Chickens are one of my favorite animals to have on the homestead. Even though they did drive me a little crazy this year as many of them went broody on me. They produce no chicks and just a bunch of disgusting blown up smelly eggs (I can’t even explain how bad it smelled lol). Since then I’ve kicked them on so I can start getting a few fresh eggs again before the dead of winter rolls in.
Many of my hens have started to molt (seen in these pictures) . It's a natural process they go through each year in which they lose their feathers and replace them with high quality feathers to get them ready for the winter months ahead.
I am a firm believer that chickens are a wonderful gateway animal to self sufficiency. Even having two backyard hens is a great start!