Thirsty Chickens

When I woke today, they had drank all their water. This is after the fill up.



-- Post From My iPhone

These are the Spring Chickens!!

We had a very early 5:30am wakeup call from the local post office this morning begging us to hurry up and come and get our chickens. Apparently 15 chickens chirping in your ear while you are trying to sort mail is not a good thing. So, once we prepped for the TCAP by mom actually making the kiddos something to eat this morning, we headed off to collect some chicks.
When you order chicks in the mail, it is assumed that you will check that they all arrived alive in the presence of the post office people. I have never had this be an issue, but we did take a peek once we got back in the car. Arent they cute?

Then after some kid drop-off, I headed to the Co-op for some Starter Feed...no prep work for me, obviously. They were out of the 25 pound bags and offered me a 50 pound bag. That is waaaaaay to much, but the guy was nice enough to go get me a lunch sack full of feed from the back room for free to tide me over until tomorrow when they get more in. Very nice of him--so that is why i mention it. Shout out to that guy.
Anywhoo, this is the box and supplies needed for this little chick extravaganza.


These guys are very low maintenance. They require a little food, a little water and a warm light. That is about it other than a giant rubbermaid box.

Once we got home and got counting, we realized that the 15 we ordered had become 18.

Apparently it is cold in Missouri and they added a few freebies to help keep them warm--lovely. My buddy Heather is going to take 7 of them, but that leaves me several more than I planned. We have plenty of room in the big coop, but I hope everyone I know likes eggs. Come late summer we will be swimming in a sea of eggs. Start saving your egg cartons now, please...

Baby chicks on order!!

I ordered the spring baby chicks today. We are splitting with Heather this year because we certainly dont need 15 more chicks. I am trying to diversify my egg colors this year so I have chosen the following...

Salmon Faverolles-

These are a French breed and have a nice feathery beard as well as laying tinted cream colored eggs. I dont have any light colored egg layers at the present so these will be pretty.

Next are the Araucanas or Easter Eggers

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These, of course, are my personal favorites because they come in a variety of feather colors so you never know what you are going to get AND because they lay blue/green eggs.

And then lastly, the Cuckoo Marans. This was my big debate this year because I do NOT like roosters. These only come "straight-run" which means they just pick up random ones and put them in the box without differentiating between females (pullets) and males (annoying rooster cockerels). I like my chicken "girls" to just be able to lay their little eggs and go about their business without any big ugly roosters clawing them on their backs and harassing them.

Unfortunately, a rooster or two is inevitable when you order straight run and I have two already.

Such was my dilemma, but I caved. Why you ask?

Because these eggs are the coolest!!

And this chick here is the only one who's got them!

I am willing to put up with a couple stupid roosters to get those super nifty chocolaty looking eggs. I cant wait!! There had better get at least 3 of 5 being pullets or Cackle Hatchery and I are going to have "words".