Chickens Update

Well, the chickens have graduated to the garage.  I was thinking they’d be in the house for the week, but they were just too smelly for me.  I changed their bedding twice a day, and on the last day, 3 times.  I just couldn’t take their poop smell.  O well.  They’re getting bigger so fast, but not yet at the “ugly stage” that everyone tells me about who has had chickens.  They say their cute little chicks, and then they suddenly get really ugly, and then they’re nice looking chickens.  So far, their little chicks, but they are getting bigger!

I try to spend 15-20 minutes holding and handling them when I check their water and food twice a day.
It’s amazing to me not only how much they change every day, but how different each breed is!  The temperament of the Ameraucana chicks (or the Speckled Sussex.  I can’t tell those 2 breed apart very well yet) are curious, and always the first to break from the bunch and eat some food from my hand.  They also seem to be the largest of the bunch.  (They’re the brownish ones.)  There’s one bigger one that I’ve started calling “Queenie” because she’s seems to be the leader of the pack, and checks everything out before they all settle down.  They don’t give me much chase at all yet, and I’ve almost got “Queenie” to just walk into my hand when I lay it down.  She will half heartily put up a fuss when I do hold her, but that’s just to save face in front of the other chicks.  Really, I think she likes it.

The Blue Hamburgs are so much smaller than the other chicks, but I guess on reading more, hamburgs are just smaller.  There’s one hamburg that is so much smaller than the other ones, and I worry that she’s getting picked on.  Well, I guess I assume that because she’s the smallest that she’s getting picked on.  She seems to be thriving and growing like the rest, still, and I have no evidence of mistreatment from the other birds.  I’ve seen her eat and drink without a problem as well.  These ones are Silje’s favorites (she has names for them…I’ll have to find out more specifics there).  They are yellow and downy like traditional chicks I’ve always thought of, and they are so tiny compared to the rest.  These will be our white egg laying birds, and are supposedly the most prolific.

The Dominiques (or cuckoo marans.  Again, I can’t tell the 2 apart well) are lovely, but give me the most chase when I want to hold them.  They are David’s favorite because they’re black and beautiful.  Next to the Ameraucana chicks, they are the second ones to investigate a hand in the box, and they are very calm once they’re in my hands.

I saved up some swagbucks and bought the Keeping Chickens book that I checked out at the library awhile back and thought to be the most helpful reference that I’d like to have on hand.  It has such down to earth information, much of which I think we’ll use as Knut works on the coop soon.  It also talks about feed, troubleshooting problems, broodiness, etc.  All the other chicken books dealt with chickens on a large commercial scale, and this one directly addresses backyard flocks.  With a resource this complete, I wanted it to have on hand all the time.  And Knut and I are book junkies.  I’m not gonna lie.

Speaking of Knut, please keep him and the rest of the guys on the farm in your prayers this week!  Knut came got to bed about 5:30 this morning, and I got up at 6:30.  It’s almost like we’re in college again!  I remember those days well those first months of marriage when we worked opposite shifts because we only had one car and he came home at 4am and I had to get up at 6am for an early class.  Like ships passing in the night.  From what I gather, if things continue going well, planting will get done on Friday.  Rain is expected sometime Friday and through the weekend, so it would be great to wrap up this stage before the rain comes.

Anyway, I also took a picture of my new work boots that will be great for cleaning out chicken stuff.  I’m finding it’s nice for working in the garden too.  I cannot believe I’ve managed living here without work boots before!  I’m using them constantly now!  They’re so pretty too.  That makes me smile.