" Henny Penny, The sky is falling!"
Chicken Little
Chicken Little
- JUST BLOOMED TODAY
- WHAT CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?
- GARDEN GIGGLE
- FAUNA
- FEEDBACK
JUST BLOOMED TODAY
GARDEN UPDATE
Planted my two pony packs of lettuces and crossed fingers that these will take. Last year we had such great and wonderful lettuce I would truly miss it if I didn't have any this year.
Also, the weeding karma must be in the air, as both my sister Betty and I have been weeding. As she always says, "There is always something to do in the garden!"
WHAT CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?
Although this age-old question is fascinating, I'm not going to address it, other than to say, in our case, the chicks came first.
We have enjoyed sooo much having chickens these past years. Of course, we are self-taught and learned along the way, but they really teach you all you probably need to know.
We just added to our flock this week with the addition of nine new chicks. This is the time to get chicks at your local feed store. You can also order them online but usually they come in a minimum order of 100 so unless you can go in with someone else, this might not be the best option for you.
Baby chicks are fairly inexpensive, and vary from store to store. Most have an assortment for you to choose from and it helps to know your breeds, rather than "the cute black one" when you are choosing new chickens.
When I choose a chick, I look for an alert baby who can walk and run. One that is not shaking, trembling or off by itself in a corner. I pick it up and turn it upside down and look at the 'vent' or the hole on their behind. It should be nice and pink and not crusted over. The feed store will have boxes for you to take your chick home in, but you will need to buy chick starter feed for a while until they get big enough to eat regular food. You can buy chick starter in bulk weights (25, 50 or 100lbs) but most feed stores will sell a smaller amount bag that will do just fine until you are ready for more. Lots easier to store as well!
You will also need a watering bottle. We utilize one that holds a gallon and meters out the water to them a bit at a time. This is great to minimize water waste and overflow. You will also need a chick feeder. Of course, you can start with just bowls for water and food but you will find they will become quickly dirty. A chick feeder usually has several feeding stations and it, too will help minimize waste.
Before you bring those new babies home, you will need a place for them to live! Some people advocate free-range birds, which means you are allowing your chickens to roam freely. We do not believe in this method because of the predatory birds we have around here which could spread their bird flu germs to our birds. As well, there are wolves, coyotes and snakes that would love to have a chicken dinner. So our coops have both an inside run as well as an outside run. They are equipped with a light and a heat lamp, along with places to nest and sleep or laze away the day. At night we close up their doors so the rooster-boy doesn't wake our neighbors too early.
Tomorrow we will continue with how to choose the right breed of chicken for you, and other things you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask!
Planted my two pony packs of lettuces and crossed fingers that these will take. Last year we had such great and wonderful lettuce I would truly miss it if I didn't have any this year.
Also, the weeding karma must be in the air, as both my sister Betty and I have been weeding. As she always says, "There is always something to do in the garden!"
WHAT CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?
Although this age-old question is fascinating, I'm not going to address it, other than to say, in our case, the chicks came first.
We have enjoyed sooo much having chickens these past years. Of course, we are self-taught and learned along the way, but they really teach you all you probably need to know.
We just added to our flock this week with the addition of nine new chicks. This is the time to get chicks at your local feed store. You can also order them online but usually they come in a minimum order of 100 so unless you can go in with someone else, this might not be the best option for you.
When I choose a chick, I look for an alert baby who can walk and run. One that is not shaking, trembling or off by itself in a corner. I pick it up and turn it upside down and look at the 'vent' or the hole on their behind. It should be nice and pink and not crusted over. The feed store will have boxes for you to take your chick home in, but you will need to buy chick starter feed for a while until they get big enough to eat regular food. You can buy chick starter in bulk weights (25, 50 or 100lbs) but most feed stores will sell a smaller amount bag that will do just fine until you are ready for more. Lots easier to store as well!
You will also need a watering bottle. We utilize one that holds a gallon and meters out the water to them a bit at a time. This is great to minimize water waste and overflow. You will also need a chick feeder. Of course, you can start with just bowls for water and food but you will find they will become quickly dirty. A chick feeder usually has several feeding stations and it, too will help minimize waste.
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| Chick Feeder |
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| Water Bottle |
Tomorrow we will continue with how to choose the right breed of chicken for you, and other things you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask!
GARDEN GIGGLE
FAUNA
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