We have been building on this homestead for over a year and a half. So far we have 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a livingroom, a kitchen and a courtyard, all mostly complete. We also have a regular garden plus 4 raised beds. Our small orchard consists of 2 peach trees, an apple tree, a dozen blueberries and a couple of almond trees. A well, septic system and a hot tub all powered by solar. Sometimes I felt like we would never get past these, “must haves” things so we could do the “fun” projects. Of course, all of it is fun but i guess the pressure is what takes away some of the excitement.

Anyway, I feel like we have turned a little bit of a corner and it is time to expand into the livestock arena. The logical place to start seems to be chickens since that is what my wife wanted for her birthday this year. She didn’t want just any kind….they had to be pretty! She really wanted some game chickens but we couldn’t find them anywhere so we settled with “cream legbars”, a cross between a barred Plymouth Rock and Brown Leghorn because they “hold their tails up high”. They also have blue eggs. We were able to pick three hens and one rooster because the roosters have a white spot on their heads.

We bought them at “Charlie’s Chicks” in Baldwin, Florida. No one else has any chicks because of the time of the year but Charlie has lots of sizes and varieties, even though they are a bit pricey. I couldn’t leave without getting a couple of guineas. They will help with the ticks and grasshoppers which we have an abundance of. Guineas are also good watch dogs to let you know when anything unusual is on the place.

They are little now so I will build a house and tractor for them while they are still in a box. That should give me a few days while we keep these little guys warm and safe.