Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Chicks!

The chicks have arrived!
Normally I get my chicks in April, around Easter, but it appears that there are more and more people who are raising backyard chickens these days so our orders have been backed up for the past two years.  The feed store decided we have to order in February next year for April delivery.  

The lady at the feed store asked Hubs if he knew how to 
handle chicks and he, being a bit saucy, said,  
"I have a way with chicks."  
To which she replied, 
"I'm sure you did.....once."

Hubs was raised with chicks.  A new box of baby chicks arrived every spring since he was a child and the tradition continues.  We used to raise chickens for butchering,  but I quit that and now we just raise chicks to be laying hens for the eggs.

These two pictures are of a Leghorn chick.


This black & white one is a Barred Rock chick.

There are fifteen chicks in all.
I ordered three varieties:
Buff Orpington, Barred Rock, and Auracana, but
I see there is a Leghorn amongst them.
I like Leghorns too, but I didn't order any this time.

17 comments:

  1. Oh they are so cute! Very fun exchange between your husband and the gal at the store :0)

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  2. Awww, they're SO adorable! And I'm betting hubby STILL has a way with chicks if he's that quick on his feet!

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  3. We all had a good chuckle about this one!

    Cute little chicks too!

    Joyce

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  4. I love getting chicks - ours always come in the mail and our city friends think we are making it up! lol Buff Orpingtons are great hens - the ones we have had have been very good in the winter when the cold is too much for others. You will be having lovely "easter eggs" with the Auracanas and Barred Rocks are my all time fav. Makes me miss my chickens - we left the henhouse empty this year after some unknown predator cleaned up every last one in one night last year - even my darling Silkies. But I miss having "the girls" around!
    Hugs,
    Kerry

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  5. Just look at those darlings! Buff Orpingtons are lovely. Did I already tell you that when our children got to choose two chickens for their own, our littlest guy had two Buff Orpingtons? His big sister suggested he call them both Suzy so that he wouldn't have to try to tell them apart. So he did.

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  6. Ellen & Thimbleanna,
    I thought Hubs was VERY quick on his feet to come up with the "chick line." And he does have a way with one particular chick.

    Joyce,
    I knew you'd get a chuckle (I almost wrote chickle).

    Kerry,
    One night about 9 years ago, we had a badger dig underneath the coop and started killing and burying several chickens, feet up. One of the kids went to let the chickens out in the morning and saw the badger and called for Dad to come with the gun. We finished off that badger and filled in the holes. We've haven't had one again.... so far.

    Gretchen Joanna,
    What a sweet story about the Suzy chickens. Cute! We love the temperament of the buffies.

    Jody

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  7. They are so, so, so cute! Makes me want to become a farmer...

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  8. Oh, how adorable! I cannot wait until we can get some, perhaps next year :) Thanks for sharing Jody :)

    Sharon

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  9. Funny hubby! And I got a chuckle out of "Baby Chicks - Please Rush" Do you have a chick on your 100 blessings? :)

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  10. Well this certainly brings back memories! My Dad always brought home baby chicks in the spring. He chose different breeds each year, but always ones which laid brown eggs. They are always so adorable - at least until they get big and learn to peck at the feet of visitors. haha

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  11. LOL! That was a good comeback from that lady! They are just adorable! I've been contemplating getting chicks for several years now (was just thinking about it again today).

    Manuela

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  12. Oh they sure are sweet... we have to get the number of our old ladies down before we can bring in some young ones.
    Enjoy. Warm wishes, Tonya

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  13. Love seeing the chicks and all the different colors. Will the eggs be different colors as well? Thank you again for the wonderful pictures.

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  14. So fluffy and adorable. I am sure Little Peach H is loving them!
    Enjoy!
    Joanne

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  15. Cute cute! I'm sure Hazel will love them! They are definately at their cutest right now, a week or two later and they aren't so cute anymore!

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  16. We got our chicks the end of April. We had freezing weather for a week plus at night after getting them and I had to keep getting up at night to make sure they were staying warm enough. I also got 15 but lost one within a week and gave 2 to my middle daughter that had lost 2 to a neighborhood dog. I also got the 3 you got along with a couple of Golden Laced Wyandotte, Black Jersey Giant and a couple of Welsummer's. I have not started letting them out of their run yet. You might say I am a chicken. My first year raising chickens. I want to free range but I am worried that the hawks will get them. Want them to get a little larger.

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  17. What a saucy hubby you have! Sounds like something my hubs would say!

    I used to be so organized about chicks. Each year I would order different breeds so I could keep track of how old they all were. Now it's just a free-for-all!

    My hubby noticed that the local farm supply store had tons of chicks that weren't selling, so he bought a dozen even though it was well into June. They threw in lots of extras. Don't know if they'll lay this year. We need to get a light going in their coop. Ours are Buff Orpingtons and Silver and Gold Wyandotts. Pretty little gals! I love Aracaunas, too!

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