We moved up into the mountains a few years ago and have a nice little bit of land we call our own. I never would have imagined myself in a place like this - surrounded by trees and wildlife. But in all honesty, I absolutely love it.
When we moved, the girls asked if we could get chickens. We told them we needed to get settled in the house first. Well, getting settled turned into reason after reason why we couldn't do it. This year, we happened to be at Tractor Supply during their Chick Weekends, and my husband and I decided to take the plunge. We bought six little chicks - two of three different species.
When we walked in the door with them, the girls lost it. They were happy to have their chickens finally. They each named three: one daughter has Chip, Dominic, and Scara, and the other has Dale, Chicken, and Goo. We watched them grow, which happened quickly, and now we are getting about three eggs a day. Their happiness makes me smile, but little did I know at the time I would be introducing myself to the biggest chaos ever.
I don't know if I didn't do a good enough job teaching my kids responsibilities or if it's just something new, but the chicks, just like the dogs, are almost exclusively my problem. It's another set of living things I need to manage and maintain. I love seeing them and letting them out of their cage to roam free often. But I'm also the one to recognize when they need their cage cleaned.
I should have known this before buying the chickens; however, I have no regrets. It's the meaning of "embracing the chaos." Right now, I do not need to buy eggs, which is marvelous, but I also get to watch my girls spend time with the chickens and smile. Every time I'm scooping the poo, I remember that this chaos I added to my life is really a part of my jumble of happy.
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