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Raising chickens in our backyard was a rewarding experience. Back when our children were still at home I purchased several day old chicks in early spring. The children shivered with excitement the day they arrived. Each of them helped to lift each tiny peeping mass of soft yellow fuzz from the box. Together we showed each of the peeps where to find feed and water. They were kept in a heated building, with a heat lamp hung low enough for them to huddle under at night. For additional warmth peat moss was used for bedding with sheets of newspaper covering it. The newspaper was changed daily for sanitation. As the weeks passed we made a game of watching for their first feathers to appear. The chicks grew quickly, lost their down, and became clad with feathers. Peat moss was replaced with straw . By then a new game had evolved. Watching the pink combs on their heads develop would tell us which of them were rooster and which were hens. Soon each chick had developed enough personal identity that each of the children could choose one to be their very own pet. As temperature outside warmed the chicks were eventually able to leave the warmth and security of their hen house and venture out. There we had a fenced yard for them to wander about and soak in sunshine. By the time school was out for the summer each of the children had developed a close relationship with their particular pet. In late August the first egg was spied and excitement again filled the air. By this time you will have needed to provide nesting boxes for the hens to lay their eggs in. Preferably, one for each hen. Three sided wooden boxes, large enough for one hen to fit comfortably into, and attached to the most private wall in hen house will please them. Keep the bottom of each box covered with clean straw. Run a flat wooden board along the front of the boxes. Then run another one, slatted and slanted to make climbing easy, from there down to the floor. Nail it to the upper board running along the front of the nesting boxes.

The hens in the flock provided us with an abundance of eggs for years to come. The roosters, which we narrowed down to two, provided fun and laughter. One rooster in particular that we named "Mr. Rooster" turned out to be particularly delightful. He soon became the ruler of the roost. He seemed to enjoy our company as much as he did his hens. We gave him freedom to roam because he would never stray too far away from his harem. He following us around,

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