now, however, the weather is turning and the bugs are...not as plentiful and my perfect little angels are roaming ALL OVER THE PLACE!  Yesterday they were ACROSS THE STREET in the neighbors yard hunting for grasshoppers.  Now, I know the obvious question is, do you have a fence??  The obvious answer is NO - - Why, you may ask??  BECAUSE, in our first year of experiencing all thing homesteading we deemed other things more important...after all, the chickens stay in the yard without one...don't they?

Yesterday I told my husband on his next days off we are building a fence...quickly!

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Posted by mommaofmany

Thanks for the comment on my blog! I am a city girl, whose raised nothing but kids, rodents and cats, so I haven't any real advice, but I my first thought (besides the fence) is what about buying a mess of crickets from the pet store and letting them go in your yard?

Maybe it's ridiculous...I don't know.

My friend is getting chickens soon. I'm looking forward to fresh eggs and real meat again! She had to sell her backyard flock when they moved from the (small) city (near me) to the country (about 30 minutes away).

Blessings,
Momma

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Posted by morningsunshine

hehhehee - would you please tell my dh how well chickens eat grasshoppers? pretty please?

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Posted by SisterLori

Blessings!
I imagine you've already gotten your fencing up as I am very late in finding your blog and commenting:P I will give you this little bit of advice...CHICKENS FLY! :D Not well, mind you, but well enough to go over a 6 foot fence and they don't need a lot of room to get a running start.
You did the same thing we did many many many years ago with chickens. It was my fault we ended up with 50 chickens our first year. (I was raised on a farmstead you would think I would know better) They looked so small at the time:P We only have 21 laying hens and 3 roosters (we have other animals but this was about chickens:P)
My advice? Freeranging your chickens keeps your costs down but you'll be on an egg hunt every day as they change their laying places over and over. If you want to keep them contained (we do in winter because predators are more prevalent here during winter) put chicken netting (or wire some folks call it) over the top of your henyard so they can't fly out.
I am adding you to my friends list so I can visit again:)
God be with thee!
Sister Lori

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