10 Great Reason to Keep Chickens

[caption id="attachment_318" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="Lola cooling off in the water pan"][/caption]

1. Know where your eggs come from.  You can be part of the solution! Factory farms do unspeakable harm to chickens.  I wont go into details, because I will just get upset.  Google it for yourself. When you raise your own eggs you know that the hens were treated humanly, feed well, and given space they deserve.
2. You can produce enough eggs for your family and others What a great lesson for you and your children.  Teaching them about where their food really comes from.  Also, teaching them to share with others.  You will become an ambassador for fresh food and sharing!
3. Natural pest control! Chickens eat mosquitoes, ticks, cockroaches, pretty much all insects that are pests! (even mice and snakes, turns out chickens are not chicken)
4. Endless entertainment Chickens are endless entertainment.  They are always exploring and playing around.  They have a lot of personality!  Running and pecking.  Looking for grubs.  Your chickens will run up to you after a long day at work (looking for snacks)..but its still really cute.
5. Easy to care for If you can take care of a dog, you can take care of a small flock of chickens.
6. Home grown eggs are WAY better for you.  1/3 less cholesterol • 1/4 less saturated fat • 2/3 more vitamin A • 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids • 3 times more vitamin E • 7 times more beta carotene
7. Free Range does not mean Free. Cage free is a joke. Terms like 'free-range' and 'cage-free' don't always mean what people think (and hope) they mean. In fact, because there is very little regulation for these words, they basically have no meaning whatsoever. Cage-free is simply that the chickens aren't raised in battery cages but that doesn't mean they aren't stuffed into huge houses with forty thousand other chickens, leading only a slightly less miserable life than if they were in cages.  They do not get to go outside.
8. For all the Money you can make!  Just Kidding! Just Kidding! You will not make money with selling your backyard flocks eggs.  Don't get me wrong, I sell my eggs at work, but not at a great profit.  Your reward will be will be wonderful though!  The chickens are so fun, and you don't want to be part of the food problem in America..it's just gross and sad.
9. You will make new friends You will for sure meet other people with chickens.  You may even be on a coop tour!  Way to be awesome.  Teach people about chickens, and improve their health with home grown eggs.
10. You have to take care of yourself!   There are too many people and not enough ways to feed them..so its all being mass produces in the most disgusting ways.  The government watch over our food safety by testing one in every 18 million eggs consumed, which is hardly reassuring.

1. Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx#ixzz1gejOOXBw 

Consulting services up!

Service	Details	Rates per hour
Assessment Consultation "I am interested, but don't know where to start?"	About 2 hours at your residence Assessment of space and coop plans Information on care and keeping of chickens Answers to questions at time of consultation or with an e-mail follow-up One phone consultation after initial visit	$40
Chicken Procurement “where do we get chicks?  What is a Pullet?”	I will help you acquire your first chicks, pullets, or hens. Assessment of which flock is best for you and your family? Have children, needed docile chicken? *NOTE: Please do not mail order chicks, it is very stressful for the birds.  They are often abandoned in post offices without food and water.  Shipments can also get lost in the mail.	$40
Coop and Run Consultation“Pre-fab coop? Custom coop?  That is a great question!  Do you want it to blend in, or be a focal point?”	A visit to your residence to choose best location and housing type Advice and/or assistance with building your dream coop. Information on feeders, waters, feed, and general information on chicken accessories Information on coop security Seasonal Coop I.E. Heating and Cooling Chicken Budgeting One free 15-minute phone consultation after initial visit	$40
Design and Build“Are you a mid-century modern coop or a Victorian?”	Custom designed coop and run Have your own plans and need a builder?  We are happy to procure materials, and build to specs We place special emphasis on form and function; our chicken houses are cheerful, light and airy, with excellent ventilation and windows for natural lighting.	Varies to size and scale of project

From under the lamp to in the coop	A visit to your residence to help your pullets transition to their new coop (about 1 hour) Information on feeding, watering, egg laying general care, and common illnesses Answers to questions at time of consultation or via e-mail follow-up One free follow up phone call	$40
Follow up anytime “Can you come out and look at this?”	A visit to your residence to make sure that your hens are healthy Information on feeding, watering, egg laying general care, and common illnesses Answers to questions at time of consultation or via e-mail follow-up One free follow up phone call	$40
911 Phone Call	Troubleshooting advice over the phone for a sick bird Phone call fee can be applied to Emergency House Call fee if I come out within 24 hours	$20 (payable by PayPal or check prior to phone call)
Chicken Sitting	Daily visits to water and feed Bedding changes Egg collection Special instructions welcome	Varies on location
911 House Call	A visit to your residence to assess a sick bird Research to determine possible causes of sickness Care to address problem, if possible, OR suggestions for care (may include referral for veterinary medicine) Suggestions for follow-up care and care for other members of flock	$75
Add-On Service “I want chickens, but I don’t have time to go out and get everything for them!	Coop maintenance Procurement of supplies needed for your chickens Instillation of seasonal need like lights and heaters	$35 per hour, billable in ½- hour increments

the coop a cabana

This is our chicken coop.  It was designed and built by myself and my husband Benjamin.  The coop has three nest boxes and enough roost space for 6+ hens.  Since we live in Dallas the coop has been built in the shadiest part of our backyard.  The windows are oriented to take the least amount of rain and wind.  It has a large access doors for cleaning.  We cut linoleum to place in the bottom of the coop.  It is covered with pine shavings and is hardly ever soiled, but it is nice to have the option of removal.  There are two lights in the coop which are on automatic timers.  The chickens need a certain amount of light to keep laying eggs.  We also have two ceramic bulbs that do not emit light, but heat for when it is cold.  They are also set on a timer to come on at 35 degrees and shut off at 45 degrees.

I will get into more of the in’s and outs of the coop in different sections.