Like a lot of people trying to save a few bucks, I too, have turned to chickens.

Why just the other day my chicken coop needed a roof and a new door so I went to the hardware store because you can’t make a new door without a new saw, because the old circular saw we had has a cord with no plug.

Don’t ask me how the plug got cut clean off, all I know is that when that happens, it makes an awful lot of sparks and without warning, the lights in the house go out.

But I got smart and got myself one of those cordless saws.

I told the nice guy at the shop who sold me the saw and the battery and the charger I only had to make two cuts and I was done with the project.

So he gave me a deal (it actually was a deal) — battery half off and the charger for free. Cordless tools are the only device I can think of where the battery and the charger cost more than the tool itself.

Still, even with the deal, the saw and battery and charger were just over $200, but at least I had a power tool I couldn’t cut the cord off of.

Then I needed a gate for the new chicken run — the new chicken coop with the new roof and new door wouldn’t fit through the old gate — it was too narrow.

Yes, I could have made a new gate, but I am the world’s worst carpenter and an even worse gate maker, so plopping $180 down for a metal gate seemed worth it to me.

Then I bought a couple more chicks because some of the hens are getting a little long in the tooth. One hen, (my best one) put her hip out, so she now has a limp.

I thought about taking her to the vet for an X-ray, but it seemed like something my wife would do, and even if her hip was out, what would the vet suggest?

“Give it to me straight, Doc,” I’d say.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Peterson, Gladys needs a hip replacement,” he’d say.

“But she only cost me 10 bucks. I mean, sure, I drove all the way to Polson a few years ago to pick her up, but we aren’t that attached,” I’d say.

“You could make Coq Au vin,” he’d say.

“With rice or ‘tatoes?”

“Rice,” he’d say.

Mmmmm Coq au vin.

Poor Gladys. Shouldn’t talk about her that way.

At any rate, I’m not new to this chicken game. No sireee. I’ve been saving money raising chickens for years.

The gate and saw came to $480. That works out to 120 dozen eggs, or about two years worth for our family, give or take an egg or two.

Nevermind the cost of feed.

Having said that, when I call the chickens they come running, just a like a dog, which always makes me smile. And that surely is worth something, right?