Exciting News!!!

It is with overwhelming excitement and mild trepidation that I announce some exciting news!!!!

Since early February Eric and I have been in negotiations with Mr. and Mrs. Edward Roth to take over their chicken farm in Montana. Last night we came to a verbal agreement and on Tuesday we will sign our old life away.

My love for chickens developed as a child when visiting my Grandparents farm. Every morning I would get up early to the sounds of a rooster so I could help to feed the hens and collect the eggs. When my Dads moved to Mission, BC they inherited a group of ducks and feeding them each morning brought back the desire to be involved with birds of some kind.

Eric and I have been wanting to find a way into a farm life so when he found an add for a small farm for sale we decided to get the details. Mr. and Mrs. Roth have been breeding specialty 'pink' silkies since 1985 but have only had this new color recognized for 2 years and have since won many prizes for their beautiful birds. Silkie hens were developed in the Orient, probably in Japan. The feathers don't have barbs or quills, and the birds look and feel like Persian cats! Some of the varieties are Black, Blue, Buff, Partridge, Silver-grey, White and now thanks to the Roths a soft blush color known as Pinks. Interesting characteristics of the breed are its 5 toes and black skin. They also have walnut combs, which should be a deep mulberry approaching black. Silkie hens are among the best to use as broodies if you want to hatch your eggs out under hens. They make wonderful mothers and on occasion a silkie rooster will steal a brood of very young chicks and raise them himself -- this is a very nurturing breed. It is in fact the nurturing characteristic of the silkies that convinced Eric to give up his computer career and agree to buy the farm.

While living in the USA is something I never thought I would do, this opportunity is just too good to pass up. It will allow Eric and I to work together and raise our family of pink hens. All the details of our exciting move will be posted soon once we get it all finalized.

Wish us luck!!!!