Happy Chickens

I'm so thankful that we live in a place we can raise happy animals...our chickens have a shed/house, but they are not forced to stay in it all day. A small "clique" of our hens (and a couple of roosters) prefer to sleep in the trees at night, and it's amazing how high up they decide to perch. They are healthy, friendly, and we've got some hens that are about 7 years old!

But even a life in a coop all day would be much better than the life most laying hens in the U.S. live, cooped up their entire lives in a cage with 5 or more other hens, never seeing the light of day, being driven mad by the noise of thousands and thousands of other hens, sick from the anemia and smell of their conditions. Most of them only live to be about 1 1/2 to 2 years. I'd love to get to the point of never having to buy eggs again from the store, maybe if we end up with a few good winter layers from our new bunch. If you are at all able, please try and buy your egg locally and from a reputable farm or small operation. Call your local extension office and ask if there are any kids in 4H raising eggs you could buy, you'll be blessing and rewarding and ENCOURAGING humane farming!

Anyhow, here's a pic of a few of them, taking their daily social dust bath, stretching out and enjoying the sun, doing what hens are supposed to do naturally!