Easter Happy...

If you've read more than one post on my blog you know that I have chickens. And that I love them. Here is a bit of the back story. When I was a little eight year old kid I desperately wanted chickens. We had an old play house that I thought would make a dandy little chicken coop, and I cajoled my dad to let me have some. He said yes at first, and then went back on the deal. It was one of the few times he ever did that, and I held a grudge! Fast forward 40 years; we had moved to Maine and I had plenty of room to keep some hens. I thought of 100 reasons why I shouldn't, but then thought, "I've wanted them for 4 decades, what am I waiting for?" So I bought 4 big, pretty Silver Laced Wyandotte hens.

Chickens are a bit like potato chips. When you get some, you want more. I currently have 15 laying hens and one silly rooster. They earn their keep by eating bugs, adding life and beauty to my yard, and laying delicious eggs. And here is something else about chickens, there are so many varieties, and they are so inexpensive to buy and keep, it is tempting to want to try out many different types. One type that always appealed to me are called Silkie's. Small, with soft, fluffy feathers and blue skin, they are very docile and can be held and carried around. Some people even have special Silky purses to tote their favorite birds around in. And here is the thing...they are pretty useless. They don't lay well, but gosh darn are they fun to look at. Someone gave me a Silky hen a couple years ago, and I loved her. Sadly, she died recently.

But a friend had some she was looking to re-home. How could I resist? We brought them home last night.



It was fun to wake up Easter morning to see their whimsical little selves. I felt a similar giddy feeling of a kid with her Easter basket. Baby goats, fluffy hens... better than plastic grass and chocolate candy by a mile!