A Seed Planted in Childhood Comes to Fruition....

Who knew, that at the age of 45, a seed that was planted years ago in childhood, would come to fruition?  My husband thinks I am obsessed and have acquired some rare form of temporary insanity.  I think, “This is something I was always meant to do.  Why didn’t I figure it out sooner?”

My father was one of six children.  There was only one female and to us, she was Aunt Mamie.  She lived in an obscure part of Virginia called Piney River, on the side of a mountain.  In fact, a prominent landmark in her yard was a huge boulder that we used to climb on.  It had dislodged itself one day and rolled down the mountain, barely missing her house and coming to rest in her front yard.

We rarely visited Aunt Mamie, but when we did, not knowing (or not caring) any better, we would beg and beg and beg to stay for dinner because we knew we would have the best fried chicken, green beans and corn picked fresh from the garden and homemade biscuits.  To this day, I have never had better although my Mom’s fried chicken was pretty darned close.  (Sorry Mom.)

Aunt Mamie had a variety of animals too; cows, pigs, chickens....  My very favorite thing to do was to run up the hill to the hen house and collect the eggs.  It seemed magical to me that chickens could create eggs.  Although the memories of those visits may have taken temporary vacations over the years, they stayed ingrained deep in my psyche.

Fast forward about forty years....now living in North Carolina.  I heard about something called “Henside the Beltline”.  It sounded a little kooky to me at first but also intriguing.  A group of people who kept “backyard chickens” within the city limits had organized a tour so you could go see their chickens and their coops and ask questions.  It also was for a good cause, raising money for a local food bank.  I had time on my hands, so I went and managed to see several coops after getting lost over and over again.  It was fascinating!  Seeing the chickens scratching around, seeing other people who grew vegetables and gardens in their back yards, some in every possible nook and cranny....I somehow felt at home.  I believe it was at that tour that I was given a hand out for a “Chicken Keeping 101” class, taught by a man named Bob Davis.  I conned my husband, who, at the time, was slightly interested, into going with me.  The class was $5 and lasted an hour or two.

Afterward, I was so excited I could barely contain myself and we went to the library and poured through several books, finally settling on one to buy.  I read it and began talking about getting chickens.  I don’t think hubby actually thought I was serious but he went along.

Shortly after, we met some new neighbors who kept bees.  I told them about chickens.  As life took over and thoughts of chickens went on the back burner, we bumped into them again, only to find THEY had gotten chickens.  We went to see them and the fascination of watching them was there again.  It was calming and soothing watching them walk around and scratch in the dirt as their owners chatted and worked in the yard and gardens.  There was a feeling of balance, of “this is the way things were meant to be.”    They began giving us eggs from their chickens.  The eggs were in varying shades of blue/green, white and brown.  It was like opening a box of multi-colored jewels.

The following Spring, I found myself casually stopping in at the local Tractor Supply store – a place I hadn’t even known existed and never would have stepped in before.  They had chicks!  I began mentioning them to my husband incessantly, but after reading books and websites, I wanted bantams, smaller versions of chickens and some say, the first chickens.  Then one day they had bantams in a multitude of colors.  I literally “chickened out”.  My husband was away and I thought perhaps I should ask first.  The next day I went back and all of the bantams were gone!!!!  I was so upset. 

I went back a third time with my husband Brian in tow.  I figured if he saw how adorable and cute the little chicks were, he’d be as big a sucker as I am, for he really is an animal person in disguise.  Instead, he fell in love with the baby ducks in a pen full of excrement - stinky, nasty little critters....  I must admit though, they were cute but I hadn’t envisioned ducks running around the back yard.  The employees were very eager to get rid of the last few ducks, no doubt to relieve themselves of the smell.  One of the employees eyeballed Brian and moved in for the kill.  He practically slapped Brian on the back and in a country voice said, “I got a deal for ya boy, getcha five ducks......five bucks...”  Brian hesitated just for a second but in the end stood his ground since I showed no interest.  I have a feeling had I shown some, we’d also have five ducks in a makeshift kiddie pool in the backyard as I type this.  Brian, ever the professional mimic, still looks at me every once in awhile and in a perfect imitation of the accent says, “Five bucks.....five ducks!!!”

Our second year wedding anniversary was coming up and we couldn’t celebrate because Brian was away at military drills that weekend.  Bored, I just “happened” to drop by the Tractor Supply store again.  They had bantams again, not as many colors as before, but they had them.  I must’ve stood there for over an hour debating the pros and con’s, picking up the sickly ones and dabbing water on their beaks.  Another girl walked up and started eyeballing the ones I had singled out in my head so I knew it was time to act.  I asked the store clerk if they had anymore chicken coops on special.  Small, temporary coops had gone from $149 to $99.  They had one left.  It was over.  I picked out the fastest chicks and one in every color, except one tiny, tiny one that I felt sorry for.  The sucker in me always comes out for the under dog.  Six straight-run bantams.  Straight-run meaning, you have no idea until later whether you got roosters or hens.  Not really a good approach I later learned as roosters are illegal within city limits.  I had now bought myself a wedding anniversary present...baby chickens. I rationalized that this would save my husband from going and having to figure out something to buy me.  I never thought the day would come that I would choose chickens over jewelry or flowers.

I bought all of my initial supplies and rushed home in a state of excitement.  As I pulled in the driveway, the neighbor who owned chickens and bees was driving by.  I waved her down and showed her my new brood.  My adventures in chicken keeping had begun....