Robert E. Lee had a chicken he took with him the whole time the Civil War was going.  Many a soldiers tried to cook the chicken, but he managed to rescue it saying, “Boiling the hen will give us one fine meal, but keeping her alive will feed us every day.”

So, as I said, not only are we preparing to buy a home, we'd like one with land so we can have our chickens.  Today I emailed our county law division and asked them stipulations pertaining to keeping hens and the local zoning laws pertaining to the subject.  I am awaiting for more information so we can keep in mind those stipulation while we look.

In the meantime, as you may have already noticed, I'm looking at both city coops and plans for regular ones.  I have an idea of what I'd like for a bigger one if we find a place in the country. I'll share those plans later.  Right now, I'm picking out which chickens we'll order once we move.

Let me just say that there are lots and lots of chickens out there.  Bantams which are smaller in size and tend to lay eggs with more yolk than whites, then there are the common chickens, the specialty and the Cochins which have the cute feathered feet but have a reputation for being poor layers (please, all jokes aside here, I'm having a chicken breed crisis).  There are crested breeds with feathered crowns and heavy breeds which are used for meat. 

With all those breeds, I felt more and more confused at choosing exactly which ones would work for our area with cold Northeastern snow and wind.  Ones that were well mannered, lay eggs quite often, and are good setters.  (now I'm starting to sound like a singles add.haha)

Murray McMurray is a hatchary with good, healthy chickens.  Not only do they sell chickens, but other game birds like turkeys, ducks, geese. Lets not forget about pheasants, quail, peacocks, and guineas.  If your ever in the market, I HIGHLY recommend Murray McMurray at www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html

One decision I do know, we are looking for brown egg layers.  So, that trims the list down a bit. The best part of Murray McMurray is they have "assortment" options for different breeds and egg colors.  So we have now decided to order the BROWN EGG LAYERS ASSORTMENT.

How easy was that?  We know we wanted brown egg layers, we just weren't sure which ones to choose because we've never had any of them.  Choosing the assortment, Murray McMurray throws in an assortment and you'll only know once they get to you which breed they are.  I like that alot because we don't have to choose just one breed, but can see which ones we really prefer for our next order. In the Brown Egg Assortment, they guarantee 5 of the following breeds:

Black Australorps; Lt. Brahmas; Dark Cornish; Black and White Giants; Buff and White Orpingtons; New Hampshire, Rhode Island Reds, Barred, White, Partridge, Buff Rocks;Deleware, Sussex, Turkens; White, Silver Laced, & Columbian Wyandottes, Red Star and Black Star.

A couple other breeds we were introduced to from our homestead friends, and plan to also purchase are Araucana and Dominique Chickens.  They produce green and blue eggs.  Our friends called them "easter eggs".  They're both pretty friendly and by exeperience with our friends when we were there, they are pretty good natured and do well in the winter months.  Check out a Youtube video above that I found on the breed.

How exciting to have made our choices.  We hope to introduce them late summer, early fall when we close on a home of our own. Woohoo!

So I've been searching for plans for chicken coops.  In our search for a home here in NYS, I'm trying to keep in mind we'd like some land in the country to have chickens, goats, etc.  Sounds silly to those of you who know doug and I in real life, BUT we've always had this dream.

Thing is, he works in the city limits and finding a small homestead or a home on a small piece of land within our budget, has proved to nothing more than trying.

We won't let that get us down though.  If the good Lord wants us in the city limits, then we should plan accordingly.  Some cities allow chickens.  In fact, some allow chickens, just not the loud roosters within the city limits.

With that in mind, I've been looking for regular chicken coop plans AND small city type chicken runners that can move.  You can imagine my surprise when I found a site by OMLET that sells Eglu's.  Yup, IGLOOS for chickens are made from energy efficient polymers using modern construction techniques and at the end of its life it can be 100% recycled. 

Take a Look at their Brochure online in PDF

Above you'll see a guide to keeping chickens. The little girl is SO CUTE and the eglu is in the picture.  I just found the little girl to be so precious that I had to post this.

My one true concern with this is in the harsh Upstate NY winters, how the chickens would get on and not freeze to death.

This is where you avid homesteaders come in.  What do you think?  Have any ideas on what to do in the wintertimes?  Have any other ideas or plans?  How bout plans for bigger size coops if we do find a home with some land?

Let me know your experience and feel free to comment.

Blessings!

Rebekah

These are SO GOOD!!!

MINI PUMPKIN BUTTERSCOTCH MUFFINS (allrecipes)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 (6 ounce) package butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.

Sift together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl. Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Stir in the butterscotch chips; pour into each cup of the muffin pan to about 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Barak was in office 767 days when he announced he was going to become president.

Sarah Palin was in office 635 days when she announced she was going to be a candidate for Vice Presidency. If they get the presidential slot, she'll have 24 MORE days experience on January 20, 2009 when she'd enter Vice Presidency than Barak if he became president.

Since Baraks Candidacy, he's raised about 21million dollars a month for his state.

Sarah Palin? As Governor of Alaska she has 1.025 BILLION. That's right, BILLION, she's been handling which is 47 TIMES as large as Baraks.

Barak Obama has 2500 Employees working for him.

Sarah Palin? Handles 77,000 employees which is 31 times as large as Barak handles.

SO, if Barak, as he's stated on the news recently, is more than qualified with experience to be president of the United States, then Sarah Palin is 31 to 47 more times qualified than Barak. You do the math!

YOU as an individual American Citizen have a Freedom and Right to vote for whomever you want.  YOU have that right and really the OBLIGATION to your children and children's children, to uphold your duty as an American Citizen.

I don't care who you vote for!  Democrat, Republican or a Third Party you have an obligation and freedom from our Founding Fathers, to participate in electing your government leaders.  Take time to educate yourselves on all parties candidates running for office and REALLY look past "special interest groups" who help to form your opinions without you really knowing it.  Find out what each candidate stands for and vote according to what YOU stand for.

What do you stand for?  Who do you stand for?  If someone walked up to you today and asked what you stood for could you answer yourself?  Or would you answer the way you were taught by someone else?

Understand that this is America.  We have certain freedoms that our Founding Fathers founded this country on.  One with pride and accomplishment.  In helping others and learning to be neighbors even if we disagree with one another.

President George Washington said that if we become "Party Oriented"  instead of Americans United, we would falter as a Country of freedom. 

United we stand, divided we fall.

Use your freedom to vote wisely.  Vote for The United States of America and not by Party Loyalty.  Enjoy that freedom. Some don't have it. 

Blessings to you everyone!

Rebekah

Outside my Window...the weather is looking uncertain inbetween possible sunshine and/or rain. It is quite windy also

I am thinking...I should have started "The Simple Woman's Daybook" sooner

I am thankful for...to have all my children around me with much silly laughter and horseplay

From the kitchen...tuna & rice fishcakes, cous cous & salad (change of plan)

I am wearing...a navy skirt  with light blue flowwers plus t.shirt

I am reading...More Hours In My Day by Emilie Barnes & Sheri Torreli

I am hoping...to finish sorting kitchen cupboards tomorrow (Thursday)

I am creating...Nothing yet

I am hearing...the wind in the trees

Around the house... it is very quiet

One of my favorite things... is sitting in the armchair in my office and looking out onto the back garden

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... sort kitchen cupboards, clean fridge Freezer and do some much needed baking

There is only one way to bring up a child in the way he should
go and that is to travel that way yourself.

      -- Abraham Lincoln

Yesterday afternoon I decided to re-arrange a couple of the kitchen food cubpoards around, this was after we came home from shopping but I just wasnt happy with the way I had re-arranged them.  So in the evening about 8pm I decided to re-arrange them again of which I didn't think I would be very long.  So there I was with kitchen equipment, storage boxes, and various other bits and pieces all over the floor, the kitchen counters full of food items.  We then had a visitor around 9pm and as we don't use the front door, visitors come in through the back door, so I was a little embarrased at the state of the kitchen but not a lot I could do. 

Anyways, 2 hours later, I havent finished but I have managed to get a couple of cupboards the way I wanted them.  What started this, was the shelf I had in our tall food cupboard was not big enough for all the baking items I had, and it was a mess.  I needed more space, so I moved the baking cupboard (not literally :lol)  to the top shelf of a  much larger cupboard.On the bottom shelf of the same cupboard I have put all the tinned goods, bottled goods and excess food items for overflow.

I will try and post some photos tomorrow or Thursday.  By the time I had finished this evening it was around 10pm and my poor DH had gone up to play a game on the computer and didn't realise (a) what the time was or (b) that I could be that mad to start sorting out cupboards at such a late time.  I have to say that at times, when I get a "bee in my bonnet" to do something then I need to get it done and quite often asap but this doesn't always work out :lol

This morning we went to Marks & Spencers and Tescos (two stores in a local town) so that I could purchase some more storage jars/containers for the kitchen.  I have various packets of flour, different varieties of rice and other items that I have decided need to be in containers. I will either sort this out tonight otherwise perhaps tomorrow evening.

I think DH gets a little exasperated with me as he can never find anything in the kitchen as I do move things around & Sunday should be interesting as he is cooking a special meal for us.  He is not exactly going to be able to find anything.  I will try not to move the cupboards around after I have finished but at leas the kitchen will be nicely & properly organised

Here is a fun blog to get you going on Fall-cleaning and decorating.

Warm Pie, Happy Home