Because we are all sick...please enjoy some gratuitous chick pictures



Logan the Sweetheart - Golden Wynadotte - 6 weeks

John Deere - Rhode Island Red - 7 weeks

Chocolate - Welsummer - 5 weeks

Chicky Chicky Chook Chook - Dark Brahma - 7 weeks

Peanut Butter - Welsummer - 5 weeks

Chicken coop in progress pics....

Base in place (river rocks are to keep the girls from scratching the gravel)

Dazzling daffodil

Helper J

Early morning Home Depot run

Perfectly level! The compost bin is beyond it



Anyone experiencing saw envy?



Chick Update

Man these babies grow so fast! I forget that about chicks. I am learning it about children.
We are going to start building our new bigger coop next weekend - the older chicks are going to be ready to go outside by mid-April and I'm ready for them to be somewhere other than the play room. As much as I love visiting them and listening to their peeps, they make an INCREDIBLE amount of dust. The whole play room is going to need a thorough scrubbing after they vacate the premises. Plus they're so much bigger and more active than the chicks that are only 2 weeks younger. They pretty much ignore the babies but as Chicky Chicky and John Deere vie for 'Queen of the Coop' honors, the little ones spend a great deal of time in the corner. They're going to need more room very soon.

The plan is to build a coop that can house up to 12 hens and put it in the chicken run we have on the side of the house. The older hens will then roost and lay eggs in that coop. The babies will go outside into our current coop/walk in pen that can be blocked off from the run. It's a perfect way station for them. The older hens can get used to the babies and the babies will be protected from the older hens until they're closer in size to them. Thanks to D for the brilliant suggestion.

Personality-wise I really love Logan. She (fingers crossed she IS a she) is fearless, friendly and happily comes to my hand, falls asleep on my knee, likes to cuddle against my neck and runs to the door rather than away when I come in. Plus she's going to be gorgeous. Chocolate and Peanut Butter are super sweet and cuddly. I'm looking forward to them getting bigger and seeing how they develop. Chicky Chicky has definitely taken on the role of big sister to them and they cuddle up to her during naps. That may also be because she resembles a big fluffy pillow. She's the most unusual chick I've ever had. John Deere kind of resembles a vulture because she has her body feathers but nothing on her head, she also is pretty friendly. I think I lucked out with this batch of chicks.

John Deere

Chicky Chicky Chook Chook

Super fluffy feathers and long feathers on her feet and legs

Logan

The babies - Chocolate and Peanut Butter

Feeding time!

New chicks - because I AM the Crazy Chicken Lady

Because I am that woman, J and I had quite an adventure today.

I've been enamoured with the Welsummer breed of chicken since I first learned about them a few years ago. The chocolate brown eggs - oh those eggs! I ordered one last year (in my mail order chicken debacle) and sadly the little peeper didn't make it. Note to self, shipping is not kind on chicks. When I was perusing the Concord Feed Store chick calendar this past month, I saw that they were getting Welsummers in. And in an OK (not great) window of our existing chicks being young enough to accept the new ones and us leaving town for a long weekend. You have to be very careful introducing baby chicks to girls older than two weeks because the big ones are SO much larger than the little girls. Best case is that they leave them alone and only step on them at times, worst case is that they peck them and/or keep them away from the food and water and you end up having to separate them.

Anyhoodle, I learned when we picked up Logan the Loud, that the colored egg layers go very quickly and are usually only offered at the main location about an hour from me. J had gymnastics this morning and so we couldn't head over till that was finished. Then he wanted to stay for open gym. So we stayed. Me getting more and more antsy. I tried calling the feed store to see if they'd let me buy some over the phone but couldn't get through. I called my local branch and they called them and called me back saying that I should probably head over if I wanted the chicks because people were in there buying them RIGHT NOW. I loaded J in the car and off we drove slightly faster than the speed limit. Had to find the feed store (wrong turn, looking at the wrong side of the street, another wrong turn), walked in only to discover that they had just sold the last two "5 minutes before you got here". ARGH! One of employees overheard and said "oh I just sent 10 over to another (distant) location". Throw J back in the car and race to this other location. Got lost. (Of course). Found the place, walked in and they had just put the Welsummers out! Yahoo! We got our pick of the batch! I still feel so accomplished! I'm a Crazy Chicken Lady! I picked up two because well, they're Welsummers and because if they were going to be abused by the big girls and I needed to separate them then they'd need a buddy. Chickens are social and need a friend. And because they're Welsummers. I will now have, if they all make it and they're all girls, 9 hens. We're going to need a new coop (you listening honey?).

The little peepers are doing fine, they've cuddled up with the big girls which I find interesting. I'd think they'd want to avoid those big feet but what do I know? I'm not a few days old chick. I'm just glad that it seems to have all gone smoothly. So far. Ah. Chickens.

This beauty is Chocolate

This doll is Peanut Butter

Introducing them (slowly) to the other ladies, Logan the Loud first because she was closest in size

Then John Deere

And finally Chicky Chicky Chook Chook

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.

Bringing home baby chicks

Today was a great day! I've been promising J that we would get chicks as soon as they became available and that he could pick them out, name them and help me raise them. We've been talking about this for about a month. I called over to our local feed store today and they had some chicks in stock still from last week. Bouncing with excitement and giddy with anticipation (well J was definitely bouncing and giddy), we drove over the hill to see what we would find.  I was intrigued by the dark Brahma breed they had (I'm a sucker for a pretty hen) so I knew we would come home with one of those. I thought maybe two Brahmas but J wanted a Rhode Island Red too. I've never had one of those but they're good layers so why not? He named the Rhode Island Red John Deere and the dark Brahma  Chicky Chicky Chook Chook. Because it's cold in the garage and they're small enough to fit through the holes in our dog crate, I'm keeping them in J's bathroom for a couple of weeks or until they outgrow this bucket. It will happen very quickly that's for sure. I love keeping chickens. I don't know why more people don't do it, it's such fun! 

The set up. A heat lamp is imperative, without a mama they can't keep themselves warm

Feeder and water

I put rocks in the water because they can fall in and not be able to get out, the rocks prevent that

Looking into the bucket, this will only hold them for a week maybe two

Choosing the chicks - it's hard to choose!

On the way home

The girls in their box - you can see they're already getting wing feathers

John Deere

Chicks adapt quickly

J doesn't want to leave them - listening to him talk to them is priceless.
He is telling them stories, all about himself and just general chatter.






So You Think You Want Chickens?

1. Chicks are adorable, hens are pretty, if it's beautiful, it's a rooster.
2. Roosters are a pain in the behind. If you don't have a large free-ranging flock and predators, there's no point for a roo. Roosters attack and can draw blood through jeans.
3. Roosters really are gorgeous.
4. A rooster will not just crow at sunrise but will also crow during the day and at night. Especially at 3am. The crow is a warning signal to the flock not just a way to greet the dawn. Some crow constantly.
5. When buying chicks, get an extra one. Something always seems to happen to one of them or one turns out to be a roo.
6. Chickens are incredibly adaptable.
7. I spoil my chickens but not as much as some.
8. No matter how crazy you are, someone else is crazier.
9. Chickens will eat almost anything, including chicken.
10. Almost anything will eat a chicken.
11. They will peck at the color red, toenail polish, clothes, another chicken that has a cut.
12. When you have to isolate a hen for whatever reason, a large dog crate comes in very handy.
13. Chickens love pink toddler fingers.
14. Feeding chickens is a super fun thing to do.
15. If you have chickens, you're never short on a topic of conversation.
16. People will be jealous of your hens and will start thinking maybe they should keep their own.
17. Once a year, chickens lose all of their feathers and looked plucked. This is called 'molting' and is perfectly natural. Hilarious laughter often ensues.
18. Hens do not lay eggs when they're molting, sadness follows, when you see that first egg again it's like a gift.
19. When your first chicken lays her first egg and your husband sends you a picture of it while you're on a business trip, your colleagues will think you've lost your mind as you show it to everyone as if it was a picture of your first born.
20. The person who gets to eat the first egg will feel like they won the lottery.
21. Once you have eggs from your girls you won't buy store bought ever again.
22. Hens slow down their laying after their 2nd year so you'd better have a plan to bring in new chicks and do something with the older ones.
23. Easter Eggers (a mixed breed) can lay the most beautiful eggs, from olive green to aqua.
24. Chickens die. It happens. Sometimes you have to kill one and you'd better know how to (or have a neighbor who does). I've found one dead in the coop and had to put one down (lucky we have a neighbor)
25. Kids LOVE chickens. Chickens love popcorn.
26. Keep your compost bin in with you chickens for some very happy birds and happy compost.
27. Chickens will decimate any area you let them into, garden, lawn - the plants? Gone.
28. Chickens make great bug catchers.
29. With chickens come flies.
30. Chickens bathe in the dirt - the first time you see this you'll think they're having a fit.
31. There are great websites out there full of information, the best thing to remember is that a chicken is a farm animal. They may be pets and have cute names but they're still a farm animal.
32. Hens do NOT need a rooster to lay eggs. They do need a rooster to lay fertilized eggs that will hatch chicks. You'll be amazed at how many people will tell you you need a rooster.
33. Most modern hens have had the ability to set on a nest and raise chicks bred out of them since a setting/broody hen does not lay eggs.
34. You will have a hen that goes broody (sits on a nest trying to hatch eggs even if they're not fertilized). Try whatever you can to break the broody. I lock mine out of the coop except for at night and that seems to work. Sometimes.
35. Keep your chickens where you can watch them and they'll provide hours of entertainment.
36. Chickens poop. A lot. Have a plan. It's great compost addition but you have to age it before putting it on plants.
37. Hens laying depends on daylight - so in winter their egg production slows down or even stops.
38. Bad things can happen to good chickens, be prepared.
39. There are things chickens shouldn't eat, tomato vines, green tomatoes, potato skins, avocados to name a few. Check the list before you give your girls something. Mine ate the insulation around the pipes to the air conditioner.
40. If you feed your girls onions and garlic, the eggs will taste like onion and garlic.
41. Work colleagues may start calling you 'The Crazy Chicken Lady'. You will take it as a compliment.
42. Unless you're a carpenter or married to a carpenter, you may spend your anniversary weekend building the coop/pen for your chickens. It may or may not cost $500 and involve 4-5 trips to Home Depot.
43. The first night your fledged (with feathers not down) chicks are outside in the coop, you will worry all night about them. This does not change no matter how many sets of chickens you raise.
44. Sexing chicks is not 100%, you may end up with a rooster (I've had two over the years).
45. The more you find out about factory farming, confined chickens, the debeaking of chickens and so called 'free range' the more appalled you will be.
46. Once you get hens, you won't ever want to live anywhere you can't keep chickens.