They start out cute and adorable, then they grow up
The Chicken Chronicles 🐔
Raising chickens sounds like a really great idea… until reality sets in. Back in October 2014, James proudly announced that he had ordered 42 day-old chicks that would soon be arriving. I just stood there with that blank, wide-eyed stare. His pitch? “We’ll have our own fresh eggs… and we can even sell some!”
What he forgot to mention was the bonus feature: roosters that crow at sunrise… and sometimes at 2:30 in the morning, long before the sun even thinks about showing up. 🌅😅
Fast forward to today — our chicken coop made the big move with us from Alabama to Tennessee, and we’re still clucking along. Right now we have 14 chickens that are laying about a half dozen eggs a day, but we’ve ordered 25 new baby chicks that should start laying in just a few months. 🐣🥚
It won’t be long before the egg basket is full again! 🚗💛
Farm Fashion: Chicken Saddles 👗🐔
The photo on the right? Yep, that’s one of our hens proudly modeling her very own chicken saddle!
Raising chickens has given us more laughs than we can count… and a few what were we thinking moments!
For example, what do you do when you’re suddenly collecting two dozen eggs a day? You can only scramble, fry, or bake so many. We tried hard-boiling, pickling, and scouring Pinterest for every egg recipe known to mankind. 🍳🥚
But Pinterest didn’t just help with recipes — it also introduced us to the world of chicken couture. Our roosters were being a little too rough on the hens when “mounting,” and some poor girls were missing feathers just as the weather turned cold. So, armed with some flannel fabric and a pair of scissors, we whipped up a batch of custom chicken saddles. Stylish, practical, and warm — farm fashion at its finest.
Turns out, the hens didn’t mind at all… and honestly, they looked pretty cute strutting around in their new outfits. 💃🐓
THE BEES
The Buzz About Beekeeping 🐝🍯
“How hard can it be to raise bees?” we thought. Well… let’s just say we quickly learned the answer! We did our homework — took online courses, joined a local beekeepers club, and James researched like a pro. We were ready. Or so we thought.
We started simple, buying two hives from our beekeepers club. But in less than three weeks, those two turned into six colonies! Suddenly, we weren’t just beekeepers… we were running a buzzing little empire.
Beekeeping has been one of our most challenging (and fascinating) adventures. But the payoff is worth it: golden honey, natural beeswax, and an orchard that stays beautifully pollinated. 🌸🐝