Sally, Spot & Omelette explore outside on 7/18 while the kids swim! We can't let them out unsupervised: we've got hawks, owls & coyotes nearby... Follow @Erin_Murphy
Actress Erin Murphy shares her thoughts on everything from beauty & fashion to alpaca ranching!
Monday, July 18, 2011
My How They've Grown
Sally, Spot & Omelette explore outside on 7/18 while the kids swim! We can't let them out unsupervised: we've got hawks, owls & coyotes nearby... Follow @Erin_Murphy
Farm Fresh Eggs!
This year in addition to fruits & vegetables, we're adding something new to our garden: chickens! Despite the fact that I love animals, I've always had a slight fear of birds. I think this can be traced back to some traumatic childhood experiences. Once while riding my bike, an enormous black crow swooped down & plucked hair from my head & knocked me to the ground. Also, as a young teen, I was chased daily by a pair of swans, who would follow & peck at me when I sailed past their nest. I've also had some negative experiences with angry geese & roosters. Surprisingly, when our local feed store mentioned that they had chicks for sale, with very little prodding from the kids, I quickly agreed. I learned a couple interesting facts: The reason you can get 1 day old chicks is because they don't nurse & are separated from the hens before they hatch. Also, they can determine the sex of a newborn chick with over 90% accuracy. This is important because many people want eggs only, not baby chicks & many neighborhoods don't allow roosters.
The chicks have been delightful, funny, friendly, EASY pets so far. We have seven: 2 Buff Orpingtons (Sally & Omelette), 1 Plymouth Barred Rock (Spot), 1 Black Sex-Link (Dot), 1 Americauna (Dot) & 2 Black Silkies- pictured above (Disco & Daiquiri). I'll fill you in on their personalities & more as we undertake our adventure in farm fresh eggs!!
Follow Me on Twitter: twitter.com/Erin_Murphy
Farm Fresh Eggs!
This year in addition to growing fruits & vegetables, we've decided to add chickens, so we can have fresh free range eggs. To be perfectly candid, as much as I love animals, I have a slight fear of birds. I think this comes from several childhood incidents. Once a large crow swooped down & actually plucked hair from my head while I road my bike. I was also chased daily by swans when I was a young teen when I sailed by their nest.
But, when our local feed store was offering chicks for sale, with very little prompting from the kids, I very quickly agree. Much to my surprise, the chicks have turned out to be delightful, funny, easy pets! We have seven so far: 2 Buff Orpingtons (Sally & Omelette), 1 Plymouth Barred Rock (Spot), 1 Black Sex-Link (Dot), 1 Amer
Follow @Erin_Murphy