Gamma's Bearded Babies Adventure

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

We've been empty nesters the past four years...and in May 2021 the kids got me baby chicks!!! And thus began my adventure...

 

[swamphiker]

Adorable!! <3

 

[N F C]

Very cute, congrats on your new flock!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Documenting this journey is gonna be fun!
An adventure I never dreamed of...

I was raised on a small farm where my grandparents had less than 100 head of cattle and bout 15 white ducks. I got to fish in a large pond and hang out like kids used to do on 100+ acres! Life changed as grandparents got too old to tend to the farm and what once was an adventure became grown up mess - more ways than not!
Picture from their old barn - didn't realize how much I loved it til I was gone from there!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I've struggled with the dreaded "d" word my entire life. ( d e p r e s s i o n ) I absolutely abhor the word...much less living with it!!!

After a wakeup call in April 2021 from not dieing from covid - I decided to LIVE!
And my middle child realized I do much better having something living, breathing, depending on me!
So they got me these little ones! 1 Polish and 3 Silkies dirt cheap...and I thought it would continue to be cheap.

 

[N F C]

I've struggled with the dreaded "d" word my entire life. ( d e p r e s s i o n ) I absolutely abhor the word...much less living with it!!!

After a wakeup call in April 2021 from not dieing from covid - I decided to LIVE!
And my middle child realized I do much better having something living, breathing, depending on me!
So they got me these little ones! 1 Polish and 3 Silkies dirt cheap...and I thought it would continue to be cheap.
View attachment 2948746

Sleeping chicks are the sweetest!

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Not sure if it was because the one polish chick was different from the silkies or if we had a special connection but I definitely favored the little polish chick!
I pegged this chick as a cockrel early on based on his behavior and to my surprise I was right! He would spar with the little black silkie all the time! And he was always right there first in line whenever I came out to the brooder!
Once they were feathered and the pre-fab coop was setup, I began taking them on adventures outdoors!
The polish chick, which I named Polish (real original I know but I was afraid I'd forget what type chick he was - so it stuck!), soon got to where he would not let me pick him up so he would literally follow me around like a little puppy!
I was so amazed at how he went from the backyard where I had let them adventure and he would follow me as I carried the other hatch mates back to the brooder in the garage.
I also noticed how Polish was much larger than all the silkies...and he soon matured much faster! Polish was zooming around harassing the silkies to the extent one refused to even come out of their pre-fab coop anymore..
Once my suspensions were confirmed regarding the black silkie being a cockrel as well I knew I had no choice but to rehome Polish. He was such a sweetheart with me...but a tyrant to the pullets. His size and his raging hormones were just not going to work. God sent me the sweetest lady a few hours away for him to go live with that had a farm full of all kinds of chickens! And Polish was home!
Polish with me...then last pic is him at his new home rocking his 80's hair!

 

[N F C]

Not sure if it was because the one polish chick was different from the silkies or if we had a special connection but I definitely favored the little polish chick!
I pegged this chick as a cockrel early on based on his behavior and to my surprise I was right! He would spar with the little black silkie all the time! And he was always right there first in line whenever I came out to the brooder!
Once they were feathered and the pre-fab coop was setup, I began taking them on adventures outdoors!
The polish chick, which I named Polish (real original I know but I was afraid I'd forget what type chick he was - so it stuck!), soon got to where he would not let me pick him up so he would literally follow me around like a little puppy!
I was so amazed at how he went from the backyard where I had let them adventure and he would follow me as I carried the other hatch mates back to the brooder in the garage.
I also noticed how Polish was much larger than all the silkies...and he soon matured much faster! Polish was zooming around harassing the silkies to the extent one refused to even come out of their pre-fab coop anymore..
Once my suspensions were confirmed regarding the black silkie being a cockrel as well I knew I had no choice but to rehome Polish. He was such a sweetheart with me...but a tyrant to the pullets. His size and his raging hormones were just not going to work. God sent me the sweetest lady a few hours away for him to go live with that had a farm full of all kinds of chickens! And Polish was home!
Polish with me...then last pic is him at his new home rocking his 80's hair!
View attachment 2949356View attachment 2949357View attachment 2949358View attachment 2949374

What a handsome boy he grew up to be...glad you found him a good home!

 

[Callender Girl]

I know it must have been hard to rehome Polish; I've only had to do that once. This spring one of my Bantam boys turned out to be a gorgeous Booted bully with a bad attitude toward me and the Cochin Bantam roo.

I LOVED it when you said you thought it would be "cheap" to have chickens. I once had that delusion myself. For such small creatures with an initially inexpensive cash outlay, it's amazing how quickly they rack up the bills!

BUT, they are totally worth it -- as you well know. Enjoyed your photos and story.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

Oh wow, Funny i have my two little paint silkies and one black!! Looks like your trio pics! I think i have (i hope) one female polish from the new bunch.. but those other two, same experience as you with your assumed correctly roo!

AND the money i just paid for the $1400 run and coop (omg) and now i need a contractor to build a base! Then pay someone to move it! And one of the neighbors just asked how much the chickens cost. Oh! Only $4 a piece, i said

I love your grandparents barn ❤ its so perfect, just as i would imagine