Most of you all know that we have two laying houses in Pennsylvania. There are 20,000 birds in each of those houses.
We started out our chicken journey when the kids were little with ten Rhode Island Red hens and one rooster. Goodness, that was twenty years ago.
Over those twenty years, people came to our house, and we gave them our extra eggs, and eventually we started selling them, and…yeah. We ended up with a lot of hens. : )
But then we moved to Virginia.
All of my chickens were in PA.
Now, I had plenty of eggs, because Watson brought flats of them down every time he came. We supplied our neighbors with them (and with beef and pork), and they gave us things in return, but it just wasn’t the same.
One of the best things about having animals is watching them. If you’ve never sat on the porch and listened to cows munch grass, you are missing out. There is just something so relaxing about their languid movements, their easy calm, and the satisfying tear of the grass as they rip it up and chew. Even the scent brings the nostalgic, no-pressure days of my childhood back, pushing the cares and responsibilities of being an adult away as dusk deepens and the darkness of evening falls down.
Now at that time of night, the chickens would already be roosted, but there is just something I love about hearing a rooster crow in the morning and listening to hens cackle their “I JUST LAID THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EGG IN THE WORLD” cackle, then watching as those industrious hens scour the yard looking for bugs and worms and all kinds of yummy things to eat.
It’s such a joy and pleasure to look out your kitchen window, hands buried in dishwater, kids chattering behind you, loads of never-ending work forgotten as the hens go about their “daily grind” with a cheerfulness that I often envied but always tried to emulate. If my chickens can have a good attitude, I can smile and be happy too. Right?
More than watching the chickens, I admit I have never lost my absolute love and fascination for gathering eggs.
From the time I was little, braving the pecking and blood, sticking my hand under a hen’s warm breast feathers and feeling around for those smooth, beautiful eggs, to my time in Pennsylvania in the laying houses packing, literally, millions of eggs. (We ship a quarter of a million eggs every week.)
Okay, lean in close because I’m going to say something I haven’t said to too many people and you probably won’t hear me say again: I don’t like eggs. I eat them anyway, because, you know, we have 40,000 chickens, but they make me sick. Not even kidding. But I LOVE to gather them. Always have.
Ha.
In Virginia, we had no chickens and no eggs to gather, so the day we moved in, I said to Watson, “We need to get some chicks.”
Yeah. That didn’t go over well. He reasonably replied, “We have 40,000 chickens in Pennsylvania.”
“But I like to watch them, and I’m in Virginia.”
“You can go to Pennsylvania anytime and watch the chickens to your heart’s content.”
So that was that. No chickens and no egg gathering in Virginia for me.
Earlier last spring, Watson needed feed, so the girls and I rode along to the feed store with him. On the way, we saw some ducks in a pond, and one of our girls said, “Oh, those ducks are so pretty! We should get some for our creek.”
Watson: That’s a great idea!
Me:
Me: ?
Me: Wait! She gets ducks, but I don’t get chickens? (Okay, I know that’s a childish argument, but seriously, how are ducks any different than chickens?)
Watson: If you want to see chickens—
Girls: (finishing his sentence) …go to Pennsylvania and look at them.
Ugh.
Me: But green egg layers would be so much fun! (The only thing better than gathering regular eggs is gathering green eggs. Trust me on this. I speak truth.)
And so the rest of the way to the feed store, Watson explains why we are NEVER getting chickens in Virginia and how I don’t need chickens and how ducks are different and how I need to be happy with no chickens or go to PA, blah, blah, blah.
Bottom line was this: NO CHICKENS IN VIRGINIA. NOT NOW. NOT EVER. End of story.
I know he’s right, and I kinda thought when I started that argument that I was going to lose it, and I can be a gracious loser (ha), so as we pull into the feed store, I say, “Fine. No chickens. We’ll get ducks instead.”
Watson: No ducks, either.
So, anyway, we park, and the girls and Watson get out. I get my Kindle app up and start to read. (I only go into stores if forced to do so. I really don’t like to shop.)
You know how you get lost in a book and you kind of lose track of time and suddenly you look up and realize that a LOT of time has gone by and your family should be back and maybe you should be worried?
So that happened to me just before the girls opened the door and got in the pickup. I’m relieved, so I turn around to greet them and ask what took them so long when I see that my two youngest are both carrying little boxes with handles and small round holes in them.
Then I hear chirping.
Yep. It’s the week before Easter, and the feed store is selling chicks. Would you believe the only
kind they had left were female Ameraucanas? (Ameraucanas lay green eggs. I’m not even kidding.)
I guess the girls were charmed, and Watson, who likes to act all tough, is just a big softie, and he bought me…um, the girls, ten chicks. (Along with a waterer and feeder, because all our chick-raising equipment is in PA.)
So, this was totally an impulse buy. We have no place on the farm that is secure enough to keep baby chicks. Everything eats them, they have to stay warm (under a heat light warm) and dry, and we just don’t have any place that will keep out the predators—snakes, owls, cats, skunks, rats, coons, possums, etc.
I remember years ago back on the farm—and I’m sure some of you do too—when the box of chicks came from the feed store, it got set in the kitchen right next to the woodstove, and that’s how we kept the chicks warm.
I always loved walking in the kitchen of the old farmhouse and crouching down by the box, just hunkering there and watching the busy little chicks.
Well, I got to do that again, kinda, since we put our ten chicks in an empty water trough, along with their feeder and waterer, and attached a heat light to a board across the top, and put the whole thing in my library.
I wrote Me and the Sweet Snowstorm in my library while the chicks chirped and played beside me. Super fun. They kept me smiling for sure.
(Just a little dose of reality, because nothing is perfect, right? Back on the farm, I don’t remember the kitchen smelling bad, but I’m sure it did with the chicks in it. In my library, it was fun to watch, fun to hear, but it smelled terrible, just saying.)
Okay, I know it’s kind of hard to believe, but I do write books, too, and right now I have a big, ten-book box set on sale for just $.99! You can check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Water-Western-Cowboy-Romance-ebook/dp/B09YQK2L1R?tag=pettpist-20/
USA Today best-selling author Jessie Gussman writes sweet and inspirational romance from her farm in central Virginia. Having attended, but never graduating from the school of hard knocks, Jessie uses real life on the farm to inspire her cowboy, rural and blue-collar fiction.
When she’s not chasing kids, cows and the occasional roll-away haybale, Jessie enjoys wading in Naked Creek and not cleaning her house. Most of the time her main goal is to keep from catching herself on fire…again.
If you enjoy fun stories with vivid characters showcasing strong families with a ribbon of faith tying everything together, you might enjoy Jessie’s books.
Glad you got your chickens.
My Tennessee grandma always had chickens and a rooster.
My Aunt Patsy, in Lancaster County, worked at an egg farm where they processed them for stores. I got to visit her there a few times.
I’ve visited the actual packing facility, and it is fascinating! Everyone should get to see it! : )
Loved this story. I grew up always having a few chickens, and I miss them.
They’re so much fun to watch, aren’t they, Janice? : )
Loved the story. I always wanted chickens but I have too many allergies.
Oh, that’s too bad! Allergies are awful!
What a sweet blog to have my morning coffee reading. Thank you! Thanks for the tip on the boxed set too!
Aww! Thanks! I’m glad we could share some smiles around your coffee! And you’re welcome about the box set. It’s one of my favorite series!
What a great story, Jessie! Children can wheedle things out of dads that we wives never could. How fun that you got your chicks! Hope they give you many years of happy egg hunting. 🙂
Oh, yeah. Daddies and their little girls, right? We’ve been enjoying them for sure! : )
I enjoyed your story, very interesting!
Thanks so much for writing and saying so, Connie! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Oh my I so know where your coming from. I grew up on a ranch and the noises and smells were what made it all so wonderful. Memories I will never forget. And the eggs. Oh my the freshest and best tasting ever. We all loved to hunt for eggs. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with us today
Searching for eggs and nests in the hay loft was a favorite pastime! And nothing smells quite as good as new hay stacked to the ceiling! What beautiful memories!
Bahaha!! I am dying here. We could be twins. First off I will wholeheartedly agree that watching chickens is amazingly calming and utterly enjoyable! And looking for those special green and blue eggs? Absolutely a treasure seeking journey that we specifically bought olive eggers and americanas for. LOL. I got suckered into marans for the chocolate colored eggs, too. Second, or B…C? Anyways, I am not a fan of eggs either. It makes me laugh – I adore collecting, finding and seeing them. I’ll cook them for the family, AND I will eat them, but they are NOT a fave or high on the list. My daughter, who is actually the chicken tender and sells them to friends, hates eggs. So weird! I am usually the one to sneak a few more chicks into the flock every year much to the hubby’s dismay and loud proclamation of NO MORE CHICKS! But they are therapy! Our first batch of ten chicks (MANY years ago) we actually kept in the same type of tub in our library, just like you! Boy was it a surprise how badly they smelled. Haha! But the sounds of babies chirping makes me happy. It was quite fun.
Thanks so much for sharing this fun post! (we only have 70 laying ladies right now, nothing like your 40,000)
Oh, goodness, Susan, you are right! We could be twins! We love the exact same things and I’ve been known to sneak a few extra chicks into our order, just because they’re fun! lol Babies chirping makes me happy, too! Thanks so much for your story and comments! So much fun to read! : )
Blue egg layers are the ones that I have had for over 30 years now!
Sweet! I love how every egg can be a different shade – just a touch lighter or darker, then you have ones that are exactly the same. I’ll never get tired of seeing them!
What’s a farm without chickens? We have a small flock here too but I only have one that lays green eggs.
Haha! Exactly! A farm needs chicken! (And a rooster!) You’ll have to let her (or someone who is willing) set on a few green eggs. : ) Although you’re so busy with your goats, I don’t know how you’d have time!
Wow, how sweet, you got your baby chicks!! I am so happy for you. I loved, loved your post, thank you for sharing your beautiful story. When I was about 10 yrs old we had some egg laying chickens and we (my 5 siblings and I) did not care for the eggs, so what my mom did without any of us knowing, she had some cartons of store bought eggs and she would put our chickens eggs in them and we never knew the difference until we were all grown up, I tell you that worked great what our mom did, we loved the eggs. Have a great rest of the week and stay safe. My oldest brother and my sister in law are building a chicken coop and they want to get some Rhode Island Red hens, and they are reading everything they can about it. I think that is so neat!
Haha! I love your mom! : ) Rhode Island Reds were our first hens and I loved them! Great chickens to start off with. Thanks so much for writing – loved hearing about your mom and brother!
I had a smile the whole time reading this. When I read Heartland Joy ( I think that’s the right one), I had to smile about the egg farm in it, no extra research required to write about that one.
Haha! That’s right, Wren – the best kind of research is to live it! : )
I enjoyed your story, but I feel different about chickens. Chicks are cute, but grown chickens are different. I’m scared of roosters all from being attacked by one when I was 4-5. Needless to say we had fried chicken for dinner later that week.
Believe it or not, I can relate. I was also chased by a rooster (and ducks and a billy goat and a bull and, well, you get the idea!) and I thought I was going to die! Obvs, I didn’t, but it was scary! And my story doesn’t have your happy ending – as far as I know that rooster that chased me lived to a ripe old age!
I have thought about getting a few chickens myself since I love eggs so much. I am just not sure I am ready for that. My grandmother always had chicken when I was growing up. She had a large chicken coop out in the back yard that was full of chickens, and I do love me some fresh eggs.
Well, I can understand your reluctance, because they’re like any animal – once you have them, they need care every single day. You can’t get sick and take a day off. But, beyond that, they are super easy to raise. I hope you decide to take the plunge!
Congratulations on getting your chicks in Virginia. I am so glad you were able to have babies. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Thank you! They’ve been so much fun! Hugs!
It is wonderful hatching eggs and watching chicks grow. I can’t remember why, probably 4-H even though we were in a rabbit club, but we bought an incubator to hatch chicken eggs. We were in suburban DC (Northern Virginia) and had no place at all for chickens. Actually it was likely against the law to have them in our subdivision. They hatched and were cute and we managed to rig a place for them in the kitchen. Tiny, cute, fuzz balls are one thing, 6 to 8 inch teenage chicks, not so much. We had a bigger box with screens on top to keep them in, still in the kitchen. The smell was a bit of an issue, but the dust and feathers were what bothered me. It took us a few weeks to find someone my husband worked with at Andrews AFB who lived in the country and had a small barn to keep them in. I was happy to see them go. Our daughter picked up an abandoned duck egg on a vacation that she insisted we bring home and incubate. We did, it hatched, and we found ourselves the stepparents of a mallard duckling which imprinted on us. We also discovered it is against the law to have migratory birds. We found a rescue for him and he got to grow up with dozens of “cousins.” Ducklings grow twice as fast as chicks do. We have hatched many eggs since for school, and at my jobs at a children’s museum and as a children’s librarian. We always made sure they would have a home before we started the process. We have our own house in the country now, but our daughter has the farm, though she has no chickens now and we do. We rescued 2 peacocks and a peahen. We had several clutches of baby and the herd finally out grew our pen. We kept a pair but the female died with the male living another 2 years. Our son got chickens but kept them at their house. He eventually brought 6 hens to our old peacock pen. Sadly our dog broke down a fence my husband was putting up and killed 3. When we were out of town, something got 1 of them. When we got home, one more was taken the next night. We found the body of the last one on the roof of the hen house. We put a new have-a-heart trap out and caught it. However, it bent the door in half and escaped. From the bloody prints, I believe it was a raccoon. It hasn’t returned. Our son went to work at a campground. For some reason the owner had ordered chickens ending up with a mix of hens and a lavender rooster. He finally had our son catch the rooster because it was attacking all the dogs. One day he showed up with the rooster and his other 6 chickens from his house. He has since brought 3 more hens from the campground and will bring the rest if and when he can catch them. They are roosting high in a tree. They are all good layers and we are now getting more than three dozen a week. I like eggs, but can’t eat that many. We have been giving them away to our children and elderly people we know. (Funny phrasing since we are both in our 70’s) We still can’t keep up with them all. As a side note, we had an Araucana rooster show up one day. He was very tame, his spurs clipped, and loved being held. We couldn’t mix him in with the others – Sir Lavender is three times his size and very aggressive – So he had the run of the yard and we closed him up in the pen at night after closing the other chickens in the coop. Sadly a couple of the neighbors dogs killed him. We really miss him. Sorry I rambled so long.
Oh, goodness, Patricia! What fun you all have had with chickens! (And some heartache along the way as well.) I loved reading about it all! My girls have an incubator and have hatched many eggs. It was a bit of a learning curve with them, but they figured it out. They’ve been wanting to find snake eggs and try those, but I’m resistant to that idea… From one chicken lover to another : )
I’m not sure how successful snake eggs would be. Temperature and humidity are important as they are with poultry. For many reptiles and amphibians, the prevailing temperature determines the sex of the hatchlings. It would be interesting. I have only ever found egg shells from snakes, none that weren’t hatched. Having snakes would not be a problem. I had a ball python for 15 years.
Almost makes me want to get chicks.
I love everything you write! You brought back memories of when we had aracauna chickens that lay green eggs. They say their eggs have less cholesterol!