Chicken Stats

These adorable little chicks were purchased on Wednesday, March 2^nd, 2011.

Meet our little layers today:

(From Left to Right) Blondie, Mocha & Latte

Latte was our first hen to start laying eggs.  She started laying an egg a day since July 1^st at exactly 4 months of age!

Mocha was our second hen who started laying eggs on July 12^th!

Blondie was the last to start laying eggs starting July 14^th.

In the beginning, Blondie was my favorite; however, over the past month, I have come to enjoy Mocha’s company the most (please don’t tell the others).  When I’m outside, she usually follows me around and she loves to eat cracked corn out of my hands. 

My brother and his daughter feeding the chickens.

The chickens love to go into the garden and eat the bugs!  I’m glad, too, because we had a big problem with the slugs early-on.  They can mill around the garden for hours on end.

Blondie on Garden Fence

The first 4 months of their existence, they went through a total of 45 lbs of food.  We are currently on a 75 lb bag of feed and a 5 lb. bag of oyster shells, but we are not even close to the bottom of either of these bags of food!

Let’s take a look at the chicken stats (as of 7/31/11):

Eggs to date:  59 

The cost of the chickens:  $14.94   (We bought 6, but one died within a few hours, the other died overnight and a red fox got the 3^rd one about a month ago!)

Cost of food:  $51.45 
Price per Dozen: $11.07 

Are the chickens “worth it?”  ABSOLUTELY!  I don’t care if it is costing us a dollar an egg, I love these little creatures.  They are so much fun to watch!  It is relaxing to be outside with them clucking around, and they have such personalities!  Blondie is Miss Priss, Mocha is the lover and Latte is the laid back, seen-but-not-heard-type.  

2 Eggs Collected 07/31/2011 at 9:30AM

When visitors come to visit, they are surprised at how friendly our feathered-friends are.  They don’t mind being held or pet, but you have to be careful when you are feeding them from your hands.  Blondie can get a little ambitious and go for the skin!  No blood has been drawn yet – and I’d like to keep it that way!


This post is linked up with Homestead Revival's Barn Hop #22.