Last spring I sprung chicks on my S.O. Said I was going to get them, and got 3 batches (3 different breeds that came to the Grange at different times) for a total of 14 chicks. Two turned out to be mean roosters; they were yummy. The rest are living in a 10' x 20' pen under a Costco tent & laying an average of 9 eggs a day, and I'm selling eggs to a couple of regular subscribers.
This year I wanted to get a few more, especially some to lay dark brown eggs. Himself was standing over me while I sat at the computer, saying, "Oh, get some more of those. And of those..." We ended up getting sixty (60) chicks!!! We have them in a row of bins on the back porch (which is temporarily walled in anyway for the goats we got last summer, long story. Glad it has a concrete floor).
Yesterday Himself was at Grange picking up some different waterers for the chicks, and came home all excited. Next Saturday the Grange is giving away 5 chicks if you buy at least $35 of chicken supplies -- including feed. He wants us to each get 5 more chicks.
"Honey," I said, "I'm not sure we need any more chicks." This from ME, who had frankly been eying the Blue Wyandottes at the Grange earlier in the week. "That's OK," he said. "We'll end up with that many roosters overall, and we'll eat them."
I guess it is fortunate that he hasn't built the coop yet. We'd already planned to build a good-sized coop; now he is expanding the plans, and planning a larger run. He's back in college & has a break from 23 March to 1 April. That's our coop-building window. And he is now seeing the wisdom of a storage area in the coop, especially since Grange gives a price break when you buy 10 bags of feed at a time.
It's nice to be with a nurturing guy.
This year I wanted to get a few more, especially some to lay dark brown eggs. Himself was standing over me while I sat at the computer, saying, "Oh, get some more of those. And of those..." We ended up getting sixty (60) chicks!!! We have them in a row of bins on the back porch (which is temporarily walled in anyway for the goats we got last summer, long story. Glad it has a concrete floor).
Yesterday Himself was at Grange picking up some different waterers for the chicks, and came home all excited. Next Saturday the Grange is giving away 5 chicks if you buy at least $35 of chicken supplies -- including feed. He wants us to each get 5 more chicks.
"Honey," I said, "I'm not sure we need any more chicks." This from ME, who had frankly been eying the Blue Wyandottes at the Grange earlier in the week. "That's OK," he said. "We'll end up with that many roosters overall, and we'll eat them."
I guess it is fortunate that he hasn't built the coop yet. We'd already planned to build a good-sized coop; now he is expanding the plans, and planning a larger run. He's back in college & has a break from 23 March to 1 April. That's our coop-building window. And he is now seeing the wisdom of a storage area in the coop, especially since Grange gives a price break when you buy 10 bags of feed at a time.
It's nice to be with a nurturing guy.
