August 14, 2014

Chickens on the Farm

"By Trudy Connor"

Sifter Chicken Wood Wire

Nesting Hen Needlepoint Primitive Bentwood Sieve


There were chickens on my grandparents farm, nothing tastes like farm fresh eggs. 


The chicken house was always occupied and my grandparents had boxes built along one wall for each nest. When you walked into the chicken house the hens would talk to you, warning you off. I could just imagine them saying: 
"See what I did, now leave my eggs alone!" Gathering eggs could be hazardous as the hens peck when you reached for the eggs. My grandmother's trick was to spread some cracked corn outside the chicken house to draw their attention elsewhere. 


Each spring a few sitting hens would occupy the temporary nest in the smoke house. They were happy keeping their eggs warm the 3 weeks needed until the eggs hatched. The smoke house location was excellent. Near enough to the house to prevent visiting grandchildren from gathering the wrong eggs and disturbing the hens. 

Chicken Water Bowls

Spring heralded the arrival of tiny chicks delivered by mail. Yes they came by way of the US Postal Service! The chicks would stay near the wood stove, until the brooding house was warm enough to usher them into their new home. My grandmother used self watering gallon jars, in the brooder house. I enjoyed the magic of filling and turning over without spilling concept as a child. 

I found a self watering trough on Etsy! Danielle and John at IndustrialPlanet gave me permission to use their photo! Just click the link to purchase them.