I have discovered I have an affinity for chickens. I don't know what it is about them but I quite like them ... a lot.

I'm not exactly what you would call a country girl so I have no idea where this interest is coming from. Maybe it's in the blood. Many of the men on my dad's side of the family were farmers across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, some going back to long before they moved to the United States.

All I know for sure is that in 2008 when all the folks on my farming mailing list started talking about getting chicks, building coops and taking care of their chickens I got hooked too. They all started talking about the eggs and chicks they're getting and I was so jealous!

I looked at a few coops at Agway and online. I found one that would be perfect for my back yard -- it looks like a funky trash can. It is totally mobile too so it is easy to move around the yard. Only $500! *sigh* At least the chickens are reasonably cheap! Unfortunately, there are some regulations I need to get changed or try to get a variance before I can put some lovely chickens in the backyard.

My daughter thinks I've gone mad, crazy even, with this new fascination. She also has said "absolutely not" to having a pet chicken in the house (I think she's afraid it will peck her in her sleep and/or will leave droppings all over the house).

She's also not at all interested in having a few in the back yard. Even if it means free eggs, fewer bugs and less yard to mow. She refuses to have anything to do with cleaning, feeding or otherwise caring for the chickens.

Maybe a few cute little chicks in the house will be enough to change her mind ...