Some farm animals have come and gone on our farm over the years, but I believe we’ve had chickens of some kind since way way back in the beginning, almost 19 years ago now!

The laying hens lived here and there at different times, usually varying depending on where the other animals lived. 

The first coop was an old grain truck we put a roof on.

(For those of you who’ve known us a long time, remember the “Truck ‘o Chickens website??)

One group of layers we have now are still living in it!  But over the years, it’s need a lot of maintenance and other projects have higher priority so they just haven’t happened.  

Most notably, it has a lot of gaps along the sides and isn’t insulated, so it’s a frigid place to be in the winter.

I’ve moved them into the barn a few times (some still live there too) but chickens really should be confined to an area for the night for their own safety and to remind them to lay their eggs where we can find them.  

A couple weeks ago, we found out about someone who was planning to move and needed to move out 60 layers. 

We have worked with another farm all summer who bought our eggs and then resold them to their own customers, so we thought – yes let’s get more layers to keep up with demand!

But they needed a home other than randomly being thrown into a non-secure barn or a non-winter friendly truck coop.

So finally, after many years (of wishful thinking on my part!), we finally prioritized giving the layers a more permanent home of their own!

They are now in half of our smaller (farrowing) barn. 

There is wire netting up to keep them safe and lots of room to move for when they’re locked in there. 

When the sows are in there with babies on the other half of the barn, it’s also a little warmer!  And the guys went all out and put up an actual people sized door to get in and out!  This door was repurposed from an old barn they took down 3 years ago.

So this is my dream come true.

And maybe a dream come true for the chickens too. 🙂

What’s in the farm kitchen this week

I love to cook, but sometimes I just run out of time. 

I’m sure you have have those days too!

Although I wouldn’t say this meal is entirely the most healthy thing ever, the kids LOVE it.  They were ecstatic this week when they found out we were having this. 

And you can see from the picture that Marilla was trying to snitch early tastes while I tried to take a picture. haha!

Hamburger and beans is just 3 cans of baked beans to 1 lb of browned hamburger.

I’ll usually cook cut up onions with the hamburger, or add them near the end if I want a little crunch.

And it’s you’re REALLY short on time or raw onions, onion powder added to taste works too. 

I will usually make a large batch, so this week was 6 cans of beans to 2lbs of hamburger. Aldi brand is great!

Bible inspiration this week

It’s a fact that you, me, and every single person who lives and has ever lived on earth (except Jesus) was and is a sinner.

We do wrong things every single day, all the time. Anything from a child throwing a toy at another child to a murderer sitting in jail, a sin is a sin in God’s eyes. 

And, according to what the Bible says, not one single one of us can possibly get into heaven someday based on this. Sins = eternity in hell.

However, there’s a silver lining – Jesus!  He covered up all our wrongs and made us look awesome to God so God will welcome us into heaven with open arms! 

Believers have this wonderful, relief-filled confidence!

This saying is trustworthy and worthy of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” of whom I am the worst. But I was shown mercy for this reason: that in me, the worst sinner, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his unlimited patience as an example for those who are going to believe in him, resulting in eternal life.

1 Timothy 1:15-16

This verse was written by a man by the name of Paul. He wrote a number of books of the Bible, including the one noted above. 

However, in his younger years, he was a man who hated Jesus and even killed those who loved Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t finished with Paul though….he brought him to faith and used Paul to bring the good new of salvation to many many people!

So those words above are so comforting. If God can take a guy who hated him, and even killed believers, and turn him into a missionary, how can he possibly leave any one of us out in the cold?

Encouraging you this week to bring your sins to the feet of Jesus, ask forgiveness, and live in the comfort that Jesus saves and has “unlimited patience” in you, just like he did with Paul.