IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER 35

There was one time when we were living in Arkansas out in the country and C decided to raise chicken so we could have fresh eggs and if we had too many we would sell some to friends. We did not have close neighbors.

Now C did not do anything hap hazard. He did research and read up on chickens and layers and knew exactly what he was going to buy and how to house them. First we built the chicken coop for the chickens and then we purchased a group of 50 chicks and had put them in a large cardboard box and kept them under a large light to keep them warm.


We had to wait until they got a little larger to find out what the sex was. This batch that he purchased had 2 roosters in it and we had to eliminate one and before we knew it we didn’t have to worry about which one. You cannot have more than one rooster in the roost. One rooster rules in the chicken coop. One morning Carl came out to feed the chickens and the hens made their own choice and eliminated one rooster by pecking him to death. I now can understand what they mean when they say, “ he’s hen pecked."

When Carl with my help built the coop he had to make it rodent proof, so he dug a trench three feet deep and two feet wide putting in the trench cement blocks against the chicken wire then coming up high enough to built the wooden structure above ground on the cinderblock base. To me it was like a fortress. It had large plexus glass windows that opened from the bottom by attaching the window to a chain hanging from the top in a way it couldn’t rain in and the screen on the inside kept everything out but air. We were never bother by rodents in our chicken coop. These windows were on three sides to give the inside light. There was no outside run for the chickens they just stayed in the coop that was a long rectangle.



Inside he built roosts where the hens laid their eggs. They were white and some brown. We ate fresh eggs every morning andthey really do taste different than the store bought. Our grandson loved to go in the coop to help collect the eggs.

On the inside of the coop the floor was a dirt base that was covered with straw that was very deep for the chickens to scratch and peck keeping their place clean. Believe me there was no odor at all and we never had to do any cleaning out of the coop. If I didn’t actually see it I would have had my doubts like I am sure some of you reading this are having. Like I said Carl always read up and planned before every undertaking.

Oh yes there was one hen that did not want me collecting her eggs and she actually chased me several times. She definitely liked Carl and when he got in the pen she strutted around like a peacock. It was one of the funniest things to see. People who know chickens I am sure have their own stories that are similar about the personality of chickens and how funny they can be.

We also had several dogs and cats because people use to drop off their unwanted pets in the country thinking they can fend for themselves. I can tell them that liters from domesticated pets cannot make it. One person dropped off a litter of newborn kittens and before we ever found them they we in bad shape that we had to have the vet dispose them. It is a shame what some people will do to animals. When I say we lived in the country it was really a place just out of the town’ business section on five acres near the access road. So the veterinary doctors were close bye and the people had the same access to them as we did. Those that just dropped off animals were I guess too cheap to donate to the Humane Society. You will have to excuse me I really get riled up about what some people do to discard their pet they no longer want. To us pets are members of the family.


We went to the Pennsylvania Amish to purchase a dog that was advertised it was just a mutt but C liked the dog because it reminded him of the dog he had in one of the foster homes he lived he called sport. So we gave fifty dollars for this dog he named Sport. It was suppose to be Australian shepherd and part mutt but Sport grew up and looked like a beautiful Collie with the sweetest and laziest disposition. It sure didn’t look like an Australian shepherd and C loved this dog.
At that time we had a smooth hair fox terrier that was one of the bossiest dogs ever. She led poor sport along like he was on a chain. He would wait to see what Perky would do then he did the same except get on the furniture. Love would be mighty dull with animals as part of the family.

I see I am getting lengthy so until next time, I am Immigrant Daughter