It has been a long time since I updated you on our little flock of chickens. A lot has happened since that hot summer day when a box of tiny fuzzy chicks arrived at Bryarton Farm. We love hearing our roosters crowing throughout the day and—believe it or not—Cami Grace has really grown to love the chickens, too. After deciding to use the dilapidated chicken coop that was already on the property, we have worked quite a bit to make it a better home for our fluffy friends.

Before

After

Michael designed and built the new “dutch door” style gate, using rustic barn wood. Then we carefully patched and enlarged the old pen, rebuilt some vintage nests for laying, and gave the hen house a fresh coat of paint. Despite the freezing weather, the chickens seem to love their new home and being out of a cramped cage.

With the recent spirt of nice weather here in Kansas, I took Camdyn for some much-needed outdoor playtime. She wanted to go see the chickens and meet our new rooster, Mr. Darcy. Our last rooster was severely henpecked and had no tail as a result. My parents had the opposite problem, their rooster was so aggressive that he would attack my sister. We solved this dilemma by doing a rooster swap. All of our chickens are named after Jane Austen characters, so Mr. Darcy seemed to be the perfect name for our new self-assured rooster.

You may remember Camdyn’s first reaction upon meeting the chickens. She was absolutely terrified!

She has come a long way. Now she begs to go see the “tickens” and wants to pet, hug, and kiss them!

Today Camdyn was mainly focused on making:

• Emma
• Elenore
• Maggie
• Fanny
• Lizzy
• Jane
• Mary
• Kitty
• Lydia
• Mr. Bingley
• Georgiana
• and, of course, Mr. Darcy

…eat their corn. She repeated what we tell her at every meal, “Eat all your bites.”

I wonder what goes through a chicken’s small brain when they’re being chased by a two year old with a cubby outstretched hand full of corn and a mommy-like obsession with making her babies eat it. I guess we will never know, but it is nice to have the chickens finally settled. Now we can focus on the farmhouse renovations without worrying about the chickens or spending too much time devoted to their care. It is a great feeling to know they are safe and comfortable in the new coop.

So what do you think of the chickens’ new digs and of their new ring leader? Do any of you have any funny chicken stories to share? We would love to hear from you in the comments section.

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