The Birds and the Bees

31 comments
Recently we added to the fun and confusion around the "hive " and acquired both birds and bees. We've had chickens in the past but this is our first attempt at beekeeping.
We have 11 Rhode Island Red laying hens we are sharing with our neighbors. We have a chicken coop and a chicken run to try to keep them safe from the foxes and racoons that hang about. Usually in the past when it gets dark at night the chickens put themselves to bed. They would go into the hen house and roost in the boxes with straw. These chickens haven't really caught onto that concept. They huddle and sleep right in front of the coop door and we have to herd them into the coop and lock them up at night. Chickens are not very smart in general but sadly this group seems to even be not smart enough to do that one little thing.
It is hard to see in this picture but there are bees inside this little slit in the hive. A friend of ours is teaching us about beekeeping and has a hive in our back yard. Next year we hope to have our own hive after "we" (read Mr. Hive) learns how to care for them and extract the honey. There are two hives here or two boxes/bee houses. Hives aren't as pretty as they used to be but are more practical I guess. We have just under 1 1/2 acres where we live and we have a little tiny farm with an orchard and big garden in our back yard. And so the bees and chickens add to the farm aspect at our house/hive. I still consider myself a city girl so all this is a bit of a stretch for me. I do love the fresh eggs and I'm sure we'll enjoy the honey in the fall.

-nanette
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31 comments

Robin said...

I would love to have chickens! We have 1 1/2 acres too and are thinking about a garden next year and some chickens....we go thru ALOT of eggs! Good luck with both of your new endevours!!

Abby and Stephanie said...

How perfect for you to have a hive. :o)

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

MMM, fresh honey, where do I get in line to buy some!!!!!

alobsiger said...

What fun! Please be sure you remain the Queen Bee. :-) Several years ago a chicken showed up in my parents' yard "in town." Chicken Jane lived happily in the yard for several months until she started scratching up the flower beds. She even survived the winter living in a tree. She finally went to live happily on a farm (no, really...).

Kim Walus said...

Sure sounds like an adventure that my youngest daughter would just love. Our neighbor had a few chickens and they loved taking care of them and holding them. They dubbed themselves the "Chicken Masters" it was pretty funny!

Sherri said...

Our neighbor has chickens, and sometimes my son feeds them when they are on vacation...chickens are a funny group! And how fun to have a real "hive!"

Kaaren said...

How appropriate and what fun! Fresh eggs and honey for the toast!

Yummo!

Thimbleanna said...

How fun Nanette! I'd love to be able to have chickens. And bees too. We had a hive once, years ago, but sadly, the guy who lived behind us was an exterminator, and he used to fog a big area for mosquitos in the summer. Our hive only lasted less than a year and we think the insecticides made them leave the hive. ;-(

Lori Holt said...

I knew there was a fellow
"farmgirl" in there somewhere!
Good for you Nanette, you're going to have a great time learning about the
"birds and the bees" LOL...Lori

Susan said...

I think chickens are the cutest but have never raised them; I'm one of those city girls like you said. Bees in their hives would be interesting. Do they warn off yellow jackets and hornets? We have problems with yellow jackets.

Sandi Linn Andersen said...

How appropriate to have your own bee hive!! I would love the honey but I am not fond of bees. My grandma raised chickens and they are not the brightest sometimes! :-)

Candace said...

There isn't anything better than a fresh picked egg, I say! I had no idea you were a "farm girl", too, Nanette - even if you're still a city girl - LOL! What fun!
Cheers!

Momoo said...

I grew up on a small farm and my folks often raised chickens, they are by far not one of the brightest animals around. However, once one of my dad's coworkers from the city gave my parents a rooster. They had gotten it as an Easter chick and didn't know what to do with him when he grew up. His name was Billy and he was a little smarter than the others, really thought he was a pet. Unfortunatly for him, he did end up being dinner. No one had much of an appetite that night.
Happy Belated Birthday, our internet has been very intermitant.

Micki said...

We can't have chicken where we are, but they look like fun!
Micki

Rachel said...

We have chickens too! Do you have a rooster? Ours kind of keeps the girls in line, and wrangles them into the coop at night. (we let them roam the yard during the day) We thought about bees, but it was too much for me to handle. I'd love to hear how it goes.

dotti white said...

Nanette--that sounds like a lot of fun (and work, too!). Those are great critters to have though for provident living, I guess--good luck with all of the fun! Have a great week!

XUE said...

Bees!!!...just the word makes me shiver. Sorry, just that my son is allergic to the toxin in their bites & carries medicine almost everywhere. Chickens look lovely though & eggs-gathering in the morning would be fun!

Pat said...

I'd love the fresh eggs but I'm not so fond of honey that I'd find a beehive very attractive! I hope your chickens develop a bit more brain-power and will start to put themselves to bed at night soon. :)

Dawn said...

How fun to get a live "hive"! Keep us posted on the happenings. My neighbor always wants to give us fresh eggs. I politely say, "No thank you"!!

Nedra said...

I think it was just a matter of time before you had your own "Hive". I mean, with a name like that, how could you not?

Karen said...

I've thought about getting chickens, but no bees for me...I'm allergic to the little buzzer's sting;) Chicken droppings are great for your garden;) Happy farming you city girl;)

Unknown said...

What a fun adventure with the bees . I've always loved chooks .

Calamity Jane's Cottage, Bonnie said...

Well, we are going to have to call you Mrs Nanette Farmer Girl. Look at what all you've gotten into. Cute little chicks and I'm not sure I could handle bees, but love honey.
Keep Stitchen'
Bonnie

Cathi said...

The chickens sound like fun! But the bees? I'd never go near that beehive!! For whatever reason, I get near bees and I get stung.

Mel said...

WoW! Hope the keeping of your new ones don't take too much time away from sewing!

Looking forward to more posts about them!

Carrie P. said...

We have talked about raising chickens too. My husband went to beekeeping school through our local agriculture center.
Do you have lots of flowers around for the bees? I know they will travel to find them too.

Elaine/Muddling Through said...

How did I miss this one??? You know me and chickens, and yes - they are NOT the brightest bulbs on the tree, but that is one of their endearing characteristics, plus the fact that they work ALL the time. They are always busy!

Eileen said...

as you know.. we live smack dab in the middle of town.. and our neighbors just started a bee hive. The neighbor man was walking around the other night in our back yard and I asked him if he was looking for something. He said yes, that there was a swarm of farrell bees that were attracted to his new hive, and he wanted to catch them! Needless to say.. I kept my eyes peeled for the next few days.
And you can keep your real chickens. Although the fresh eggs would be super!

Kim said...

nothing like fresh honey on the comb - and fresh eggs to boot! Lucky you.
Something is eating my garden *sigh* well not the planters of herbs on the patio but the lettuces, spinach and now the beans are almost all gone.

Of course the jalapeno plants are still intact- wonder why?

Nan said...

A bee hive - perfect for the 'Hive'! There is nothing better than home-grown honey. My husband takes a spoonful a day for his allergies, and it works! We get our honey from the local health food store.
As long as those chickens lay lots of eggs, it's okay that they're a bit on the dumb side, right? There's nothing better than fresh eggs either. I'm hungry now!

Anonymous said...

My dad raised or had bees when I was growing up. I love the honey comb, chewing on it was something to get excited about.