Raising chickens at home to get through tough times

Have you noticed how many people are keeping chickens on their property now? It may be for the fresh eggs or it could be one small way to get through these tough times. Recently Joyce Eckrem was telling me about her girls, Arianna, Buffy and Hillary, and how much fun it's been to have chickens as pets. Yes, they make great, low maintenance pets. They sleep all night, are fairly quiet, are inexpensive to purchase as well as feed, and as an added bonus you get fresh, healthy, great-tasting eggs from them. Chickens also help to keep the insects, especially flies, as well as weeds under control on your property, while providing high quality fertilizer for your yard or garden. The pet that gives back - what a great concept.

Joyce never had chickens before and found a great Web site full of information for the beginner at www.backyardchickens.com. You can find the suggested coop space for each chicken, appropriate treats and how to protect them from predators. Also, how to get them used to people from the time you bring them home and how to hatch chickens from eggs.

"Our chickens know their names, sit on my lap, and get fed better than I do. I spend most of the day preparing treats for them, chopping grapes or tomatoes, cooking spaghetti, husking corn, etc." Joyce shared. 

If you have ever been around a chicken coop that smelled, this Web site tells how to do a deep litter method that is very low maintenance and virtually eliminates the odor. From what I read, the people using this method clean the coop out once or twice a year adding it to a compost pile for a while to allow the mixture to fully rot so it does not burn the plants in your garden.

Adding scratch or shavings to the coop helps to dry things out so there is no ammonia smell. Others who have used this method swear by it not only for the low maintenance but also for the high quality fertilizer they get. 

A reminder that open burn season has now closed and fireworks of any kind are prohibited in Douglas County. With our high potential for wildfire, we need to be extra careful. Take some time to look around your property for any combustible plants - juniper, sage, cheatgrass, dried or dead brush - and keep your defensible space clear. 

Our volunteer firefighters will soon be at the mailbox cluster selling tickets to the July 11 barbecue. Remember you can make a donation or buy raffle tickets as well. Let's show them how much we appreciate what they do.

Have a ramblin' good week.

Reach Gail Davis at RuhenstrothRamblings@yahoo.com or 265-1947.