Brooding

I used to have Rhode Island Reds as a kid: Chip, Mohawk and Dirty. I'd bathe them every week and blowdry them until they'd fall asleep. They'd come running, pooping left and right until they plopped into my lap. This sweet life lasted until they matured into grown adults. The chicken coop then became a war zone. I'd constantly dodge their ferocious pecks at my feet and hands, and I was always wearing sandals for some reason. Chip was the skinniest and the meanest of them all. But all three hens provided us fresh brown eggs everyday and compliantly hopped into their coop every night. My grandpa had built the most amazing wooden coop with windows, a sliding door and a sloped roof that opened up. Unfortunately, we lived in a surburb that wasn't zoned for chickens, and our neighbors weren't too happy about the egg-laying cacophony. So my chickens took refuge at a family friend's house and lived happily with a male rooster.

Now living in San Diego, I've become an avid gardener. I have tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, watermelons, passion fruit, all kinds of herbs, strawberries, onions, potatoes, green beans, cantaloupes...you get the idea. Then I read an article about the trend in backyard chickens and all their benefits. They eat bugs, peck at weeds, eat food scraps, lay eggs and fertilize the ground. Amazing! They would also be sweet pets, except for Rhode Island Reds, which I found out tend to be aggressive. I've researched all the various types of chickens, looking for friendly, quiet egg-layers and I've decided on Ameraucanas (for their pretty easter egg colors) and Orpingtons (for their chubby good looks).