Quick Update

Hello everyone! I've missed blogging something fierce. Life has been extremely busy around here as I'm sure it is for you as well. Our school days are always full and it seems that I enjoy our classes more and more with each passing year. I love to learn right along with our children. I've heard it said that if you really want to learn something, you need to teach it. Truer words were never spoken.

Which brings me to another update. We now have five laying hens (pullets). Several months ago, we had the joy of watching a pair of chickens increase into a small flock. We were pleasantly surprised at how much fun it was to watch the little chicks grow all the way from hatchlings until they began to disappear one by one around the Matambos supper time.

Not only are chickens fun to watch, they devour loads of bugs and lizards. We have really missed having a pet since leaving our golden retriever Scout behind. So these new chickens of ours are kind of red like Scout's mother (I know, that's kind of a stretch but you learn to do that while living on another continent).

We didn't want a rooster because they are LOUD all day and all night. So after taking everything into consideration, we decided laying hens will still give us food in the form of eggs AND they will eat lots of bugs and small critters which we have an abundance of now that the rains have come.

The only problem is. . .their beaks were chopped off! We were stunned to discover this. I guess the purpose of that is to keep the birds from hurting each other while confined in small cages as they are on commercial farms. But obviously we are not a commercial farm! It is extremely difficult for our hens to forage around the house without most of their beaks. Actually, it made us all very sad.

Of course our children named all five hens. They are Cora (Carlin's), Penny (Isata's), Annie (Shauna's), Shirley (Steven's), and Lucy (Sia's). Jason put different colored bands around each bird's leg so we can identify them. So far Cora, Annie, and Penny are laying eggs daily. The other two haven't started yet.

We want to add to our little flock as there is nothing like farm-fresh eggs but we do not want de-beaked birds. I will keep you posted if we find any laying hens with their beaks still attached.

It's getting late so I must make this post a short one. I miss you all so much.

Blessings and joy,
Beckie