A Very Happy Hen

I took this picture the other day.  I couldn't resist this little red hen sauntering through the pasture seemingly lost in chicken thought...

Happy Hens Farm newest arrivals

The other morning, I noticed Nellie, one of the Red Jungle Fowl chickens, pacing oddly around a mound of composted soil near the barn.  I walked over only to discover eight chicks marching out from under a loose tarp!  I moved Nellie and her brood to a private suite where they can be safe from curious barn cats (and the skunk).  Given the "crowd" Nellie runs with, the papa is Red, a very striking Ameracauna rooster.   

Eggs

With around 250 laying hens, I manage to get lots of eggs every day.  I find egg gathering one of the most pleasant tasks on the farm.  The chickens clucking away in the hen houses adds a certain hypnotic hum to to the farm.  Some chickens stand up to let me collect the eggs from underneath them in the nesting boxes, others peck my hands as I reach in, and a few others — let's just say I still haven't lost any fingers!

The eggs are collected routinely throughout the day and minimally washed and packaged.  They range in color from white, buff, brown, dark brown to blues and greens.  The flavor and richness of the eggs is a reflection of the lives my hens lead:  days filled with fresh air, sunshine, and the freedom to range and forage hillsides and creek beds.  

Chickens or how it all began

It started as such an innocent aside to buying a farm — a few chickens here, a few chickens there. After all, my plan was to become a cheesemaker so no harm in a few chickens. Pretty soon I found myself mumbling "I'm not sure" when people asked how many chickens  I had. Friends began using the word "intervention" when talking about me. But hey — what may appear to be sheer madness can often be only slight madness and I was on my way.