Chick update

The chicks we picked up on Tuesday rather rapidly outgrew their bucket. I knew they would since chickens grow faster than weeds! We have used a big dog crate in the past, but always in the garage. This time, because it's still so cold out there, we decided to put the crate in (to J's great delight) the playroom. D set up the cage for me and made sure the whole thing was covered with plastic mesh (the holes in the crate are so large, a chick could easily slip through). J has spent the week playing in the room and showing the chicks all his toys. He is a very happy boy.

Today we picked up a Golden Lace Wynadotte that's only a few days old and I'm hoping it's a girl. The one I got last year started getting more and more gorgeous as it aged and I knew she was a he and he had to go live elsewhere. Sigh. I am very happy to say that the new chick integrated just fine with the big girls. You have to be very careful integrating chicks of different ages since the older/bigger ones will pick on the younger/smaller ones to the point of not letting them near the food or water, etc. In fact Logan the Loud (so named because of her PEEPING all the way home) made herself right at home and immediately snuggled up to John Deere and Chicky Chicky Chook Chook. I'm hoping to get a Welsummer next weekend and fingers and toes crossed that one blends in well too.

Chicks are just seriously cute. When we were at the feed store picking out Logan the Loud, there was an older boy sitting next to the brooder just staring at the chicks. His dad stopped by and we talked chickens for a while, he said it was his wife that didn't want them and he promised his son that they'd talk about it again. Boy that kid really wanted a couple of chicks, he pointed out which ones he would get if he could. I felt sad for the kid and really happy that J will always have chickens and that he will never know any different and that he will know what it's like to raise them up and take care of them.
These are important things to know and learn.