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her hens?
eggs
? ?yolks are larger and more yellow and taste a little bit richer.? ?ere are health benefits as well; yard or pastured chickens
have less cholesterol and are higher in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin e, and beta carotene. chickens allowed to roam free in yards or pastures eat grass, worms, and insects which enhances not only their diet but also the nutritional factors of their eggs. ?e hawthornes entered into the chicken world a little differently and for some different reasons. a few years ago, the hawthornes moved to central for a tad more rural experience. ?ey have a garden and grow their own vegetables. ashley, an interior designer, favored a slower life. her husband kyle, a financial consultant, bought into the idea so he could engage in more hunting and fishing. ?e couple has two children: sullivan, 5, and betsy, 2. adding chickens to the hawthorne brood is the latest step in their more ?organic? lives. ashley adds, ?we also just eat a ton of eggs and thought it would be fun to produce our own?same as growing our food.? ?e family bought their six chickens from a local garden store, plant world. ?ey ended up with three hens and three roosters, and they affectionately named them after the six presidential candidates: bernie, john, hillary, marco, donald, and ted. ?e kids gleefully chase and play with the chickens in the yard. it?s one of their favorite pastimes. ?ough the hawthornes are still waiting for their first eggs, they are loving life with the cluckers. so, what is the process to own and care for chickens? in baton rouge, if you live on less than 1 acre of land in a neighborhood, you can have three chickens in your backyard. if your acreage is more than that, bring on the hens! before you can bring your chickens home, you have to establish a quality coop
for them. you can build one, like nick and kyle, or you can purchase a pre-fab coop at walmart, home depot, or online. ?e cost for the chickens is on the front end. ?ough the chickens themselves are not pricey, setting them up initially requires some finances and effort. however, once the coop is built, your budget will not be affected much. chicken feed is inexpensive and goes a long way. if your chickens free range, the feed will be supplemental and will last for a while. you may be wondering how much work your new chickens will be. ashley acknowledges, ??ey are easy, but not maintenance-free by any stretch. i love having them, but kyle does do all the work.? chickens need to be let out of their coop to roam in the morning and put up to roost at night. ?ere are regulations and suggestions to keep your coop clean and safe as well. fresh eggs and family fun are two reasons to bring chickens into your life. it?s possible and popular in baton rouge right now to join the chicken craze. so, if you are considering chickens, check out backyardchickens.com for helpful information. ? 58 brparents.com | august 2016
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