Childrens Chicken Dream Gone
Over the past 3 years, our children have invested their little hearts and backs into building a productive chicken flock on our small family farm in Eastern WA...
Until disaster struck.
This is a story of work, love of chickens, and loss.
It all started with a loved Barn, that needed love...
...and a love of Chickens... that needed Chickens!
Unknown then, this old barn would be the center of much love, work, and family..
...it was structurally fantastic, and just needed some love and care... and cleaning, lots of cleaning...
We all worked hard (especially the children) to create a beautiful, comfortable environment for their flock. And after cleaning, and saving money from keeping other farms animals over winter...
[here we are checking on some broodmares the children took care of for money, they also cared for mules one year, and have been milking one of my cows for money since August]
...We were ready to start building the Poultry Palace!
[as the kids called it]
With Lots of material... it was shaping up to be so beautiful...
...and it was...
...it was perfect! And the Chicks arrived, and loved it!
Well, the chicks grew into chickens, and the eggs started to flow...and chicks started to hatch and grow...
...Roosters were added to protect the growing Free-Range flock...
...WAIT A SECOND, KIDS! ?
That's NOT a Rooster!... and so their little chicken farm grew...
...and the children were enterprising...
...albeit, their prices were a little steep at first...
...soon they were delivering eggs to town for $3(with dads help [driving]) and the flock had grown to ~ 70 laying hens and ~120 birds...
...So we built a 300 bushel grain bin into the back, and filled it with a mix of Wheat, Oats, and Barley...
...This kids helped as much as they could to get all that grain into the bin, knowing that their flock would benefit...But laying hens needed more protein...
...so we got 8 tons of culled peas, and stored them by hand in totes. I think all our shoulders are still sore from all those buckets of peas!
The chicken farm had arrived!
Or so we thought....
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG
A neighboring farmer was practically breaking down my door. It was ~5am on March 22, 2016, I ran to open the door and heard him yelling...
"THE BARN! THE BARN IS ON FIRE!" 
I immediately thought it was his, and quickened to get boots on and as I opened the door and asked "When did it start!?" and began running toward his house...
...out of the corner of my eye...
FIRE
My heart sank, as I saw the fire was from the children's barn.
It then broke, as I remembered the childrens practice of sometimes 'camping' down there to 'sleep with the chickens'... and ran to check...
Thanking God...
all of them were in their actual beds...
...but the barn, had entered into it's eternal sleep...
...Being so cold, wet and windy, the cows warmed themselves by the slowly dying Chicken Palace...
...There was nothing to do... the Poulty Palace, Grain Bin, Chicks, Chickens... and a little bit of peace had all burned to the ground...
[a lone chicken looks on as her home burns]
But there is still a chance!!!
A CHICKENS CHANCE!
The children have saved money... roughly $300...
...but that's nowhere near enough...
According to online research...
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=cost+to+build+a+pole+barn
It will cost between $20,000 and $40,000 to rebuild the barn... and an additional $5,000-$10,000 to get it back to working order (roost,coop, feed, feeders, supplies, CHICKENS etc.)
And we need to build their Chicken home sooner rather than later, as roughly 50 chickens survived..
So, if you appreciate industrious young people, looking to raise well-loved free-range chickens here is how you can help and encourage them:
HOW WE WILL USE THE MONEY
Purchasing items lost in the fire:
Barn Building Costs
~$20,000-40,000
Ton totes of peas
~$1000 for 7 tons
300 Bushel Grain Bin (Praise God this was empty of grain)
~$1000-3000
Bags of Feed Corn
~$10 a piece
Bags of Chick Feed
~$20 a piece
Bag of Grit
~$8 a piece
Bags of Pine Shavings
~$15
Baby Chicks (x18)
~$60
Chickens (x30)
~$360
Chicken Coop, roost, waterers(x2), Waterer Heating Base (x1),
feeders(x4), lamps(x2), fans (x3), nesting boxes and tubs(x12)
~$2000-$3000
Brooder Boxes (4'x4'x2', 5/8" plywood, x3)
~$100
Straw Bales (x4)
~$12
1/2 Hay Bale
~$100
Rubbermaid Stock Tanks (x2) [these are melted a bit, but not completely
destroyed]
~$400
Rubber Feed Pan (x1)
~$20
Plastic Feed Pans (x2)
~$20
Pitch Fork
~$25
HOW WE WILL SHOW YOU THANKS
EVERY donor will receive an emailed thank you from one of the children...
PLUS
The additional rewards at your donation level!