Hi All,
I just joined the list a week or so ago. We have eight fantastic, rambunctious, as-yet unsexed chicks in a big box in our kitchen. They're getting lots of handling and treats and outside time every day, and are 3 and 4 weeks old today. I spent a couple of hours tonight with my eight year old son working on bits of the coop-to-be, ripping old screening out of doors and installing hardware cloth. It was a ton of fun to share this with him and he's reached an age where his help can make it possible to do things that I couldn't do alone. We got chicks as opposed to laying hens because I knew he would adore them, and he is a great chick handler. He talks to them, hopes that they're female, is resisting naming the potential roos because he doesn't want to get attached. We live in Seattle and love it here, have a big garden with many edibles and natives, lots of friends in the neighborhood who have chickens, and a community that is really supportive of chickens, goats, gardens, sustainable living etc. My pet cat of many years died last year and our pet fish just weren't ... cuddly enough, so I'm thrilled to get our family behind the chicken idea and really glad we started with chicks. I can't wait to look out the living room window and see them strutting and goofing around in the back yard, and I eat a lot of eggs, so I'm hopeful we'll end up with enough layers to get a couple of eggs a day.
We have 2 each of Barnevelder (BamBam and Trio), Blue Laced Red Wyandotte (Dotty and 'Coscious - short for precocious), Welsummer (Pippin and ?) and Wheaten Marans (Feathers and Nuggles - short for Snuggles). I'm crossing my fingers that at least one of each will be a girl, but we are resigned to possibly even five roos. I'll post coop photos and chick pictures in the relevant places once I'm allowed to post pictures.
Thanks all! I've learned a ton here already and am looking forward to learning more.
Frithest
I just joined the list a week or so ago. We have eight fantastic, rambunctious, as-yet unsexed chicks in a big box in our kitchen. They're getting lots of handling and treats and outside time every day, and are 3 and 4 weeks old today. I spent a couple of hours tonight with my eight year old son working on bits of the coop-to-be, ripping old screening out of doors and installing hardware cloth. It was a ton of fun to share this with him and he's reached an age where his help can make it possible to do things that I couldn't do alone. We got chicks as opposed to laying hens because I knew he would adore them, and he is a great chick handler. He talks to them, hopes that they're female, is resisting naming the potential roos because he doesn't want to get attached. We live in Seattle and love it here, have a big garden with many edibles and natives, lots of friends in the neighborhood who have chickens, and a community that is really supportive of chickens, goats, gardens, sustainable living etc. My pet cat of many years died last year and our pet fish just weren't ... cuddly enough, so I'm thrilled to get our family behind the chicken idea and really glad we started with chicks. I can't wait to look out the living room window and see them strutting and goofing around in the back yard, and I eat a lot of eggs, so I'm hopeful we'll end up with enough layers to get a couple of eggs a day.
We have 2 each of Barnevelder (BamBam and Trio), Blue Laced Red Wyandotte (Dotty and 'Coscious - short for precocious), Welsummer (Pippin and ?) and Wheaten Marans (Feathers and Nuggles - short for Snuggles). I'm crossing my fingers that at least one of each will be a girl, but we are resigned to possibly even five roos. I'll post coop photos and chick pictures in the relevant places once I'm allowed to post pictures.
Thanks all! I've learned a ton here already and am looking forward to learning more.
Frithest
