About Us
Who We Are
My husband thought he would surprise me by signing me up to receive a Murray McMurray catalogue in the mail. Thought to himself, “It will be so nice to surprise her. She has always wanted chickens so let’s get a few!” That, my friends, is how this beautiful story starts. He had no way to prepare himself for what he had unknowingly walked into. To be fair, he probably didn’t even think I would become this obsessed. Honestly, neither did I.
So there I was, excitedly flipping through each page looking at all the chickens. I could almost picture them pecking the ground outside the window where I sat. Then I flipped to a page that left me with my mouth open, frozen in awe. My eyes fell on a beautifully designed layout of chicken eggs in more shades and colors than I knew possible. I can confidently say it was love at first sight and instantly flipped back to the front page, writing down every bird I wanted in my flock. Two of each breed. The only way I can describe my selection process (with respect to the fact that these are living, breathing animals) would be to picture my eight year old self walking through our small town candy store. In my mind, I started out with a set number of ten birds, which quickly became twenty. I then upgraded to fifty. Today, this chicken obsession of mine has evolved into Opry Hill. A name created for the simple fact that all our birds are named after country music singers. Initially I just wanted their names to be cohesive and have some sort of intentionality. It was one particular bird that decided it for everyone, a Golden Comet aptly named Reba. If a chicken could be a human, this one would be singing “Fancy” with her rhinestones sparkling, clucking her way across the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.
Through breeding chickens I have found a love for learning about their genetics and to always work towards a goal. To breed birds with correct structure. Birds with beautiful plumage. Finally those bred for amazing egg color with spots, freckles and blooms. Additionally, I select for friendly, well-rounded birds who can tolerate our cold Montana winters and who lay the most consistent eggs all year long. (haven’t we all have fallen in love with a free-loader hen who was basically just a pretty face?) These qualities represent Opry Hill. Locally sourced for you here in Laurel, Montana so that you do not have to experience the loss and frustration of shipped chicks.
How Do I Choose What Breeds We Offer?
The first thing I do is ask the following questions in order of my own personal level of importance. Are they winter hardy? Are their eggs big, beautiful and abundant? Do they free range well? Are they dual purpose? Then there is the question of a disposition. While it is true that some breeds will naturally turn out to be friendly regardless of how much time and work you put in with them, I personally feel this is an exception and not a rule. We all know that one chicken who is supposed to be lovable because that is what they all said right? That same “lovable breed” will chase down your kids, peck your eyes out if you aren’t watching or harass their flock mates for no apparent reason. Therefore, I believe ALL breeds of chickens can be friendly with proper training and each individual chicken has their unique personality. The question I now ask is if the breeder specifically breeds for friendly chickens.
The second thing I do is join every club, group or organization I can find about the breed I am interested in. I can tell you with complete confidence that those who spend time, emotion and money on a breed know them better than any hatchery. Don’t get me wrong, hatcheries serve a purpose and I am a perfect example of this. The way hatcheries introduced me to chickens is the same story for thousands of people every year who regard “Chick Days” as an annual event. For me the money saved was meaningless, disappointing, frustrating but mostly is was heartbreaking when I think back to all the loss. The sad truth is that some will never experience the vibrance and vitality of a newly hatched chick who gets to eat, drink and rest without ever having to know the affects of shipping stress. They will only know the chicks who slowly recover or those that will be too weak to survive even after hours and sometimes days spent desperately trying to keep them alive.